Can imac G3 DV 400 be booted when PRAM battery is empty? We have an old imac G3 DV 400 MHz (at the moment I do not have access to the machine and want to prepare for my visit.)

My goal is to save the data from the hard disk to an external drive and reset the machine.

According to the user of the imac, it does not boot any more (screen stays black).
As it was not used for a long time, I assume that the PRAM battery is empty.


Do I necessarily need a working PRAM battery to boot the imac, or is there a way to save the data on the hard disk another way?
Could I access the internal hard disk in Firewire target disk mode? (maybe even with low battery)?
Based on the link below, you will need to replace the PRAM battery to boot the iMac. You could always extract the HD, but then would have to find the correct interface to hook it up to your current computer.

http://www.mercenary.ca/articles/fix_imac_g3_wont_start_problem.php

There are a few videos on youtube describing PRAM battery replacement. One source for a replacement battery is http://www.newertech.com/products/pram_3_6v.php