Unless I got this wrong (which is highly possible), doesn't the internal battery keep track of the time if the computer's not getting power from the ac adapter or the other battery? You could try letting the power drain completely and see if the clock still keeps the correct time.
Btw, I've had my pismo for three years and have experienced a problem with the question mark. I couldn't even get the hard drive to re-initialize. The computer wasn't recognizing it at all, even when I started up from the cd. I bought a new one, stuck it in there and everything was fine. Well, except for the fact that I lost a year's worth of pictures from my digital camera. Since then I've been doing backups about once a month. What a valuable but painful lesson. Anyway, I don't know about the external battery on yours. Seems like mine would have died too since I've had my computer so long. Maybe yours is just a fluke. Wonder how difficult it is to replace the internal battery. --- Martin Holland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Can anyone offer any advice on the following > problems that I have had on my > 400 MHz G3 (Pismo) powerbook? > > About nine months ago I had to call Apple support > because I couldn't get the > computer to boot- everytime I tried I got the > dreaded "Flashing Question > Mark". I was talked through the procedure of hitting > the reset button, booting > from the CD, etc, etc. Unfortunately I had to end up > re-initializing my hard > drive, but the computer could boot, and I learned a > lesson about backing up > important files. > > This solution seemed to work for about three months > however, In the early > summer I had the same problem, but I was prepared > with a back up, and when I > started the procedure, it ended up that my Hard > drive had only managed to > "unmount" itself somehow- I remounted it, and went > on my way. > > However, in the last month, I have had the same > problem on a regular basis. > The latest problem now occurs even after I have > booted my computer- I will be > notified (in the finder) that there has been an > error, and that some data > might have been lost. I have Re-booted via CD > numerous times, both having to > re-initialize my hard drive and sometimes being able > to save the contents of > my hard drive. I have run both Tech Tool Three and > Norton Disk Doctor. The > usual error that I get is that some files have been > corrupted, or that there > is a "Catalog B Tree 3 error". I had thought that > over the two and a half > years of my ownership of my pismo, I had > unfortunately somehow done serve > damage to my hard drive. I replaced it and thought > that that would solve the > problem of the Flashing Question Marks. > > It hasn't. > > I am now thinking that my internal battery has given > up on me. Does anyone > have the same thought? Is there an other diagnosis? > Please let me know your thoughts on this, I would > hate to have to purchase a > new computer for the sake of a 12.6 volt battery... > > Thanks, > > Martin Holland > > -- > G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> > and... > > Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | > Refurbished Drives | > -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | > & CDRWs on Sale! | > > Support Low End Mac > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> > > G-Books list info: > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> > --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; > Send list messages to: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To unsubscribe, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For digest mode, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subscription questions: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > >The Think Different Store > http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus – Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
