ok this is a little repose and ill explain it more throughaly. ok i just bought this new proccessor (socket 478) and it appeared it did not work with my new mobo. So to test if the proccessor was not working i inserted it into another motherboard that uses the same socket (478) proccessor and carefully took the proccessor in that mobo out and put in the proccessor i was testing. after it didnt work i was sure it was the proccessors fault. So i put back in the proccessor that belonged to the mobo which was working fine 5 min ago. so now when i boot up the computer the screen goes blank (black) and does not pick up a signal. Im 100% sure the mobo or the proccessor is not broken and as well as the hard drive and the cd-rom because it was working jusing fine 5 min ago.

So then i posted the problem on this site and people said to reset the cmos by taking the circle battery out. so stupidly i did and i forgot which way it was inserted in because this mobo battery is placed in sideways and no one seems to know which way its suppose to be inserted.

Now here are my questions.

sigh, which way is the battery suppose to be inserted.
and if i accidently outstretched the battery holder is there a way i can fix it?
and if it is not the fault of the battery than is my mobo or cpu fried? which i doubt.

answers to my problem would be appreciated alot. thanks, steve P.S. the computer is a (HP 504N)

-cmos batteries are usually inserted negative(-) side in.