Can you use an old Mac laptop computer without a battery?

A Macworld reader has a perfectly great 2009 MacBook Pro– except for its swollen lithium-ion battery. He wants to maintain it handy for restricted uses after safely getting rid of and dealing with the battery. Exists a disadvantage to working battery-free?

Not truly. As long as you’re constantly plugged in, a Mac laptop computer has no concept about or rate of interest in whether it’s drawing power from a battery or a wall surface electrical outlet. Years earlier, I utilized a hand-me-down iBook similar to this (in the age in which you might just bulge a dead battery, as they were removable) so my youngsters had a device to deal with when they were little.

Obviously, the big issue is that any type of power gap implies that the Mac shuts off promptly. Hard disk drives used in older Mac laptop computers can deal with an instant power off however are usually okay as long as the maker isn’t being moved around. Any type of work in development that’s not conserved is lost.

Our visitor is savvy concerning this, nonetheless, and has actually currently prepared the ideal complement to a battery-free Mac laptop computer: an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). You don’t require a design with a lot of battery capacity, as you’re simply shopping yourself a moment or so to save and close down in case of a full-on power failure. In most cases, the UPS helps the Mac over any kind of minor hiccups that would certainly cause it to crash or reboot.

Update: Some readers have actually reported having problems making use of a Mac laptop computer without a battery, as, in specific conditions, a Mac may need a temperature level sensor that becomes part of a battery to judge overall system heat. When missing, macOS can interpret that as the computer system overheating and slow the process to a crawl. If you experience that problem, consult this StackExchange string that has web links and info throughout lots of generations of Macs.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a concern submitted by Macworld reader Tom.

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