-=> MATT MC_CARTHY wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-

 WC> I installed a new battery and it STOPPED the clock
 WC> despite putting it in as indicated.

 MM> Odd indeed!  Check the battery 'holder' for any signs of crud or
 MM> corrosion. Some salts of copper or nickel act as diodes.  Make sure the
 MM> contacts are tight enough to actually hit the cell.  Some of the early
 MM> cell holders got pretty mangled by simply changing batteries.

Some grudge, I'll take some really fine sandpaper, glue to thin 
stiff plastic strip and slide between the battery and top clip
a few times. I'll soak a business card in alcohol for a last 
pass to clear residue.

 WC> I'm thinking of reversing it from what the holder is marked
 WC> as I don't ubderstabd this.

 MM> Normal position for the lithium coin cells is (+) UP!  (The large flat
 MM> end).

 That's how the holder is marked.

 WC> Clock holds fine when the machine is on with no battery.

 MM> Wish you had a meter to both confirm that the old one was in fact
 MM> 'dead' (and not something else), as well as being sure the new one
 MM> isn't a 'dud'.

 Still got my old incandescent and LED in parallel
 continuity tester and the LED illuminates even with the 
 heavy load of a 12 volt cold filiment bulb in parallel.
 That and the fact the LED requires 1.7 volts to illuminate
 Old cell fails this test.

 MM> Check the CMOS to see whether it holds settings when off overnight.
 
Doesn't hold 30 seconds. 


 MM> Set CMOS to show a "B" drive set to 5 1/4", then
leave machine off for
 MM> about 12 hours. Check CMOS again when you next start up to see if the
 MM> bogus setting remained.

See above.

 MM> Loss of the clock during power-off is only an irritant, provided the
 MM> entire CMOS doesn't have to be re-setup every time.

 This it does require.
 
 MM> One other piddly thing comes to mind, the "Clear CMOS"
jumper.  Both my
 MM> dealer and myself have gotten bit by removing various jumpers, and MUCH
 MM> later discovering that the metal insert of the jumper was still
 MM> attached to the posts.  We had only removed the plastic 'shell' of the
 MM> jumper!

It isn't that and wouldn't know where to look having nothing on 
the motherboard other than it's used in an NEC computer.
I suspect you're right and I did not clear enough crud.
I DID tighten the clip depressing it into the empty holder 
before installing the battery.
On my first installation of the new battery the time
and date held 15 secconds off but the rest of the CMOS cleared.
 
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