Dell dimension needs BIOS battery replaced

[andyturpie]

Hi All,

 

Quick question, I got a call from a friend who is telling me that his BIOS battery needs replaced, now I know that he has one of these Dell Dimension (5200?) which has a RAID configuration and I am pretty sure they are RAID 0 by default. Would the RAID settings still retain if I swap the battery over? It's his home work PC and don't wish to lose the data

[Norphy]

The RAID Configuration should be store in the either in firmware of the RAID Controller itself or on the drives rather than in the BIOS. Even if it was, it shouldn't be lost in the time it takes to replace the battery

[andyturpie]

I was thinking that it depends on whether if there is an independent RAID card on board, then that should be okay, but some like my own mainboard (Intel) has the RAID actually on the mainboard itself (hence why I have never configured it). I suppose upon inspection I should know which it is.

[mac_shinobi]

Before you swap the battery over is there no way to access the raid cards configuration before it boots into the OS ( normally an F key ie F10 or whatever ) and save a backup of the configuration to a memory stick or else where and then swap the battery ?

[andyturpie]

Before you swap the battery over is there no way to access the raid cards configuration before it boots into the OS ( normally an F key ie F10 or whatever ) and save a backup of the configuration to a memory stick or else where and then swap the battery ?

 

I am hoping so - I am even thinking of imaging the system completely as well just in case. But, I every time I see one of these white Dell behemoths it strikes fear into my heart!

[mac_shinobi]

I am hoping so - I am even thinking of imaging the system completely as well just in case. But, I every time I see one of these white Dell behemoths it strikes fear into my heart!

 

Data backup as well as imaging so if it goes sunny side up you can at least get the raid re configured and re image if need be and then put all data back on etc