CMOS Battery for Gateway 400SD4

Have a Gateway 400SD4 Laptop and the date/time won't hold. I've looked in the manual, looked online, and so far can't find anything that reveals where the little gem resides. I took 'easy' panels off the bottom and found RAM, HD, but it looks like mainboard (where battery might be) is deeply hidden. Then I saw Murph's page on laptop CMOS batteries and got a bit spooked, as it might be under the keyboard?

I'm not afraid to take apart my desktop, but I've never taken apart a laptop and sure don't want to mess it up, (although long ago out of warranty, it's still like brand new). Can anyone give me a clue where the CMOS battery might be? I thought there might not be one, but Gateway support lists a part #. However, click on the link for CMOS battery under Chassis parts there is no info there (other hardware pics and specs are offered).

Hi KatMac

Usually the batteries are under the keyboard, or in one of the compartments on the bottom.

You can download the schematics for your laptop here

From what I saw there wasn't a section for the cmos battery, so it could even be soldered onto the motherboard.

Found this.

the cmos battery is under the mainboard (you can actually see it from the bottom of the computer)


Hope that helps out.

Hi KatMac, I found a pdf to remove the keyboard on your laptop. I'm not sure that's where the battery is as it doesn't say for sure. However, since removing the keyboard is the easiest part, I would start there.

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/...D4/8508644.pdf

Thanks everyone. (You all are quick!) I just found some of the same links you offered (except for Photolady's).

I'm going to give this a go - I think I can see, through a small area of tiny pinhole grids on the bottom, what has potential to be a CMOS battery hidden back in there, looks like it's encased in black but I can see the shiny edge. And it does require taking the whole bottom off.

Sooo, I think I'll take pics as I go, save the next poor soul some exasperation.

I'll keep you posted, thanks so much, I love this place! :D

Ok, this is about to drive me out of my tree. Taking apart a laptop is not fun. It's about 75% disassembled (I couldn't get the service manual to work, only located part 1 of 4 at link above, and can't seem to locate a manual anywhere else).

I'm still googling. I found little info: a reference that it's "on the bottom of the motherboard, near the battery compartment and memory". That's a huge annoyance if accurate, because by removing the keyboard from the top one can access about 70% of the top of the motherboard. Can a CMOS battery be located on the bottom of a m-board??

I also found a separate reference that it's about "the size of a quarter". So far, the only thing I've remotely located that looks like a CMOS battery that is that size (more like nickel) is located just below the speaker, has a flat ring of black poofy material around it (much like any speaker would) and has a long wire going to the motherboard. It's nowhere near 'battery compartment and memory' as the reference I found above states. Would the speaker have a similar type battery? (Coin shaped).

I've already scratched the plastic in a couple spots trying to get it open (so it doesn't look brand new anymore). I'm exasperated. Googled till I can't see straight. I refuse to send this thing in for repair to the tune of $300+ (have seen many references to that). But darn it, if the battery is located on the bottom side of the m-board, I just don't think I can get to it (and although I'm not one to give up easily, this is crazy). I'll be lucky if I get this back together and it works at this point.


I'm afraid if I push anymore, I'm going to break/disconnect something. Why oh why do they make it so difficult?!?!

Here's a couple pics, distance (so you can see how mboard is buried) and a closeup of the m-board beneath the keyboard, which would make it the top view of the m-board. Just to the right of the fan is what looks like a battery (but smaller than a dime) and it's encased in some kind of dark gray rubbery stuff. It says "A 1022" on it. Could that be it?



I'm totally open to suggestions of any kind at this point!

Can a CMOS battery be located on the bottom of a m-board??

That is where they were for years.
That part does not look like a battery to me.

Oh, that's what I was afraid of.
Thanks, Train.

I just emailed Gateway. I only have a few more screws to take out (and some I can't get out, it's more like a rivet than a screw). It looks like I'm going to have to remove the monitor/lid in order to be able to get to the m-board, and even at that I have doubts. That puppy is buried.

Just finally got that service manual to download and extract, so I'll follow directions for replacing system board (nothing about CMOS in the service manual), hopefully that will get me to it. The few tidbits I saw about accessing through the bottom of the machine... have no idea how they pulled that off. So I better put that back together before I forget where all the screws go. :eek:

And I have it now and have to get a pdf reader. :(

Is there a full moon? Guess that theory doesn't fly, 'cause I had a full moon day yesterday as well ;)

Train: no PDF reader? How do you get by? ;) (Steer clear of Adobe Reader 7, it bunges up my resources something terrible. )

P3 - I thank you for the schematics link but missed your last comment about it being soldered. I just got everything put back together (no extra screws, thank goodness I used post-its and grouped them!) Since I've found little info on the CMOS out there, and getting that m-board off is going to be an absolute bear, I'm wondering if it's worth it.

What's the worst that can happen if I don't change the failing CMOS battery?

I am using a computer I had set up for video work and not my normal rig.
Installed Foxit and read the pdf.

You will start getting weird CMOS checksum errors.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000237.htm

Well, I got a response from Gateway. Reset the bios to default (I've never touched the bios on this machine, it's been used sporadically - 90 days max total- in 3 years). If that doesn't work, ship it back to them and they'll change CMOS battery for $169 since Gateway does not advise customers to do this (and therefore they did not disclose the location of the battery, which was my only question of them). But that charge 'may vary, if additional components need replaced or undiscosed information is found.' Oh yeah, and they want my permission to format the hard drive, 'as it may be necessary to resolve the issue'. All that for a battery that's under $10.

I have to go out and find a #5 hex nut driver, apparently we don't own one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KatMac

Oh yeah, and they want my permission to format the hard drive, 'as it may be necessary to resolve the issue'.

---

Yep, sounds about right :mad:

" Oh yeah, and they want my permission to format the hard drive, 'as it may be necessary to resolve the issue'. All that for a battery that's under $10"

Buy that tool!
But You caught the problem early enough, so the format is not needed.

Admit I have not yet changed this CMOS due to a variety of preoccupations, but dread is the biggest reason. :D

Member bobeg1 contacted me the other day with the same issue, same model. He couldn't get the manual to download. So I sent him the manual and in exchange he kindly sent me a photo showing where the battery is located.

I'm posting a pic for benefit of anyone who might ever need it.

Per bobeg1:

Quote:

---

In the picture of the bottom of the motherboard, the battery mount is located one inch to the right of the 1 1/2 inch hole in the center. The battery in my unit turned out to be a Maxell ML1220. I had found several references at Gateway.com and some discussion panels that all say that it is a Sony CR 2032 (A very common desktop cmos battery), which is 2x the size of the battery mount. Be aware !

---

If anyone has trouble viewing that picture I'll be happy to provide a larger one, just ask ;) (Red line in photo points to battery).

So I hope this info will help anyone else in the same jam!

~Kat

Thanks for the update. Sure will help folks out.

OK, for anyone interested now or in the future, member bobeg1 is keeping me posted via email of what is transpiring with his Gateway of same model (400SD4) and agrees it would be good to keep others informed as to what he's found, so I'm posting his adventures here :) .

He changed the CMOS battery but still had trouble with notebook not keeping time. So he flashed the BIOS.

From his email yesterday:

Quote:

---

Just an update. After replacing the CMOS battery I still experienced some time of day problem. Looking further in their support area of wwwdotgateway I found a recommendation to upgrade BIOS. I did that today and don't know yet if it did any good.

---

More info from his email today:

Quote:

---

It would be nice if you did the update [to the VDr thread].

Knowing what I do now, I would flash the BIOS first.

The BIOS update download and how-to use it, is accurate and not difficult if you remember one thing.

It is a DOS application. Create yourself a start up disk so you can boot up in DOS. Then following the Gateway instructions, everything goes pretty clean.

The DOS application will not work if you try it from the DOS under the RUN CMD.

I did have a couple of chats with gateway support. As usual, they were obnoxious and useless.

I will never spend a dime with them again.

This link will get you to the BIOS download.

http://support.gateway.com/support/d...now=1&id=19527

I downloaded it to a cd but, didn't save it.

Good luck,

Bob

---

Limerick, that kind-hearted soul, walked me through a BIOS flash of my desktop years ago and I was scared silly the whole time, although his wisdom and hand-holding did wonders! (He said it was a 'right of passage' so I felt good about that, another milestone, even tho I had to stop at last minute because it was not a newer version than what I had.)

That's the scoop so far. If I hear more from bobeg1, I'll post it. I have not yet started on my machine, I'm kind of following in bobeg1's footsteps, he has more experience with notebooks than I ;)

~Kat

EDIT: If anyone thinks they'll need that BIOS update (released 10/30/2003) would suggest grabbing it now, before it disappears from Gateway site just as manual for this machine did! I have both manual & BIOS update saved in a couple places so would be happy to share if someone needs it in the future and can't get it.

Thanks for posting the update! Nice to know information.

Hi everybody, I just have the very same problem, and thanks God I found this site, it's great! I foud much more info than the gateway site (Congrats everybody, good job!).

I haven't oppend my notebook yet, but I can't see too clear the pic, so I wonder if the battery is the black thing you found earlier and posted the pic before in these same thread, is that the one?

Thanks in advance.:confused:

Seems it is a coin type of battery.
http://www.mundocorp.com/shopexd.asp?id=994

Hi GoldTiger,
Welcome! ;)

I can't reach you by email because of your account settings.
If you click on my user ID, from the drop down menu you can email me.

If you'd like to send me an email, I have larger photos I can email back to you and and detailed instructions.

Meantime I've attached a different photo of the battery that bobeg1 sent to me.

Hey guys, I alredy changed the battery, thanks for the schematics and the photos, they really, really helped me :)

And yes, my lap had the Maxell ML1220 3V, but I bought one Lithium battery CR1220 from RadioShack, they told me it works the very same, and it did ;)

Again, I'm very happy with this site, it's amazing, thank you all :)

Hi, For last 6 months my gateway was in no display condition. Many times I tried to open it to change the cmos battery. Today with the help of all you guys, I successfully opened the laptop and changed the battery. I will send the larger and clear pic of motherboard battery and its location. I hope after assembling, my laptop will give display. Bye.:)

Quote:

---

I will send the larger and clear pic of motherboard battery and its location.

---

Please do, I am sure it will help others too.

Location of cmos battery.

THANKS!

Nicely done!

Having same problem, could'nt find the darn battery, those pics are great,,,Thanks

KatMac,

You posted that you were able to find the service manual to download. Do you still have a copy of the service manual?

Thanks

Thanks to many of your posts, I was able to figure out exactly where the CMOS battery is located, cut a small square hole in the bottom of the case, and remove the battery without having to tear the entire laptop apart.

I'll glue in a thin piece of sheetmetal to cover the hole (after installing a new CMOS battery.

Attached are a couple of photos.

Jim

Attachment 8972

Attachment 8973

Greetings, I stumbled across this site trying to figure out where my battery is as well for my Gateway 400sd4. Wow, I'm amazed how much time evryone contributed to this post. I cant wait to see what else is posted here at Virtualdr. Thanks, you all rock!

Awesome pics you guys have added!

Lordnv, welcome and stick around! This place will teach you things you never thought yourself capable of, I can promise you that, from first hand experience! :D

reywash, I'm so sorry. I was not able to be here for a long time so didn't see your post, and my email account associated with VDr was down for almost a year, so was never alerted that way. :o I don't see a way to email you. If you see this and still need info, please, by all means let me know.

A very ugly fix my friend. but it works. It make you wonder why there's not a cmos compartment there to begin with....
thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by noreason2cry

A very ugly fix my friend. but it works. It make you wonder why there's not a cmos compartment there to begin with....
thanks

---

I know this is old but just had to do this with one of these laptops I picked up and reselling.

To answer your question, Gateway had some very bad engineering choices. It is probably part of the reason they no longer exist. I use to do some phone support for them and it was aggravating. It is like someone who never worked on computers designed it. How do you make this kind of mistake. A small battery door would have been super easy to add. The engineer and designer probably didn't know that battery would need replaced at some point.