Member Avatar for jamoosee

Is the CMOS battery on a Toshiba Tecra S1 readily accessible from the bottom of the machine ? I've taken apart many desktops but taking apart a laptop is new to me. I'm guessing it's about the size of a quarter but don't know if I have to completely remove the back cover of the laptop to get at it. My machine won't boot up and someone suggested to remove the CMOS battery and let it go back to factory default. (Machine has no display whatsoever on the built in LCD screen or when hooked up to an external screen or any hard drive / bootup sounds)

  • 7 Contributors
  • 8 Replies
  • 688 Views
  • 3 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Barg

Dani AI

Generated

Quick summary and practical next steps for Toshiba Tecra S1 (and similar models)

Many Toshibas use a small coin cell in a plastic sleeve with a two‑wire lead rather than a soldered on-board button cell. On older Tecra machines that cell is commonly tucked under a trim/keyboard area or in the bay between the HDD and main battery. Replacing it is straightforward if you follow safe steps and use the same battery type (usually a 3V coin like CR2032 or CR2025). This note expands on the thread and fills gaps in the replies from , and others.

Safe, reliable steps

  • Power off, remove AC adapter and the main battery. Ground yourself (touch metal or use an ESD strap).
  • Do a full discharge: hold the power button for 30 seconds to clear residual charge.
  • Remove the necessary trim/keyboard screws to expose the board area. Locate the sleeved coin cell and unplug the two‑pin connector from its header—do not yank wires. If the cell is soldered, stop and seek service.
  • Fit a like-for-like replacement, reassemble, power on, enter BIOS to reset date/time and boot order.

Notes, cautions and extra troubleshooting

  • Removing the CMOS cell resets BIOS defaults but often will NOT clear a BIOS/user password on many Toshiba models (see ’s L305D situation). BIOS passwords are frequently stored in nonvolatile firmware and require manufacturer service or a documented vendor procedure.
  • For a dead machine with no display and no HDD/fan activity: CMOS removal rarely fixes a complete no‑POST. First check AC adapter and DC jack, listen for fan/beeps, try the power‑reset + reseat RAM (single stick) before deeper disassembly. Avoid powering the laptop with RAM removed—do not follow unsafe advice that suggests booting with no memory installed.
  • If unsure, contact an authorized service centre—especially for password clears or soldered batteries to avoid damaging the board.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for sirpecksalot

I would say the best thing to do is to go to the manufacturers website or call the company to find out information about where the battery is and what it looks like. I do not know a lot about laptops either, but more than likely the battery is very close to the BIOS chip.

Member Avatar for caperjack

its usually under the battery area of most laptops .,as it turns out i was almost right i think its between the hdd and the battery under the case ,a Google found this info ,in the center of this picture in the frame of the laptop you see a green item ,that the battery, wrapped in green plastic ,it pluggs into the board via a wired plug ,unlike a regular pc.

http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaS1/disassembly/big/Toshiba_Tecra_S1_23.JPG

take it apart
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaS1/tecraS1_1.htm

Member Avatar for cguan_77

hi, if you just want to reset the cmos even without removing the cmos batt, remove your memory stick, then power on your machin, then take out the batt or either the ac supply, then put back your memory stick when your power on your machine the cmos should be reset...

Member Avatar for jamoosee

Thanks, found it. Had to remove the plastic trim on the keyboard side of the laptop near the finger pad.

Member Avatar for karenkeyjohnson

I have the same power problem - but am way behind y'all. I don't know what a memory stick IS - much less where it's located! My laptop switches from AC source to battery - at will - w/ no warning. Don't know what/where CMOS is either. Can you help a sista???

Member Avatar for Rik132rik

when you say it switches from battery to ac it tells you this how? light on case?didthis lappy run ok recently?

Member Avatar for caperjack

I have the same power problem - but am way behind y'all. I don't know what a memory stick IS - much less where it's located! My laptop switches from AC source to battery - at will - w/ no warning. Don't know what/where CMOS is either. Can you help a sista???

could be bad/loose connection between the power cord and the plugin on the laptop,What kind of laptop is it .
it should have nothing to do with ram or the cmos battery .

Member Avatar for Barg

Can't find the CMOS battery on a Toshiba L305D laptop. Tried suggestion above==no dice. little help? I have the Toshiba but owner forgot password. Bios also password-protected. Anybody know another way of resetting CMOS to factory default?

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.