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PurplePenguin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
4
0
I got the chance to get an old All-In-One G3 PowerMac today. I wanted to play around with it and see what I've been missing all these years.

Unfortunately, I got it without a keyboard or mouse (with ADB connectors, which I don't have). I wanted to power it on to test if it works or if it's a doorstop.

So far, doorstop. :) So here's my question. Is it possible to boot one without anything attached aside from the power cable? If I don't hear anything (no sounds, nothing spins up, I hear a slight sound from the power supply immediately after clicking the On/Off button near the power cord), should I assume that it's dead?

Thanks for any advice!
 

PurplePenguin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
4
0
Just a quick followup... I'm completely unfamiliar with Mac hardware. Is there anything else that needs to be done aside from hitting the on switch (beside the power cord) to get it to power up? Maybe I'm missing something that would be obvious to you guys! :) Seems to be a doorstop to me, though. Both of them (I got two of them)!
 

PurplePenguin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
4
0
I was holding out some hope because the manual says "Power switch: controlled from keyboard". And since I'm without a keyboard, it won't power on... maybe?

Does that sound like a stretch? :)

If anybody out there has an old all-in-one G3, what happens if you unplug everything but the power cord and try to turn it on by flipping the switch in the back (ie. power supply)?

There's even a diagram that shows a power button on the keyboard... hmm...
 

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,595
3,934
New Zealand
If I recall correctly, the switch is a "safety switch". You still need to power on from the keyboard.
 

FocusAndEarnIt

macrumors 601
May 29, 2005
4,623
1,062
I've been with the Macs since around that era, and yes, to boot a Mac of that age, you need the keyboard, an ADB one with a power button.

So no, it is definitely not dead.
 

PurplePenguin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
4
0
Fantastic!! I was just about to give up hope. :)

So it looks like I'm off to find somebody who's selling an old ADB keyboard and mouse now. :D
 
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