Is Windows 7 tied to system date?

Idle said:

I'm setting up a system for a client, using a mix of older and new components and Windows 7 Business (OEM version).

Motherboard is Asus A8N with latest BIOS (1014, from memory), 3GB RAM.

Every time I install a piece of hardware (doesn't have to be major — a USB port will do it) the BIOS reverts to default, including going back to first BIOS date (2005).

That's not a great problem — the user is unlikely to change anything — but this is:

If it's allowed to start Windows without the system date reset to current (no other change has to be made, just reset the date), the moment it goes online Windows triggers an "illegal Copy Of Windows" message and the screen goes black.

AT this point the only thing that can be done is re-activate Windows, which I can't really expect a client with little or no knowledge of the system to do on a regular basis.

Any clues?

Have you tried checking and/or replacing the motherboard battery? It sounds to me as though the dat is being reset each time because the CMOS is losing power whenever you shut down to install new hardware...

Dzomlija said:

Have you tried checking and/or replacing the motherboard battery? It sounds to me as though the dat is being reset each time because the CMOS is losing power whenever you shut down to install new hardware...

That was my first thought, so I changed the battery — made no difference (and the old battery tests OK.)

Seems to happen whenever any internal hardware item is changed or added, or if BIOS is manually reset to default.

What bothers me isn't that, but the fact that if for any reason the system date returns to the 2005 default, which is obviously before Windows 7 was installed (even before Win 7 existed...) and Windows is allowed to start, the moment it goes online and phones back to Microsoft, the OS is promptly identified as a pirated copy (which it isn't, it's a perfectly legal OEM installer copy from an established retailer, being installed in a machine for sale to an unrelated third party.)

If, before Windows starts, the system time and date is reset in BIOS (just that, no other parameters) to the current date, everything's fine.

Further, if the BIOS is reset after the "illegal copy" message appears, the problem doesn't clear and Windows still has to be re-activated. Plus, even after that's done, the black screen remains and the background needs to be changed.

Is this a bug somewhere in Windows, or perhaps just another example of Microsoft paranoia?

There seems to be a common problem with the A8N, more than enough complaints of the same thing on the web. Sounds like a defective BIOS chip on those early boards.

This guy solved his problem by enabling the Floppy Disk in the BIOS. Weird, yes. But not uncommon that it could effect a dodgy BIOS.
A8N-E BIOS settings not saving in XP - Icrontic Forums

Good call. That behavior is not normal under any circumstance.

You might also contact Asus and notify them of the issue. You might get replacements beyond the warranty period. They may only need to send you a new BIOS chip.

I used an ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe board with XP, then Vista, then Win7 -- and it worked fine, even though the BIOS hasn't been updated in YEARS. So, there is most definitely something very wrong with your board if it barfs so bad only because you stick in a USB stick.