My computer’s clock has been losing time

My computer’s clock has been losing time

This guide will walk you through some troubleshooting steps to resolve some issues where the system will lose time.

Where has the time gone? If you are tired of hunting it down this guide will help.

Does your clock reset to the exact same time/date? (typically this is a few months or years out of date)


Yes, the clock always resets to the same date and time

The CMOS battery is most likely depleted and will need replaced.

Replace the CMOS battery with a standard 2032 battery. You can find them in most electronic stores for about $5. Then you will want to reload your BIOS information to the default settings.

You can follow the steps in the video but instead of reseating the CMOS battery you will be replacing it with a new one.

Most desktops and will have a very similar procedure to this. The BIOS steps will vary per motherboard model but will be very similar. In a laptop the CMOS battery will most likely be under your back panels. If it is not you probably want to ask for help as removing the keyboard can be tricky. If this is not a Puget Systems PC just make sure to know what bios settings you need to have set. Mainly boot order, SATA mode, and any other custom settings.

Did this fix the issue?


No, discharging power, replacing the battery, and reloading the BIOS profile did not fix it

Contact technical support for more help.

At this point, you’ll want to contact technical support. If you’re using a Puget computer, click here to request personal support. Please include your name and/or order number.

Otherwise, you’ll want to contact your system manufacturer, as it’s likely you’ll need their help to troubleshoot further on this issue.


No, the clock just loses a little bit of time

Let’s start with resetting and restoring your BIOS.

You can follow the steps in the video to try to resolve the issue:

Most Desktops and Laptops will have a very similar procedure as this. The BIOS steps will vary per model but will be very similar. If this is not a Puget Systems PC just make sure to know what bios settings you need to have set. Mainly boot order, SATA mode, and any other custom settings.

Did that fix the issue?


No, discharging power, clearing the BIOS, and reloading the BIOS profile did not fix it

Ok, Lets go ahead and update your BIOS version.

If you are a Puget Systems customer and have any reservations with these steps or are unsure of if you have set properly configured your settings click here to request personal support or give us a call and we will be more than happy to help.

If you already have the latest BIOS version go to the next step by clicking here

If you go to your motherboard manufacturers website you should be able to go to support and then drivers and type in your model number and cross check the version number with the version listed on the main page of your BIOS screen.

Follow the steps they give you to update the bios which will be listed with the BIOS update or in your motherboard manual. It should be similar to how it is on an ASUS motherboard.

On most ASUS Motherboards it looks something like this.

  1. Type in your motherboard model number here Asus motherboard drivers. Select your operating system then go to BIOS and download the latest version.
  2. Open the file and copy the BIOS update file (On ASUS the file is a .cap) to the main root of the flash drive. Keep the flash drive plugged in.
  3. Reboot the computer and enter bios and go to Tool>ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility. Double check that the motherboard model listed above matches the model listed in the BIOS update you are loading and then load the .cap file to update the bios.
  4. Once the Bios flashing process is complete clear bios by turning off the computer and removing the power cord. Press the power button as if to turn on the computer with the cord still out. Remove the side panel and ground yourself by touching the side of the computer case. Remove the CMOS battery for 10 seconds then place it back in.
  5. Set bios settings back up by making sure each screen reflects the settings seen in Your BIOS screenshots here (you must be logged in to view this page) If you cannot access the pictures from a computer nearby you can contact us and we can guide you through them.
  6. Go to Tools > ASUS Overclocking Profile and save the new bios profile as profile.

Did that fix the issue?


No, updating the Bios to the latest version did not fix it

Ok, lets now reinstall your Intel MEI driver.

  1. Go to Start> Control Panel> Programs> Programs and features > Uninstall Intel Management Engine Interface
  2. Turn off the computer and remove the power cord. Press the power button as if to turn on the computer with the cord still out. Remove the side panel and ground yourself by touching the side of the computer case. Remove the CMOS battery for 10 seconds then place it back in.
  3. Go to Tool> ASUS Overclocking Profile then click Load profile 2 we saved earlier
  4. Download and install Intel Management Engine Interface. Type in your motherboard model number here: Asus motherboard drivers. Select your Operating system then go to Chipset and select and download the latest Intel(R) Management Engine Interface.
  5. See if that fixes it by leaving the computer off for a full minute then going back into bios and checking the clock to see if it lost any time. Then turn the computer off and remove the power plug. Then press the power button as if to turn the computer on with the power plug still removed. Leave the computer off for a full minute. Then plug the power cord back in and turn the computer on and go back into bios and check the clock again to see if it lost any time.

Did that fix the issue?


No, reinstalling the Intel MEI driver did not resolve the issue

Contact technical support for more help.

At this point, you’ll want to contact technical support. If you’re using a Puget computer, click here to request personal support. Please include your name and/or order number.

Otherwise, you’ll want to contact your system manufacturer, as it’s likely you’ll need their help to troubleshoot further on this issue.