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General discussion

SOTEC 820P CMOS battery

Jun 30, 2004 5:41PM PDT

I have a Sotec 820P notebook and is really taking time in booting up. The time and date is messed up too. Anyway, I read that it could be the CMOS battery. The computer is out of warranty, so I want to find out step by step on how to replace this battery. How do I open up this notebook? Is it just unscrewing the bottom part? I have not opened up a notebook computer before...can somebody help me? Thanks in advance...

Enrique

Discussion is locked

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Jun 30, 2004 11:02PM PDT

If sotec didn't supply it with the machine, then maybe not.

I never bother with looking for a step by step. I pop up the keyboard if I can, look there, then unscrew any small covers to find the battery. Then off to Radio Shack, and install the new one. Best of luck,

bob

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Jul 21, 2004 11:00AM PDT

To open the body, unscrew the screws on the bottom. Watch out for the touchpad wireit comes out easy. I'm not sure where the cmos battery is, but I'm having the exact same problems you're describing.

Let me know if you figure it out.

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Jul 24, 2004 6:08AM PDT

It's really easy. On the underside of the computer is a panel with two vents on it (there are fans behind it). Unscrew the 3 screws holding the panel down. The battery is right there underneath and is easy to pop out and replace.

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Nov 11, 2004 3:12AM PST

DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHERE I CAN GET AN ECONOMICAL RAM BATTERY FOR THE SOTEC 820P

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Nov 11, 2004 3:24AM PST

The CMOS battery runs from 2 to 20 bucks at Radio Shack. You save yourself abotu 100 bucks if you replace it yourself.

Bob

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery
Dec 10, 2004 2:21AM PST

Does anyone know where to get a replacement battery for the laptop itself. Mine died about a month out of warranty and I have not been able to purchase one from Averatec (formerly Sotec) ever since. First it was that they had been discontinued, then they were on order, then the people that make them couldn't get some chip that they needed to make them, then it was not being able to get in touch with sales. One thing after another for close to a year now and still no battery Sad. Any help finding a source would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery?
Dec 10, 2004 4:29AM PST

If you mean the CMOS battery then I replace these all the time with whatever fits of the same voltage from various Radio Shack models.

However if you mean the main power battery, if you can't find such "on the internet" then look battery rebuilders.

And thanks for the tie-in from Sotec to Avertec. If this is true then it's sad to see Sotec trying to "try again" and shake off it's past history.

Bob

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Re: SOTEC 820P CMOS battery?
Dec 10, 2004 12:09PM PST

Well, when I call the toll free number in my original documentation, it says "Thank you for calling Averatec, formerly Sotec America." And it is the main battery I am looking for. Sotec (or Slowtec as I like to call them) has not been helpful at all in getting a replacement, and I cannot find anyone online who sells them. If anyone can recommend a good refurbisher, I'm all ears. Thanks!

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This google to start with.
Dec 10, 2004 12:35PM PST
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Re: This google to start with.
Dec 10, 2004 1:46PM PST

Wow, unmasking Averatec as formerly Sotec should open a lot of eyes. They did not really try to conceal it though by keeping the 'tec' at the end.........

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Sotec 820p notebook
Feb 11, 2005 1:17AM PST

I bought this notebook (Sotec 820p) in Nov 2002 from Walmart.com. Honestly speaking I have been too disappointed with this purchase. First within 4-5 months, the notebook started taking 10 to 15 minutes to "wakeup" i.e. starting the POST after pressing the Power button. I thought the main battery had gone bad. I bought a new one from Sotec (Averatec) since 6 mth warranty had passed. No luck with this either. Sent in the notebook and received just after the 1 year warranty was over. It worked for another 1 month and the same problem started again. My brother figured out that the problem was with the CMOS battery mounted on the motherboard. He opened it and changed it. Started working fine. Aother 2-3 months same problem. Now the "new" main battery has died too.

Since then I have come across multiple reports about this Sotec 820p model notebooks with the same issue. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that the same company now sells products under the name Averatec.

All in all, a very poor product even though the configuration was very well priced when I bought the notebook. I would not recommend this to anybody since I use Dell and have never had so many problems with their Latitude models.

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Thanks for Information
Jun 17, 2005 12:50PM PDT

Thanks so much for the information you posted. I have been looking for over a year as to why my Sotec Laptop had start up problems. I would press the power button and it would take a very long time to power up. Once it powered up I would have to adjust the date and time. To think it was just a small lithium 3v battery CR 1220 which I got from Radio Shack to do the trick-cool. It is fantastic, I press the power button and it immediately powers up. Thanks again, also if you or anyone else knows where to obtain a laptop battery for the 820P model number LI-6012G it would be greatly appreciated