Why perform a CMOS Reset?

Performing a CMOS clear will essentially reset your machine at a BIOS level and default all of the BIOS settings.

This is always a good place to start when troubleshooting a machine that is unresponsive

Things to note before resetting CMOS

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Blah overclocking Blah Blah Blah

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How do I perform a CMOS reset?

There are 2 main methods to clearing a CMOS, these are:

  1. Disconnecting the CMOS battery from the motherboard
  2. Activating the clear CMOS header or button

In this tutorial we will describe how to to clear CMOS using the first method as this is universal to nearly all motherboards.

Step 1: – Turn off and unplug your machine

Firstly you are going to need to power down your machine and unplug it.

Then you need to hold down the power button for 10 seconds to discharge the motherboard.

Step 2: – Locate the CMOS battery

CMOS batteries have a wide range of locations and they differ between motherboard models below are some location examples.

Step 3: – Remove disconnect the battery

Now remove the battery from the motherboard

Step 4: – Leave the machine for 5 minutes

Step 5: – Reconnect the battery and power on