Can I achieve full 'sleep' mode on a PowerMac G3 B&W?

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

Hi,

So as many may know, the definition of 'sleep' for older desktop computers was the HDs spinning down and the monitor switching off, with system fans still running. Later on, 'sleep' was actually SLEEP, where the system is completely silent with all extra things off, freezing the computer's state in time (I believe on the RAM). That said, Apple's desktop computers saw real 'sleep' by 1999 with the slot-loading iMac G3s and PowerMac G4 (graphite). I have here my B&W PowerMac G3, which is the base 300Mhz model, released in 1999 of course. This was the last desktop Mac before they all had switched to smarter sleep systems. I just upgraded mine from OS9 to Panther, hoping that it would do something to the firmware and let it go into full hibernation, but the fans still continue to run after I put it to sleep. Is there such thing as a firmware update for this or will this PowerMac never have the function to fully sleep? I love old computers, but the fact that desktops had to have their fans still running during sleep really sucked.

 

[Intell]

Hibernation and sleep are not the same thing. The first PowerMac that supported modern sleep was the Sawtooth, not the PCI Graphics G4, making the B&W G3 the second to the last to have that kind of sleep. There is no way to get the modern sleep on that machine.

 

[apunkrockmonk]

That Mac shouldn't have any issues going to sleep.

I purchased a PowerMac 5400/180 new in 1997 running Mac OS 7.6. This machine could suspend to RAM no problem.

Sleep is suspending to RAM and turning off the fans...etc.

Hibernation is dumping RAM to secondary storage and then fully powering down the computer.

On every last OS that machine you have can run it should be able to sleep successfully. Things to explore since you're having problems might be resetting PRAM or making sure the little battery on the Motherboard isn't dead.

Good luck!

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

Hibernation and sleep are not the same thing. The first PowerMac that supported modern sleep was the Sawtooth, not the PCI Graphics G4, making the B&W G3 the second to the last to have that kind of sleep. There is no way to get the modern sleep on that machine.

Ah, yes, I should have considered the 2000 PowerMac G4 when I said that. I know hibernation isn't the same thing; I was referring modern sleep to the quietness that comes with hibernation. :-/ And that really sucks about not being able to get modern sleep on it. I'd go ahead and use my PowerMac G4 (graphite, 2000) for what I am doing, but I think the PRAM battery is dead or something. It turns on but I cannot get a signal on the monitor when booting up each time, unless I press the PMU(?) button next to the PRAM battery before boot-up. On that side note, can a dead PRAM battery hinder this thing's abilities to properly boot and display video, or could this be a larger issue? BTW, IDK your age so I cannot be sure if you can answer this question: Was "modern sleep" highly-regarded and talked about when it first came about in desktops? It seems as though people must have been amazed/excited to see that desktops could actually fully sleep without the fans running, yet I never hear it regarded. It could be that people were already used to the fact that laptops were able to go into "modern sleep", and many just take it for granted today and don't think back to when desktops didn't sleep silently).

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That Mac shouldn't have any issues going to sleep.

I purchased a PowerMac 5400/180 new in 1997 running Mac OS 7.6. This machine could suspend to RAM no problem.

Sleep is suspending to RAM and turning off the fans...etc.

Hibernation is dumping RAM to secondary storage and then fully powering down the computer.

On every last OS that machine you have can run it should be able to sleep successfully. Things to explore since you're having problems might be resetting PRAM or making sure the little battery on the Motherboard isn't dead.

Good luck!

Are you sure yours could sleep? That's odd... tray-loading iMacs cannot fully suspend, nor can any PowerMacs until 2000. Not sure how yours can fully suspend.

 

[Intell]

The PowerMac G4 released in 2000 was the Gigabit Ethernet model. The Sawtooth was released in late 1999, the PCI Graphics in mid 1999, and the B&W G3 in early 1999. Your G4 should still be able to boot correctly with a dead PRAM battery. However, it could be causing those problems. Non-Apple desktops had standby (what sleep was called on Windows XP and older) for many years, at least from the early 90's. It was the modern sleep with the fans off, for most of the name brand box PC's and motherboards. Some pre-G3 Apple desktops could do it as well but I do not know of the complete list of them nor what caused the fan to stay on or not.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

The PowerMac G4 released in 2000 was the Gigabit Ethernet model. The Sawtooth was released in late 1999, the PCI Graphics in mid 1999, and the B&W G3 in early 1999. Your G4 should still be able to boot correctly with a dead PRAM battery. However, it could be causing those problems. Non-Apple desktops had standby (what sleep was called on Windows XP and older) for many years, at least from the early 90's. It was the modern sleep with the fans off, for most of the name brand box PC's and motherboards. Some pre-G3 Apple desktops could do it as well but I do not know of the complete list of them nor what caused the fan to stay on or not.

That's weird... I haven't been able to find full standby on older computers, just 'Sleep'. It's odd that it varied.