Your iMac or G4/G5 Mac Won't Start After a Power Outage

Mindwatering Incorporated

Author: Tripp W Black

Created: 10/14/2008 at 10:39 PM

 

Category:
OS X Tips & Hints
General Mac Tips

Issue:
You had a power outage which lasted longer than your UPS (e.g. > 15 mins). The UPS shut down w/o properly turning off your Mac.
Or you did turn off your iMac normally. But either way, when you push the power button, nothing happens other than a faint "tick" noise.

You've already:
You possibly lost your power supply but that's not likely. You probably have already checked that the UPS is back on before searching for this doc. So now what?
You went to the Apple web site, which says check cords and then take your Mac in for service.

BUT if you "Google" a little deeper, you will find other Apple tech documents that mention a reset button on the bottom of the iMacs and on the motherboard of the G5s.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1712
If you take your case off and push this button once, and then plug everything back into your Mac, you should find it boots nicely. Their support doc says that your date and time would be whacked, but that wasn't the case either -- everything is fine. So much for the excuse to get another... oh well. :-)

previous page