cmos battery?

There may be a connection between the MagSafe Board and the startup issues regarding

power and other variables. ~ However if you do end up going into the computer, the pram

battery on the logic board may be worth the extra effort to replace as well. If nothing else

should go wrong in the process. And tedious it appears to be, according to iFixit guide.

•MacBook repair guide A1181 Core 2 Duo:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Core_2_Duo

Not sure if you could locate a lower cost source of quality pram/clock battery as-new; a

few sources include powerbookmedic, wegenermedia, ifixit, and few others who still

offer a small selection of new replacement parts. The main battery may be available

from macsales.com as they offer newertechnology brand with guarantee + better life.

In any event, good luck in this matter...! 🙂

Through one of the links I supplied they offer several versions of that build model number

logic board, by processor speed, and some have a second version build listed also.

However the powerbookmedic page has some, what they show appear to be in the $255.

and up range. To find and buy an otherwise good MacBook/Pro model like yours that has

a bad display, and graft them together in a franken-mac way, could reduce your costs.

Also note these companies (powerbookmedic + wegenermedia, etc) offer a logic board

repair service. Wegenermedia* tends to prefer to see your intact Mac to take responsibility

of the process from the beginning. Then they can warranty the results more successfully.

My only influence in the *choice in this situation would be they did repair a portable Mac

for me some years ago, after I researched their history & reputation, at less than half of

the local costs; and I'd found all the local businesses then sent their work outside to other

businesses elsewhere and marked-up the retail; so I sent my own in flat-rate USPS box.

From Alaska. They repair most if not all portable Apple computers and have parts in stock.

In any event...

Good luck in this matter! 🙂

Of course the alternatives include pricing guaranteed restored complete

computers that may include or optionally offer an extended warranty on

the entire machine, & not just a single part.

And that can start at a percentage fraction of the replacement cost of a

similar spec new MB/Pro. For under $600. some of the repair companies

and a few resellers of guaranteed used Macs, can supply a MacBook Pro

15 inch model, and depending on accessories, RAM + HDD or SSD, the

price can go up. I'd contact wegenermedia and ask about sending in the

defective computer for a diagnostic and estimate to restore its function.

They've equipment & repair logic boards properly. Another plus, is should

you choose to have other upgrade (new HDD, etc) installed while its in

their shop, their prices are affordable while it's disassembled on the bench.

Other than shipping, the effort can be done without extra cost. They may

even send you a box so you don't have to try to make a padded one.

Compared to a different computer of same vintage in a repaired status,

this may be an affordable alternative. An estimate, and ask if the cost of

shipping can be deducted if you choose to have them fix it.

That company has been around awhile, too.

Yet someone may have a similar MacBook Pro for a good price locally,

that needs minor repair; or another that may be a project you could DIY

to restore. You already have parts for your model but that may not be

worth the time if you seek to upgrade or may need a faster processor, etc.

In any event... I feel your pain.

As an owner of a few extra Macs, some require repair that I haven't time

or space for, and others that plainly would be beyond my experience &/or

training. And I've shared my time with helping an elder relative try to stay

alive, which has cost me significant loss of resources on these kind of things.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

What does System Profiler say about your battery health and cycle count? It sounds more like a dead laptop battery to me. FYI it's a PRAM battery on Macs, not CMOS.

Also check the battery with the utility called Battery Health which is available at Mac App Store for free.

I suppose it's time to replace battery with new one.

It will boot and run with or without a battery installed. It does run a slower cpu speed without a battery installed. Is the battery a cheap eBay one if so does not surprise me its giving you problems after only 6 months.

A bad pram battery would not stop it from booting either. It would only lose pram setting time date etc. Best to have it checked out at an Apple Store or service provider. Might have another issue totally unrelated to the battery issue.

If its the logic board as we suspect be prepared. I don't think you can find one new - if you could it would be expensive - that plus the installation if you pay for it starts to add up to a new macbook. Used can be found but you run the risk of having it fail when you need it most.

One last suggestion why not backup her info and try to do a clean install of 10.6. Erase it update it and run Firefox on it and keep as a spare or such. If when it does turn on it runs ok that could be an option.