Apple powermac g5 User Manual

Power Mac G5

User’s Guide

Includes setup, expansion, and troubleshooting information for your Power Mac G5 computer



Apple Computer, Inc.

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Simultaneously published in the United States and Canada.

Chapter 1 5 Getting Started

Positioning the Computer and Display

Setting Up

Adjusting Your Display

Need Help?

What’s Next?

What to Do When You Have Finished Working

Getting to Know Your Computer

Ports and Connectors—Expanding Your Computer’s Capabilities

Inside Your Power Mac G5—Your Computer’s Internal Expansion Options

Chapter 2 21 Using Your Computer

Using Your Apple Keyboard

Using Your Apple Mouse

Connecting Displays, Televisions, and Video Devices

Using Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Using FireWire

Using Audio Devices

Using Your Optical Drive

Connecting to an Ethernet Network

Using Your Modem

Using AirPort Wireless Networking

Using Bluetooth Wireless Technology

Putting the Computer to Sleep to Save Energy

Transferring Information Between Two Macintosh Computers

Chapter 3 43 Working Inside Your Computer

Opening the Computer

Installing Memory

Installing Internal Storage Devices

Installing a PCI Expansion Card or Replacing the AGP Card

Installing an AirPort Extreme Card

Replacing the Battery

Chapter 4 71 Troubleshooting

Software Problems

Problems With Your Display

Using Apple Hardware Test

Reinstalling the Software That Came With Your Computer

Maximizing Ethernet Performance

Locating Your Product Serial Number

Appendix A 79 Specifications

Appendix B 85 Safety, Maintenance, and Ergonomics

Important Safety Information

General Maintenance

Important Ergonomic and Health-Related Information

Appendix C 91 Connecting to the Internet

Gathering the Information You Need

Entering Your Information

Dial-Up Connection

DSL, Cable Modem, or LAN Internet Connections

10 2

AirPort Wireless Connection

10 5

Troubleshooting Your Connection

107

Communications Regulation Information

Index 113

Contents

Getting Started

Congratulations on purchasing your new highperformance Power Mac G5 computer. This chapter contains instructions for setting up your computer and display.

Your Power Mac G5 features the latest computer technology, including an advanced 64-bit processor, high-speed memory, an AGP 8X Pro graphics card for stunning visuals, and Serial ATA internal storage, all in an anodized aluminum chassis with easy access to internal components.

Positioning the Computer and Display

Pick up the computer by both of its handles using correct lifting techniques. If your display is heavy, use correct lifting techniques when positioning it as well. Position the computer and display so that:

They are on sturdy, flat surfaces

The power cable connectors don’t press against a wall or other object

The airflow in front of, behind, or below the display or computer is not obstructed

The computer’s optical drive tray has space to open in front

Warning:

position with the side panel in place. The computer does not operate properly when it is placed on its side or when the side panel is removed.

The only way to shut off power completely to your computer and display is to disconnect their power plugs from the power source. Make sure the power cords for your computer and display are within easy reach so that you can unplug the computer or display when you need to.

Apple recommends that you operate your Power Mac G5 in an upright

Setting Up

Your Power Mac G5 is designed so you can set it up quickly and start using it right away.

Remove any protective film from the outside of your computer and from the inside of the side panel. For instructions about opening the side panel, see “Opening the Computer” on page 44.

Plug the power cord firmly and completely into the recessed power cord socket on the back of the computer and plug the other end into a grounded outlet or power strip.

Power cord socket

Power cord plug

6 Chapter 1

Getting Started

Connect your display cables according to the following illustration. Depending on your display, you may have one or more cables to connect. Check the instructions that came with the display for further setup information.

Display ports

USB port

FireWire 400 port

Display cable

You can connect two displays to the video card in your computer.

DVI display ports

If your graphics card has two DVI ports, you can also connect displays with an Apple Display Connector (ADC), a video graphics array (VGA) connector, or connect a video device using one of the following display adapters:

To connect a VGA display, use a DVI to VGA adapter (supplied with your computer) to connect the display to the DVI port.

To connect an ADC display, use a DVI to ADC adapter (not included) to connect the display to the DVI port.

To connect a television, VCR, or other video device, use a DVI to Video adapter (not included) to connect the device to the DVI port (see “Connecting a Television, VCR, or Other Video Device” on page 25).

For more information about connecting a display, see the guidelines in Chapter 2, “Using Your Computer.”

Chapter 1

Getting Started

To access the Internet or a network, connect your computer to a DSL or cable modem, or to an Ethernet network. If you have a modem, connect your modem to an analog phone line.

Ethernet port

Modem port

8 Chapter 1

Getting Started

Connect the keyboard cable to one of the USB ports (d

) on the computer or on your

display. Plug the mouse cable into a USB port on the keyboard.

Plug the mouse into either USB port located on the back of the keyboard.

Keyboard Mouse

You may see several strips of clear plastic film on the inside of the side panel (used to protect the side panel during shipment). Open the side panel and remove the film.

Note:

If the keyboard cable is not long enough to reach a USB port on your computer,

you can use the keyboard extension cable that came with your computer.

Apple keyboard extension cable

Turn on your computer by pressing the power button (®

) on the front. With some Apple displays, you can also turn on the computer using the display’s power button. If your display must be turned on separately, turn it on by pressing its power button.

Using a Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

If you purchased an Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse with your Power Mac G5, connect the Bluetooth antenna that came with your computer to the Bluetooth antenna port (◊ that came with the keyboard and mouse to set them up with your computer.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

) on the back of your Power Mac G5. Follow the instructions

Adjusting Your Display

To adjust the settings for your display, choose Apple ( Displays.

For information about troubleshooting your display, see “Problems With Your Display” on page 74. For information about maintaining your display, see “Maintaining Your Display” on page 88. Additional information about using your display is available in Mac Help.

) > System Preferences and click

Need Help?

If you don’t see anything on your screen or you think your computer did not start up properly, check these items:

Is the computer plugged into a power source? If it is plugged into a power strip, is the power strip turned on?

Is the power cord securely plugged into the back of the computer?

Are the keyboard and display cables connected correctly?

Is the display turned on? Are the brightness and contrast controls on the display adjusted correctly? If your display has brightness and contrast controls, adjust them.

Restart your computer. Press and hold the computer’s power button for approximately 5 seconds until the computer turns off. Press it again to turn the computer on.

If you see a blinking question mark on the screen or see a series of flashes from the status light when you turn on the computer, see Chapter 4, “Troubleshooting,” on page 71.

10 Chapter 1

Getting Started

What’s Next?

You’ve done everything you need to get your Power Mac G5 up and running. The first time you turn on your computer, the Setup Assistant starts. The Setup Assistant helps you enter your Internet and email information and set up an account on your computer. If you have another Mac, the Setup Assistant can also help you transfer files, applications, and other information from your old Mac to your new Power Mac G5.

Transferring Information to Your Power Mac G5

You can use the Setup Assistant to automatically transfer information from another Mac to your new Power Mac G5. To transfer information, make sure of the following:

Your other Mac must have built-in FireWire and support FireWire Disk Mode.

Your other Mac must have Mac OS X v10.1 or later installed.

You must have a FireWire cable to connect the two computers.

The Setup Assistant takes you through the process of transferring your information— just follow the onscreen instructions. Transferring information to your Power Mac G5 does not affect the information on your other Mac. You can transfer:

Â User accounts, including preferences and email Â Network settings, so your new computer is automatically set up to work with

the same network settings as your other Mac

Â The Applications folder, so that all of the applications you used on your other Mac

are now on your new Power Mac G5 (you may have to reinstall some of the applications you transfer)

Â Files and folders stored on your hard disk

If you don’t use the Setup Assistant to transfer information when you first start up your Power Mac G5, you can do it later using the Migration Assistant. Open the Applications folder, open Utilities, and double-click the Migration Assistant icon.

Note: If you transfer information later using the Migration Assistant, make sure File Vault is turned off on the older computer. To turn off File Vault, choose Apple () > System Preferences, click Security, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Setting Up Your Power Mac G5 for the Internet

If you didn’t transfer your user account and network settings information, the Setup Assistant takes you through the process of configuring your computer and setting it up for the Internet. For home users, Internet access requires an account with an Internet service provider (ISP). Fees may apply. If you have an Internet account, see Appendix C, “Connecting to the Internet,” on page 91 for information you’ll need to enter.

What to Do When You Have Finished Working

When you have finished working with your Power Mac G5, you can put your computer to sleep or shut it down.

Putting Your Power Mac G5 to Sleep

If you will be away from your Power Mac G5 for only a short time, put the computer to sleep. When the computer is in sleep, the display’s screen is dark. You can quickly wake the computer from sleep and bypass the startup process.

To put the computer to sleep quickly, do one of the following:

Â Choose Apple () > Sleep. Â Press the power button on the front of your Power Mac G5. Â Choose Apple () > System Preferences, click Energy Saver, and set a sleep timer.

To wake your computer from sleep, do one of the following:

Â Press any key on the keyboard. Â Click the mouse.

For more information on sleep, see “Putting the Computer to Sleep to Save Energy” on page 40.

12 Chapter 1 Getting Started

Shutting Down Your Power Mac G5

If you will not use your Power Mac G5 for a day or two, you should turn it off.

To turn off your computer:

m Choose Apple () > Shut Down.

Warning: Do not turn off the computer by turning off the switch on a power strip or

by pulling out the computer’s power plug (unless you can’t turn off the computer any other way). Your files or system software could be damaged if your computer is not shut down properly.

Warning: Shut down your Power Mac G5 before moving it. Moving your computer

while the hard disk is spinning can damage the hard disk, causing loss of data or the inability to start up from the hard disk.

Chapter 1 Getting Started 13

Getting to Know Your Computer

Optical drive

Status light

Power button

Headphone jackf

FireWire 400 port

USB 2.0 port

14 Chapter 1 Getting Started

Optical drive

Your computer has a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive or a DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. Each drive can read CD-ROM discs, photo CDs, standard audio discs, and other kinds of media. The Combo drive can also read DVD discs and DVD movies and can write music, documents, and other digital files to CD-R and CD-RW discs. In addition to those files, the SuperDrive can also read and write to DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD+R Double Layer (DL) discs.

To open the optical drive, press the Media Eject (

Status light

A white light indicates that the computer is on; a pulsing light indicates the computer is in sleep.

Power button

Press this button to turn on your Power Mac G5, put it to sleep, or wake it from sleep. To restart your computer, press and hold this button for approximately 5 seconds until the computer turns off, then press it again to turn the computer on.

With some Apple displays, you can also touch or press the display’s power button to turn the computer on or put it to sleep.

FireWire 400 port

Connect your Macintosh to FireWire devices, including an iPod, digital videocameras, and hard disk drives. FireWire provides high-speed data transfer for them all. The FireWire 400 port supports data rates of 100, 200, and 400 megabits per second (Mbps).

Headphone jack

Connect headphones to your Macintosh through the headphone jack. When a plug is inserted into the headphone jack, the built-in speaker is muted.

USB 2.0 port

Connect your Macintosh to USB devices, such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, speakers, USB microphones, and USB hubs. Your display may also have USB ports.

C) key on your Apple Keyboard.

Chapter 1 Getting Started 15

Ports and Connectors—Expanding Your Computer’s Capabilities

Latch Access covers for PCI

DVI display port

AirPort antenna port

Bluetooth antenna port

USB 2.0 ports (2)

FireWire 400 port

FireWire 800 port

Power socket

expansion slots

DVI display port

Optical digital audio out port

Optical digital audio in port

Audio line-out port

√

Audio line-in port

Ethernet port

Internal modem port

(on some models)

16 Chapter 1 Getting Started

Latch

Lift the latch to open the side panel and access the internal components in your Power Mac G5. You can also attach a security lock to the latch to secure the internal components.

DVI display port

Connect displays that use a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector. You can connect displays that use a video graphics array (VGA) connector with the DVI to VGA Adapter that came with your computer.

AirPort Extreme antenna port

Connect the AirPort Extreme antenna to this port if your Macintosh has an optional AirPort Extreme Card installed.

Bluetooth antenna port

◊

Connect the small cylindrical Bluetooth has an optional Bluetooth module installed.

USB 2.0 ports

Connect your Macintosh to USB devices, such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, speakers, USB microphones, and USB hubs. Your Apple Keyboard and your display may also have USB ports.

FireWire 400 and 800 ports

The FireWire 400 port supports data rates of 100, 200, and 400 Mbps. The FireWire 800 port supports data rates of 100, 200, 400, and 800 Mbps.

Power socket

Connect the computer’s power cord.

Access covers for PCI expansion slots (3)

Expand your Macintosh by installing up to three Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) cards in the covered slots labeled 2, 3, and 4.

Optical digital audio out port

Connect your Macintosh to a receiver or other digital audio devices.

Optical digital audio in port

Connect your Macintosh to digital audio devices, such as CD players and minidisc players.

Analog audio line-out port

Connect self-powered MP3, CD, and other audio equipment to your Macintosh.

Analog audio line-in port

Connect self-powered microphones and other audio equipment to your Macintosh.

10/100/1000 twisted-pair Ethernet port

Connect your Macintosh to a high-speed Ethernet network to access the Internet or network resources such as printers and servers, and share information over the network.

Internal modem port

Connect a standard phone line if your Macintosh has an optional internal 56K V.92 modem.

antenna that came with your computer if your Power Mac G5

Chapter 1 Getting Started 17

Inside Your Power Mac G5—Your Computer’s Internal Expansion Options

Top hard disk drive bayOptical drive

Battery

AirPort Extreme Card connector

DDR SDRAM slots

(either 4 or 8 slots, depending on model)

Bottom hard disk drive bay

Slots 2–4: PCI or PCI-X slots

(depending on model)

Slot 1: AGP 8X Pro slot

(graphics card installed)

18 Chapter 1 Getting Started

Optical drive

Your computer comes with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive or a DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. For information about the optical drive, see “Using Your Optical Drive” on page 31.

Battery

Your computer uses a battery that you rarely need to replace. If your computer has trouble starting up, or the system date and time are frequently incorrect, you may need to replace the battery. For more information, see “Replacing the Battery” on page 69.

AirPort Extreme Card connector

Connect an AirPort Extreme Card, which allows your computer to communicate with a network wirelessly. For more information, see “Installing an AirPort Extreme Card” on page 68.

DDR SDRAM slots

Depending upon the model, your computer has 4 or 8 DDR SDRAM slots. You can add additional memory by inserting DDR SDRAM DIMMs in pairs in the memory slots. For more information, see “Installing Memory” on page 49.

Hard disk drive bays

Your computer comes with a hard disk drive installed in the top hard disk drive bay. You can install an additional hard disk drive in the bottom hard disk drive bay. You can have up to two Serial ATA drives in the computer. For more information, see “Installing Internal Storage Devices” on page 56.

PCI or PCI-X slots

Depending upon the model, your computer has PCI or PCI-X expansion slots, for a total of three slots. You can install PCI cards in slots 2 through 4 to expand your computer’s capabilities. For more information, see “Installing a PCI Expansion Card or Replacing the AGP Card” on page 64.

AGP 8X Pro slot

Connect your display through the card in the advanced graphics port (AGP) 8X Pro slot, which provides accelerated graphics processing power. For more information, see “Connecting Displays, Televisions, and Video Devices” on page 23 or “Installing a PCI Expansion Card or Replacing the AGP Card” on page 64.

Chapter 1 Getting Started 19

Additional Information

If you would like additional information, see the following:

To learn about... See...

Shutting down your computer or putting it to sleep

Using a specific hardware feature of your Power Mac G5

Installing additional drives, memory, and cards, or changing the battery

Troubleshooting your computer if you have a problem

Installing Mac OS 9 to use Mac OS 9 applications with your computer

Connecting your computer to the Internet

“What to Do When You Have Finished Working” on page 12.

Chapter 2, “Using Your Computer,” on page 21.

Chapter 3, “Working Inside Your Computer,” on page 43.

Chapter 4, “Troubleshooting,” on page 71.

“Installing Mac OS 9” on page 77.

Appendix C, “Connecting to the Internet,” on page 91.

20 Chapter 1 Getting Started

2 Using Your Computer

This chapter provides instructions for using the important features of your Power Mac G5 computer, including your keyboard, mouse, FireWire, USB, audio, Bluetooth wireless technology, and networking.

Explanations are provided for:

Â “Using Your Apple Keyboard” on page 22 Â “Using Your Apple Mouse” on page 23 Â “Connecting Displays, Televisions, and Video Devices” on page 23 Â “Using Universal Serial Bus (USB)” on page 26 Â “Using FireWire” on page 28 Â “Using Audio Devices” on page 30 Â “Using Your Optical Drive” on page 31 Â “Using Your Modem” on page 36 Â “Connecting to an Ethernet Network” on page 34 Â “Using AirPort Wireless Networking” on page 36 Â “Using Bluetooth Wireless Technology” on page 38 Â “Transferring Information Between Two Macintosh Computers” on page 41

Using Your Apple Keyboard

Your Apple Keyboard comes with function keys preset for common tasks. Press the Media Eject (C) key to eject discs from the optical drive. Press the Volume Up or Volume Down keys to adjust the sound level or press the Mute key to turn sound on or off. Use the Brightness Up and Brightness Down keys to adjust the level of brightness on an Apple display.

Media Eject key

—

Mute key

Volume Up key

Volume Down key

Brightness Up key

Brightness Down key

Function keys

Note: Press the F12 key on a non-Apple keyboard to eject optical discs.

The Apple Keyboard has two Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 ports. You can plug your mouse cable or other USB devices in the USB ports at the back of the keyboard.

If you purchased an Apple Wireless Keyboard with your Power Mac G5, connect the Bluetooth antenna that came with your computer to the Bluetooth antenna port on the back of your computer. Follow the instructions that came with your keyboard for more information.

USB ports

Keyboard cable

For More Information About Your Keyboard

Additional information about your keyboard is available in Mac Help. Choose Help > Mac Help and search for “keyboard.”

22 Chapter 2 Using Your Computer

Using Your Apple Mouse

Your Apple Mouse uses optical tracking. To position the pointer using your mouse, move the mouse over any suitable surface such as your desktop, mouse pad, or other textured surface. (Some smooth, glassy surfaces provide less pointer control than others.) To click an object, press down once on the mouse body until you feel a click. To double-click an item, press down twice in quick succession.

If you run out of room and want to keep the mouse clicked while you lift it, click the mouse, then squeeze the sides with your thumb and fingers as you lift.

Note: If you purchased an Apple Wireless Mouse with your Power Mac G5, connect the Bluetooth antenna that came with your computer to the Bluetooth antenna port on the back of your computer. Follow the instructions that came with your mouse for more information.

For More Information About Your Mouse

Additional information about your mouse is available in Mac Help. Choose Help > Mac Help and search for “mouse.”

Connecting Displays, Televisions, and Video Devices

You can connect two displays to your graphics card and use both displays at the same time. When a second display is connected, you can either have the same image appear on both displays (known as mirroring) or use the second display to extend the size of the Mac OS X desktop (known as extended desktop mode). You need the appropriate cable for each display you want to connect.

To use multiple displays:

1 Turn off the displays and shut down your computer.

2 Connect the video cable from each display to the port on the graphics card.

3 Turn on the displays and start up your computer.

To adjust the displays, choose Apple () > System Preferences and click Displays. By default, your computer starts up in extended desktop mode. To work in mirroring mode, choose Apple () > System Preferences, click Displays, and choose Mirroring.

Chapter 2 Using Your Computer 23

Using the Ports on Your Graphics Card

The graphics cards used with the Power Mac G5 have unique ports with different capabilities. Use System Profiler to determine which graphics card is installed in your Power Mac G5.

To open System Profiler:

1 Choose Apple () > About This Mac.

2 Click More Info.

3 Select Graphics/Displays.

Use the guidelines in the table below to determine the type of ports on your graphics card.

Graphics card Port 2 Port 1

ATI Radeon 9600 single-link DVI single-link DVI

TV out

ATI Radeon 9650 dual-link DVI single-link DVI

TV out

NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL dual-link DVI

TV out

ATI Radeon X850 XT dual-link DVI

TV out

dual-link DVI TV out

ADC

DVI display ports

ADC display portDVI display port

You can connect a video device using the DVI to Video Adapter to ports with TV-out capability. For more information, see “Connecting a Television, VCR, or Other Video Device” on page 25.

24 Chapter 2 Using Your Computer

Connecting a Television, VCR, or Other Video Device

You can connect your Power Mac G5 to a television, VCR, projector, or other external video device using the DVI to Video Adapter. The DVI to Video Adapter is available from your Apple Authorized Reseller, an Apple retail store, or online from the Apple Store at www.apple.com/store.

To connect a video device:

1 Turn off the video device and shut down your computer.

2 Connect the DVI end of the DVI to Video Adapter to the DVI port that supports TV-out

on your Power Mac G5 graphics card (see the table on page 24).

3 Connect the other end of the adapter to the Composite (RCA) video port or the S-video

port on the TV, VCR, or projector.

4 Turn on the video device and start up your computer.

To adjust the image, choose Apple () > System Preferences and click Displays.

DVI display port

DVI to Video adapter

S-video out port

Composite video out port

For More Information on Displays

For information about connecting your display, see the setup instructions in Chapter 1, “Getting Started.”

Additional information on using and configuring an external display is available in Mac Help. Choose Help > Mac Help and search for “display.”

Chapter 2 Using Your Computer 25

Using Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Your Power Mac G5 comes with three USB 2.0 ports; one on the front and two on the back. Your Apple Keyboard also has two USB 1.1 ports. You can use USB ports to connect many types of external devices, including printers, scanners, digital cameras, microphones, game pads, joysticks, keyboards, mice, and storage devices. USB makes it easy to connect external equipment. In most cases, you can connect and disconnect a USB device while the computer is running. Once you connect the device, it is ready to use. You don’t need to restart your computer.

USB 2.0 ports

Using USB Devices

Apple has already included software to work with many USB devices. In most cases, you do not need to install the software that came with the device. When you connect a USB device, if your Power Mac G5 cannot find the correct software, you can either install the software that came with the device or contact the device manufacturer to locate, download, and install the correct software.

26 Chapter 2 Using Your Computer

Connecting Multiple USB Devices

If you want to connect more than three USB devices, you can purchase a USB hub. The USB hub connects to an open port on your computer and provides additional USB ports (usually four or seven).

Note: To use certain USB devices, you may need a powered USB hub.

USB hub

For More Information on USB

Additional information on USB is available in Mac Help. Choose Help > Mac Help and search for “USB.” You can also find information on the Apple USB website at www.apple.com/usb.

For information on USB devices available for your computer, go to the Macintosh Products Guide at www.apple.com/guide.

Chapter 2 Using Your Computer 27

Using FireWire

FireWire is a high-speed data transfer system that lets you easily connect and disconnect external devices—such as iPod, digital music players, digital video (DV) cameras, printers, scanners, and hard disk drives. You can connect and disconnect FireWire devices without restarting your computer. Your computer includes three external FireWire ports.

Â Two FireWire 400 ports, one on the front and one on the back, support a maximum

data rate of up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps).

Â One high-speed FireWire 800 port on the back supports a maximum data rate of up

to 800 megabits per second (Mbps).

FireWire 400 ports

FireWire 800 port

The FireWire 800 port on your Power Mac G5 transfers data from 800 Mbps FireWire devices much faster than was possible before. This port has a 9-pin connector, and is compatible with original FireWire devices with 6-pin or 4-pin connectors.

With an appropriate cable, the 9-pin port works seamlessly with all FireWire devices. Cables are available for connecting the 9-pin port to 4-pin, 6-pin, and 9-pin devices.

FireWire 400 (6-pin) FireWire 400 (4-pin) FireWire 800 (9-pin)

28 Chapter 2 Using Your Computer

Using FireWire Devices

With FireWire you can: Â Connect a FireWire digital videocamera and capture or transfer high-quality video

directly to or from your computer. Then use video-editing software such as iMovie to edit the video.

Â Connect an external FireWire hard disk drive to back up data or transfer files. A disk

drive with the FireWire icon appears on your desktop after you connect the hard disk drive to your Power Mac G5. Some FireWire hard disk drives get their power through the FireWire cable, so you don’t need to connect an external power supply.

Â If you have a problem with your computer that prevents you from starting up or you

want to transfer files, you can use FireWire to connect your Power Mac G5 to another computer so that your Power Mac G5 appears as an external hard disk on the other computer (a feature known as FireWire Target Disk Mode). See “FireWire Target Disk Mode,” next, for more information.

To use a FireWire device, connect the device to the computer and install any software that came with the device. Your computer automatically detects when you connect a new device.

To start up from a FireWire hard disk that has Mac OS X on it, choose Apple () > System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and select the FireWire hard disk.

If your FireWire hard disk doesn’t appear or can’t be selected, consult the FireWire hard disk vendor for updated software drivers.

To disconnect your FireWire hard disk safely, drag its icon to the Trash before disconnecting the FireWire cable.

FireWire Target Disk Mode

If you want to transfer files between your Power Mac G5 and another FireWireequipped computer, or you have a problem that prevents your computer from starting up, you can use FireWire Target Disk Mode to connect your Power Mac G5 to another computer.

Note: Your Power Mac G5 can operate in FireWire Target Disk Mode if the other computer is running any version of Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 with FireWire version 2.3.3 or later installed. Use System Profiler (located in Applications/Utilities) to check the version of FireWire installed. If the other computer has an older version, check for an update at the Apple Service & Support website at www.apple.com/support.

To connect your Power Mac G5 in FireWire Target Disk Mode:

1 Shut down your Power Mac G5.

2 Use a FireWire cable with the appropriate 6- or 9-pin connector on each end to

connect your computer to another FireWire-equipped computer.

Chapter 2 Using Your Computer 29

3 Start up your Power Mac G5 and immediately hold down the T key.

Your Power Mac G5 display shows the FireWire disk mode indicator, and the Power Mac G5 internal hard disk icon appears on the other computer’s desktop.

4 Drag the Power Mac G5 hard disk icon to the Trash on the other computer when you

have finished transferring files.

5 Press the power button on the Power Mac G5 to shut it down.

6 Disconnect the FireWire cable.

For More Information on FireWire

More information on FireWire is available on the Apple FireWire website at www.apple.com/firewire. You can also find information in Mac Help. Choose Help > Mac Help and search for “FireWire.” For information on the FireWire devices available for your computer, go to the Macintosh Products Guide at www.apple.com/guide.

Using Audio Devices

Your Power Mac G5 comes with comprehensive audio capabilities, including a headphone jack on the front and optical digital audio out, optical digital audio in, analog audio line-out, and analog audio line-in ports on the back.

Optical Digital Audio Ports

You can use a digital optical or Toslink cable to connect Digital Audio Tape (DAT) decks or CD players to the optical digital audio in port and input and mix your own music.

You can also connect an audio or AV receiver to the optical digital audio out port and set up a Power Mac G5–based home theater system.

AV receiver

To speakers or

other output

Optical digital

audio out port

Optical digital

audio in port

Optical digital cable

CD player or other digital source

30 Chapter 2 Using Your Computer

+ 90 hidden pages