[altivec]

can someone refresh my memory. what effects do i get when i zap my PRAM???

It sets the mac into factory settings. if i can recall hardware. but what about the hardware? am i going to have to backup all my preference files?

I am using Mac OS 9 at the moment and when I zap the PRAM, not many settings are reset. In fact it seem like none are reset. Since most of the preferences for the Mac OS are store in the Preferences folder, the settings seem to stay the same after zapping the PRAM.

One reason why zapping the PRAM is useful is if you use a program to change the settings for Open Firmware. If you want the settings back to default to load the Mac OS like normal, then you need to zap the PRAM.

[wlonh]

it used to be that zapping PRAM meant resetting a bunch of control panels (under System 7) but now with OS 9 there is only one (i believe) and that is General Controls...

under System 7 i had to label (color-code) the control panels that needed resetting so i could find them easy after a zap. no more.

so, you need not worry about backing anything up. zap away.

see this: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n2238

[GORDYmac]

It resets your RAM disk, startup disk, monitor resolution, AppleTalk, and a few other hardware settings to their defaults. Some may not notice any difference because they are using the default setting. Upon startup, monitor resolution is restored, but others require a visit to the control panels folder.

[wlonh]

been so long i forgot about the startup disk and RAM disk and AppleTalk needing resetting, thanks

[altivec]

so mostly resets the hardware. but aren't the setting for startup disk and memory stored under various categories of control panel prefs? Would i have to visit the control panel after a zap and restore these prefs? i'm so paranoid. i don't want my mac to be like fresh-from-the-box after doing so much dressing up.

i also have been using a system 7 until i got my g4/0s9. lots have changed from the old 603, 604 and system 7/8...

[wlonh]

yes, you open the control panels in question and reset them... it really is no big deal

you will not lose any of the 'character' of your Mac as you have it set up now

If you have Lock to Grid set to "tighter" it will reset to either off or "looser".

that's all i notice...most of my other settings must be default!

[Cipher13]

Another effect of zapping the PRAM is that the computers manufacture date is reset, and the total uptime of the computer is reset. It hurt to do it to my beige G3 when it was at 13889 hours since May '98...

[Simon Kornblith]

I haven't experienced the resetting of the manufacturing date and hours used on my Power Macintosh 7100/80. The manufacture date is still 9/19/95, like it should be, even though I have zapped the PRAM numerous times. The # of hours is 13,000 some (the computer now runs as a web/router and is on 24/7).

------------------
Simon Kornblith
Computer Consultant
Programmer

[This message has been edited by Simon Kornblith (edited 04-01-2000).]

[Cipher13]

Of the computers I have zapped (beige G3 desktop, PowerMac 5500/250, B&W G3 tower, iMac), the 5500 and the G3 desktop both reset. They are both "pre-colour" computers (I think the coloured ones were the first to use UMA???, though the 5500 is black. The iMac only says its manufacture date but says NA for its hours - its manufacture date does reset however. The G3 tower says NA to both.
Maybe you zapped the PRAM in a different way? If you used software to do it, that software may not have really zapped it full-on. Or maybe your computer responds differently to newer ones.
Try zapping manually - restart and hold down Apple-Option-P-R and let the computer "chime" three times the let go and let it continue to start up.
I'll try it out on an older machine too - see what happens on a pizza box (475).

[ATP Tour Fan]

Yeah, it used to be a pain in the ass to zap the PRAM, but under OS9, it's really not a big deal.