cmos battery

[norman]

< snip >

> > > Does this message mean anything disastrous, what adverse effects do I
> > > need to look out for and is there any way I can check to see if the
> > > message is valid? Please advise.
> > >
> > > Norman

> exactly. This battery helps the mobo keep time via the rtc (real time clock). 
> So you'll likely find the clock will be out untill you replace this battery. 
> Also any changes you made in the bios wont be remembered once you power down 
> until it's replaced. it's no biggy

Thank you both for your comments. The odd thing is that the date and
time, which I expected to be affected, seem to be OK. Also, I changed a
setting in the bios about 2 weeks ago and that has not changed. So I am
wondering whether, for some reason, the message is false.

Norman