PRAM - what is it?

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OK so I'm looking a an old iMac on E-bay, it doesn't have a PRAM battery.

Is this something I can do without, I have googled it and it says that basic settings such as clock and which startup disc to use are stored here.

I can live without the clock being correct (this computer is only £20/$40) and the startup disc won't need changing.

Will this be OK for me?

Thanks
Paul
 

dtravis7


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MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
PRAM is the Parameter RAM. It's the Mac version of what the PC uses called the BIOS. It's not just the clock but many things are stored in the PRAM. Some older Macs will not even Power on if the battery is dead. You can get a battery on Ebay for a few $$$ or Radio Shack for a bit more. It's a 3.6 Volt Lithium battery. Only the exact battery will fit.

It was in fact my old Grape iMac G3 333 Mhz that would not even power on anymore when that battery died. Yours might work but get a new battery as it will just cause issues down the road.

Here is a URL to one. Good Price.

http://www.newertech.com/products/pram_3_6v.php
 

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