Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with g5

PowerMac life extension

omnidrew — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:08:59 -0800

Squeezing a bit more out of a PowerMac G5... I'm seeing the spinning beachball more these days... wondering if spending $85 on 2 more gigs of RAM (from 4GB to 6GB) will make it show up a little less often.

I know I'm not going to be able to move over to Snow Leopard with this machine, but hoping to get a few more years out of this hard-working box.

specs = PPC dual 2gHz / OS x 10.5 Leopard / 4GB RAM currently installed / model came out in June 2003 / upgraded video card

Thanks, hive mind!

iMac G5 swallowed something it shouldn't have. Heimlich maneuver for CD drive?

UnclePlayground — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:16:26 -0800

How do I manually eject a CD meant for Windows (including XP and Vista) from my iMac G5? Yeah, brain fart. I inserted a CD given to me by my boss without looking at it. It's software meant for Windows. I inserted it into my iMac G5 with the CD slot on the right side. Of course, no icon for the CD shows up. I've tried every method of manual removal suggested on the internet.

Eject button on keyboard.
Restart holding mouse.
Restart holding eject button.
Restart hitting eject button continuously.
Open Firmware (Opt-Cmd-O-F) and typing "eject cd".

And many, many more.

There is no issue with the CD being "stuck", there is no "it seems to want to come out, but then goes back in".
No eject sounds like it's trying to eject.
It's just not recognizing the it's holding a CD, and none of the suggestions so far seem to make the computer spit the disc out.

And no, there is no special paperclip hole that I overlooked.

I need major guru advise here (besides, "take it to an Apple Store").

I want to recycle and be secure!

6:1 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:33:10 -0800

iMac G5--how do I wipe the drive prior to recycling? Apple will recycle, but I want to make sure all data is off or "secured" prior to handing it over. How do we go about doing this? FWIW, I searched under G5 and hard drive without finding anything that helps.

Too Blu-ray Aye

popcassady — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:38:26 -0800

Will my iMac G5 play blu-ray movies? If I bought an external blu-ray drive and connected it to my iMac G5 (17" 1.8ghz 2GB), would said mac be capable of playing blu-ray movies?

What do you do when you don't want to buy more fancy Apple drives?

liquado — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:27:15 -0800

Older Apple Hardware Filter: My Google-fu has failed me. Anyone have some resources on/experience with replacing Apple-branded SATA drives in a G5 XServe with non-Apple-branded ones? I've found fragments of information about this scattered hither and yon, but here's the short story. I'm helping a school with a failed drive in one of their Apple Drive Modules (2x250GB). I had assumed the G5 was like the G4 -- you could use non-Apple drives. However, I've seen some people have limited success (in the few posts I can find) doing so in the G5s, and maybe some drives are compatible but others aren't, and.....argh.

I'd suggest they just buy new Apple Drive Modules, but they're stupidly expensive -- education, trying to keep costs down, etc.

So, does anyone have experience with this? Suggestions? Recommendations? I'm looking specifically for those with some hands-on experience with the G5 model, as the Xeon/Intel units are significantly different, it appears.

Cool things to do with an empty Power Mac G5 enclosure?

porn in the woods — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:49:38 -0800

I've had a bare Power Mac G5 case in my office since last summer (original water-cooled quad processor melted down, needing a pile of parts and netting me an extra case in the process). What should I do with this spare cheesegrater case? I don't need a PC (Boot Camp/Parallels is doing me fine), otherwise I'd try swapping in a PC mobo/PS. A MacQuarium is probably not going to work too well. What would you do if you had a spare aluminum beast like this? Giant FireWire case with stacks of drives? Humorous solutions are welcome, something that would amuse fellow geeks if it were in my office.

Brand new noise coming from G5 into audio signal

lockedroomguy — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:47:27 -0800

I have a Mac G5 and it is connected via the analog audio output port to my stereo receiver, and a new humming buzzing just started. I connected it last week so I could play music from the G5 through my stereo speakers. It worked fine. Today there is a loud humming noise that comes through the speakers whenever the G5 is selected as the stereo input. Any other stereo input does not have the humming noise. It's definitely an electrical type noise.

It's so loud that there is no point playing the music.

If I unplug the cable from the G5 and plug it into any other audio source, the humming goes away, so it's definitely the G5. It's not interference from a nearby object, because I can put a laptop next to the G5, and use it as the audio signal, and the humming goes away.

The noise is there whether the G5 is powered on or not. I've plugged it into different electrical outlets with no change.

The noise is still there if I move the audio out cable to the headphone jack of the G5.

There is no noise when playing sound through the G5 internal speaker.

There is a common problem with the G5 Mac power supply making noise that leaks into the audio signal, but that is a problem that is inherent in the power supply, not a problem that develops over time, so I don't think that's it.

There was no problem a week ago. I can't think of anything that changed since then.

USB for PCI-X for my PowerMac G5

Plug Dub In — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:26:40 -0800

How can I add more USB 2.0 ports to my G5 PowerMac if it only takes PCI-X cards? The PCI-Express card I got doesn't fit. Bah. I guess that was dumb.

Is there any way to add more internal USB ports? I'd rather not get a hub, as it's an extra power cord, an extra blinking-lights thing on my desk, and frankly, I feel like I should be able to make use of these empty card slots.

The only things I can find to put in them are ATA ports, network ports, and SCSI ports, none of which I have any use for.

Thanks, all.

Will I fry my apple 65 watt power adapter if I plug it directly into the wall in the UK?

Tommy Gnosis — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:12:48 -0800

Will the 65 watt apple adapter work if I plug it directly into a 220v (UK) current? Or will I fry it if I don't use a converter? Thanks for the help. Googling and reviewing the apple site surprising yields nothing. Most "wall wart" adapters typically can do either 110 or 220, but I don't have any docs for this one.

OpenFirmware filesystem operations

bokane — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:44:18 -0800

So I nuked my G5 iMac pretty bad by means of a Stupid UNIX Trick in which I mv'd everything into /tmp, including the kernel. Now I'm in OpenFirmware, and am trying to figure out how I can move these needful things from /tmp back to / . I can get listings of all of my files, but cannot for the life of me figure out how to move them within the constraints of the OpenFirmware shell. Can this be done? Am I totally screwed?

Mac graphics card advice

captainscared — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:38:27 -0800

I need a new graphics card for my G5 2.0Ghz. My old one went the way of the dalmatian iMac. Tekserve in NYC put in a $300 temporary replacement. I am having a hard time doing the most basic Final Cut or After Effects work. So my question is twofold: If I were to upgrade what card would you suggest? (I'm looking to do low intensity motion/editing work.) Or should I use the money instead towards the purchase of an Intel iMac?

Thanks.

Please help me run OS 9 on my desktop

interrobang — Tue, 22 May 2007 09:59:43 -0800

I'm feeling nostalgic after having gotten this to work, and I was wondering if it's possible to make the OS 9 "Classic Environment" run in a separate window within OSX. I have two monitors, and I think it'd be neat if on one side I could have the old-timey OS 9—its own hard drive and desktop image and everything—running in its own, separate window, without running an emulator. I'm not really sure how to google for this (and I have been trying) because everything I'm finding is about running Basilisk II and the like to emulate an older system.

I'm talking about the Classic environment that's already on my G5, running in its own window. Is this possible? Thanks!

Is Apple Care worth the wompa?

ClanvidHorse — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:37:49 -0800

Is Apple Care worth the money in the UK? So I have an Imac G5 that is coming up to being a year old. Apple Care UK called me to say that my free year's service is coming to an end and that if I want to take it for another two years it will cost £139 (about US $280). Now, I think this is quite a lot of money for two more years support for a machine which has never had any problems, but, I am think if I wait two days after the year runs out it'll just crash on me never to wake again.

So my questions are:

-Is Apple Care worth the money in the UK?
-Are there any third party repairers in the UK who can provide a high quality service for cheaper/better?
-Can I buy parts if anything needs replaced (I have heard that Apple parts aren't available for purchase-- is this true?)
-Glasgow/Scottish Mefites-- Has anyone used this company before? Would I be as well just taking it to them?

I have heard USians raving about Apple Care but not much from the UK and I dont know if it is of a similar standard to that in the US so comments from UK Apple Care customers are particularly welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

Make it stop!

squirrel — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:42:31 -0800

Why is my Mac G5 picking up radio signals? My dual-2ghz G5 (running OS X 10.4.7, FWIW) seems to be sending an unintended audio signal to my amplifier through the built-in soundcard.

I run a standard Monster stereo-miniplug-to-RCA line from the back of my G5 to a Sansui 331 receiver. I started noticing little audio artifacts in between tracks when the receiver is turned up, so I cut the iTunes and cranked the Sansui's volume to max and could plainly hear a Christian radio broadcast.

At first I thought it was bleed-over from my Sansui's radio, but 1) the dial is tuned to NPR, and 2) when I mute the G5 via the keyboard mute button, the radio sound disappears. Strangely, when I lower the G5's volume all the way instead of muting it, (with iTunes, etc not playing) the radio audio doesn't change. So, only toggling the G5's mute on and off makes the radio appear and diappear.

Also, moving the Monster minipug line from port on the back of the computer to the headphone jack on the front makes the radio audio disappear.

So, in summary, I have isolated the source of the radio sound to only the stereo-mini out port on the back of the G5, and I can control it's appearance with the mute button, but on the sound volume buttons.

Has anyone here experienced or heard of this phenomenon? I'm looking for fixes (I have a work-around) but I'm also looking for insight.

Here are the details on the two built-in soundcards. I'm not sure which controls what exactly:

Built In Sound Card:

Devices:
Burr Brown PCM3052:
Inputs and Outputs:
Line Level Input:
Controls: Mute, Master
Playthrough: No
PluginID: Onyx
S/PDIF Digital Output:
Controls: Mute
PluginID: Onyx
Headphones:
Controls: Mute, Left, Right
PluginID: Onyx
Internal Speakers:
Controls: Mute, Master
PluginID: Onyx
Line Level Output:
Controls: Mute, Left, Right
PluginID: Onyx
Formats:
PCM 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
PCM 24:
Bit Depth: 24
Bit Width: 32
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
AC3 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: No
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz

Built In Sound Card:

Devices:
Crystal Semiconductor CS84xx:
Inputs and Outputs:
S/PDIF Digital Input:
Controls: Mute
Playthrough: No
PluginID: Topaz
Formats:
PCM 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
PCM 24:
Bit Depth: 24
Bit Width: 32
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
AC3 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: No
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz

Old Radeon 32mb graphics card from G4 --> New G5. PCI issues?

icetaco — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:58:25 -0800

Old Radeon 32mb graphics card from G4 --> New G5. PCI issues? I'd love to get S-Video out of my G5, and have this old Radeon card sitting in my unused G4. Is it safe/advisable/possible to put her in the G5? Apple told me the PCI architecture is incompatible with older PCI cards, but I'm seeing "backwards-compatible" online. What gives, I say?

(I'm already using two monitors all the time, so Apple's DVI-S-Video adaptor would be a pain. I'm looking for more than two video outputs.)

Thank you wonderful mefites.

Freezing iMac.

grapefruitmoon — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 20:48:15 -0800

"New" iMac G5 with a serious case of the freezies. Hardware test shows no problems with any hardware. Wiping and re-installing does no good. How on earth can I fix this? Perhaps I can not fix this and need to send the fresh-out-of-the-box refurbished computer back to Apple for repair, but I would like to at least try. I have already tried reloading the p-ram, doing something that involved taking out the powercord and plugging it back in again, booting from disk, running the hardware test, wiping and reinstalling OSX... I was on the phone with Apple last night for an hour, but they're not sure what can be done given that hardware test shows no problems with the hardware. I was really excited about getting this computer after a very problematic PC laptop that just died, especially since I have a six year old clamshell iBook that never gave me a single problem... it appears that I'm having a string of bad luck because I just got it yesterday and already have to contemplate sending it back.

I'm about ready to give up and say "It's goblins!" and demand a replacement, but I'd really rather fix it if it's at all possible.

The freezies, as mentioned, are completely random. There is no way to tell what is going to make the computer freeze (it originally seemed to be graphics related, but now that appears to have just been coincidence) and when it does, it must be restarted manually - it is so totally frozen that I can't relaunch the Finder or force quit anything.

Is it worth it for me to return my new (powermac) iMAC for a newer (Intel based) one?

apetpsychic — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:37:08 -0800

I bought a 20" G5 iMAC two or three weeks ago, and now Apple has just released the new Intel based iMACs for the same price. They annoyingly brag that they're 3 times as fast. Is it worth it for me to try to return it and get one of the newer models?

New Internal Drive for G5

icetaco — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 11:39:32 -0800

My happy G5 needs disk space, and I've found a good price on an internal 320gb drive.. Question: Does Ultra ATA100 play well with a standard build dual 2.7ghz G5? i.e. - can I toss it in and expect everything to work fine, without slowing anything down? "Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200JB 320GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM" is the model, price is $122.49 w/ shipping, link is http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productdetails.asp?linkid=119&item=22-144-392

Backing Up A Mac Running Tiger

boombot — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 20:32:15 -0800

I'm on a G5 running Tiger, referring to a user account lacking admin privileges, with a backup strategy of dragging my User folder to an external hard drive once a week. Since upgrading to Tiger, though, I've been informed that "You may need to enter the name and password for an administrator on this computer to change the item named 'Library'." I've duplicated this on another computer. What's going on here? First, I'm only copying the Library, not changing it, and second, why do I need an administrator password? This is my User library, I thought that it and everything else within my User folder was by definition owned by me, and that even if I did want to modify something in the Library I wouldn't need a admin password.

Flashblock help

interrobang — Tue, 03 May 2005 17:29:07 -0800

I downloaded the Flashblock extention for Firefox a couple of months ago, and now I seem not to have even the option to look at flash sites. When I first downloaded Flashblock, any Flash on any website was replaced with a little "F", and if I clicked on the "F", it would come alive. Now, when I go to Flash sites, nothing happens. Just a blank page with a "Done" in the lower left-hand corner of my browser.

I tried searching the computer (iMac G5) for this, but I can't find it to delete it. I've also tried looking in the Firefox extensions, under "Tools", but Flashblock is not there. How can I get rid of it? Alternately, how can I make it work again like it's supposed to?

Do I Wait For The Powerbook G5?

rooftop secrets — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:47:18 -0800

So when is the Powerbook G5 really coming out? I have been a lifelong PC user, but I want to get a laptop as my next computer and after using several of my friends' Powerbooks I was sold on buying one. However, it seems like there's conflicting information and advice on (a) whether I should buy the revised G4 PB or wait for the G5 (which could have some quirks upon initial release), (b) whether I really need the power of of a G5 in my laptop, and (c) when the hell the thing is even coming out. Please help AppleGurus.

Getting Started with Digital Video

kirkaracha — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:49:31 -0800

What are some good books or web sites for getting started with digital video? What's a good low- to mid-range camera? (I've just started taking classes, and I've got a G5 with Apple's Production Suite.)

How can I copy tracks from an iPod to a Mac G5?

armoured-ant — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 09:11:12 -0800

My Dad has a first generation iPod and a G5. What (free, preferably) software can he use to transfer songs from the iPod back to the Mac?

Monitor with 2 Inputs

sixfoot6 — Tue, 22 Jun 2004 15:54:02 -0800

My girlfriend is in the market for a new 17+" LCD flat-panel monitor for her Mac G5, and it occured to me that it might be nice to get something with two inputs, so that I could use it with my PC sometimes, leaving it connected and switching on the fly. Is this possible? Can anyone recommend a good product?

Xserve G5 experiences & opinions?

dglynn — Tue, 06 Jan 2004 23:20:18 -0800

Should we be considering the Xserve G5 for the hardware replacement cycle due to descend like a shadow upon our older Supermicro servers later this year? We use MySQL, Postfix, Apache, Courier-IMAP, FreeRADIUS, and pure-ftpd on FreeBSD. The Supermicros are Intel processors. Our user info is stored in MySQL, with all the above apps authenticating against the database, so we wouldn't replace our user management with Apple's GUI management tools. So does anyone have any opinions about the Xserve as hardware based on their direct experience with the previous models(I'm assuming they will be comparable)?