Replacing pram battery

I will be opening up my iMac (G3 400 early 2001) soon to install a new hard drive. I realized this would be a good time to change the pram battery which is original, but still good.
If I do the replacement quickly enough will all the settings be saved? If not, what is involved to restore them? Is resetting the pram necessary? What, in general, should I know about doing this?
Also, since this will, at the same time, involve replacing the HD for upgrade- I will be cloning bootable external to new HD (with partition just below 128GB- how will the battery change complicate, if at all, this procedure? If settings are lost should I restore them when booted first from the external before cloning and partitioning? Thanks for any help on this.

You are stressing too much about this. Just replace the battery. After you get everything reassembled you will want to reset the PRAM and then set the clock.
It has nothing to do with the hard drive.

Similar Messages

Need advice - should I replace PRAM battery even if I don't need to?

I'm getting ready to open up my iMac to replace the internal memory and DVD drive. While I'm inside, I was thinking I should go ahead and replace the battery. I keep my machine on 24/7. I have no idea how long a battery lasts. Its woking fine now. But since I'm opening up the machine and using thermal paste, and all, should I also replace the battery?
I assume pulling it out to replace it resets the PRAM. Not sure what effect that will have on my machine. What will be reset? Could it cause me any problems? What settings will I lose? I could always wait until the battery goes and then replace it. Is that a better idea? I don't know anything about PRAM, etc.
Thanks,
Alfredo

Alfredo
Mac OS X: What's stored in PRAM? will answer your question.
Since you are going through the effort to replace the DVD drive, the loss of PRAM settings is the least of your worries. I presume that you have the necessary technical knowlege, tools and skills to perform this surgery, and as long as you have gone through the effort to open the case, I would also advise that you take this opportunity to replace the battery.
;~)

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

How to replace PRAM battery in Power Mac 9600?

Greetings. Need to replace the PRAM battery in a Power Mac 9600. Purchased a new battery, but can anyone tell me exactly how to remove the old one? Don't want to break the black plastic "cradle" it sits in. Thanks very much.

You need to remove the cover/retainer that snaps over the top of the battery holder. Using a very small screwdriver, insert its flat tip between the outside of the socket's positive metal contact and the battery retainer's end. Gently pry outward against the plastic retainer to unsnap it. You may need to do the same at the opposite end to completely pop it off. Once that's removed, you can actually grasp the battery by its sides and roll it up and out of the holder. Otherwise, insert the same small screwdriver under the lip on the outer rim of the battery's positive end, and pry/lift it out of the holder.

Replaced PRAM battery, now G$ Quicksilver won't power up

I replaced the pram battery. Now my G4 Quicksilver will not power up. The light is on in front of the computer, as well as on the front of the monitor. However, pressing, pressing and holding for many seconds does nothing. No sounds--nada.
I bought an iMac, and want to use the G4 in target mode to transfer files, and then set up a wireless network. I have no clue as to where to start, since the computer is dead with its lights on.

Did you click on the blue text above?
Here it is again:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86760
Click the above blue text.
As you read the article that opened, towards the bottom, click "For Power Mac G4" to see model specific pictures.

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).

RAM ACCESS DOOR - WHERE to install new pram battery

Need to replace pram battery. reading other posts indicate it is possible to go thru the ram door
but where is it? This is a machine that was donated today and is 'new' to my table. I've later models but want to get this one operative and time/date indicates new battery. I've replaced them in older and later models but never iMac.
Unable to find a manual on line; the Apple reference in a PDF from Apple Site referred to an 'online instruction' that I have not found. There is a take-apart of the EARLIER iMac versions with the tray load.
help, please
Ann

How did you find the article you listed? I did several word combination searches on the apple site and was not successful (before my post). What's the 'secret'??
Not sure if there's a secret; if there is, mine is that I've been hanging out in the Apple Forums for ten years! For your article, I went to the main support page here:
http://www.apple.com/support/
and, from the pull-down in the left column, selected "iMac G3 (CRT)" which gave this page:
http://www.apple.com/support/imac/g3/
The link to the article I posted is under "How to:"
This one was pretty easy as it is a common DIY function that people would expect to do themselves, as are most other operations listed there. When it's common like these, it's usually on the main support page for the Mac model. You can also find hardware and software updates specific to a model on that page.
The harder ones are the more esoteric subjects, and the current Apple search system is about as user-friendly as a stepped-on rattlesnake. I use this semi-hidden "advanced search" link:
http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search&locale=en_US&q=
where you can do some adjusting of search parameters. When using this search page for older models like the G4 iMacs, I always select "include archives." The results tend to be numerous and rather wide of the mark; you sometimes have to change a search term to get something useful.
Some people have reported that using Google actually gets you to the Apple help files you need faster than the internal search system. Hopefully, upcoming changes to the forums will remedy that.

How to replace an PRAM battery?? IMac g3 9.1 "Bondi Blue"

I think that my PRAM battery is dead. Can anyone give me instructions to replace it? I have a full working battery from an older computer lying around somewhere...

Hi, Ben -
Replacing the battery in early iMacs can be tricky. You would probably get a quicker directed response if you reposted this question in one of the hardware forums for the iMac G3 models. The most appropriate would probably be this one, the Using your iMac G3 (CRT) forum -
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=888
Not all computers use the same battery. This Apple KBase article cross references battery part numbers with models -
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA21569

Pram Battery replacement?

I have been searching the apple support pages for the correct procedure to replace the Pram battery. Everything is working well on my G4 so this procedure is preventative.
Can I swap the battery and start the computer up or do I have to press the pram button? Perhaps i have to hold down some magic combination of keys or at start up?
Thanks very much

Some references for you:
[Texas Mac Man's PRAM, battery, PMU tutorial|http://www.geocities.com/texas_macman/pram.html]
[PRAM reset directions|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238]
You don't need to reset the PRAM if swapping the battery, though if you leave the computer without a battery for longer than about 30 seconds (or is that minutes?), it will lose the PRAM memory and will be as if you had reset the PRAM.

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.
Having it replaced would cost me more than what I paid for it. I don’t have much experience with the inside of PowerBooks, except putting Ram in my Pismo.
Does anyone have experience replacing these on your own?
Is it a major undertaking?
Does anyone know of an internet site or source of information that may be able to help me if I decide to try this?
Thanks
greg

Greg,
You want the "PowerBook1905300.pdf" take-apart manual here:
http://www.whoopis.com/computer_repair/
You can save the file to your HD with a control-click on the name and selecting the appropriate command.
You might also enjoy reading the 5300 FAQ at this site:
http://www.alksoft.com/5300_stuff.html

Intel iMac PRAM battery replacement

Can anyone point me at some instructions for replacing the PRAM battery in an early intel iMac please?

It is a coin battery, 3 V Lithium (922-6476), and requires opening the case to get to it. I cannot find a teardown photo sequence that shows how to replace it. Nor do I find the battery pointed out in any of the tears downs available at ifixit.com.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Device/iMacIntel17%22
Dah•veed

PRAM BATTERY PB Aluminum 15" - Can a guy just replace little "disc" battery

Hi,
Within the PRAM battery of the Albook 15" is the little disc battery. It's held down by the retention arm and it seams that a person can slip the disc out and not have to buy the whole circuit board and cable.
Has any one done this? And if so, where do you get the battery?
Thanks

IIRC, the little arms are welded to the the disc battery. Otherwise, you could be right, if you could find the correct battery.

Replace a PRAM battery in a PowerBook TI

Here's my Powerbook:
Machine Name: PowerBook G4
Machine Model: PowerBook3,2
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (11.3)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 400 MHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 100 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.1.8f5
Serial Number: QT1251JML98
Sales Order Number: M7952LL/A
Where's the PRAM battery in this PB? I see everything here BUT the PRAM bat.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Device/PowerBookG4_TitaniumMercury
Which Guide gets me closest to the battery? Thanks

Hi Steve,
Check out the repair guide here at macsales.com.

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

MacBook Pro 13 Early 2011 Battery Degradation to Not Detected, User Replaced New Battery also Not Detected, Please Help!

I have a MBP early 2011 13 inch and do not have Apple Care. After I installed Mountain Lion I noticed the battery health was dropping pretty rapidly, with a service battery warning. I tried resetting the SMC and PRAM and even a clean install. I took it into an Apple store and they said I should have cycled it more, but I could still use it. The health dropped and dropped until a battery would not even be detected. Because Apple would not replace it for me for free and I didn't want to pay for them to do so, I bought my own battery. Once I replaced the battery with the new one, it still says there is no battery connected.
When I detach the battery and then attach it again, the battery indicator lights on the side show 4 dots. When I plugged in the MagSafe connector, the fifth light started blinking (I thought it was charging) and then it went back to all of them blinking indicating no battery detected. The computer also automatically turned on when I connected the MagSafe.
I have tired multiple times to reset PRAM and SMC even after installing the new battery to no avail. I can use the machine with the MagSafe connected, but as soon as the cord is unplugged or bumped, it goes into the emergency sleep mode.
Any thoughts on what might be ailing this not yet two year old machine? My first Mac lasted 7 years before any logic board fail so I hope that is not it. Anything I should try that I haven't yet? Any ideas on what this might cost me through Apple?
Thanks!

Why don't you look through this to insure you did everything correctly:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Ba ttery+Replacement/5116/1
Also, where did you get this battery?

Replacing pram battery

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for