Dell Inspiron time of day: not set, clock stopped
If when you turn on your Dell Inspiron, you see the message "Time of day clock stopped" and will not change screen, it is most likely a BIOS issue, or the battery attached to the motherboard is faulty. This article explain how you can fix the issue.
What causes this issue?
The coin battery in all Dell laptop-computer is the main cause behind this issue. Your BIOS battery needs to be replaced. The problem may be a faulty CMOS battery, below the keyboard. The system still shows a "Time-of-day clock stopped" message but we've found it is the clock module itself that goes bad on this particular model, which could lead to the motherboard needing repair. Take it to the service point if it is still under warranty or to a computer hardware repair shop to get it fixed.
How to fix the issue?
Replacing the battery should solve this problem. Here's how:
There are some plastic "hook tabs" that hold the case together after the screws are removed. The battery (CR 2032) is located on the motherboard under the left click mouse button. Here are the locations of the screws:
- 8 screws that hold on the oddly shaped bottom cover
- 1 screw in centre of the opened oddly shape cover
- 5 screws that hold in the heat dissipater
- 2 screws under the removable battery - these screws hold on the narrow cover snap lid where the power button is located.
- 2 screws under the narrow cover that holds the keyboard in place with remaining snaps
- 2 screws under the keyboard
- 2 screws the hold in the hard drive
- 10 screws on the bottom of case
What are the required tools?
Here is a list of the tools that you will require.
- Very small phillips screw driver
- Small regular screw driver
- Right angle pick
- Small needle nose pliers
You can damage your laptop if you do not know what you are doing. You may prefer to send it to a professional to fix.