how do you change the bios battery in a dell GX1?

[Wazoo]

> how do you change the bios battery in a dell GX1?

GX1 covers a lot of ground. It appears that you could be

talking either a desktop or a tower ... either way ... you're

looking for a CR2032 coin cell ... just about anywhere

you've seen a display of batteries should have this one

in the mix ... drugstore, hardware, camera, etc. (though

will note that the big grocery stores here don't stock

them) Buying the battery first will give you the big

clue as to what you're looking for when you take the

case off of the computer. If you need a tool (very

rare) it would be a small phillips type, but most are

just a bit of spring metal to hold the battery in place.

> does the battery recharge itself?

Although super-capacitors and ni-cads have been used in

a few designs, the general answer is no. In fact, the

standard 2032 button-cell type tends to explode if one

attempts to charge it.

> if so, does it only charge when the computer is turned on,

> or is there some sort of bypass feed that lets it trickle charge

> when the computer is off?

More likely is a diode to keep the power supply voltages

away from the battery .. only letting battery voltage 'appear'

when the power supply goes away.

> in other words, if a computer is off for a long time but

> plugged in, will the battery still be up?

In the olden days, AT design and below, if the computer

was turned off, battery was used to keep the CMOS and

clock running. On the ATX designs and newer, the power

supply doesn't shut fully off unless unplugged from the wall,

such that the battery doesn't come into play unless the unit

is physically unplugged from the wall (or power goes out)

Easy way to tell the difference ... AT class and older was a

mechanical on/off switch ... ATX stuff is a momentary

contact switch that completes a circuit while you push it ...

specifically tirning the computer off -- AT switch snaps and

computer is off .. ATX you usually have to hold the switch

in for 3 to 5 seconds and then eventually shuts the computer

down (again, sitting there in a reduced power state waiting for

the next push to jump back to the 'on' mode.)

> do you leave the machine running while you swap out

> the battery?

Not a good idea. Live power, little tiny screws or bits

of spring steel on the battery holder, which is not

necessarily out in the open to begin with. Odds are

that a drive cable or two will either be in the way

or at least partially pulled while fiddling around with

the internals.

> I'm guessing you would, or else bye bye data...?

Typically, one wouldn't be asking about the motherboard

battery unless there was an issue with data being lost.

Typically, the clock is wrong, the date shows up as 1980

on a Windows type computer, hard drives may not be

recognized, on and on .... Older Macs won't boot ...

Data is already hosed ....???

On the other hand, a bit off your subject, but .. I've

got a Fujitsu laptop here that has the typical CMOS

data burned to an EPROM. The only thing the battery

really does is keep the clock alive.The downside to this

is that if you password protect the BIOS settings and

forget the password, the general guidance is a trip

back to the factory .. as compared to simpy pulling

the battery and allowinf the CMOS to 'forget'

everything (some motherboards even have a jumper

set to intentionally discharge and blank those contents)

[barcajunior]

Will the customer service department of Dell help you change the battery?

[Wazoo]

Will the customer service department of Dell help you change the battery?

My guess would be no ... if under warranty (not likely) you'd probably be asked to reurn the system to them. If not under warranty (most likely) then why would you expect them to do much of anything for you, unless you're willing to pay the costs involved.