Do I have a virus; can the TMD computer tech squad help me?

[Grand Inquisitor]

With some regularity (every few days) my computer sets its clock (display clock in bottom right corner) back by 2-3 hours.

Is this a virus?  Has anyone ever heard of something like this?

Thanks.

[Komatteru]

I've never heard of that.  However, Windows does not keep its own time.  It gets the time off the system clock in the BIOS on the motherboard.  As far as I know, there are no viruses that affect the BIOS directly (at least I hope there aren't!).  If your BIOS is screwed up, you might need to flash in a new one, if you can (I hope your system is built and not bought from a major reseller...).

[Matt]

It's possible that the battery which powers the internal clock is dead or dying.

[jpmeyer]

I think it's a battery problem, too.  The clock in my computer at work had this problem.

[JACO]

To echo what has been said already, first check the time in the BIOS (usually by pressing F2, F8, or F10 at the very first time your computer starts up). More than likely, it is the little battery on the motherboard (the thing inside your computer that everything connects to) that is causing the issue, and will need to be replaced. It is usually silver and looks like the size of a nickel or quarter, and can typically be had for a buck or two.