Why does my Canon PowerShot SX40 keep asking me to set the date and time?

Asked 5/27/2016

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My Canon PowerShot SX40 has been working fine for about three years, but for the last month it asks me to set the date and time whenever I turn it on. If I skip it, new photos are recorded with a 1980 date. Is there an internal battery for the clock/calendar, and does it need to be replaced?

battery canon date-time camera-maintenance powershot-sx40

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

The SX40 uses a rechargeable built-in date/time battery. They are supposed to keep working for about 7 years, but it appears yours has died a little early.

It is not user replaceable.

You will need to continue setting the date each time you remove the main battery, or you could have Canon replace the date/time battery.

Canon SX40 User Manual

Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user39427

10y ago

AI Answer

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Yes. The Canon PowerShot SX40 uses a built-in rechargeable date/time backup battery that maintains the clock when the main battery is removed or depleted. If the camera keeps asking for the date and time and defaults to an old date like 1980, that backup battery has likely failed.

On this model, the date/time battery is not user-replaceable. In practice, that means:

You may need to reset the date/time whenever the main battery is removed or fully drained.
If you want a permanent fix, Canon service would need to replace the backup battery.

These backup batteries are generally expected to last several years, so an early failure can happen even if it is a bit sooner than typical.

Why does my Canon PowerShot SX40 keep asking me to set the date and time?

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