C3500 CMOS battery

I have a little used C3500 I only use on vacations. On the old Averatec forum I saw discussions about a defective CMOS battery in this version of computer. My "date" in lower right screen is always off, and I assume I have this defect, but the PC is no longer under warentee. I once saw a breakdown of the replacement and think its way beyond my ability-probably beyond most local repair shops.
My questions-
what is the probable cost to have this repaired by Averatec facility?
Other threads indicate poor service from Averatec repair service-is this true of this CMOS battery repair likely?
I like many features of this model and have no desire to "trade up" to another, but I understand thats a likely reply if I send it in for repair.
If I correct the date stamp each time I turn on the C3500 will the computer continue to work ok? Is there a risk of losing information (like software updates from MS) if I use the computer like this?

Note-I am after opinions and not proven facts. I see most posters here have better understanding of computers then I do and opinions are most valuable to me.

 

The CMOS battery is usually a user-replacable part; the batteries have model numbers stamped on the top, and can usually be purchased from stores like Circuit City. In short, you should be able to replace the battery yourself, provided that you are comfortable with taking a few parts off the laptop, if you have to.

Also, replacing the CMOS battery is not a risky operation; the purpose of the battery is to allow the storage of BIOS settings in volatile memory (memory that does not "remember" without power). So, the only thing you'll lose is your BIOS settings.

That said, I'm not really sure about the connection between the OS time displayed in the taskbar and the BIOS time; I am certain that syncs its time with servers online.

 

I have had this problem ever since I bought the C3500. The problem is the battery will discharge in the off position, and I was told I had a bad battery and I purchased a new battery and it did the exact same thing. I could charge the battery and take it out of the computer and both batteries held their full charge while out of the computer.

 

I am always a fan of checking the obvious first. If the clock has never shown up on the taskbar, it would be wise to check if it's enabled. To do so, first right click on a blank area of that taskbar, not an icon. At the bottom of that resulting popup menu is Properties selection.
Left click on it. In the resulting window look at the bottom in the Notification portion. Check to see if the Show Clock is checked. Worth a check.

As to Mssr. Bog's statement that the internal clock automatically sets itself by connecting to online servers, I have never seen that or heard of it. The clock is a normal quartz crystal controlled clock maintained in the BIOS/CMOS with it's button motherboard battery and will drift somewhat. There are apps that will use online time services to set it automatically but it's not, to my knowledge, a normal consumer Windows capability. A good source to check your clock is: http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java

Rick