MBP 1,1-10,2 2007 MBP - A1226 - will it work without battery?

[Rico Muerte]

Hi friends,

I was given a 2007 MBP - A1226 - which had the battery expand & die, so I dont physically have a battery for it.
I plugged a charger into it & hit the power buttons but nothing - no lights/sound/fan/anything...

So my question is, will these older machines power up with only a charger if there is no physical battery connected?
I was hoping to get it working up upgraded as much a possible, put Mojave on it, & give it to my dad...

Thanks in advance

 

[sack_peak]

Hi friends,

I was given a 2007 MBP - A1226 - which had the battery expand & die, so I dont physically have a battery for it.
I plugged a charger into it & hit the power buttons but nothing - no lights/sound/fan/anything...

So my question is, will these older machines power up with only a charger if there is no physical battery connected?
I was hoping to get it working up upgraded as much a possible, put Mojave on it, & give it to my dad...

Thanks in advance

As you observed it doesn't turn on without a battery.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-MacBook-Version-MB133LLA-MA348LLA/dp/B07JB58C6T

 

[ab22]

I had one & it started fine without a battery. Ran slowly, since Apple reduce performance so that power requirements exceeding the adapter rating don't cause unexpected shutdowns.

Is the adapter you have 85W ?

How to Boot MacBook Pro Without a Battery (Older Models 2006 – 2011)

You may have noticed that sometimes you can not power on and boot a MacBook Pro when it doesn’t have a battery installed. Let’s say you had to remove the battery of an older MacBook Pro…

osxdaily.com

 

[Rico Muerte]

I had one & it started fine without a battery. Ran slowly, since Apple reduce performance so that power requirements exceeding the adapter rating don't cause unexpected shutdowns.

Is the adapter you have 85W ?

How to Boot MacBook Pro Without a Battery (Older Models 2006 – 2011)

You may have noticed that sometimes you can not power on and boot a MacBook Pro when it doesn’t have a battery installed. Let’s say you had to remove the battery of an older MacBook Pro…

osxdaily.com

Thanks for the response - tried this a few times & still nothing:

And yes I believe it to be a 85w charger.

Really bummed out...looks like it's either completely "dead", or requires repairs outside of my resources...

Was really hoping to bring this back to life 😔

 

[BrianBaughn]

I have one of them. I replaced the battery years back and that one's about dead now. There have been times it seemed it wouldn't boot…and then suddenly it does.

You're not missing much if you can't get it working. Those 2007 MBPs are stuck in El Capitan as far as macOS goes.

My 2008 unibody MacBook is still rocking in Ventura via OCLP. What a difference a year makes!

 

[nathan_reilly]

Yeah it should boot with no battery, i ran mine without one back in the day. But starting can be hit or miss. I had to replace the DC power board in mine at one point. Try cleaning your magsafe, also. I use hot glue which I allow to cool and then rip out with needle nose pliers.

 

[curnalpanic]

Maybe the PRAM battery is dead (quite likely after 16 years). It might boot if you disconnect it.

MacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo Models A1226 and A1260 PRAM Battery Replacement

The time and date, as well as other settings, are kept by the PRAM battery when your machine is off.

www.ifixit.com

If it still doesn't boot, try resetting the SMC.

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

The SMC is responsible for managing power on your Mac. Resetting it can resolve certain uncommon issues related to power or thermal management.

support.apple.com