Dual-Core PowerMac G5 general weirdness

[Baldung99]

It's ridiculously difficult to find a PowerMac G5 in Greece - much less one at a reasonable price. I've heard they apparently exist in such abundance in the US, that it's allegedly possible to get a quad core model for $100 but no such luck here. These often go for about as much as a used 2010/2009 MacPro (in the range of 400€) and you really have to ask... is it reasonable to expect someone to pay that much for something that can't be easily used today? I mean I know they're old, but are they really that old that throwing any sense when it comes to cost is appropriate?

Anyway, I digress.

I got the PowerMac G5 three days ago, from a computer parts store that has a "refurbished devices" section... and forgot I didn't have a power cord that fit. And while going back to the store, I ran into a dude literally dropping an old MacPro near a garbage bin. Anyway I picked that one up too and I forgot about the cable until today.

it's apparently a PowerMac11,2 M9591LL/A. But well, some things are a bit off.

Which brings me here, today. I've noticed a few weird things about this Mac and I want to find out what's really going on with it. It doesn't have a "Downloads" folder - but that may just be a Tiger "thing" I simply don't remember.

More importantly, the little sticker on the inside of the side cover says it's supposed to have a dual-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz... but the System Profiler says it's clocked at 2GHz. Even the EveryMac website agrees that there should be a 2.3GHz CPU in my model, according to the serial number. Now it might be that this particular CPU lost so horribly at the silicon lottery and somehow made it through QC, but I doubt it. Especially since all my other Apple devices (PowerBook G4, MacPro, PowerMac G4) report their rated clock speed in System Profiler. I suspect it has somehow been swapped for the lower-end 2GHz CPU, or it was mislabeled. Are my worries here founded?

Then there's the fact that it refuses to boot into Open Firmware. I'm using a Windows keyboard, which is all I really have on hand at the moment, so CMD is the "Windows" key and "Option" is the left "Alt" key. If that's correct, then by holding "Windows"+"Alt+O+F I should be getting into Open Firmware... but I'm not. I suspect it's because I'm using a "gaming" keyboard (a Roccat ISKU ROC-12-724/ND). I think I may need to just get a "normal" Windows keyboard, but well, I'm a bit lazy. So yeah, do I need a "normal" keyboard? My mouse - a Corsair Harpoon - seems to be working just fine, except for the side buttons.

But aside from the CPU not quite being as it's supposed to be, everything else checks out. It has an nVidia GeForce 6600 instead of a 6600 LE (well, the only difference between them seems to be the VRAM only...) and 2.5GB of RAM so... it's actually quite useable. I'm able to type this post on it, while a YouTube video is playing in the background and I'm downloading some files on stock TenFourFox. YouTube is even watchable - albeit in 360p.

 

[eyoungren]

- Someone probably deleted the downloads folder. You can recreate it if you want. It's not an important system folder.

- Yes, your CPU probably got swapped. Given the difficulty of getting a G5 and parts in Greece (as you indicate) it's likely that it was easier and cheaper to get a 2.0Ghz chip to replace the 2.3. Both models use the same logicboard and the chips are interchangeable.

- You need a real Mac keyboard. Maybe the place you got the G5 has one?

 

[Baldung99]

Yes, your CPU probably got swapped. Given the difficulty of getting a G5 and parts in Greece (as you indicate) it's likely that it was easier and cheaper to get a 2.0Ghz chip to replace the 2.3. Both models use the same logicboard and the chips are interchangeable.

On the topic of G5 CPUs, do I have to pull out the heatsink and reapply thermal paste? I mean, it's probably a good idea, but would I be risking damage to the CPU if I don't reapply thermal paste? That heatsink is downright scary.

You need a real Mac keyboard. Maybe the place you got the G5 has one?

Well yeah but they're these Apple "Magic" keyboards which are disgustingly expensive and also wireless - therefore useless to me, since I don't have any wireless capabilities on this computer. I hope they have something refurbished that doesn't show up in the website (which is what happens with some of the refurbished stuff they get). I also have an older bluetooth Apple keyboard but, well... unless I can hack it to work through USB or something, it's no use either.

 

[Baldung99]

I noticed another problem: I can't eject the optical drive tray through the OS. On System Profiler, under Disk Burning it says it's "Apple Shipped/Supported", but I can't see the little eject symbol - to the left of the clock - anywhere. That's definitely not a Tiger thing, because my PowerMac G4 has it. Weirdly, it can be ejected via iTunes, but I'm not going to be opening iTunes every time I need to insert a disk in it.

It also appears that it has a button on it, like a PC drive... maybe that's why the OS won't let me just eject it?

 

[AphoticD]

Holding F12 will usually eject the drive.

You can manually add the Eject menu item by double clicking /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Eject.menu

 

[z970]

It doesn't have a "Downloads" folder - but that may just be a Tiger "thing" I simply don't remember.

I've never seen a Downloads folder in any of my Tiger installs. Usually, downloads are routed to the desktop.

I'd say that checks out.

 

[Baldung99]

@z970mp now I remember why the lack of a "Downloads" folder bugged me - my PowerBook G4 had it. Yes, even in Tiger and it's still there on Leopard. But neither Safari nor TenFourFox used it and there wasn't an option to have the folder show up in the Finder sidebar.

 

[eyoungren]

@z970mp now I remember why the lack of a "Downloads" folder bugged me - my PowerBook G4 had it. Yes, even in Tiger and it's still there on Leopard. But neither Safari nor TenFourFox used it and there wasn't an option to have the folder show up in the Finder sidebar.

Anything you want in the Finder sidebar you can just click, hold and drag into the sidebar.

Open Home folder. File>New Folder. Rename 'untitled' to 'Downloads' (without the quotes). Click on Downloads folder. Hold. Drag into sidebar and place in the hiearchy where you want it. Done.

 

[weckart]

The Downloads folder came with Leopard. Unless there is a ton of apps on the existing Tiger installation, I would think seriously about a clean install.

I have got into Open Firmware with generic Windows keyboards. Maybe the gaming keyboard you have is too non-standard for your PowerMac to deal with. Try a different USB port - switch from front port to rear or vice versa and see how it goes.

 

[Baldung99]

Try a different USB port - switch from front port to rear or vice versa and see how it goes.

It didn't go. I tried a more bog-standard keyboard but nothing... it seems, however, that it specifically ignores the "CMD" (well, the "Windows" key) key being struck which is beyond weird. I tried it with a MacPro I have. I can go to the boot picker screen or set the computer in target disk mode and it *just* occurred to me that none of these functions involve the "CMD" button.

Unless... does this thing expect a certain brand of non-Apple keyboard?

 

[weckart]

It didn't go. I tried a more bog-standard keyboard but nothing... it seems, however, that it specifically ignores the "CMD" (well, the "Windows" key) key being struck which is beyond weird. I tried it with a MacPro I have. I can go to the boot picker screen or set the computer in target disk mode and it *just* occurred to me that none of these functions involve the "CMD" button.

Unless... does this thing expect a certain brand of non-Apple keyboard?

Can you get the boot selector screen up with the left Alt key on the G5? Even with no bootable volumes it should show that as it gives you the option of sticking in a bootable CD and hitting the rescan button. If not, then there is an issue with the USB ports most likely.

 

[Baldung99]

@weckart I tried and the PowerMac G5 responds only to the left Alt key during boot, but both work fine when booted into the OS. My MacPro (1.1) responds to both Alt keys during boot.

Am I correct in assuming that if a USB port was the issue, said keys wouldn't work, period?

 

[weckart]

@weckart I tried and the PowerMac G5 responds only to the left Alt key during boot, but both work fine when booted into the OS. My MacPro (1.1) responds to both Alt keys during boot.

Am I correct in assuming that if a USB port was the issue, said keys wouldn't work, period?

Yes. It looks like a keyboard mapping issue.

 

[Baldung99]

Yes. It looks like a keyboard mapping issue.

OK... short of finding a legit Apple keyboard, how do I fix that?

 

[weckart]

OK... short of finding a legit Apple keyboard, how do I fix that?

That is a communication issue between Open Firmware and your keyboard hardware. Fixing it is a bit beyond my ken so I would try to borrow a Mac keyboard from somewhere if you can and then try getting into OF with that. If you can, then it seems like your G5 will only tolerate certain keyboards.

You can maybe try zapping the PRAM by removing the 3.6v battery on the logic board and letting it sit for a while just in case the current NVRAM settings have somehow corrupted and are contributing to your keyboard issues but you will almost certainly require Thermal Calibration afterwards so make sure you have the correct ASD disc for your computer (should be v2.63 IIRR) ready.

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[Baldung99]

Weirdest thing yet, is that this happens to all my Macs! My MacPro 1,1 along with my PowerMac G4 3,6 exhibit the same behavior. They refuse to recognise the "CMD" key being struck during startup and startup only. At this point I'm afraid it's some obscure user-defined option somewhere.

 

[weckart]

They should work with a Windows keyboard. Try using an older USB keyboard if you can get your hands on one. Also try clearing the PRAM by removing the battery just in case the G5 came in with some strange NVRAM settings.