How Long Does a CMOS Battery Last and How to Prolong Lifespan

CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) battery is used for providing power to the CMOS chip even when the PC is off. It exists on nearly all computers and is located on the motherboard. It stores the computer’s data like time & date settings.

CMOS battery is also vital to booting up the computer and powering the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) firmware. So, the CMOS battery is also known as BIOS battery in addition to motherboard battery. Both laptop and desktop motherboards have this battery to hold the computer’s BIOS settings.

How Long Does a CMOS Battery Last

What is the lifespan of a CMOS battery? The answer varies in different cases. The more your computer is used, the longer the battery will last. What is the average lifespan of a CMOS battery? It is estimated that the CMOS battery has a lifespan of three years when PSU (power supply unit) is unplugged or when the PSU power switch is turned off.

Therefore, the average lifespan of a CMOS battery is 3 years. Even so, you can expect the CMOS battery to last for up to five years. If it’s used properly, the lifespan of the battery may extend to ten or more years. How to prolong the lifespan of the CMOS battery? The section below will show you how.

Also read: How Long Does It Take to Reset a PC? Find Answers and Speed Up It

How to Extend the Lifespan of the CMOS Battery

To make CMOS batteries last longer, you should find out the factors that can affect the BIOS battery lifespan. As talked about earlier, the frequency to use computers determines the lifespan of the battery. So, using your computer regularly is the most effective way to improve the CMOS battery’s life.

Since high temperatures and long power-off time may shorten battery cell life, you should use the PC in an environment with normal temperatures. You may extend the lifespan of the battery by doing so.

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CMOS Battery Failure Signs

When you receive the signs below, it means that you are experiencing CMOS battery failure. Then you need to replace the battery with a new one.

• All the settings like drive type, FDD, NUMs lock, and other items in the computer setup will be changed.
• The “Booting Error, unable to detect disk drive” error message appears.
• Invalid configuration appears on the screen.
• Run Setup shows up on the screen.
• Press F1 to continue appears on the screen.
• Invalid drive specification appears on the screen after you press F1.
• Clock Error or Clock Message shows up.
• The computer constantly shows the wrong date or time.
• The computer slows down and doesn’t allow you to perform any task.
• Some of the drivers may be missing or may not work properly.
• You may not be able to connect to the Internet.
• Your mouse may not respond properly.
• If you hear a constant beeping sound when working with your PC, it means that you need to replace the CMOS battery.

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Bonus tip: To avoid data loss due to battery failure, it is strongly recommended to back up data regularly. You can do that by using the Copy Disk or Copy Partition feature of MiniTool Partition Wizard. It allows you to back up the data to another drive (including removable storage devices like USB flash drive, SD card, etc.).

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