Computer functionality at risk

A facimilie of a motherboard with the CMOS battery at right...image via Wikipedia Things got worse in computer land this weekend. Once my new hard drive was installed in my dinosaur of a computer, things still weren't quite right. 

I have been having problems on startup--serious problems. Saturday morning, when I attempted to turn on the beast, the startup sequence was interrupted by itself--again and again and again. Windows wouldn't boot.

I couldn't diagnose the problem with safe start or check what was in the BIOS (basic input/output system) because I couldn't use the keyboard. It plugged into the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, making it a function of Windows. Because the startup hadn't progressed as far as Windows, it wasn't yet accessible.

I had read that computers sometimes have a problem with their battery, much like that which operates a wrist watch. They don't last forever. 

When I told John, my husband/computer guru that the startup routine reminded me of a dead or dying battery, he listened intently. Then when I told him the date was incorrect on my desktop, he knew right away that the problem was the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) battery, which is located on the motherboard.

John located a place to purchase a new one and went on his way.

When he returned, once again he braved his way back into the nether region of my computer. The fix was easy. Once again, he successfully repaired the thing. I am happy to report that all is well, it is running better than it had in months.