Question BIOS keeps resetting when PSU is switched off ?

[TurboSoggy]

Any changes I make to the BIOS will stay until I shut the PSU off, after which all the settings will go back to default. This is a particular problem with my RAM speeds.

I already replaced the CMOS battery and that fixed nothing (I forgot to unplug the PC when I did this, although the PSU was off, so hopefully I didn’t cause any extra damage). Is my motherboard just busted? Is there anything else I can do other than replace it?

I have a Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro Wifi

Hopefully I put this post in the right place— if not, I apologize.

 

[TurboSoggy]

There are a few possible reasons why your BIOS keeps resetting when you power off your PC. Here are a few things you can check:

• CMOS battery: The CMOS battery is a small battery that powers the BIOS chip. If the CMOS battery is dead or dying, it can cause the BIOS to reset when you power off your PC. You can try replacing the CMOS battery to see if that fixes the problem.
• BIOS settings: There is a setting in the BIOS called "Clear CMOS on Power Loss". This setting is enabled by default, and it causes the BIOS to reset when you power off your PC. You can try disabling this setting to see if that fixes the problem.
• Motherboard: If you have tried all of the above steps and you are still experiencing the problem, then it is possible that your motherboard is faulty. You can try contacting the motherboard manufacturer for support.

Here are the steps on how to disable the "Clear CMOS on Power Loss" setting in your BIOS:

1. Boot your PC into the BIOS.
2. Find the "Clear CMOS on Power Loss" setting.
3. Disable the setting.
4. Save your changes and exit the BIOS.

Once you have disabled the "Clear CMOS on Power Loss" setting, your BIOS should no longer reset when you power off your PC.

If you are still experiencing the problem after disabling the "Clear CMOS on Power Loss" setting, then you may need to contact the motherboard manufacturer for support.

Unfortunately that does not seem to be a setting on my BIOS

 

[Misgar]

Did you check the voltage of the replacement battery before fitting it in the motherboard?

If (like me) you keep a strip of CR2032 batteries in a drawer for some time, it's sensible to check if the battery is still healthy (3.25V).

In addition, check to see if the spring contact in the CR2032 battery socket is making good contact with the side of battery. N.B. The bottom contact is usually OK.

I had one board where the spring contact was bent back and wasn't touching the positive side of the battery (top).

 

[TurboSoggy]

Did you check the voltage of the replacement battery before fitting it in the motherboard?

If (like me) you keep a strip of CR2032 batteries in a drawer for some time, it's sensible to check if the battery is still healthy (3.25V).

In addition, check to see if the spring contact in the CR2032 battery socket is making good contact with the side of battery. N.B. The bottom contact is usually OK.

I had one board where the spring contact was bent back and wasn't touching the positive side of the battery (top).

I bought the battery new so I doubt it’s the issue. I don’t even think the old battery is bad. And it seems to be fitting in there properly. The bottom contact seems fine and the top one is making contact.

At this point it looks like I’m dropping some serious cash on a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM (I wanted to upgrade my CPU anyway so I might as well do both at the same time— I was originally going to get a 5800x3d but that was assuming my motherboard was fine)

 

[Misgar]

I still think it's worth measuring the battery voltage to eliminate one more thing from the equation. Your problem has all the symptoms of a flat battery.

 

[geofelt]

Did you install the replacement cr2032 coin with the proper polarity?
I would buy a inexpensive voltmeter for my tool kit to verify good voltage before spending bigger bucks assuming the motherboard failed.
Is there a bios update available for your motherboard that might address the issue?

 

[TurboSoggy]

I still think it's worth measuring the battery voltage to eliminate one more thing from the equation. Your problem has all the symptoms of a flat battery.

I measured the old battery with a multimeter and it’s reading 3v so I can only imagine the new one is fine too. At least that proves the battery isn’t the issue

 

[TurboSoggy]

Did you install the replacement cr2032 coin with the proper polarity?
I would buy a inexpensive voltmeter for my tool kit to verify good voltage before spending bigger bucks assuming the motherboard failed.
Is there a bios update available for your motherboard that might address the issue?

Yeah I put it in properly. I could try to update the BIOS and see if that helps but I’ve heard that’s pretty risky— I don’t wanna end up bricking it.

For the BIOS, can you just update to the latest version? Because the BIOS that’s on it has to be from, like, 2020. I don’t have to go incremental or anything, do I? And can you use any flash drive? Does it have to be some kind of high quality one?

 

[TurboSoggy]

Some research on this same topic shows people mentioning faulty RAM as a possible cause. Is there any good way to rule this out other than buying new RAM?

 

[Misgar]

To rule out faulty RAM, download MemTest. Install on a USB memory stick. Boot the computer from USB and run MemTest for a couple of hours, or until one full test has completed.

A CR2032 at 3.0V is still OK in most machines. You cannot be certain that a new battery is good unless you test it. Cheap multimeters can be purchased for less than $10.

 

[TurboSoggy]

To rule out faulty RAM, download MemTest. Install on a USB memory stick. Boot the computer from USB and run MemTest for a couple of hours, or until one full test has completed.

A CR2032 at 3.0V is still OK in most machines. You cannot be certain that a new battery is good unless you test it. Cheap multimeters can be purchased for less than $10.

But it wasn’t working with the old battery and the old battery is fine so clearly it isn’t the battery

 

[TurboSoggy]

I flashed my BIOS to a newer version and it fixed it. The old one must’ve had a glitch causing that. Thanks for the help, everyone!