MACINTOSH PRAM BATTERY
You need to take it in for service unless you know how to disassemble the case, locate the battery, then replace it with a new one. Or you can ignore the PRAM battery because it will run from the standard battery as long as it remains charged.
MACINTOSH PRAM BATTERY
In the 2008-9 it seems to have disappeared (I have no examples in my parts stock). If it was like the old iBooks, there was a super capacitor that took over the function of the backup battery/PRAM battery. It was soldered to the logic board and would only hold settings for a small amount of time. I seem to remember 30 seconds but don't hold me to that. It held those settings, time and date in particular, while you changed the battery but you had to be quick, otherwise settings were lost.
This is a 2.26 GHz (A1342) MacBook Unibody 13", Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X 10.6.8. I looked on ifixit.com and don't see a PRAM battery or repair instructions. I removed the rear cover and don't see anything like a PRAM battery, so it must be under something. Does anyone know where I should look first? I note that Apple used some three-point screws on some of the items so I will need some new tools, I suppose.
I do not know how long you can go with power removed from your macbook. As in no battery or power cord. But if you have one or both connected and the battery is healthy, you should not lose your date and time or wifi settings. You could try a pram reset and the SMC reset to see it it helps. For pram it is: Command/Option/P/R keys for three chimes at starup. For SMC reset. With battery and mag safe connected before startup: Command/ Option/Shift key and power button for 10 seconds. If you still have the same problem in that after powering off you lose the settings. You may need to take it in and have it looked at. An active wifi will keep you date and time automatically.
What I have learned thru the years on macs is, that even if you have a dead pram battery on those that have them. As long as there is a power source to the computer, it does not lose settings. Whether battery or power supply. I have had dead pram batteries and as long as I do not unplug the power supply the settings stay.
The time and date, as well as other settings, are kept by the PRAM battery when your machine is off. If you feel like you're stuck in the movie Groundhog Day, replace the PRAM battery and finally turn the page of your calendar.
Though rare, sometimes your Mac takes on a life of its own. Your screen resolution randomly changes, the fan starts running full speed, the battery won't charge correctly, or Bluetooth and Wi-Fi stop connecting properly.
Resetting the SMC on MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Macbook Air models depends on whether the battery is removable or not. Your Mac most likely has a non-removable battery if it is from mid-2009 through 2017 (pre-2018 models).
MacBatt is an adapter designed to replace the 1/2AA 3.6V primary lithium battery found in many Apple Macintosh computers by a common CR2032 coin cell. The PRAM battery is used to store settings like date and time, time zone, display settings (resolution and color depth), boot disk, speaker volume, 24/32bit memory addressing selection, and more. Additionally, some Macintosh models require a fresh battery installed in order to output a video signal, or to turn on.
All Macs have a battery to keep the clock running and remember some settings when the power is switched off. These settings are stored in parameter RAM, PRAM. On the earliest Macs, the 128K, 512K, 512Ke, and Macintosh Plus, the PRAM battery is a 4.5v Eveready No. 523 or equivalent.This battery won't last forever, and worse still, it tends to leak and corrode any metal that is in the path of the leaking battery acid. In the vintage Apple community, it's considered very poor form indeed to leave this battery in unless you're regularly using the Mac. And when you obtain a new vintage Mac, it should generally be your top priority to remove the battery.My Mac 512K came with an old PRAM battery which fortunately had not leaked. I disposed of it right away. The Mac 512Ke also came with a battery in it, however, that one had leaked and I needed to use a metal file to remove the caked-on battery acid from the terminals in the Mac.Replacement PRAM BatteryThe battery is not common, but is still manufactured. I purchased an Exell A21PX for $14. That's expensive for a single battery, but this one should last many years. Note that the positive end of the battery should face down when you install it in the back of the Mac. It's an odd battery.What is stored in PRAM?The Mac 512K has 20 bytes of PRAM. The Macintosh operating system maintains a copy of parameter RAM in low memory.According to Chapter 13 of Inside Macintosh volume II, the parameters include: AppleTalk node IDs for modem and printer ports, serial port configurations (baud rate, stop bits, parity, etc), alarm clock setting, default application font, key-repeat settings, insertion point blink rate, menu blinking, mouse scaling, speaker volume, and startup drive (internal or external). There are several reserved bits too.The Control Panel desk accessory can change some, but not all of these settings. To change them all, use an application such as PRAM 2.0 by Ken Winograd, shown in the four screenshots below. There are several other PRAM applications too.Ever wonder just what information is stored in those 20 bytes of parameter RAM? Well, this applications attempts to show you just that.What settings are there for serial port A (modem port)?Here we can change settings that the Control Panel DA doesn't show, such as the default application font.That's all for this entry in the Mac 512K blog! Next we will show how to convert an ordinary telephone handset cable into a keyboard cable for the Macintosh 512K. The Mac 512K Blog wrote:This blog chronicles the Macintosh 512K and my projects with it. We will test software, fix hardware, program it, hack it, and generally take the 512K Macintosh to its limits.Do leave any feedback you may have, either to my email dog_cow@macgui.com or by posting a comment to this article (when logged in to Mac GUI)
I'm pretty sure the Unibodies had the super capacitor, which assuming it still works is powered by the regular charging process. If it's failed, even after a good couple of main battery cycles on the charger, the primary symptom is probably that the date keeps resetting. It should still boot, though I saw mentioned in one site that it may not if it's cold.I'd check that before investigating further.
If the date and time reset every time you unplug the Mac and you get a warning on startup, you need a new PRAM (NV-RAM) battery. Some batteries are easy to change; others (especially portables) can be very difficult. A dead or low PRAM battery can prevent a system from booting or can cause erratic boot behavior; this is particularly common with laptops.
Inside nearly every vintage Macintosh is a battery called a parameter RAM, or PRAM, battery. This battery allows the computer to retain settings such as the time and date even when the computer is removed from power. After three decades, many of the batteries no longer serve their intended role and, instead, present a huge threat to the machine they reside in.
In addition to removing the PRAM battery and recapping your machine, you will also want to find a way to easily transfer files and software between your vintage Mac and your modern computer. In many cases, you may also be looking for storage solutions, since some vintage Macs shipped without hard drives or the old drive has since failed.
Years ago I was the original owner of a "Titanium" PowerBook G4. Eventually, the unit bricked itself and refused to power on. Some quick research at the time led me to believe the PRAM battery was DOA - and sure enough, replacing the little battery pack allowed the machine to work as expected.
Now the replacement system has been powered off and in storage for several years and I'd like to dig it out and fire it up. But before I do, I was going to go ahead and buy a new replacement PRAM battery for it... of course, I can't seem to find a supplier with them in stock anywhere. Which leads to my question; Whats a retro enthusiast supposed to do to work around a DOA PRAM battery when no replacements are available? Could a suitable replacement be cobbled together from some coin cells? Is there a work around to get the G4 to boot even when the PRAM battery is dead or missing?
The PRAM battery for a Titanium Powerbook G4 is rechargeable, it mightnot need replacing (though will certainly go flat on the shelf).The cells are rechargeable lithium/vanadium pentoxide 3V coin cells, similar toPanasonic VL2020, in a plastic (tape?) wrap, with pigtail connection.
Hold down command-option-P-R at startup to reinitialize PRAM contents;keep holding until you hear a second startup 'beep'.If, after a day or so of power-on, the PRAM battery doesn't takea charge, it does need replacing. Suppliers such as OWC.COM mighthave third-party parts for this.
I'd look to an electronic parts distributor to source a replacement. If the battery is the same as the one in @user23333's comment (Lithium-ion rechargeable 3032 3.7 V with solder tabs) then what you're looking for is something like the RJD3032ST1 which Mouser, Digikey, and Newark/Element 14 stock. In case it's not the same here's links to some parametric searchs to get you started: Mouser, Digikey, Newark/Element 14, Arrow
The Macintosh SE had a soldered Pram battery. Later Macintosh designs featured this replaceable style battery holder. Once soldered into place all future battery changes are a breeze. Battery Holder is compatible with Macintosh Classic, Classic II, Color Classic & SE/30 batteries.
Previous experiences with Macs have shown me that a missing chime usually happens when the PRAM(fancy apple name for CMOS) battery in the machine dies out.Replacing it usually goes a long way towards getting the computer back on track to healthy town. 041b061a72