Broken CMOS Battery Holder ML1220

After reassembling...

Since my netbook doesn't have a 3M module, the space is empty, so I routed the battery connector into the pocket, to make RTC/CMOS battery replacement easier in the future.

The netbook still doesn't POST though! It's pretty much in the state as before, powers on with blue status light and power button LED blue, fan starts up, but no hard drive activity or LCD display.

So, either the positive wire didn't make electrical contact, the problem lies elsewhere, or the replacement battery is a problem, as it came as 2.79 V, not 3+ V. Could the battery be a problem? The seller assures me that anything above 2.7 V is fine. (The old battery is 2.9 V.)

Also, is there any way for me to check the connector to the motherboard?

 

The system should function normally with no CMOS battery at all. The CMOS battery is there to save BIOS settings when power is removed from the motherboard. When you say "in the same state as before" do you mean before you broke the original CMOS battery holder? Were you trying to remove the CMOS battery for replacement of the battery or to reset the BIOS to defaults?

I doubt the problem with the system not booting correctly is related to this. I would suspect some other problem.

 

Yes, before I broke the battery holder, trying to replace just the battery. When I lifted the battery, the battery holder lifted with it. The positive contact pad was ripped off the motherboard. The reason I tried to replace the battery was because it's 11 years old and I was told that sometimes computers don't POST if the battery is bad.

Boot goes like this:

1. Press power button and button lights up blue.
2. Blue status light at front of netbook is blue. It's the LED with the light bulb icon.
3. Blue lock light flashes on for an instant. It's the LED with the lock icon.
4. Fan spins up.
5. Netbook immediately powers off. Sometimes, it doesn't power off and pressing the power button for any length of time does nothing; the battery needs to be removed.

I haven't tried removing the RAM, to see if it'll POST without it.
I haven't tried removing the hard drive, to see if it'll POST without it.

The main problem right now is trying to figure out a debug procedure to diagnose the problem.

 

It is hard to know what the problem is based on the information regarding the symptoms, but I think it is pretty safe to conclude the issue is not being caused by the CMOS battery. If the computer is 11 years old it could be many things.

I have never seen a system that would POST with no RAM installed. If this just started out of the blue with no previous issues noted the first thing(s) I would suspect is a mechanical hard drive failure, GPU (if it has one), or a failed motherboard component. It could be a failed memory module, although less likely than the other possibilities mentioned. If you suspect the memory, test one module at a time in each slot. It would be extremely likely that both modules would fail. I would start with the hard drive removal.

 

The problem started out of the blue. The only "issue" prior was getting a warning from the OS that the battery had only 45% capacity left. When the problem appeared, I thought it might be the battery, but tested with wall power only and the netbook exhibited the same problem. I decided to buy a new battery anyway, just in case. The new battery didn't solve the problem. That's when I started looking into other issues...

This led me to here and the discussion over RTC/CMOS battery. I saw some other posts with laptops/desktops having issues POSTing without a good CMOS battery; that led me to buy a new CMOS battery and accidentally breaking the battery holder...

GPU is integrated graphics.

I tried removing the RAM and same result. There's only one module, so unless I buy another one, I have no way of testing.

I tried removing the hard drive and same result.

The thing that's bugging me is that the new CMOS battery is 2.79 V. The old one is 2.9 V. It should be 3 V or more, from what I've read.

 

I use laptops with no CMOS battery all of the time to facilitate the quick and easy clearing of NVRAM by simply disconnecting the AC adapter. The only issue people should/would have is a lag in booting while the BIOS re-establishes bootable settings, trains the memory, etc. So, the minor variation in voltage isn't going to keep your system from booting. It is unlikely that the RAM is bad and if removing the HDD did not correct the problem, it is more likely than not the motherboard has failed.

 

I confirm what mr Fox said, the CMOS battery is here only to keep your CMOS setting. You can boot normally without it and the only real problem is losing your date and time setting.
Try with just one stick of RAM and let it run for 1-2 minutes. If nothing appear, try an other stick. If it's still not booting, motherboard has failed.

 

This is an old thread that I read about CMOS battery issues:

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/11/618460171318429760/?ctp=2

I'll see if the battery seller can send me another battery with the voltage tested beforehand to be 3 V or better. The thread indicated that lithium batteries will maintain 3 V or better, then drop rapidly when it nears the end of its life. Any experience with CMOS batteries nearing the end of their life?

I'll see if I can find a cheap old Acer Aspire 1410 for parts...

 

I only have one memory module, so unless I buy another one, I can't test. I'm not sure how much further down the rabbit hole I should go, especially if it's a motherboard fault.

 

As i said, dead battery mean losing date and time setting. Never had a failed system due to missing CMOS battery since 1998.
You may have said us your laptop is not booting, our answer will be that your holder and CMOS battery is not the problem.

EDIT : searching for spare parts can be nice if you have the money. If your laptop is very old, parts can be hard to findand/or expensive.