Holding down power-button while iBook is off?

shouldberunning · Nov 16, 2008

This is a mystery to me. Long story but the gist of it is that I found if I hold down the power-button on my iBook while it's off it goes into some weird mode. i.e. fan spins, disc spins, sleep light flashes and a tone comes from the speakers.

Is this some sort of hardware test mode? Is it going to blow up? Is it resetting something?

iBook G4 12", 1.33GHz, PowerPC

Thanks

DannyBres · Nov 17, 2008

lol
sounds funny

sorry i dont know

Skeletal-dæmon · Nov 17, 2008

Just a theory mind, but it might be Target Disk Mode. I may be able to pinch dads iBook later this week and find out for you.

shady825 · Nov 17, 2008

Skeletal-dæmon said:
Just a theory mind, but it might be Target Disk Mode. I may be able to pinch dads iBook later this week and find out for you.

i think you might be right, i just restored my buddys iBook last weekend and at one point i remember it doing that.

shouldberunning · Nov 19, 2008

shady825 said:
i think you might be right, i just restored my buddys iBook last weekend and at one point i remember it doing that.

Thanks for the input guys.

It's not 'target disk mode'. That's done by simply booting while pressing the 't' button.

The mystery is deeper than that. The reason I even asked the question here is because I asked it in the Apple forums and was told by an Admin to never ask the question again and my post was deleted.

When I posted the question a second time they pulled my account.

Of course I'm more curious than ever now.

silverblack · Nov 20, 2008

This may be interesting to you. But the fact is, most of the people hanging around this forum don't own an iBook (ever or anymore)... we can't really help you even if we want to.

shady825 · Nov 20, 2008

shouldberunning said:
Thanks for the input guys.

It's not 'target disk mode'. That's done by simply booting while pressing the 't' button.

The mystery is deeper than that. The reason I even asked the question here is because I asked it in the Apple forums and was told by an Admin to never ask the question again and my post was deleted.

When I posted the question a second time they pulled my account.

Of course I'm more curious than ever now.

i dont own an iBook but that is still interesting to me!
Its gotta do something if Apple pulled the thread and erased your account! now im curious!!!!!! Let me know what you find out!

shady825 · Nov 20, 2008

i just found this, are you sure this isnt what its doing.... (down by RED text)

EDIT: MY BAD! i miss read what i posted... It was nothing

Tallest Skil · Nov 20, 2008

silverblack said:
This may be interesting to you. But the fact is, most of the people hanging around this forum don't own an iBook (ever or anymore)...

And this is helpful... how? I still use my iBook G3. It's a wonderful around-the-house web-surfing and word processing computer.

I think I'll try what you're talking about, OPjust to see what happens.

silverblack · Nov 20, 2008

Tallest Skil said:
And this is helpful... how?

I should have been more specific in my previous post (I've edited it now). Since you have an iBook, please do help the OP by trying this yourself, and experiment it around so we can all see what happens next!!

Samwise592 · Nov 20, 2008

You're basically putting it into firmware-only mode. Whatever the PPC equivalent of EFI is (I don't remember anymore). I had to type some werid commands in that prompt when my boss' PPC mac mini broke a couple years ago

shouldberunning · Nov 20, 2008

Samwise592 said:
You're basically putting it into firmware-only mode. Whatever the PPC equivalent of EFI is (I don't remember anymore). I had to type some werid commands in that prompt when my boss' PPC mac mini broke a couple years ago

Hmm... nope. Open firmware on the iBook G4 is done by 'alt'-'apple'-'o'-'f' key combo on startup. And if that ws the case why would Apple be so secret about it?

Thanks though, it was a good thought.

shouldberunning · Nov 20, 2008

silverblack said:
I should have been more specific in my previous post (I've edited it now). Since you have an iBook, please do help the OP by trying this yourself, and experiment it around so we can all see what happens next!!

I've tried experimenting with it and I have no further information. After the whirring, beeps and flashes it seems to boot normally.

I thought maybe it was a way of bypassing the bootup/startup passwords but my system seems as secure as ever. I wish I had more info to share.

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