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I have a dual boot setup with Win XP and SuSE Linux. My computer is a 1.8GHz P4 with 512MB of RAM. Just yesterday it started booting really slowly. On the screen that says: Loading GRUB stage 2... it stayed there for 15 seconds instead of the regular 1. Could this be because the CMOS battery is dying? I say this because my clock keeps losing time and I'm pretty sure it's no a virus because it does it under Linux too! Please help!
If you have no way of testing the battery AND you don't have a Volt meter.. then just replace the battery.. I would also recommend reseting the CMOS (that is what the battery is holding up).. or just loading the default setting ..my pref is reset..
there are more probable.. but with a clock prob.. this makes the bat most likley..
Cheers
And of course :)Quote:
I would also recommend reseting the CMOS
How to reset CMOS ?
Take out the battery ( of course shut down the computer first....i did while the comp was turned on, and im still alive, but i may have been lucky), let the battery sitting on your desk for 5-10 minutes and put it back in....
and of course: experts-exchange, this site has served me great....
http://search.experts-exchange.com/s...x=0&Submit.y=0
You can't always reset the CMOS by removing the battery you should consult the manual to find out how to do it for your board.
REmoving the Battery Is NOT the only way and on some motherboards not the best way to reset the BIOS CMOS Memory..
thankyou muert0.. excellent info..Quote:
you should consult the manual to find out how to do it for your board.
Why do we bring that up?.. a proper reset ensures ALL the memory cells are reset.. removing the battery will only increase the random state of the CMOS memory.. this in turn agravating the problem.. Some CMOS memories can take several days to be reset by just removing the battery.
The COMS isn't just the clock and the the few piddley settings.. there are areas used by the BIOS (remember this is a microcontroller circuit.. another computer so to speak) for extra setting known only to a few good mobo techs and the designers of the BIOS.. The CMOS reset will completly wipe this allowing the data tables and custom instruction tables to be rebuilt..
Ever heard of a CMOS or A BIOS Virus? well it is this area that these things are written to..
A dirty PSU will corrupt the data in this area, as will problems with a video card.. but even random mains bourn noise will do this..ie a random incedent..
As for how? well memory.. you may need your hand held .. but randomperson, may have a reasonable idea..if not he will have the intelligence to ask..
There once was a short Tutorial called RTFM..
Thanks for the help, but I have fixed it myself. I just pulled out and reinstalled the hard drive cable and everything is fine (even the clock for some reason). I don't know why this would slow it down without complete failure, but I guess there must be a way!
you didn't have random lockups.. especially when useing a CD burner?
I will have to note this one..
Thank you for posting back the result..
Cheers