Bad PRAM battery?

My PB G3 Pismo wouldn't respond when I pressed the power button. After unplugging, replugging, resetting the power management, etc., I decided to go in. After a little tinkering around and no results, I pulled the PRAM battery cable out of the logic board and it booted up normally. This thing spent a lot of idle time in a drawer before I decided to pull it out and get re-acquainted with it.
Does this mean I have a bad PRAM battery? If so, where's a good place to get one, along with other add-ons for this unit - such as AirPort card/RAM/Hard Drive? Thanks.

sdburns,
Storing a powerbook allows the batteries to run flat which in turn can corrupt the power manager; if normal power manager resets do not clear the problem, disconnecting the internal, rechargeable backup battery will solve the problem. Normally, this PRAM battery is just discharged; leaving it connected to the power adapter for 24 hours or longer will charge it up.
Here is an article which describes how the battery works and also how to test it:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30580
Occasionally, a discharged/old PRAM battery will have an internal failure and will prevent the powerbook from starting. Reconnect the battery and start up; if successful, allow it to recharge, then test.

Similar Messages

PRAM battery checker

Has anyone used - safely and successfully - the PRAM battery checker application found here:
http://www.polar-orbit.com/software.html
Thanks,
Mrs H

Will the battery slowly poop out and give me warning signs or just die? When I replace the battery do I just have to reset the clock or are there other settings that are lost?
People often think that having a bad battery doesn't make any real difference other than having to reset your clock. This battery may be essential for PRAM operation even if your computer is plugged in. A bad battery can corrupt PRAM and cause startup problems, but it has to be in the computer or the computer won't start at all, so if it is starting to go you are forced into a corner. PRAM stores other startup information about your computer, not just date and time. Some people experience startup problems with a bad PRAM battery. The computer may have to hunt for a startup disk or forget their preferred startup disk, especially if you have more than one drive. The monitor may not come up although the computer starts. Read the links provided earlier for details.
The more you leave your computer unplugged (vs. just turned off but still plugged in) the faster the battery will drain. I leave my computer plugged in all the time and have gone at least 5 years without needing a battery. If I unplug a computer it may only last a few months (maybe, not sure exactly how long, only did it once).
A battery on the edge of going may be able to recover slightly if you plug a computer back in.
Do you need to replace it? It depends upon how safe you want to play it. I have a spare in a drawer somewhere. I have also been able to continue to use a computer with a bad battery though I sometimes had to baby it on startup - multiple tries, reset clock. The cheapest batteries can be bought online. It's not a size commonly stocked. National battery specialists/computer stores may have them but they cost more. If you're out in the boonies and don't like hassle then get a replacement. Think of a car with a weak battery. If you want to be sure it will start immediately and be there when you need it then it's only a matter of maybe $5 +$5 shipping every now and then. As I said, I have a spare in a drawer and have several computers that all use the same size battery.

Can bad PRAM (CMOS) battery be "guilty" for MBP not recovering from sleep?

I have MBP 4.1 (last with removable battery) and it wont recover from sleep... i tried reseting SMC but no effect (three months ago SMC reset worked well for me). I tried removing/inserting RAM, HDD, CMOS Battery but nothing can make my MBP recover from sleep . Does anyone have expirience similar to mine? Solutions? Suggestions?

I would not expect a dead PRAM battery to casue that. If it did, zapping the PRAM would restore function until the computer was again deprived of all power--wall and main battery.
Can the computer run at all? If you can get it to wake up, that is a different set of issues than one that will not wake up at all.
If it won't wake up at all: Remember that the MacBook Pro 4,1 had the dreaded "Nvidea curse." The Geforce 8600M GT video chipset was prone to failure due to improper manufacturing by Nvidea. Apple had a repair program to fix this at no cost to you but it expired in Dec 2012. Mine waited until June 2013 to die. It's still dead.
The only cure for the "Curse" is a new logic board. An Apple service provider may still have the hardware tester that positively identifies if the video chipset has failed.
If you can get the computer running: there was a sleep issue with mine (3,1 but same logic board architecture) but it went away when I upgraded from 10.5 to 10.6. Still, worth checking if you get the comptuer running. Open Network preferences and select Wi-Fi. When that screen comes up, click the Advanced button--it should come up with the WiFi tab active; if not, make is so.
Now delete any wireless networks you don't use on at least a weekly basis. My old MBP refused to wake from sleep and required a restart. A check of the system log showed the computer was trying to a connect to the wifi network at a lodge I'd stayed in a month before and 50 miles away. Deleting that "remembered network" cured the problem

Replace PRAM battery in in Intel core2 duo iMac?

I have just installed the iStat widget in my Intel Core2 Duo 2.16 Ghz iMac. I was a little surprised to see a battery level reading on it (of 45%). I wonder if it is measuring the remaining life of the PRAM battery. Remembering how badly my Powermac and my wife's G5 iMac behaved when their back-up batteries needed replacing, I want to avoid the same situation on my Intel iMac. However I can find nothing on Apple support for replacing the PRAM/back-up battery on an Intel iMac, so I am wondering if there is a replaceable battery or not. Anyone know?
Thanks
Wilson

From iSlayer Battery Section:
This section shows various information about your Mac’s battery. This section is only visible if you actually have a battery and won’t appear on desktops.
Percentage
The current battery charge as a percentage. This is also shown as a bar at the bottom of the section.
Time
Time left using the battery, time until charged, or “Charged” if the battery is fully charged.
Source
“AC” if the Mac is connected to mains power, or “Battery” if the battery is being used.
Status
This shows if the battery is charged, charging or draining.
Battery Health
This is a comparison between your current battery capacity and capacity of it when it was new. For example, if your battery lasted 5 hours when it was new, a figure of 50% suggests you should get 2.5 hours out of your battery now.
Cycles
The amount of battery “cycles” the battery has had. One cycle is defined as a complete discharge and charge of the battery, but partial discharge and charges also count. So, two half discharge and charges are the same as one complete discharge.
For some tips on how to get the most out of your laptop’s battery, please visit this Apple support page.
Message was edited by: lakewoodlawnman

6400 PowerPc Performa Pram Battery issues - remove for storage?

Hello,
I have a 6400 that I want to use, primarily for storage of some older files, which I've now transferred onto it.
The unit obviously has a weak 4.5 volt alkaline Pram Battery as the Clock reverts to 1956 when is unplugged overnight.
My specific question is:
With all these vintage Performa's, will they work correctly and consistantly WITHOUT a Pram battery in them at all? (Realizing that the time must be set each time up).
I know WITH a weak Pram Battery random things begin to happen, and video can even be lost. My thinking for long term storage of an old unit would be to remove a weak battery before random problems degrade the unit.
Hence to iterate, will these units maintain the factory settings better and more consistantly WITHOUT a battery than with a Weak one, not losing the ability to come up.
Lowell

Jeff,
Thanks on your 64/6500's. I'm going to do just that.
My question was partly technical curiosity in that I've seen and read dozens of problematic symptoms from bad or weak batteries, and none of the answers ever said JUST TAKE
them out and leave them out until . . .
On that basis, I still can't quite figure out how all that relates to CUDA resets on a unit with problems. On most Performa's the board must be out to reset CUDA, and it would seem that the board would need power to reset?? (I'm speaking of a unit that is down, perhaps with a question mark or no hard drive showing, etc.) I'll keep reading.
FYI, I did make a battery pack fm 3 aa batteries for the 6360. Found one really interesting tidbit on AppleFritters, saying also that a 9 Volt battery has two 4.5's inside, and one guy used ONE of those.
Lowell
I removed the batteries from my retired 6400s and
6500s, primarily to prevent leakage (as Grant has
mentioned). I've seen the corrosive damage to
motherboards, caused by leaking alkaline solution
from those batteries. When I periodically start up
the 6400/6500s, I reset the date & time so that any
file modifications have the correct information.
Other than that inconvenience, the computers
function normally.

Power Failure....Mac wont start... is it PRAM battery??

please help!!
I have a Power Mac G4 which worked perfectly until last night.
We lost power in my whole town.
now the computer won't start. no chime, no power button light... no disks spining or HD noises...
I immediately reset the PMU.
nothing happened.
I read somewhere that you could switch the breaker on the power supply... but I don't know how.
I'm hoping its either a that or I need a new PRAM battery??
on a related note, I have another mac I just upgraded everything on. Logic board, processor, power supply... it won't start up either. though it does make the chime sound and the HD does make noise when I attempt to turn it on. I mention this because I wonder if its the same problem on both machines??
please help!! I'm running out of macs to work on!!! *smacks head*
thank you so much!!

I read the tutorial and following the advice, was able to detirmine it was a bad power supply! I replaced that and now the first mac works great!! thanks:D
but could I ask you about the other mac?? It was a very old single processor G4. with the amber and green lights in the power and sleep button... It worked fine but super slow and needed help. So I upgraded the logic board and processor and power supply so it is now a dual 500 MHz processor.
It turns on, makes the greeting chime sound and I can hear the parts working inside... the problem is the power light does not turn on and there is no display... I even changed the video card to assure it was a working one... but nothing.
I reset the CUDA and have replaced the battery.... maybe I'm just not thinking straight and have forgot something??
thanks for your help!!

Pismo pram/battery question

Hello.
My Pismo is not charging my fairly new battery. The computer has also been having some sleep/time issues which made think it was the pram. Could the pram be responsible for not recognizing or charging the new battery...or do I have a PMU problem.
The computer is due for a new pram, but I didn't think the pram had much to do with battery charging. Does it?
Thanks.

eric,
A definitive test for troubleshooting a battery issue is to swap batteries with another Pismo or Lombard, but one may not be available.
Regardless of whether you have a bad battery and/or failed charging circuits, your Pismo should still sleep as long as the power adapter is connected with software and/or a corrupted power manager being the most common issue.
Also, if you are using the power manager reset button on the back panel to restart (or reset the power manager), it will require the reset of time/date.
I would try your troubleshooting in this manner:
1. Keep the power adapter connected at all times plus disconnect ALL peripherals.
2. Pull out the main battery a few inches so it is not engaged.
3. From a shut down state, reset the power manager:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449
4. Start up and reset the time/date.
5. Now test if your Pismo will sleep/wake normally.
You can also test your PRAM battery (the internal rechargeable backup battery), but also read how this battery works vs. a desktop PRAM battery:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30580
You can then insert the main battery and see if it is recognized. I suspect you have a failing battery •IF• the Pismo will occasionally see and charge the battery.
We can do additional testing based on your results.
Message was edited by: jpl

180c PRAM Battery vs. Main Battery Workarounds??

Hello,
I'm trying to determine if there is ANY definitive information out there for a work-a-round for PRAM Battery failure, either on some emergency resuccitation (sp) or other power usage?
Approaching the question another way. IF, for example, one had a good fully charged Main Battery, is there NO internal software switching via the power manager circuits where that necessary portion of the machine can be "fed" the 3.0 volts.
On an emergency revival for data retrieval, I recently read in the duo world which is similiar (but 6.0 v feed) that they WOULD eventually come up. But one might have to KEEP doing the 45 sec to 1 minute power switch hold down time after time to "shock" it out of sleep? Implying to me the possibility of that method charging up a capacitor somewhere which would charge up enough to carry the moment? Is that 100% valid? Or would that be only a high probability if the machine has a PRAM battery which has degenerated to JUST AT the threshold of its PROM? circuitry?
My objective is for data retrieval from long term stored units at the moment, vs hard drive removal and transfer to something else. Thanks
Lowell

Denis,
Thank you for the detailed response. There were many helpful items in your reply. We DID miraculously bring back the one 180c that was data Critical over and retrieve valuable data that had been "lost" for a year.
I have worked with these 180c's for 8-10 years now, and in this particular arena of have never been able to quantatively define functions and methods. Even this critical Data retrieval was inconclusive. Hence if you'd read thru this and make any comments I'd appreciate it. I've also listed a few more technical questions, numbered, if you have time to respond. Additionally I've written my experience detailed for others.
First, your input on full "terminal voltage" was very helpful and new input for me. Second, I never knew or thought about the "backup" battery being designed for the temporary coverage you mentioned. (I'd mentally thought "clock" and critical RAM only)
QUESTION 1
IF a backup battery is weak to the point where it will not HOLD the clock time, can these units "draw" from the main battery in storage? Also, if one has a main battery of unknown condition, is it better to store the PB without the main battery? Further, along those lines, if convenient to do so, would it be best to store with main battery (weak one) OUT, but STILL with AC power to the unit? Or, Per your comment about terminal voltage, do I assume in that (no main battery) configuration, the backup battery wouldn't be maintained anyway?
Back to the one you helped me with. That 180c had slowly failed during daily usage a year ago at at critical time where I couldn't do much. It had a "fair" main battery. It's primary symptom was that if I had a lock-up and had to turn it off, it absolutely would not come back up unless I went thru one or more of the Power Manager Reset procedures. Under a tight schedule I had to use it that way for almost a month, leaving it asleep overnight but always on AC power.
Finally, it reached the point where NOTHING would revive it. I tried probably 25-50 different tries and several Power Manager ways over several days, always leaving it on AC power in between (except for the Power Manager reset procedures). Nothing.
Then, with your note on terminal voltage, (after the unit had been setting for a year, dead, with a main battery in it, but unplugged from AC, I did the following:
1. Plugged to AC for 24 hours.
2. Read your note, and Switched to a battery that had been in another 180c that had been stored for the same length of time, but had faithfully come up.
3. Left THAT battery in it on AC for 12 hours or more.
4. First try - Held back Power ON button DOWN for a full 120 seconds. Also held Shift down. Let up on Power button first, (nothing). Then let up on Shift key. Got light on the screen, and then the bad chimes. (4 up, 4 down).
5. Unplugged from AC to move from storage to table. Plugged back to AC in less than a minute. Held Power ON button DOWN for 60 seconds as well as Shift KEY. Let up on Power button first, then Shift, and Unbelieveably, got a smiley face. That stayed for maybe 5-10 seconds, then there was a screen blip and the smiley face came right back, AND the extensions began loading. (It was JUST as tho I'd hit the PULL DOWN - RESET. Also, of course, I HAD expected it to start with Extensions OFF, tho it never gave me that prompt option)
At this point, the machine was completely alive. We worked on it slowly for 3 days, using floppys, then finally file sharing to transfer everything except the few items that would not copy from "being in use"
We gained enough confidence in it to put it to sleep several times. It always woke up fine, and we kept working till done.
6. After 3 days, and data retrieved, we shut it down. WE tried it normally after about 3 minutes. It came right back up. Then we shut it down for 2 hours. It would NOT come up, and has been DEAD ever since. I've tried EXACTLY the same procedures as I did when it "AWAKENED" for 3 days after a year. but I absolutely cannot get it back. I do have a PRAM battery on order, but I CAN'T believe the WAKE-UP can't be repeated. And I certainly can't believe it's any type of hardware failure?
Question 2
Per your "terminal voltage" for the main battery? Are you saying a maximum voltage that THAT battery can achieve after hours of charging, or is your terminal voltage term the same as my "Threshold Voltage"? IF so, are you saying that for a back-up battery to begin charging, a main battery must reach, say 5 volts, out of 7.5? And if that battery is old and would only reach 3 volts, then the PRAM battery can't charge up enough to help bring up the machine?
Question 3 (final one)
Per question 2 above, if one has "iffy" main batteries in a stored unit, is it better to plug the unit up for days with the main battery OUT when trying to revive a stored unit?
In closing, this is not just a hobby posting, I use, plan to use, and need to use THESE machines for my work (A lot of Claris CAD drawings) for which I've never been able to do nearly as well with trackpad vs the track ball (carpal tunnel also). So any REPEATABLE procedure in this arena would help until I can get my several units re-furbished with NEW PRAM batteries. And certainly having a technical background, I'd really like to KNOW quantatively how those circuits work enough to deal with them.
Thank you all.
Lowell
------Denis - your posting below --------
Lowell
The backup battery of portables is rechargeable, as
opposed to the chuckability of desktop/tower
machines, because its designed function is not solely
to maintain PRAM settings.
If portables are off the mains supply, their backup
batteries are intended to have power enough, as the
main batteries approach a critical level of
exhaustion, to allow you to 1) swap in a charged main
battery, or 2) reattach a powered AC adapter, and to
maintain the contents of RAM the while. If neither
1) nor 2) is possible, they should also be able to
maintain the contents of RAM for up to 24 hours as
you licketty-split across the continent to a
sufficient source of main power. Augmented backups
of 50mAh capacity were available (instead of the
standard 30mAh). The significance of those figures
is apparent if you compare it with the new capacity
of 1730mAh in a PB500 main battery.
The backups were also rugged. I recently revived one
in a PB160 that had, by best available estimate, not
been in service for 13 years. It was also
characteristic of them that they did not recharge
before the main battery reached full terminal
voltage. (Note: not 'full capacity'.) A main
battery can approach full terminal voltage without
having much capacity to store charge, as most owners
of older PBs know to their sorrow. So the backups
are most easily restored by leaving the powered AC
adapter permanently attached to the PB, at least for
several days.
Apple IIe; 68K: 11DT +
4PB; PPC: 5DT + 3PB; G3: 6DT System
6.0.8 to OS 10.4.x

Computer clock resets to 1969. PRAM battery probably not the issue.

I have a PowerMac G4 mirrored doors computer running Tiger 10.4.11 that occasionally starts up with that error message saying: "Your computer's clock is set to a date before March 24th, 2001. This may cause some applications to behave erratically."
I know all about resetting the PRAM, resetting the NVRAM, and replacing a weak, or expired battery. I've read the relevant posts on the subject, in which well-intentioned guides say that the problem is "usually" or "generally" related to the PRAM battery. Well, I wish it could be that simple, because I have already had a new battery installed, and the problem continues. It is intermittent; it's been occurring for about six months now; and it persists.
I seek technical assistance and successful, problem-solving suggestions that go beyond merely suggesting that I zap the PRAM or replace the battery.
If there are potential SOFTWARE problems, please direct me to those potentially damaged files. None of the disk utilities that I have used—including Disk Warrior, TechTool Pro, OnyX, Cocktail, or Drive Genius— find anything wrong with my hard drive or the files on it. No corrupted resources are reported. Additionally, Intego's Virus Barrier finds no infected files either.
However, a FileBuddy search of files modified before 3/25/2001 finds several dozen files with improbable dates of 12/31/1969 or 1/1/1970. Fewer files dated 12/31/1969 occur after I go to the Date/Time preferences pane and reset the clock to the current date/time and then restart my computer, especially in regards to system-related files. Nonetheless, several dozen files with a 12/31/1969 still remain, even after the date/time reset and the system restart.
I do not know if any of those pre-historic files are playing a role in this chronic problem, so I offer that information for the technically more astute to ponder upon and factor in to any solutions which might be offered. I have read posts where someone might suggest a re-install of Tiger, but the original poster almost always reports that re-installing Tiger did not eliminate problem, so I would prefer suggestions that rely on a scalpel rather than a sledge hammer.
If someone suspects that there may be hardware problem, I would like to hear theories along that line, too, although I am unlikely to consider gutting the hardware items just to retain the attractive computer case. Even though I do have other computers (an iMac G5 and a MacBook Pro), the PowerMac G4 is my preferred workhorse, and it is the only one configured to run Final Cut Pro (version 4.5; I can't afford to upgrade now), so I want to keep it functional without a major investment into an older machine.
When the computer clock problem first reared its irritating head several months ago, it was accompanied with kernel crashes that turned out to be related to the nVidia video card. I brought the machine in to a local shop, because it was refusing to power on. They installed a new battery to replace the original, probably weak original battery, and they replaced the probably defective nVidia video card with a used nVidia card I found on eBay. The shop also claimed that I needed to replace the motherboard and the power supply to ensure that the G4 would power on and that it would present a desktop without the warning message about the computer clock being set to 12/31/1969.
I decided to reject their assessment, since the whole repair job would have amounted to about $1,100. It seemed like an excessive solution. Since taking the G4 back about three months ago with only the new battery and the replacement video card installed, the computer has powered on every single time without fail, which, to my non-technician mind, would appear to indicate that the power supply is OK. However, I do still get an occasional warning about the computer clock being set to a date before March 24th, 2001.
I do not have the technical expertise or repair knowledge to know if the problem is hardware-related, software-related, power supply-related, or a complex interaction between all of them. If someone can suggest a permanent fix to eliminate the computer clock error problem WITHOUT requiring me to make a major investment in repairing or replacing hardware components, that would be ideal. On the other hand, if this clock problem is merely is an irritant, but not a sign of something more serious or expensive, then I am willing to live with it and get around the problem by going through the steps of resetting the clock when required and then restarting the computer with a correctly set clock.
My main goal, of course, is to have a reliable, stable computer. If it costs too much to eliminate the computer clock irritation on a permanent basis, then I am willing to live with the problem, as long as its presence does not disrupt my work flow. In that case, I would appreciate it if someone could explain what might be going on, so that I know what to expect and what to do about it.
I hope this is sufficient information with which to make a diagnosis and recommendation. If not, ask for more. Thanks.
bowlerboy

Short answer =
5) Upon reboot after re-connection and re-start, the Date & Time shows...
a) in the Date & Time pane: 12/31/1969 at 7:00 PM, and counting
b) in the Finder's menu bar: 7:00 PM, and counting
What do the results of this test tell you? Is this a software or a hardware problem?
======================================================================
Long answer =
Thanks, BDAqua, for offering your help. I'm not exactly new to these forums, but somehow my previous contributions have all been wiped out, so I've restarted under a new account name.
I've had my G4 MDD for five years, and it's always been quite stable for me, so I'm not quite sure that this model is "cantankerous." I do find the computer clock error message irritating, though, so it would be nice to know the source of the problem and its permanent solution.
Since my original posting, I elected not to Shut Down the G4 to see what would happen. It functioned just fine since then, allowing me to create some short Final Cut Pro movies as Christmas presents to family members. With one exception, all other applications also functioned without problems. The only problem I'm encountering has to do with H-P Photosmart Studio, an application bundled with the HP All-in-one model C7280. It will not settle down to work, forcing me to Force Quit it every time. Since that app works fine on my iMac G5, I decided to trouble-shoot it by reinstalling the HP software, a process that requires me to Shut Down. (If possible, I want to see if the problem is with the HP software, or with Tiger on my G4.)
However, before I can get even get to trouble-shooting the HP Photosmart, the G4 gives me that computer clock error upon re-boot. In the past, the Date & Time error message has appeared upon a cold reboot, no matter whether I had reset the Date & Time in the preference pane via the Network clock or manually. However, I never conducted my tests in conjunction with disconnecting the A/C power cable. So, I decided to try the the test you suggested. Here are my observations and the results of the test.
1) Upon Shut Down, cool down, and restart, I get the computer clock error message mentioned at the beginning of my original post, telling me that my clock is set to a earlier date.
2) When I open the Date & Time preferences pane, however, the date and time shown there (as well as on the Finder's menu bar) is current.
3) The Network setting was ON, so, to comply with this test, I unchecked the "Set date & time automatically" box. I do not need to reset date and time manually, because, as I mentioned they ARE set correctly, even though the message I got upon restart said that they are not. (If memory serves me correctly, though, the Date & Time panel would actually show 12/31/69 as the computer clock's read-out, so this discrepancy is somehow connected to this problem. )
4) I shut down the G4 for 2 hours, and I disconnected all cables and plugs to it, including A/C power.
5) Upon reboot after re-connection and re-start, the Date & Time shows...
a) in the Date & Time pane: 12/31/1969 at 7:00 PM, and counting
b) in the Finder's menu bar: 7:00 PM, and counting.
6) I take screen captures of the error message and the menu bar: both .PNG files are time-stamped as of 12/31/1969 at around 7:01 PM.
7) I will now reset the clock to the current Date and Time by turning the Network time feature back on, so I can get on with my work while the trouble-shooting process continues.
What do the results of this test tell you? Is this a software or a hardware problem?
If it's a software problem, then should I do I clean install of Tiger? If I do that, is there any evidence that a clean install will do any good to eradicate the problem?
On the other hand, if this is a hardware issue, is it contained to merely being an irritant that I can fix merely by adjusting the Date & Time whenever the problem occurs (which I can live with, as long as the system is stable after that fix), or is this error message regarding a sign of something more ominous failing on the motherboard?
bowlerboy

What's easier? Replacing pram battery or hard drive and dvd drive?

I have a dead imac g4 flat panel with all my files and a dvd drive. I have a working imac same year, same processor but with only a cd drive.
First, I want my files.
Then, I wouldn't mind keeping one of them as a dvd player.
Would appreciate any suggestions!
(I don't actually know if it is the battery or power supply which is dead.)

My experiences lately with my NEW (to me) 20" iMac G4.
1.25 GHZ PPC 1 GB RAM 160 GB HDD
Purchased on eBay in the orginal box for $349.00 delivered.
When the computer arrive it appeared to be in excellent shape. It turned on and operated without any problems. I really purchased as a project, and intended to restore to as NEW as possible. The iMac arrive with the usual specification for the model (born on date 3/2004). Specification were 1.25 GHZ PPC, 1GB RAM 512/slot.
So I purchased some parts to get started (like I said above everything worked).
1. OWC RAM 1GB/slot for a total of 2BG's ($55.98/Free shipping)
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/2700DDRS1GBA/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/2700DDR1024/
2. OWC PRAM battery ($3.99/free shipping)
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAA36VPRAM/
3. OWC LG internal Optical Drive ($45.99/free shipping)
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/optical-drives/superdrives/imac/g4
4. IOGEAR Bluetooth (ver 2.1) Adapter (USB 2.0 Micro) ($13.99/free shipping)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833139019
5. Apple Wireless Magic Mouse (had a spare)
6. Apple USB Keyboard (newest) (had a spare)
Before installing the parts I cleaned out the dust and grim (nasty dirty), removed the Fan and cleaned (nasty dirty), I also removed the Thermal Grease and applied new Thermal Grease (used Artic Silver 5 Thermal Compound). I used a powerful vaccum and a air compressor (120 psi), and damp Q-Tips.
On the outter shell and back of monitor I used SoftScrub/Bleach lite scrub and then rinsed with a damp cotton rag (looks brand NEW). Was sure to remove ALL of the SoftScrub.
On the screen I used iKlear and a iKlear cleaning cloth, screen is in MINT condition.
Honestly the computer looks and operates much better than I had anticipated.
I really didn't need to install a new Optical drive in the 20" but it was a cheap upgrade. And so. I have a iMac G4 17" with the same spec's as the 20" iMac so I opted to install the 20" iMac's Optical drive in the 17" iMac. The 17" would only play CD'd and not DVD's.
After putting everything back together I installed Leopard 10.5.6, then upgraded to 10.5.8. I installed Quicktime 7.7 for Leopard and iTunes 10.6.3. Installed iLife09 (no iMovie), iWorks09, Superduper (latest), and Disk Warrior 4.4,
I chose not to upgrade the HDD simple because it is working fine and I don't have any critical information stored on it.
My final upgrade would be to install a new FAN but I'll wait on that for a while. Since the Fan operates fine it does have a very, very slight whine meaning the bearings are starting to wear a bit. Probably because of the dirt and grime that was on there from before.
I would like to buy a NEW Fan to install but right now the only option is to buy a Apple Fan (part# 622-6215). I wouldn't mind a non OEM Fan but the little fins on the side of the Fan's walls are a concern for proper air flow.
http://www.welovemacs.com/9226215.html ($69.95 + $4.50 shipping).

Hard drive 6 gb/s and PRAM battery questions

I have two questions:
1) Does iMac Core Duo 20'' (early 2006 first intel model) support 6 gb/s hard drive (I recently bought a WESTERN DIGITAL Sata III 6 Gb / s buffer 64 Mb 7200 rpm)? when I will upgrade my hard drive it will recognize 6 gb/s speed data transfer? or it will recognize lesser?
2) Can I use any 3V Lithium CR2032 coin Battery as PRAM battery replacement on my iMac? I know that its 3V CR2032 from Mactracker or nay other sites from internet, but I would like to know if I can use a battery from any brand or shoul I get the exact same of the one apple use?
thanks!

1.5 Gb/s is the controller transfer speed for that model. SATA 3 at 6 Gb/s didn't arrive until after those computers were produced. SATA 2 can be jumpered down to 1.5 Gb/s (WD SATA 2 drives will use jumpers on pins 5&6), which you may or may not have to do, depending on the drive.
Not a guess. The WD drive you bought won't work.
You don't need the ridiculously overpriced Apple battery.
Specs here.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac_cd_2.0_20.html

PRAM battery for iMac 333MHz

I have be trying to upgrade a iMac 333 MHz from 8.6 to 9.2.2
I am up to 9.1 but need to connect to my dsl to do the 82MB download.
I have been moving the iMac around to different electrical outlets now the iMac will not start up.
The date and time each time went to 1956 so I am thinking it is the PRAM battery right?
Does anyone know the type of PRAM battery I need to replace? I do not have the manual or tech specs...
JTS

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86181 Macintosh Family: Batteries and Part Numbers.
Radio Shack's battery# is 23-026. It is a 3.6V Lithium 850mAh1/2 "AA" battery made for Apple computers.
Mac 3.6 Volt Battery

How Necessary is PRAM battery on MacBook Pro (c2d intel 2.13, model a1211)

Hello Everyone, I stupidly broke the socket/clip where the pram battery attaches to the logic board on my Macbook Pro (c2d Intel 2.13). Unfortunately, since the socket/clip is a surface mount component and the way it broke (I don't see solder pads) I'm unable to re-solder the clip back on to the motherboard. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about (borrowed from someone else who apparently did the same thing): http://yfrog.com/6ximg0870nj
My first question is if anyone knows how vital the pram battery is to a Intel Macbook? It seems that the laptop works fine without the pram battery. Is the battery only necessary to retain pram settings if the main laptop battery is removed and the power adapter disconnected?
Second question is whether there is any alternative to repair the logic board other than get an entirely new board? The laptop is recently out of warranty (Applecare expired earlier this year) and I don't believe that Apple would have covered this since I caused the damage myself.
Third question(s) is whether it would cause any problems to use the logic board out of a c2d 2.33 a1211 macbook pro (I can get my hands on one for a pretty reasonable price)? The only difference I can see between the two boards is the clock speed of the main processor and the amount of video ram. Would there be any advantage to using this logic board? Doesn't seem like the speed bump and video ram would do to much.
Thanks in advance for any comments/help you can offer.

Much obliged. So it sounds like the only time this will be an issue is if I disconnect the regular battery and the power supply at the same time. The rational thing to do here is to just live with it rather than blowing hundreds on the new logic board and risking additional damage during replacement.
I just wish I wasn't so OCD about this. Bothers me a bit to know that something is wrong with the laptop even if it doesn't manifest itself on a day to day basis.

Directions for changing pram battery on imac DV

Hi,
A friend of mine has an imac 400 DV slot loader with a dead pram battery. I look after this computer for them but have never changed the battery on one of these. Can anyone give me directions and/or photos? I've had a look through older questions but the links all seem to be out of date.
Thanks,
James

This Macworld article has photos that illustrate removal of the bottom housing and EMI shield, to access the motherboard for upgrades. Some experienced users have been able to replace the battery, by accessing it through the memory door on the bottom. This involves the risk of letting it slip out of your fingers and then having to maneuver/tilt the iMac about, to remove the loose battery. Prior to removal, you should note the battery's orientation as to polarity (marked on the motherboard).

How do you change the pram battery on a slot loading iMac?

I'm hopeful that a new pram battery will solve the problems I've been having with my iMac. I just have to put it in, and judging by the correspondence I've seen on this subject, that's not an easy job. (One letter spoke of having to remove 16 screws) Does anyone know of a site that gives instructions complete with illustrations for changing the battery? It seems silly to have to take my set to a repair shop to change the battery, but I don't feel up to removing 16 screws without very clear instructions.

Hello,
So far, so good. My computer started after I changed
the battery, however, I can't be sure until tomorrow
morning because my set was still warm when I started
it. Tomorrow is the acid test. I'll let you, and
everyone else who has tried to help me, then.
Glad to hear that you survived, and that it seems to be working
Let us know what you find tomorrow.
A few comments: Whatever happens, this experience
will give me more courage for the future. I now know
that I can open my computer without breaking
anything--anything important, that is.
That's always a good thing
Possible problem: After putting in the new battery, I
noticed a loose black wire with a metal tip right
next to the battery.
Interesting...
The only thing I could think of that might look like that might be the Airport antenna.
But, it could be something else. Without pictures, it would be hard to really guess at it.
I hadn't noticed it before, so I
don't know if I might have accidentally unplugged it
from where it should be. Anyway, just to be sure, I
wrapped the metal tip with scotch tape to insulate it
in case it comes in contact with a metal part.
Was it attached to the logic board (the main circuit board which your battery was on)? Or, was it coming from somewhere inside the computer's case?
Any idea or description of where it's other end was attached?
I hate to tell you this now, but electrical tape would have been a better choice for insulating it. It's still possible for electrical current to pass through scotch-tape.
A small, white polyethene? part fell out during my
activities. I can only hope that it's not essential.
Without a description, it's hard to say what that might have been.
Does it look like a bracket? If so, it may have gone around one of the connectors around the CD-ROM drive connectors, or one of the other cables you disconnected.
Otherwise, if it doesn't appear to have a function, it might just be a piece of broken plastic.
If it's flat and rectangular, it could also be a cap that goes over the battery. But, those are usually black with a couple of tabs to hold it in-place.
Also, it looks like two small,flat, grayish tabs got
snapped off the bottom panel when I removed it.
That happens sometimes. I was fortunate with my system. I've opened it many times without breaking anything (yet).
I didn't find the job to be easy, but maybe that's
because I was stresed out during the whole operation.
Yes, that doesn't help.
Fear was the problem. I was afraid that I might touch
the wrong part, I was afraid that I might drop a
screw ito the computer, I was afraid that I was going
to break the bottom panel in the process of removing
it, etc. The most difficult step was replacing the
heat shield. For a while, I thought that I would have
to give up and just attach it as best I could.
Glad to hear it all went back together.
Hopefully the extra parts and cable were not important. I would feel better figuring out what they were if it were my machine. But, it's up to you if you want to delve back in there and try and figure it out.
Well, that's a summary of Niku's excellent adventure
in the computer repair world. Tomorrow I'll know if I
was successful. Wish me luck.
Thank you for the update. I hope all goes well and continues working for you.
Be sure to tell us what you find out in the morning.
Let us know if you have other questions.
P.S., if you'd like, go ahead and click the "Helpful" or "Solved" buttons on any of the posts / replies above if you feel they were helpful or adequately answered your question.

Bad PRAM battery?

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