Acernote 370 CMOS battery replacement

Acernote 370 CMOS battery replacement

Welcome! you are here because your Acernote 370 has just turned 10 years old and has a flat CMOS battery right?

Well, I've got good news and bad news for you.

  • The good news is that the battery is a CR1220 button cell, that should only cost you about $3.
  • The bad news is that you'll have to totally disassemble your laptop to replace it.

    I took these photos a year or so ago to demonstrate how to do the job. I had already removed the keyboard before I started taking photos. To do this, slide the little speaker covers off using an outward motion. Then carefully remove the keyboard and unplug the its connecting cables.

    If you had trouble with the remove-the-keyboard step, I strongly recommend that you get someone else to do the rest of the job for you.

    Next, remove the hard drive. It's under the hatch on the front-right of the machine. For the rest, follow the sequence in the photos. Click on each image for a 1024x768 view.


    Undo 4 screws and remove the heatsink.
    Undo 2 screws and CAREFULLY unplug the display cable. Doing this wrong and tearing the cable will send your laptop to the scrapheap, since spares are now unavailable.
    Remove the screws in the screen hinges, and remove the screen.

    Turn the laptop upside down, and remove the 4 visible screws.
    Then remove this one.
    Yes, this one!

    Turn the laptop back to right-side-up, and unplug the touch pad cable.
    Remove the 5 screws holding the top cover in place, and lift it off.
    Remove the 2 black plastic clips that hold the CD-ROM drive in place (if fitted).

    Unplug the CD-ROM cables (if fitted).
    Remove the CD-ROM drive (if fitted).
    Remove the screws holding the base cover to the inside frame assembly, then lift off the assembly.

    Remove the battery connector cable.
    Remove the tape over the fan, and remove it. You don't have to unplug the fan or the speakers, but be careful not to pull on the cables while performing the remaining steps!
    Turn the unit over and remove the charger board.

    Turn the unit over (sorry) and remove the audio connector board. Be gentle with the cable, it's fragile.
    Undo the 7 remaining screws holding the motherboard to the frame assembly, then detach the motherboard from the frame using a "hinge-like" motion. There's the battery you need to replace, right there.
    The offending battery.

    The dismantled unit and replacement battery. You can see that the DIP switch settings are printed on the motherboard, too.
    Replace the battery.
    Make sure that the cover clicks firmly into place.

    "Reassemble the components in the reverse order."

    If you need more information than this to do the job, you probably should e-mail me

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