Shut off an iMac Without pressing the power button?

[Paulyboy]

I'm disabled and can't reach behind my iMac (late 2006 24 inch model) to shut it off. I normally leave it on all the time with the energy-saving features enabled. The problem is that every once in a great while I get a freeze that the "force quit" keyboard combination can't even get out of. The only solution for this is to turn the iMac off then back on. Not a problem if somebody else is here to do it for me but if nobody is here that I can't use my iMac until somebody is.

This is a pretty rare occurrence but it would be nice to have some way to deal with this on my own. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

-PN

 

[BaldiMac]

I would suggest a power strip that includes an on/off button that you could put in a location that is accessible to you.

 

[Paulyboy]

I would suggest a power strip that includes an on/off button that you could put in a location that is accessible to you.

I have considered this option but was curious if there is some other way. If not, I suppose this would suffice.

Thanks for the suggestion.

-PN

 

[tobefirst]

You could search for one of the old keyboards that came with the G3s. Those had a power button on the keyboard, if I recall correctly.

EDIT: Yup, they do.

 

[Paulyboy]

You could search for one of the old keyboards that came with the G3s. Those had a power button on the keyboard, if I recall correctly.

EDIT: Yup, they do.
http://www.recycledgoods.com/zoom_s_p_13784_1.jpg.ashx

Ahh interesting! I suppose these would work with modern Macs? (including the power button)?

-PN

 

[TopNach]

if your having random shut downs it might be your power supply that is failing

 

[GGJstudios]

if your having random shut downs it might be your power supply that is failing

You need to read the thread more carefully. Random shut downs isn't the problem.

 

[tobefirst]

Ahh interesting! I suppose these would work with modern Macs? (including the power button)?

-PN

It should...it's just a regular USB keyboard. Can anyone else confirm that the power button does still work?

 

[Consultant]

That's not normal. Have you tried

Disk Utility:
repair permissions
verify disk (and repair if needed)

 

[old-wiz]

Also I think that if you were to power down via the power strip, you would still need to touch the button on the iMac to power it back on. the power buttons are really not power switches anymore- they just direct something to the firmware.

 

[Paulyboy]

Also I think that if you were to power down via the power strip, you would still need to touch the button on the iMac to power it back on. the power buttons are really not power switches anymore- they just direct something to the firmware.

Assuming it works, would the power button on the old G3 USB Keyboard turn an iMac on (as well as off)?

-PN

 

[nullx86]

if your having random shut downs it might be your power supply that is failing

That's not normal. Have you tried

Disk Utility:
repair permissions
verify disk (and repair if needed)

lrn2 read the thread.

@OP, the G3 keyboard should work. If anything you'd need a driver.

 

[Makosuke]

We've still got several old keyboards with hardware power buttons on them at work, and I don't believe when I tried that the newer Macs have the necessary hardware for that button to act as a "true" hardware power button. It involved a special pin that was a sort of "hack" with the USB bus, and I don't think that exists on the computers anymore. Here's the relevant paragraph from Wikipedia:

On Apple Desktop Bus keyboards, a power key (◁), used to turn on computers that supported it (and to type the Mac three-finger salute). It was placed in the upper left or upper right (in line with the function keys on keyboards that had them, otherwise above the other keys). The key was replaced with a more conventional power button on early USB keyboards, thanks to a proprietary pin wired to the Macintosh's power supply in Apple's early USB implementations, and eliminated completely on the Pro Keyboard alongside the special pin. Most of its functions were transferred to the eject (⏏) key in such later keyboards (holding down the control key in addition to make the eject key act like the power key).

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try, but unfortunately it looks like a power strip that you can reach may be your best bet.

An alternative would be one of those "remote" power switches you can find at the hardware store; they're designed for lamps (usually to add a foot pedal, but there are more conventional switch shapes), but if you can find one with a three prong outlet that would let you have a reachable switch without moving the whole power strip onto the desk or wherever.

 

[apfhex]

Also I think that if you were to power down via the power strip, you would still need to touch the button on the iMac to power it back on. the power buttons are really not power switches anymore- they just direct something to the firmware.

If you have "restart automatically after a power failure" turned on I think the Mac should start when the power strip is flipped back on.

On another note, if it's just a rogue process that's hanging preventing a shutdown, but you're still able to launch other apps, fire up the Terminal and enter sudo shutdown -h now. This has worked for me when the normal Shutdown command failed yet the apps were still accessible.

 

[Shownarou]

Thought I'd post, the power button on the old keyboards do NOT work on current machines. Sorry Tried this myself.