Do these Powerbooks have a rechargeable PRAM battery?

Only reason I ask is my PB is between batteries at the moment so I've been using it without one installed. If I leave it unplugged overnight however when I switch it on in the morning it has lost its PRAM memory (the "You computer's date and time is incorrect" error pops up). However after I've used it for about an hour or so if I unplug it then plug it back in later it appears to remember the date and time. I just wondered if the PRAM battery is recharged by the AC and if I left it plugged in over night it would recharge it fully.

I left the PB with the AC plugged in for nearly 20 hours, unplugged it and forgot about it for another day (it hasn't got a battery in it still). When I just turned it on just now, the date and time had reset again. Does this mean the pram battery is a dud or does it only charge up when the PB actually has its main battery in it?

Similar Messages

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    Actually, this is a very minor problem, if the negligible incidence of posts here about replacement PRAM batteries dying is any indication. Apparently there are very, very few users of Powerbooks (going all the way back to the G3s of 1998-2001) whose use of these machines has outlasted a second PRAM battery. I still have a working 2003 Titanium Powerbook with its original PRAM battery in place, a working 1998 Powerbook G3 with its original PRAM battery in place, and a working 1997 Powerbook 1400C with its original PRAM battery in place. I doubt that new replacements are available for any of those batteries, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy used ones if I intended to use any of those computers for several more years. I suggest you go ahead and do the same, and install the used battery yourself to keep the cost down.
    Message was edited by: eww

  • 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.
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    sdburns,
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  • HELP: trying to find a PRAM battery

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    My PowerBook needs a new PRAM battery but I'm having a heck of a time finding a retailer that has the exact one need for our dear 15" G4 PowerBooks. iFixit lists them but has currently does not have any in stock.
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    Could you please point me in the direction of a retailer that both sells them and has them in stock?
    Your help is appreciated.
    Thank you in advance,
    yours,
    JimQ

    Pbparts.com has 2 in stock: http://www.pbparts.com/shop.php//9227173.html

  • Does a 12" PowerBook have a PRAM battery on the logic board?

    We got an 867MHz 12" Aluminum PowerBook in today that doesn't seem to want to hold PRAM values any longer than 5 minutes. It doesn't seem to matter if it's plugged in and using the AC adapter as the source or the battery (as long as it's charged, of course ).
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    Thanks in advance.

    From what I can tell, this device uses a "mega capacitor" to maintain the charge on the memory. It looks almost like a battery that I put into one of my old cameras. This capacitor sits between the trackpad and the optical drive. The owner of this system did a DVD upgrade himself and it appears in the process he actually knocked this capacitor off it's base on the mother board. It superficially APPEARS to be connected because there's a bar on the top end of the capacitor soldered to the motherboard that's holding it in place, but the bottom end broke off the motherboard.
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    2. If the unit sits, powered off, for any amount of time greater than 3-4 minutes, the following process will allow it to start up:
    a. Turn the power on and leave it on for about 2-3 minutes. This is the dysfunctional state identified above, but what seems to be happening is that the effective RC network is being charged.
    b. After several minutes, turn the unit off and then immediately turn it on.
    c. The unit boots successfully.
    d. We can turn the unit off, and turn it on again, and it will successfully boot as long as we do it relatively quickly (within a minute or two), but if it's left off more than that then the "game" identified in steps a-c must be repeated.
    To me this implies the unit relies completely on the "mega-capacitor" to retain voltage on the PRAM/NVRAM. It sort of makes sense because the equivalent impedance of a battery is low compared to that of the RAM chips and it would have the effect of limiting the RC time constant needed for the unit to retain it's PRAM/NVRAM parameters for a very long period of time. That isn't to say the battery isn't supplying anything to the unit when power is off...it may very well be, but I suspect it simply isn't doing it to this circuit.
    Does this theory make sense?

  • PRAM battery reset or similar for PowerBook G3 400MHz Lombard

    Hello,
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    -m

    Hi jpl,
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    No.
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    - Once running, open the System Profiler >
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    - When shut down, remove the main battery and optical
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    manager, wait 5 seconds, then press the power button.
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    when following this procedure?
    I want to say no, but I will double check this as well when I get home.
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  • PowerBook G4 PRAM battery

    A friend donated his retired 17" 1Ghz PowerBook G4 to my collection of older Macs. It worked when he took it out of service but it's been stored off power for several months. Does the PowerBook PRAM battery recharge like the ones in the original G3 Powerbooks or does it run down and die like the 3.6V 1/2AA PRAM batteries in desktop Macs? I've noticed they are quite expensive and not the easiest item to replace.
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    Thanks, BGreg.
    This is my fist PowerBook. Other than not keeping date and time, are there any specific problems associated with a dead PRAM battery in this model. I know it can wreak havoc in a Beige G3 and some of the pre-G3 models. I've replaced PRAM batteries in Wallstreets before and that helps with several problems, but the Wallstreet is Old World ROM.
    If I have a good main battery, have the computer plugged into wall power most of the time and is connected to our always-on home network, can I except reasonably normal function should the PRAM battery be truly shot?
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  • Does the polycarbonate unibody MacBook have a PRAM battery?

    Our students don't seem to learn not to let their MacBooks go dead. I want to do a presentation for them illustrating the importance of the "reserve battery power" message. Is there a PRAM battery, or is there only the main battery?

    instead, do a presentation outlining that the macs will be removed and they will be forced to learn the old fashioned way if they continue to disregard your warnings. To answer your question, it seems to depend on the particular model. Some have pram batteries that are user removable, others do not.

  • Replace a PRAM battery in a PowerBook TI

    Here's my Powerbook:
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    Hi Steve,
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  • 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.
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    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.
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    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)
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    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
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    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

  • PB 5300c Pram Battery Replacement

    Several months ago I picked up a PowerBook 5300c in excellent, well taken care of condition. All works well with it but the pram battery is dead.
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    Greg,
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  • 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.
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    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.
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    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.
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