What does the PRAM battery do?

The little 2032 battery does exactly what? I see some places say it monitor the time and other that it affects start-up. Since my Imac g5 won't start up, want to eliminate this as a possibility. Never replaced it before in 6 years.

macpro, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Jan 10, 2011 7:56 PM

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4 replies

Jan 11, 2011 7:07 AM in response to robosalsa

Did you notice any bulging or leaking capacitors? That may be the cause of your problem, but try running Apple Hardware Test on your install disc. Also, reset your SMU and check your drive with Disk Utility:

1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.







User uploaded file

Jan 11, 2011 8:30 AM in response to robosalsa

Do what Miriam suggests and while you have the back open, might as well change the PRAM Battery. It's a commonly available CR2032 Lithium button battery. You can find it almost anywhere. Its lifetime is 5-6 years, so it might be weak or dead. On some models, it may affect startup. Depends.

For instructions on replacing it, find your model here. It's not a big deal.

http://www.ifixit.com/Browse/iMac_G5

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What does the PRAM battery do?

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