Librem 14 Battery-Related Time and Date Reset Issue - Seeking Help and Solutions

Software PureOS
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Hello everyone,

I’ve been facing a peculiar issue with my Librem 14 laptop. When I unplug the power cord and run it on battery, everything works perfectly. However, if I power off the laptop and then turn it back on while it’s running on battery, the hardware clock resets to January 1, 2070, at 00:01:00.

Just to provide some context, I’m running Pureboot 28 and EC 1.13 on my system.

I’m reaching out to the community for help in resolving this issue. Any suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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Did the hardware clock remember the date and time previously? It sounds like your CMOS battery might have died. It’s the yellow coin-shaped thing in the screenshot below (Courtesy of the second video here: Disassembly - Purism - Librem products documentation). I would contact support for further troubleshooting steps and for a replacement if it is the reason for this issue.

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There are a couple of troubleshooting tutorials out there but I’ve chosen this HP page somewhat arbitrarily.

Here are the CMOS battery failure symptoms:

  • The laptop has difficult booting up
  • There’s a constant beeping noise from the motherboard
  • The date and time have reset
  • Peripherals aren’t responsive or they don’t respond correctly
  • Hardware drivers have disappeared
  • You can’t connect to the internet

The CMOS battery ensures the BIOS remains powered when the device is powered off. Whether the Librem 14 is powered through the power cord or the battery, the BIOS is also getting powered through either of them. It’s only when the laptop is fully powered off and disconnected from the charger that it will rely on the CMOS battery, which is probably why it is only happening when you power off the laptop and aren’t connected to an external power source.

If you want to replace it yourself, there are a number of different stores you can purchase a CMOS battery for a laptop and I think any of them should work but your best bet is to confirm with Purism support to ensure compatibility. (Before anyone thinks I’ve doxxed myself, I’m on a VPN so the postal code is inaccurate.)

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@gondolyr - Thanks very much for such a detailed answer and the link. Yes, I have this yellow thing there hanging. Its very likely the CMOS battery died and needs changing. I understand its simply unplug old and plug back new battery - so yes, I can do that :heart:

Would someone from Purism confirm what will be compatible CMOS battery for Librem 14?

Notify: @joao.azevedo or @jonathon.hall

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@kate.mason:

  • The one I checked is a CR2025. A 2032 should also work (3.2 mm thick vs. 2.5, slightly larger capacity) - it’s not a precise fit so the extra thickness should be fine. Smaller sizes would have lower capacity but should work as long as they are 3V.
  • You’ll need one with a long cable - I have about 13 cm here, longer than any of those in the screenshot. It has to reach all the way from the wafer connector on the board to the space between the speaker and battery.
  • Pay attention to the connector polarity - some of them are the other way around, which would be very bad.
  • Of course the connector has to match too, this one is common but there are some similar-looking ones out there too.

@joao.azevedo Do we have replacement RTC batteries available?

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@kate.mason yeah, we do, but I need to check a couple of things. I will need to send you a Direct Message.

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