Claude tracked down a years-old cold-boot failure — the fix was a $1 CMOS battery
ZookeepergameHead380 · reddit · 2026-11-09
A 2017 desktop threw "Boot failure detected" on every cold boot for years. With Claude's help, the author ran a weeks-long structured diagnosis: ruling out overclocking (XMP off, all Auto), PSU, NVMe SMART data, and a leftover bootloader. Claude also flagged that "save and exit BIOS" only worked because the board warmed up for two minutes — a false fix. Its key insight: checking clock drift proves nothing on a machine that's never unplugged, since standby power keeps the clock running and the CMOS battery never takes load. Measured voltage: 1.2V vs the 3V a CR2032 should have. After replacing the battery, zero failures since. The author especially valued Claude keeping a written list of ruled-out causes, avoiding circular debugging and unnecessary purchases.
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