Apple's Secret Battery Reset Utility for WallStreet and Clamshell iBooks

- 2006.07.05 - Tip Jar

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

OWC: Top Quality Memory for Faster Mac Performance 1GB/2GB/4GB Kits from $23.99/$47.99/$94.99 Expert Support, Free Installation Videos & Guides, Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty - www.MacSales.com

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

New iMac 800Mhz Memory 4GB $98, 2GB $50. Click to Maximize your Macs...

If you're the owner of a PowerBook G3 Series (a.k.a. WallStreet) or a clamshell iBook and have problems with your battery life or charging your battery, you're in luck. Apple has a program named Battery Reset 2.0, and it resets the microprocessor inside your battery so that it will allow the battery to charge again.

The PMU (Power Management Unit) inside the battery is what tells it if it needs more power and how much charge is left. Charging and uncharging it causes a memory effect affecting the PMU thinking it doesn't have a charge. This application resets the PMU and only works on the models listed below.

Requirements

Any PowerBook G3 Series like M4753 and M5343 ("WallStreet") or clamshell iBook M2453
Mac OS 8.1 and higher (sorry, no classic mode or OS X)

Instructions

Download and install Battery Reset 2.0 from Apple's page. Then restart your computer and ensure you have a battery inside your 'Book and it has power from a AC adapter.

Open Battery Reset and verify that you have power from an AC adapter, then click OK. Then click reset to clear the PMU memory in the battery. Then it will tell you to eject the battery and reinsert it.

After that, you will see the battery start charging. Leave it charging until it gets to 100%, and you're all done.

This little program doesn't work with the Pismo or any other 'Book out there, because it's unique to the PMU of the PowerBook G3 series. It saved be from buying a new battery more than once, and it works great for those old free batteries you sometimes find in surplus stores.

I can't guarantee it will work every time, and please read all the warnings Apple has on their site. Also, don't try to take your battery apart, because it can harm you, and please recycle your dead batteries - don't throw them in the trash.

Link: Battery Reset 2.0 Document and Software

If you find Joe's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

Recent Mac Fallout Shelter articles

My Newton: Why I won't buy an iPhone or iPod touch, 09.07. The iPod touch and iPhone sound wonderful, but I love the handwriting recognition, fax support, and email abilities of my Newton MessagePad.
Network administration tools for Mac OS X users, 06.25. Thanks to Mac OS X, today's Macs are great network citizens and excellent tools for doing network administration.
Replacing Lombard with a TiBook: Which one is enough?, 04.19. Nice as the Lombard was, it has a new owner. The new 'Book should have FireWire, G4 power, and run Tiger nicely. How much TiBook is enough?
More in the Mac Fallout Shelter index.

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Mac Fallout Shelter articles copyright ©2005-07 by Joe Rivera. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.