Dell XPS 420 Desktop CMOS Battery Change

Topic

[dataman1701]

My Dell XPS 420 will not make it past post today.   Lights 1,3 & 4 are steady and the fan runs super fast, but it never gets to load Windows.    I’ve read where it can be caused by the battery, ram, video card or hard drives.

I thought starting with replacing the dead battery would be a good start.    But, it won’t budge and I do not want to damage the circuit board by prying it out.    I pushed the copper contact out of the way with a non-metallic object in order to release the battery, but it seems to be stuck.

 

Any suggestions?

• This topic was modified 4 months ago by dataman1701.
• This topic was modified 4 months ago by dataman1701.
• This topic was modified 3 months, 4 weeks ago by PKCano.
• This topic was modified 3 months, 4 weeks ago by PKCano.

Replies

I would not assume the battery needs replacing.

First, go into the BIOS – F2 at power on for a Dell.
Check the hard disk is listed.
Reset the BIOS works on some machines. Check the hard disk type first.
Boot from a recovery USB to confirm the machine works.
Reseat the HDD.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

dataman1701, PL1

Since the XPS  Miniview was prompting an alert to replace battery, I swapped the battery for process of elimination since it can be so many things causing the anomaly.

F2 does not work.    IF it makes it passed the symptoms I described, there’s no video output.  So, the problem, as you suspected, goes deeper than just a battery.

The booting is very strange now.     It will appear to start normally, but then restarts itself almost immediately without even getting to load Windows.    It restarts 2-3x then the fan goes into overdrive.

 

Onto ram & HDD re-seat next….

 

Well, you seem to be doing the right ‘manoeuvre’ to unseat the battery. Page 171 of the Owner’s Manual shows you how to do it, if in doubt:

https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-uk/product/xps-420/docs

There are lots of other troubleshooting tips in the manual, too.

That said, unless the time/date are constantly incorrect then I doubt the battery is the problem. As you’ve got the cover off it, make sure everything is dust-free (I use the nozzle tool of my Hoover with a soft modelling paint brush) and make sure all connections (HDD, RAM etc.) are secure and tight.

Otherwise, I’d agree with Paul T, above.

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dataman1701

Magnus wrote:

(I use the nozzle tool of my Hoover with a soft modelling paint brush)

Use duck tape to tape a plastic soda straw (the bending kind is the best) inside the nozzle tool and cover the nozzle hole such that all suction goes thru the straw.  This increases the suction power and the straw can be inserted in tiny places (aka: heat sink fins and fan blades).

I would add this to Paul’s excellent advice.  Remove, clean, and reseat the RAM strips if you have a model that has removable RAM.  Loose or dirty RAM connections will prevent booting up including an external boot drive.

HTH, Dana:))

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dataman1701

dataman1701 wrote:

I pushed the copper contact out of the way with a non-metallic object in order to release the battery, but it seems to be stuck.

CMOS batteries in such holder tend to stick a bit and need to be “carefully” pried out.

Personally, I use a spudger like this to do it (available from iFixit for $4.)

I place the sharp end between the hold-down clip and the battery and, while pressing the hold-down clip away from the battery, also press down on it so the end slips under the battery itself and it normally pops right out.

Thankfully, putting a new battery in is dirt simple!

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dataman1701, TechTango, SueW

also the CMOS battery size uses CR2032, commonly sold in most grocery stores and from popular brands like Duracell and Energizer

and yes, I have that “spudger” tool n0ads had mentioned; included in an iFixit essentials kit I ordered from Amazon several years ago

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dataman1701

EP wrote:

also the CMOS battery size uses CR2032, commonly sold in most grocery stores and from popular brands like Duracell and Energizer

and yes, I have that “spudger” tool n0ads had mentioned; included in an iFixit essentials kit I ordered from Amazon several years ago

I replaced with a Panasonic 2032.  See https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/dell-xps-420-desktop-cmos-battery-change/#post-2741143