How do I prove my CMOS is defective?

I am having multiple problems with my boot process and believe I have eliminated everything else except my CMOS. My CMOS battery is fine - but my Boot Sequence is not being followed. The most glaring clue I have is this: I have only my CD/DVD checked off in my boot sequence. No USB Storage of my Primary (OS) drive. So, when I now boot, I'm asked to press any key to proceed with a CD or DVD to boot. I have my original Windows 10 Installation Disk in my drive - but booting to that would NOT allow me to boot into my Windows 10 installation. In any case, I don't press any key so my system continues to boot into my Windows 10 installation. How can this be? It shouldn't happen - so I believe my CMOS chip is somehow defective.= and I can't think of anything else that could cause this to happen. If anyone else does, please let me know before I can't boot into my Windows installation at all. Also, restoring images from Macrium Reflect don't work either. I'm using a Dell M6800 laptop workstation with two internal SATA SSD drives. I even replaced my OS drive with a brand new one. No luck. I have posted different versions of this post but no one seems to grasp what my problem is. Please help me!!!

Perhaps @Brink can point me in the right direction........

The most glaring clue I have is this: I have only my CD/DVD checked off in my boot sequence. No USB Storage of my Primary (OS) drive. So, when I now boot, I'm asked to press any key to proceed with a CD or DVD to boot.

That message can be completely normal, I have 2 Custom Desktops and 1 ASUS OEM that display that when booting. One of the Customs shows it twice as it has 2 ODDs in it. Having a disc in an ODD can trigger the message as part of the P.O.S.T. [Power On Self Test] process the BIOS is looking for devices that are bootable. Can also happen with USB Thumb drives such as one I use with Linux Mint on it.

Thats all normal you have a boot sequence it try to boot the first is DVD then it goes to the next in the list ie hd if that failed it would then try the next. There is no fault

As I explained, the CD/DVD is the ONLY item in the list. Please read my entire post and, if I wasn't perfectly clear, please let me know. In any case, I have an insolvable problem and need some leads.

Nisko said:

I have an insolvable problem and need some leads.

Only thing that comes to mind is a new motherboard. The CMOS/Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor is usually soldered to the board and not replaceable, holds the BIOS which has the user-settable choices.

Thank you. Before I request a new motherboard, is there any way to absolutely prove the CMOS is the problem? This PC cost me almost $6,000 new and everything else seems to be working just fine. I'd hate to keep following the rabbit hole down - and I can't afford to replace my M6800. Thank you.

You say As I explained, the CD/DVD is the ONLY item in the list
Can you get an photo as never known a MB to only have one item in the boot order