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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Proper battery change procedure?

Proper battery change procedure?
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kennedy
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Jan 31, 2005, 11:32 PM
 
Okay, I can't find it in the little PowerBook manual.
It doesn't show up in the Mac Help that I could find.
Searching here just finds many threads on battery life and the battery meter.
Sorry, but...


What is the proper procedure for changing the battery?

Do I need to shutdown?
Do I need to sleep?
Can I change it hot?

Any special storage issues?
     
tungtied07
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Jan 31, 2005, 11:43 PM
 
This link might help you:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/

and this one: http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

On the Powerbook 15in and higher (17in), you can put the computer to sleep, and then change the battery. I think on the 12in PB and iBooks, you will need to shutdown and change the battery. I'm not too sure on the older powerbooks though (like the Pismo or Titanium)
15" PowerBook 1.5GHz (CTO): SuperDrive, 5400rpm 80GB 16mb Cache, 1.5GB RAM/Backlit Keyboard/Radeon 9700 128MB/MacOS X 10.4.2
     
chabig
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Jan 31, 2005, 11:56 PM
 
That's right. You can swap the 15 and 17 inch batteries while sleeping. But the 12 inch needs to be shut down or on AC power when the battery is changed.

Chris
     
asxless
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Feb 1, 2005, 12:04 AM
 
Originally posted by tungtied07:
...On the Powerbook 15in and higher (17in), you can put the computer to sleep, and then change the battery. I think on the 12in PB and iBooks, you will need to shutdown and change the battery. I'm not too sure on the older powerbooks though (like the Pismo or Titanium)
PowerBooks as far back as the Duo have allowed hot swapping batteries while the PowerBook is asleep although you didn't have much time (10-20 sec) before the little reserve battery ran dry FWIW I've hot swapped so many batteries in PowerBook Duos, 2400cs and Titaniums on long haul overseas flights that I wouldn't even consider a PowerBook that didn't have that capability.

-- asxless in iLand
     
kennedy  (op)
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Feb 1, 2005, 12:17 AM
 
Originally posted by tungtied07:
This link might help you:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/

and this one: http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Ugh... none of those give the procedure... that I could find.

On the Powerbook 15in and higher (17in), you can put the computer to sleep, and then change the battery. I think on the 12in PB and iBooks, you will need to shutdown and change the battery.
That kinda sucks... the PB12 has nice long battery life... but forces you to shutdown if you want even longer life. Oh well.

Thanks for the info.
     
kennedy  (op)
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Feb 1, 2005, 12:18 AM
 
Originally posted by chabig:
But the 12 inch needs to be shut down or on AC power when the battery is changed.
OR on AC power?? So, asleep on AC power, or can it be hot when on power?
     
ibook_steve
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Feb 1, 2005, 05:07 AM
 
If you're plugged in to AC with the 12", you don't have to shut down to exchange the battery.

Steve
     
tungtied07
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Feb 1, 2005, 03:23 PM
 
Originally posted by kennedy:
Ugh... none of those give the procedure... that I could find.



That kinda sucks... the PB12 has nice long battery life... but forces you to shutdown if you want even longer life. Oh well.

Thanks for the info.
Woops, sorry, found some links on Apple's support site:

How to change battery for PowerBook G4 to PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.33 GHz): How to Remove or Install the Battery:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88059

How to change battery for PB12in:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86304

Computers that battery cannot be changed while sleeping:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106216

Well, hope those links helped!
15" PowerBook 1.5GHz (CTO): SuperDrive, 5400rpm 80GB 16mb Cache, 1.5GB RAM/Backlit Keyboard/Radeon 9700 128MB/MacOS X 10.4.2
     
markponcelet
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Feb 1, 2005, 09:23 PM
 
On my old clamshell iBook, I would hot-swap the battery all the time. I just had to make sure that the machine was plugged in. MacOS even puts a little X over the battery icon in the menu bar, so it's clearly set up to allow this.

Now, changing the battery when it's not plugged in -- THAT has never worked. Not sure how that is for the newer Powerbook models.

So anyway, if the OS has a special icon for when you take your battery out, and since I've done it hundreds of times with an iBook, I'd have to assume that it would work okay for your powerbook. Worst thing that could happen is that the power goes out.
     
romeosc
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Feb 1, 2005, 10:31 PM
 
There is a small adapter that uses 1 AA battery to "temp" charge while changing batteries.... I forgot who made it..... Maybe google it.
     
LadyBlue
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Feb 3, 2005, 02:03 AM
 
Originally posted by romeosc:
There is a small adapter that uses 1 AA battery to "temp" charge while changing batteries.... I forgot who made it..... Maybe google it.
OOOh that really sounds useful....any idea what its called? I can't seem to find anything via google.
I <3 Macs!
     
romeosc
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Feb 3, 2005, 12:03 PM
 
Originally posted by LadyBlue:
OOOh that really sounds useful....any idea what its called? I can't seem to find anything via google.
I don't remember, but I'll search.......
     
N.N.
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Feb 7, 2005, 12:32 PM
 
Originally posted by tungtied07:
Computers that battery cannot be changed while sleeping:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106216
Interestingly enough this document lists the "PowerBook G4" as one of the models that do not support swapping the battery in sleep mode.

It's a good thing that my original PowerBook G4 (first generation, 400 MHz) doesn't know this - swapping during sleep works fine for me.
     
normdzn
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Feb 16, 2005, 10:13 PM
 
Hi Y'all,

This is great and all but can someone tell me if the battery gets delivered with a charge, if not is there a right way to charge it, a break-in schedule? This is my first laptop and I'm "babying" it. You guys would understand. Any thoughts?

Here is the battery I am ordering, I got it from one of the posts:

http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_It...=NWTBAPT4800LI
     
   
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