Question Constantly needing to reset CMOS

[Crazeless]

So, over the past month, I've had a little issue where the first time it happened, was at random after I booted up my computer.

Upon turning it on, the screen comes up with a line on top right, blinks once, then stops. Eventually, I just realized I needed to just reset the CMOS, however.. When I do this, it usually last for around a week before I need to reset it again.

Until recently, I've been doing it more and more frequently, because it's been happening more often. So much so, that it's getting harder to actually reset the cmos itself. What I usually do, since I don't have a pin that I can use, I stick a screwdriver in between the metal prongs to reset it that way.

Either way, I'm just curious if anybody could help me with this. Whether that be to get a new CMOS battery, or find a solution to this problem.

My Motherboard is a MSI a320m pro-vd plus.

 

[killster1]

first i would reset all the ram / gpu / cpu, put some new paste prob needs it, knock out the dust, install latest bios, try one stick of ram or switching the slots. run some ram test like memtest86 for stability.

 

[Crazeless]

Thanks for all your info, I tried resetting my RAM / GPU / and CPU, and even tried installing the latest BIOS for my motherboard.

However, I did notice this. Now, instead of a line on the upper right hand corner, I'm just getting a black screen. However, when I left it on for around 5 - 10 minutes it came up with all my system information, notifying me that my CMOS has been set. I'm currently, in the process of updating my BIOS.

Going into MSI's M-Flash mode also took a while, being nearly the same time. That being 5 - 10 minutes. After the BIOS update, I needed to wait yet again for the system information to come up. However, I'm pretty sure that's just due to the system identifying everything once again.

Just Curious if these wait times will continue onwards with my machine.

EDIT: My machine is currently not giving out anything, I've waited after the BIOS update for nearly 15 - 20 minutes, and nothing came up. Nothing went wrong during the M-flash, however I'm certain I got the correct BIOS update from the MSI website.

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That being the most recent one. I've reset my machine once, and waited again, but nothing has yet to come up. Along side that, I'm getting a white VGA LED light up on my motherboard which wasn't an issue in the past.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT 2: After a while of it staying still at a blackscreen, I decided to take out a single stick of RAM that I had, and it came up with the system information., even booting into windows. However, sticking my RAM back in, made it as it was before hand.

 

[Shmee]

Hmm sounds like bad RAM or something related to memory issues.

 

[undertaker101]

If board is over 3 years, cmos battery is likely culprit, cheap $2 fix.

 

[Iron Woode]

since no one mentioned it: check out the PSU to see if it is having issues.

 

[Crazeless]

Thanks for all the replies, I can say that my BIOS is correct, however, there's now an issue booting up.

I can start up with two sticks of RAM, however, that's only IF I reset the CMOS by touching on the two prongs. They boot up, and actually let me get into windows, rather than stay a black screen. However, upon booting up, I get a custom MSI loading screen, rather than a Windows Icon, along with red text alongside the bottom saying, BIOS Setup, and something else.

I already changed out the CMOS battery, and my PSU is fairly new 700 watts. Only being 1 - 2 years old now.

After resetting the CMOS, shutting down, and reopening, the same issue happens with just a blank screen, however, the display does detect something.

Edit: I believe the issue that I'm facing overall is that my system won't POST at all. I breadboarded pretty much everything, checked everything once more, and it just won't post.

 

[Shmee]

Have you memtested yet?

 

[blckgrffn]

And this is about the time I buy a new motherboard.

I've fought two older Gigabyte boards that did this. One just needed a new, quality battery (after years of annoyances and a couple cheapo Amazon likely counterfeit batteries) and the other was dying a slow, death. Going from a once in a while thing, to sorta often thing, to a terminal never booting to windows again thing.

I hope you are in a place where you can get a replacement board relatively easily.