Power Computing PowerCenter PRO, PowerBase Low-Profile, PowerBase Minitower User Manual

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PowerCenter User’s Guide

™

Pro

Part number 6600-0034-01 Rev. number 970605

Power Computing Corporation



Under copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Power Computing. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement.

Power Computing Corporation 2400 South Interstate 35 Round Rock, Texas 78681-7903 U.S.A. (512) 388-6868

The Power Computing logo is a registered trademark, and PowerCenter is a trademark of Power Computing Corporation. Mac and the Mac OS logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective holders. Every effort has been made in this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Power Computing is not responsible for printing or clerical errors.

Warranty information about your PowerCenter™ Pro may be found beginning on page xix. Other legal notices are found in

Regulatory Information

page 115.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Support Information

For basic customer and technical support information, as well as product information and other news, visit our Web Site at:

http://www.powercc.com

Customers who purchased systems directly from Power Computing should use the numbers listed below to contact Power Computing for assistance (all times are United States Central Time).

Customers who did not purchase systems directly from Power Computing must contact the dealer they purchased their system from for assistance.

Sales

Customer Support

Technical Support

To place or check on an order you haven’t received yet

If you have a question about an order you have received

For help with a technical question

M – F 8 AM to 10 PM Sat 9 AM to 6 PM Sun 10 AM to 6 PM

M – F 8 AM to 6 PM Sat 10 AM to 4 PM Sun 10 AM to 6 PM

M – F 8 AM to 8 PM Sat 10 AM to 4 PM Sun 10 AM to 4 PM

1-800-999-7279

1-800-671-6227

1-800-708-6227

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

iii

A word from the Power Computing team

Dear New Power Computing Owner, Thank you for choosing an award winning Mac OS system from Power

Computing. As the ﬁrst and only vendor of we appreciate your support. Our goal is to provide you with the best product available.

Power Computing was chosen by Apple as the ﬁrst licensed manufacturer of Mac OS systems. We created our company with the focus on providing customers with more choice, better service, and more affordable systems.

Our top priority is you. We offer toll-free lifetime technical support and an inexpensive optional on-site warranty plan, which provides service at your location. We would love to hear from you. Call us with any questions, or just to let us know how you like the system. Our customer service number is 1-800-671-6227; our e-mail address is, info@powercc.com.

personalized

Mac OS computers

We hope this is the beginning of a long relationship between us. We look forward to your continued support. Enjoy your new Power Computer.

Sincerely,

Steve Kahng Chairman and CEO

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Table of Contents

A word from the Power Computing team ........................................ v

PowerCenter™ Pro Overview ........................................................ xiii

Minitower system front view ..............................................................xiv

Minitower system rear view .................................................................xv

Low-Profile system front view ............................................................xvi

Low-Profile system rear view .............................................................xvii

Return, Support, Warranty, Satisfaction Guarantee,

and License Information ................................................................ xix

RETURN POLICIES ...........................................................................xix

Support information ........................................................................xxi

LIMITED WARRANTY ....................................................................xxiii

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE .................................... xxv

Apple Computer, Inc. System Software License Agreement ........xxvii

Chapter 1 Getting Started

Finding a place for the computer and monitor .....................................1

Plugging in the computer ......................................................................2

Connecting the monitor ........................................................................3

Connecting the mouse and keyboard ...................................................8

Turning the computer on ....................................................................10

Problems starting up .........................................................................11

Shutting down the computer ..............................................................13

Chapter 2 Connecting Peripheral Devices

Using SCSI devices ...............................................................................16

Setting the SCSI ID ...........................................................................17

Ensuring proper termination ............................................................18

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vii

Connecting the device .....................................................................19

Installing software device drivers .....................................................21

Connecting a printer ...........................................................................21

Connecting input devices ....................................................................21

Connecting a modem or telecom adapter ...........................................21

Connecting to a network .....................................................................22

Connecting to a LocalTalk network .................................................22

Connecting to an Ethernet network ................................................22

Connecting to a Token Ring network ..............................................22

Using audio equipment .......................................................................23

Understanding the sound ports .......................................................23

Connecting an audio device .............................................................23

Connecting external speakers ..........................................................24

Connecting a microphone ...............................................................25

Playing audio CDs on a CD-ROM drive ...........................................26

Chapter 3 Getting Started With Mac OS

Running the Basics tutorial ..................................................................29

Using online help ................................................................................30

Shutting down the computer ..............................................................32

Sleep ..................................................................................................33

Additional information about Mac OS ................................................33

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Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

Common problems and solutions .......................................................35

Restarting the computer ...................................................................36

The monitor is dark after you turn on the computer ......................37

Flashing question mark on start-up .................................................37

A floppy disk icon with an X in it appears .......................................39

An icon with a sad face appears when you start up .........................39

A hard disk icon does not appear on the Mac OS desktop ..............40

You cannot read a floppy disk ..........................................................40

The mouse pointer does not move when you move the mouse .....41

No characters appear on the screen when you type ........................41

You see a dialog box with a bomb ...................................................42

You cannot launch a program or it quits unexpectedly ..................42

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Isolating system software issues ...........................................................43

Procedures involved in troubleshooting .............................................45

Starting up from the Power CD ........................................................46

Using Disk First Aid ..........................................................................47

Using Hard Disk Toolkit•PE to test and repair SCSI disks ............... 48

Using the System Software installer .................................................51

Rebuilding the desktop file ...............................................................55

Resetting (Zapping) the PRAM .........................................................56

Technical Support Contact Information .............................................56

Chapter 5 Installing PCI Expansion Cards

What you need to know about adding expansion cards .....................59

Required tools ...................................................................................60

Removing the cover .............................................................................60

How to remove the cover .................................................................61

Installing expansion cards ...................................................................66

How to install a PCI card ..................................................................66

Chapter 6 Adding Memory

Adding memory ...................................................................................71

Required tools ...................................................................................71

Removing the cover .............................................................................71

How to remove the cover .................................................................72

Removing and Installing RAM .............................................................77

What you need to know about adding RAM ...................................77

Prepare the computer .......................................................................79

Removing a DIMM ...........................................................................80

Inserting a DIMM .............................................................................81

If the new RAM doesn’t work ...........................................................82

Chapter 7 Installing Internal Drives

What you need to know about installing internal drives ...................85

Installation steps ...............................................................................85

Preparing the drive ...............................................................................86

Set the SCSI ID ..................................................................................87

Preparing a Minitower system ..........................................................90

Inserting a drive into a Minitower system .......................................94

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Install software drivers .......................................................................102

If the drive doesn’t work ....................................................................103

Appendix A Safety and Health Information

Safety instructions .............................................................................105

Health-related information about computer use ..............................105

Appendix B Technical Information

Specifications .....................................................................................107

RAM configurations ...........................................................................110

Video memory configurations ...........................................................110

Monitor resolution/color tables .....................................................111

Power requirements ...........................................................................111

Appendix C Regulatory Information

FCC Declaration of Conformity ........................................................115

Radio and television interference ...................................................115

DOC statement ..................................................................................116

CD-ROM drive ...................................................................................117

Lithium battery warning ....................................................................117

For use in European countries ...........................................................118

Hard Disk ToolKit•

Introduction 123

Additional Documentation ................................................................123

Maintaining Data Integrity ................................................................125

Installing and Removing Hard Disk ToolKit•

An Overview of Hard Disk ToolKit•

The Selector Window: Hard Disk ToolKit•PE’s Main Screen ............132

The Partition List Window ................................................................135

Using Hard Disk ToolKit•

Starting Hard Disk ToolKit•

Auto Initializing a Disk Device ..........................................................141

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Personal Edition

™ Reference Guide

127 131

139

...................................... 139

Formatting a Disk Device ...................................................................144

Viewing and Modifying a Device’s Partitioning Scheme ..................151

Updating a Device’s Driver ................................................................152

Testing a Device .................................................................................152

Compatibility Notes & Troubleshooting 155

Compatibility Notes ...........................................................................155

Troubleshooting .................................................................................156

CD-ROM ToolKit™ Reference Guide

Quick Start ..................................................................................... 167

Installing CD-ROM Toolkit ................................................................167

How To Use CD-ROM ToolKit ....................................................... 169

Overview ............................................................................................169

Opening CD-ROM ToolKit ................................................................170

Setting Up a CD-ROM Drive ..............................................................170

How To Use CDT Remote ............................................................. 179

Overview ............................................................................................179

Playing Audio Discs with CDT Remote .............................................182

Troubleshooting ............................................................................ 185

Overview ............................................................................................185

Troubleshooting Installation .............................................................185

Drive Setup: Suggested Settings ................................................. 187

Overview ............................................................................................187

Some Notes About Settings ................................................................188

Bitstream Typeface Library ...............................................195

Index ....................................................................................199

Registration Cards ..............................................................207

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

PowerCenter™ Pro Overview

PowerCenter Pro systems come in two different chassis types, a Minitower system and a Low-Proﬁle system.

Note:

between the two chassis types, only one chassis type will be shown. Where there is a signiﬁcant difference between the two chassis types, both will be shown.

PowerCenter Pro systems has a high-speed PowerPC 604e processor. PowerCenter Pro systems come with at least 16 MB of RAM, built-in video with 2 or 4 MB of video RAM, at least a 2 GB hard drive, a 16x CD-ROM player , a 1 MB level 2 cache, built-in Ethernet, and two SCSI buses. Detailed speciﬁcations for the PowerCenter Pro systems are found in Appendix B,

Technical Information,

Wherever there is no significant difference other than orientation

on page 107.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

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Minitower system front view

Here are the key features of the Minitower system from the front.

computer

CD-ROM drive

ﬂoppy disk drive

front panel power button

programmer’s

interrupt

button

monitor (not included)

reset button

keyboard

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PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

keyboard power key

mouse

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Minitower system rear view

Here are the key features of the system from the rear.

built-in Macintoshstandard video port

built-in VGA video port

115/230 volt switch

power input plug

g external

SCSI port

W modem port

[ printer port

G AAUI

Ethernet port

G 10Base-T

Ethernet port

V ADB port

X sound in port

- sound out port

PCI expansion slots

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Low-Proﬁle system front view

Here are the key features of the Low-Proﬁle system front panel.

ront panel

power button

monitor (not included)

ﬂoppy disk drive

computer

programmer’s interrupt button

reset button

keyboard

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PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

CD-ROM player

keyboard power key

mouse

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Low-Proﬁle system rear view

Here are the key components of the Low-Proﬁle system rear panel.

built-in Macintoshstandard video port

PCI expansion slots

- sound

out port

115/230 volt switch

power cord socket

built-in VGA video port

g external

SCSI port

W modem port

[ printer port

X sound

in port

V ADB port

G 10Base-T

Ethernet port

G AAUI

Ethernet port

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xvii

Return, Support, Warranty, Satisfaction Guarantee, and License Information

RETURN POLICIES

If you received equipment (“Hardware”) from Power Computing Corporation (“Power”) in a damaged shipping container or if your Hardware was otherwise damaged in shipment to you, please contact the shipper immediately. All Hardware and packaging were fully inspected prior to shipment from Power, and you must ﬁle a claim with the shipper for any damages that may occur in shipment. Retain all shipping materials. Contact Power's Customer Service Department if you need assistance with any such claims.

Customers who did not purchase systems directly from Power Computing must contact the dealer they purchased their system from for assistance.

Returns for refund

To return Hardware manufactured by Power Computing Corporation and purchased under Power's thirty-day money back guarantee, see the terms of the Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. You must contact Customer Service for a Return Merchandise Authorization (“RMA”) before returning the mer chandise. If you have already registered your Product for warranty purposes (see

Warranty registration

After your return request is received, Power's Customer Service will issue you an RMA number , along with shipping instructions for return of the Hardware. This number is valid for ten (10) days from the date of issuance. The Hardware

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

on page xxiii for details), processing will be simpliﬁed.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xix

must be received by Power on or before the tenth day after issuance of the RMA number. Returns will not be accepted without a valid RMA number written on the box.

Note:

A sample shipping label is included in the back of the manual.

Returns for repair

In order to return Hardware for warranty or non-warranty service, you must request an RMA by contacting Power's Technical Support or Customer Service Department.

CAUTION:

returning your Hardware to Power for repair, as Power may format your drive with a new disk image. Power is not responsible for any loss of data.

If Power ﬁnds defective components, materials or workmanship in your Hardware, Power will use reasonable efforts to repair or replace the Hardware. If the Hardware is under warranty, there shall be no charge to you for such repairs or replacement, and the Hardware will be returned to you using the same class of service for shipping. Otherwise, Power's standard charges for parts, labor, shipping and handling will apply.

You must back up all data stored on the Hardware before

Shipment of hardware to Power

For both types of returns, all Hardware should be returned in the original packaging material, accompanied by all original components as conﬁgured by Power Computing, and the Hardware must have the RMA number clearly written at least three (3) times on the outside of each box. You bear all costs and risks of loss in connection with shipping the Hardware back to Power Computing. We recommend that the package(s) be insured for the full purchase amount.

These policies are subject to change at the discretion of Power Computing, except that any changes in these policies will not apply to Hardware sold to customers prior to the effective date of any policy change. If you have any questions regarding these policies, please contact Power Computing Customer Service.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Dealers, Distributors, Leasing Companies, VARs, and other resellers of Power Hardware are not eligible for the Satisfaction Guarantee return and refund policies. Sales to those entities will be ﬁnal unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Power. Customers who did not purchase systems directly from Power Computing must contact the dealer they purchased their system from for assistance.

Support information

For basic customer and technical support information, as well as product information and other news, visit our Web Site at:

http://www.powercc.com

Direct or dealer support?

Customers who purchased systems directly from Power Computing should contact Power Computing for assistance. Customers who did not purchase systems directly from Power Computing must contact the dealer they purchased their system from for assistance.

Contacting Customer Service

To contact Power Customer Service call (800) 671-6227, fax (512) 388-6798, or e-mail you need resolved with respect to Power Computing. Be sure to include your order or quote number, serial number, and phone number with all correspondence.

Customer Service telephone hours are as follows (all times are United States Central Time).

Customer Service

custserv@powercc.com

If you have a question or a problem with an order you have received

and describe in detail any problems or issues

M – F 8 AM to 6 PM Sat 10 AM to 4 PM Sun 10 AM to 6 PM

1-800-671-6227

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xxi

Contacting Technical Support

To contact Power Technical Support call (800) 708-6227, fax (512) 388-6738, or e-mail are having with your Hardware.

support@powercc.com

and describe in detail the problem that you

For details on contacting Technical Support, see

Information

on page 56.

Technical Support Contact

Be sure to include your model number, serial number, date of purchase and phone number with all correspondence. We advise you to conﬁrm receipt of all fax or e-mail requests.

Technical Support telephone hours are as follows (all times are United States Central Time).

Technical Support

For help with a technical problem

M – F 8 AM to 9 PM Sat 10 AM to 4 PM Sun 10 AM to 4 PM

1-800-708-6227

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PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

LIMITED WARRANTY

One-year limited hardware warranty

Warranty registration

You should register your Product with Power by completing the Power

Registration Card

and mouse, and mail the completed card to Power. If you prefer, you can register your purchase on Power’s web site at register within 3 months from the date of purchase. Once you register your purchase, you will receive an on-site registration validation sticker and card for you to use to validate your limited warranty.

Power Computing Corporation (“Power”) warrants the computer hardware delivered to you by Power (“Hardware”) against defects in components, materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original purchase of the Hardware by the end user (proof of purchase required). If Power ﬁnds defective components, materials or workmanship in your Hardware, Power shall, at its option, either repair or replace the Hardware at no charge to you. Reconditioned parts may be used in repairing your machine. If Power is unable to repair or replace your Hardware within a reasonable time, your exclusive remedy shall be a refund of the purchase price of your Hardware upon its return to Power.

, enclosed in the accessory box along with the keyboard

www.powercc.com.

Owner

You should

Exclusions

The above warranty shall not apply to defects to Power Hardware resulting from improper or inadequate maintenance by you; software or interfacing supplied by you; unauthorized modiﬁcation, neglect, abuse or misuse of the Hardware, including without limitation operation of the Hardware in an environment other than an ordinary ofﬁce or home; or acts of God. Power makes no warranties with respect to the software and other accessories provided with the Hardware beyond those provided by the respective vendors of such items. Power shall not be liable for shipping damages.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xxiii

Obtaining warranty service

To obtain warranty service, you must return your Hardware, freight pre-paid, to a service facility authorized by Power in accordance with Power's thencurrent Return Policy. All Power Harware must be returned in original packaging material.

Warranty limitations and disclaimer of damages

POWER MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR ST ATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE REMEDIES PROVIDED FOR ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

POWER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY, PURSUANT TO THIS WARRANTY OR IN ANY OTHER WAY WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF THE HARDWARE, FOR ANY AMOUNTS REPRESENTING LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, DOWNTIME, LOSS OF GOOD WILL OR BUSINESS DAMAGE OR REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND/OR PROPERTY, OR ANY COSTS OF RECOVERING, REPROGRAMMING OR REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED ON OR USED WITH THE HARDWARE, OR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY, WHETHER RESULTING FROM BREACH OF WARRANTY OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

xxiv

This warranty gives you speciﬁc legal rights, and you may also have other rights that may vary from state to state. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or exclusions of implied warranties, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Note:

from Power Computing. Hardware purchased from a reseller, dealer, or retailer is handled by that reseller, dealer, or retailer. If you did not purchase your Hardware directly from Power Computing, contact whoever you purchased your Hardware from for their terms and follow their procedures.

The Customer Satisfaction Guarantee applies only to Hardware purchased

If you purchased your Hardware directly from Power Computing, within thirty (30) days of receipt of merchandise, you may contact Power Computing to arrange for the return of any computer system purchased from Power Computing (“Hardware”) for a full refund of the cost of the system if you are not entirely satisﬁed, as long as the following conditions are met:

1. Contact Power Computing Customer Service within 30 days of receipt of merchandise to obtain a Return Mer chandise Authorization (RMA) number, at (800) 671-6227. The merchandise must then be received by Power Computing on or before the tenth day after the RMA number is issued.

2. Repack and seal the Hardware and all documentation, software, accessories, registration cards and other materials originally supplied with the Hardware in the original packing material.

3. Make sure that the RMA number is visibly legible on the box in at least three places.

directly

4. Ship the Hardware to Power Computing at the address shown on the sample Merchandise Return Form shown at the back of this manual. Make sure the shipper does not cover the form. The Hardware must be received by Power Computing on or before the tenth day after the RMA number is issued.

5. You should pre-pay shipment, and assume all risks of loss or damage in connection with shipping the system back to Power Computing. We recommend that package(s) be insured for the full purchase amount.

6. Refunds or credits for Hardware returned under this guarantee will be made pursuant to Power Computing's Refund Policy in effect as of the date of sale of the Hardware. Refunds or credits will be issued only after the Hardware is veriﬁed by Power to be in “like-new” condition. Reductions in credit will result if Hardware is in “less-than-new” condition, or if any documentation,

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xxv

software, accessories and other materials originally supplied with the Hardware are not returned completely intact. Once approval is given for a refund or credit, processing will vary according to payment method. If the Hardware was paid for with a valid credit card, a credit will be applied to the same credit card account. If payment was made with a check, a refund check will be mailed to the customer. Other payment methods will involve appropriate refunds or credits according to Power's accounting department policies.

7. Hardware received with any shipping charges due or after the tenth day after issuance of the RMA number will be refused by Power Computing and returned to the sender. We will also return any Hardware that is not in “likenew” condition and accompanied by all documentation, software, accessories, registration cards and other materials originally supplied with the Hardware, as determined by Power. If any of these circumstances occur, eligibility for the thirty-day money back guarantee may no longer apply.

xxvi

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

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Apple Computer, Inc. System Software License Agreement

PLEASE READ THIS LICENSE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, PROMPTLY RETURN THE UNUSED SOFTWARE TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT AND YOUR MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED.

1. License.

The application, demonstration, system and other software accompanying this License, whether on disk, in read only memory, or on any other media (the “Apple Software”), the related documentation and fonts are licensed to you by Apple. You own the disk on which the Apple Software and fonts are recorded but Apple and/or Apple's Licensor(s) retain title to the Apple Software, related documentation and fonts. This License allows you to use the Apple Software and fonts on a single Apple computer and make one copy of the Apple Software and fonts in machine-readable form for backup purposes only. You must reproduce on such copy the Apple copyright notice and any other proprietary legends that were on the original copy of the Apple Software and fonts. You may use the Apple Software in a networked environment so long as each computer in such environment is the subject of a license for the Apple Software; however, you many not electronically transmit the Apple Software from one computer to another over a network. You may also transfer all your license rights in the Apple Software and fonts, the backup copy of the Apple Software and fonts, the related documentation and a copy of this License to another party, provided the other party reads and agrees to accept the terms and conditions of this License.

2. Restrictions.

The Apple Software contains copyrighted material, trade secrets and other proprietary material and in order to protect them you may not decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reduce the Apple Software to a human-perceivable form. You may not modify, network, rent, lease, loan, distribute or create derivative works based upon the Apple Software in whole or in part, except for the limited networking described above in Section 1. THIS APPLE SOFTWARE MAY NOT BE IMPORTED TO, USED IN, OR RE-EXPORTED FROM FRANCE OR ANY OF ITS COLONIES OR TERRITORIES.

3. Termination.

This License is effective until terminated. You may terminate this License at any time by destroying the Apple Software, related documentation and fonts and all copies thereof. This License will terminate immediately without notice from Apple if you fail to comply with any provision of this License. Upon termination you must de-

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

xxvii

stroy the Apple Software, related documentation and fonts and all copies thereof.

4. Export Law Assurances.

You agree and certify that neither the Apple Software nor any other technical data received from Apple, nor the direct product thereof, will be exported outside the United States except as authorized and as permitted by the laws and regulations of the United States. If the Apple Software has been rightfully obtained by you outside of the United States, you agree that you will not re-export the Apple Software nor any other technical data received from Apple, nor the direct product thereof, except as permitted by the laws and regulations of the United States and the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which you obtained the Apple Software.

5. Government End Users.

If you are acquiring the Apple Software and fonts on behalf of any unit or agency of the United States Government, the following provisions apply. The Government agrees:

(i) if the Apple Software and fonts are supplied to the Department of Defense (DOD), the Apple Software and fonts are classified as “Commercial Computer Software” and the Government is acquiring only “restricted rights” in the Apple Software, its documentation and fonts as that term is defined in Clause 252.227-7013(c)(1) of the DFARS; and

(ii) if the Apple Software and fonts are supplied to any unit or agency of the United States Government other than DOD, the Government's rights in the Apple Software, its documentation and fonts will be as defined in Clause 52.227-19(c)(2) of the FAR or, in the case of NASA, in Clause 18-52.227-86(d) of the NASA Supplement to the FAR.

6. Limited Warranty on Media.

Apple warrants the diskettes and/or compact disc on which the Apple Software and fonts are recorded to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as evidenced by a copy of the receipt. Apple's entire liability and your exclusive remedy will be replacement of the diskettes and/or compact disc not meeting Apple's limited warranty and which is returned to Apple or an Apple authorized representative with a copy of the receipt. Apple will have no responsibility to replace a disk/disc damaged by accident, abuse or misapplication. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THE DISKETTES AND/ OR COMPACT DISC, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO NINETY (90) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DELIVERY. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY BY JURISDICTION.

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For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

7. Disclaimer of Warranty on Apple Software.

You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Apple Software and fonts is at your sole risk. The Apple Software, related documentation and fonts are provided “AS IS” and without warranty of any kind and Apple and Apple's Licensor(s) (for the purposes of provisions 7 and 8, Apple and Apple's Licensor(s) shall be collectively referred to as “Apple”) EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. APPLE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE APPLE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE APPLE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE APPLE SOFTWARE AND THE FONTS WILL BE CORRECTED. FURTHERMORE, APPLE DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE APPLE SOFTWARE AND FONTS OR RELATED DOCUMENTATION IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, APPLE DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION OR GUARANTEE REGARDING THE AUTHENTICITY OR SECURITY OF ANY DIGITAL SIGNATURE GENERATED USING THE APPLE SOFTWARE, OR ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION THAT THE PERSON OR ENTITY THAT IS USING SUCH A DIGITAL SIGNATURE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY APPLE OR AN APPLE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY. SHOULD THE APPLE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT APPLE OR AN APPLE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

8. Limitation of Liability.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, SHALL APPLE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM THE USE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPROPER, WRONGFUL, OR FRAUDULENT USE OF THE DIGITAL SIGNATURES GENERATED USING THE APPLE SOFTWARE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLE SOFTWARE OR RELATED DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF APPLE OR AN APPLE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

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xxix

In no event shall Apple's total liability to you for all damages, losses, and causes of action (whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise) exceed the amount paid by you for the Apple Software and fonts.

9. Controlling Law and Severability.

This License shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of California, as applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within California between California residents. If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of this License, or portion thereof, to be unenforceable, that provision of the License shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible so as to effect the intent of the parties, and the remainder of this License shall continue in full force and effect.

10. Complete Agreement.

This License constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the use of the Apple Software, related documentation and fonts, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements, written or oral, regarding such subject matter. No amendment to or modification of this License will be binding unless in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Apple.

Note:

The Apple Software Registration Card is in the back of the manual.

xxx

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Chapter

Your computer has been designed for easy plug-and-play setup in four simple steps - if you are in need of technical assistance, after completing the setup process described in this chapter, please feel free to call Power Computing Technical Support at 1-800-708-6227.

■

Getting Started

Find a place for the computer and monitor Plug in the computer Plug in and connect the monitor Connect the mouse and keyboard

Finding a place for the computer and monitor

Think carefully about where to place your computer and monitor. Here are some suggestions to help you ﬁnd a good place:

■

Make sure there is a grounded, three-hole electrical outlet within a few feet.

■

Use a sturdy, level table or desk as a work surface. Make sure that you can position your monitor, keyboard, and mouse so that you can work comfortably. See Appendix A, detailed instructions.

■

You can place monitors up to 50 lbs. (23 kg) on top of the computer. If you have a heavier monitor, place the monitor directly on your work surface.

■

Leave a few inches of space around the computer and monitor for air to circulate.

Safety and Health Information,

on page 105 for

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Plugging in the computer

Set up and plug in the computer before connecting the monitor, keyboard, and other devices. Plugging in the computer ensures that it is grounded and protected from electrical damage. The key components for plugging in the computer are shown below.

WARNING!

To plug in the computer:

115/230 volt switch

power input socket

For your safety, the computer is equipped with a three-prong plug designed to be used with a grounded electrical outlet. If you do not have access to an appropriate outlet, have an electrician install one. Do not use your computer with a threeprong adapter in an ungrounded outlet.

CAUTION:

computer or the keyboard power switch until you have completed all of the setup instructions.

1. Place the computer in the location you have chosen.

Do not press the power switch on the front panel of the

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2. Set the 115/230 volt switch to the correct setting for your country.

Set the switch to 115 volts for the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Use the 230volt setting in most European countries.

3. Connect the socket end of the power cord to the power input socket on the back of the computer.

4. Connect the plug end of the power cord into a grounded, three-hole electrical outlet. If you have any expansion cards, follow the instructions in Chapter 5, to install them now.

Connecting the monitor

Your computer can be used with a wide variety of monitors. The basic system comes with built-in video circuitry and 2 MB of Video RAM.

A 4 MB VRAM video card is also available as an upgrade option from Power Computing. sizes, resolutions, and number of colors supported for both the 2 MB and 4 MB video cards.

Video memory conﬁgurations

Getting Started

Installing PCI Expansion Cards,

on page 110 lists the various monitor

on page 59

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Getting Started

The key components for connecting the monitor are shown below.

built-in Macintoshstandard video port

built-in VGA video port

■

The built-in Macintosh-standard monitor port allows you to connect a monitor with Macintosh-style connectors.

■

The built-in VGA monitor port allows you to connect a standard VGA or SVGA monitor and use PC-style connectors.

CAUTION:

Do not connect monitors to both built-in video ports simultaneously. The internal video card will support only one output type at a time.

Use the

Monitors and Sound

control panel or the Control Strip in Mac OS to control how the monitor is conﬁgured. See the Mac OS Guide (available through the Guide menu, marked with ) or the Mac OS documentation that came with your system for additional information about using the

and Sound

control panel and the Control Strip.

Monitors

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Getting Started

Connecting the monitor involves two steps: plugging in the monitor and connecting the monitor cable.

To plug in the monitor:

1. Place the monitor on the location you have chosen.

2. If necessary, connect the power cord to the monitor.

Some monitors have permanently attached power cords.

3. Plug the monitor power cable into a grounded, three-hole electrical

outlet.

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To connect the video cable:

1. If necessary, attach the video cable to the monitor.

2. Connect the video cable to the monitor port on the back of the

built-in Macintoshstandard video port

Some monitors have video cables permanently attached.

computer.

There are two types of built-in video port connectors on the back of your computer: Macintosh-standard and VGA.

built-in VGA video port

Connect your monitor to the appropriate port for your monitor. The onboard video automatically senses which port you are using.

CAUTION:

Do not connect monitors to both built-in video ports simultaneously. The internal video card will support only one output type at a time.

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Getting Started

• If you are using a monitor with a Macintosh-standard video connector, connect the monitor cable to the built-in Macintosh-standard port (the larger of the two connectors).

• If you are using a VGA monitor with a PC-style connector, connect the monitor cable to the built-in VGA port (the smaller of the two connectors).

• Be sure to tighten the monitor cable connector screws that secure the monitor cable connector to the computer’s video monitor connector.

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Connecting the mouse and keyboard

Once you have connected the monitor, you can connect the mouse and keyboard.

To connect the mouse and keyboard:

1. Plug the mouse cable into one of the ADB ports on the keyboard.

There is an ADB port at each end of the keyboard; use whichever one you prefer.

keyboard ADB ports

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Getting Started

2. Plug the keyboard cable into the ADB port (marked with V) on the back of the computer.

ADB port

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Turning the computer on

When the computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse are connected, you can turn the computer on.

To turn the computer on:

1. Turn on the monitor.

See the documentation that came with the monitor for the location of the power switch.

2. Turn the computer on by pressing the keyboard power key (marked with a triangle) on the upper right corner of the keyboard.

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When the computer ﬁnishes its start-up procedure, you should see the Mac OS desktop. If you see a blinking question mark, you need to install the system software on your hard disk (though a problem with the hard drive or a misconﬁgured SCSI chain can also cause a blinking question mark). See

T roubleshooting

not already described, see

When you need to shut your computer down, follow the instructions in

Shutting down the computer

Problems starting up

If you see a blank screen when you start up, check the following items to identify the source of the problem:

■

Are the computer and monitor plugged in? If they are plugged into a power strip, is it plugged in and turned on?

■

Are the computer and monitor turned on? The power button on the front of the computer should be lighted. Most monitors also have power lights which should also be on.

Getting Started

on page 35 for details. If you see a blank screen or anything

Problems starting up

on page 13.

on page 11.

■

Is the video cable securely connected to the monitor and computer? (If you need to reattach the cable, ﬁrst turn off the computer and monitor.)

■

Are the keyboard and mouse properly connected to the computer? (If you need to reconnect them, ﬁrst turn off the computer to avoid damage.)

■

Is the brightness control on the monitor turned too far down? Check the documentation that came with your monitor for instructions.

■

If the image on the monitor has a green or purple cast, or the display appears dark, then you may be using a monitor that requires support for Sync on Green. Older Mac OS computers used a process known as Sync on Green to produce proper video output. Most computers today do not support these types of monitors and instead support a standard called Composite Sync. You should consult with the manufacturer of your monitor to determine which type of monitor you have. Adapters are available from most monitor vendors that allow the use of older Sync on Green monitors on your new Power Computing computer.

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Press the reset button on the front of the computer ﬁrmly and release it.

reset button

If these steps do not resolve the problem, see Chapter 4, page 35 for additional help.

Troubleshooting,

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Shutting down the computer

When you are ﬁnished working with your computer, it is very important to shut it down correctly.

To shut down the computer

Getting Started

1. Choose

You are prompted to save any unsaved ﬁles before shutting down.

Sleep

2. Press the

A Shut Down dialog box is displayed.

Shut Down

power key

from the

on the keyboard.

Special

menu in Mac OS.

Choose the

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Shut Down

option by pressing the

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

return

key.

Getting Started

3. In the unlikely event that the system does not respond to mouse movement or the keyboard, see Chapter 4, Troubleshooting, on page

35.

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Connecting

Chapter

built-in Macintoshstandard video port

Peripheral Devices

Your computer has a number of ports for connecting peripheral devices such as printers, storage devices, audio equipment, network cabling, and modems.

See the ﬁgure below for the location of the ports. (In terms of port locations there is no signiﬁcant difference between the Minitower and Low-Proﬁle systems.

115/230 volt switch

power cord socket

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built-in VGA video port

g external

SCSI port

W modem

port

[ printer

port

G AAUI

Ethernet port

G 10Base-T

Ethernet port

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

V ADB

port

X sound

in port

- sound

out port

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Using SCSI devices

Your computer has two separate SCSI buses - a high-speed 20 MB per second UltraSCSI bus for internal high-speed devices like hard drives and RAID arrays, and a 5 MB per second bus primarily for internal devices such as the CD-ROM drive, removable cartridge devices such as Zip and Jaz drives, and external SCSI devices.

Y ou can connect up to seven devices on the 5 MB per second SCSI bus. The internal SCSI cable, attached to the internal UltraSCSI bus, supports a maximum of two internal hard drives in the Minitower enclosure and one internal hard drive on the Low Proﬁle enclosure.

External SCSI devices, such as scanners, hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and removable-catridge drives, can be connected to your computer using the 25pin standard SCSI connector on the rear of the computer. An external 50-pin SCSI port may be available on the back of your UltraSCSI PCI card. This connector supports wide SCSI devices. At this time, the use of the external UltraSCSI connector is not supported with the PowerCenter Pro computer. Using the external high-speed SCSI connector may lead to conﬂicts and performance issues with the internal drives.

Connecting a SCSI device involves four steps:

■

Setting the device’s SCSI ID

■

Ensuring proper termination

■

Connecting the device

■

Installing a software device driver (if one is required)

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Setting the SCSI ID

Each device in a SCSI chain requires a unique number called a SCSI ID, which the computer uses to identify the device. The computer itself is assigned SCSI ID 7 and the internal hard disk is assigned SCSI ID 0. Every other device you install must have a unique number from 1 to 6.

Drives provided by Power normally come with SCSI ID pre-set as follows; bus 1 is the high-speed 20 MB per second UltraSCSI bus and bus 0 is the 5 MB per second bus.

Bus SCSI ID Device

1 0 primary internal hard drive (terminated) 1 1 optional additional internal hard drive 0 3 CD-ROM drive (terminated)

Connecting Peripheral Devices

0 5 optional removable-cartridge drive

both 7 motherboard (self-terminated)

The way you assign SCSI IDs varies from device to device. On most external devices, the ID is displayed on the back of the device. You usually change it by pressing small buttons above or below the number display. For some external and most internal devices changing the ID requires setting switches or moving jumpers.

Changing the ID requires turning your computer and any connected external devices off. Refer to the documentation that came with the device for exact instructions on how to set your device’s SCSI ID.

The important thing to remember is that each device must have an ID that is unique within its bus. If there is an ID conﬂict, your computer and the SCSI devices connected to it will malfunction.

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

To determine what SCSI IDs have already been assigned to which devices, go to the disk and run display the Bus number (0 or 1), the SCSI ID, name, and other parameters of all of the SCSI devices on the bus (see example below).

The 20 MB per second UltraSCSI bus is Bus 1; the conventional 5 MB per second SCSI bus is Bus 0.

Hard Disk Toolkit™ PE

HDT Primer™ PE

folder in the

. HDT Primer will scan your SCSI buses and

Utilities

folder on your hard

Ensuring proper termination

For a SCSI chain to work properly, it must be terminated correctly. The basic rule about SCSI termination is simple: the device at the end of the chain must be

terminated

it reduces noise and increases reliability. Devices located between the computer and the end of the chain must be unterminated.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

. Active termination is recommended for external SCSI chains, as

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

Turn your computer and any connected external devices off before making any changes in termination. See the documentation that came with each device for information about how it is terminated.

■

On the internal SCSI buses, any devices you install should be unterminated because the computer's internal CD-ROM drive and hard drive are attached to the end of the SCSI chains and are terminated. All of the available internal connectors are in the middle of the chain.

■

On the external bus, you need to consider where the device is placed in the chain and whether it has an internal terminator. (Most SCSI devices use removable external terminators, but some older devices have built-in terminators that are difﬁcult to remove.)

■

If you have an internally terminated device, place it at the end of the chain and remove or disable external terminators from other devices in the chain.

■

If you have an internally terminated device, place it at the end of the chain and remove or disable external terminators from other devices in the chain.

■

If none of the devices are internally terminated, place an external terminator on the last device in the chain and on no other device.

Connecting the device

Connecting an external SCSI device

The SCSI port, marked with g, provides high-speed communication between the computer and devices such as hard disks, CD-ROM drives, scanners, printers, tape backup drives, and so on.

To connect a single SCSI device (or the ﬁrst device in a chain), you need a SCSI cable with a 25-pin connector on one end and a 50-pin connector on the other. For each additional cable, you need a cable with 50-pin connectors on both ends. The cables you use should be double-shielded and have

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

approximately 110-ohm impedance. Most SCSI problems are the result of lowgrade cables. Of the SCSI cables our engineers have tested, Apple and APS cables are recommended for consistent reliability.

Note:

independent power systems and must be turned on and off at the device; internal SCSI devices are powered by the computer and turn on and off when the computer does. Devices on the SCSI bus which are turned off can cause system errors.

External SCSI devices which are connected to the computer have

To connect an external SCSI device:

1. Shut down the computer and the SCSI device.

2. Make sure that the device has a unique SCSI ID from 0 to 6.

For details, see

3. Connect the device to the computer’s SCSI port or to the last device in the chain, using the appropriate cable.

4. Make sure that the last device in the chain is terminated.

Some devices require an external terminator, while others are internally terminated. Active termination is recommended for external SCSI chains, as it reduces noise and increases reliability.

Setting the SCSI ID

on page 17.

When you are ready to start up, turn on your SCSI devices before you turn on the computer. If you do not, your computer will not recognize the devices.

Connecting an internal SCSI device

You install internal SCSI devices in one of the computer’s internal storage bays. See Chapter 7, installing internal SCSI devices.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Installing Internal Drives

, on page 85 for instructions on

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Installing software device drivers

Some SCSI devices require special software called device drivers to operate with your computer. If a device driver is required, it is normally supplied with the device; if you are unsure whether one is required, contact the manufacturer of the device. Follow the installation instructions supplied by the manufacturer. If a device driver is not supplied, you can assume that the device does not need one.

Connecting a printer

Your computer has a port (marked with [). This port can be used for direct printer connections or for LocalTalk network printer connections.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

You can also connect a printer to the modem port (marked with the Ethernet ports (marked with Mac OS which port you are using. See the Mac OS Guide or the Mac OS manual which came with your system for information about the Chooser.

To connect the printer, follow the instructions that came with it.

). Use the Chooser program to tell the

Connecting input devices

Use the computer’s ADB port (marked with V) to connect input devices such as a mouse, trackball, graphics tablet, or bar-code reader. Depending on their power consumption, you can connect up to three input devices in a chain from the ADB port.

The total power used by all the ADB devices must not exceed 500 milliamperes (mA). Check the documentation that came with your ADB devices for information about their power consumption.

Connecting a modem or telecom adapter

Your computer is equipped with an enhanced telecommunications port (marked with GeoPort Telecom Adapter. The GeoPort Telecom Adapter offers advanced communications features not available with standard modems. It is available from authorized Apple dealers.

), which can be used with a standard modem or the Apple

) or one of

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

To connect a modem or GeoPort Adapter, follow the instructions that came with it.

Connecting to a network

Your computer has built-in support for two different networking systems — LocalTalk and Ethernet. Other networking systems are possible, but they require expansion cards.

Use the networking system. See the Mac OS Guide for information about using your computer on a network.

AppleTalk

TCP/IP

control panel in Mac OS to choose a

Connecting to a LocalTalk network

Use the computer’s printer port (marked with [) or modem port (marked with are available from several vendors. Follow the instructions that came with the connector and cabling.

) to connect to a LocalTalk network. LocalTalk connectors and cables

Connecting to an Ethernet network

The computer has two built-in ports (marked with G) for connecting to highspeed Ethernet networks. Using the appropriate AAUI adapter, you can connect to standard Ethernet wiring such as 10Base-T, thick coax, and thin coax. Adapters are available from several vendors. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for connecting the adapter. If you are connecting to a 10Base-T network, you can plug the network RJ45 connector into the 10Base-T port.

If both the AAUI and the 10Base-T connectors are connected, only the 10Base-T connection will be active.

Connecting to a Token Ring network

You can connect to a Token Ring network by installing an expansion card and appropriate networking software. Token Ring cards and software are available from several vendors.

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Using audio equipment

Using the sound in and sound out ports of your computer, you can record and play high-quality stereo audio. You can connect audio devices such as microphones, stereo equipment, and speakers. (You can also use an external or internal CD-ROM drive to play audio CDs. See

drive

on page 26 later in this section.)

Understanding the sound ports

Your computer has two sound ports—a sound output port (marked with -) and a sound input port (marked with devices.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Playing audio CDs on a CD-ROM

). Use these ports to connect audio

The sound ports accept a connector called a of connector used to connect headphones to a personal stereo. If an audio device has a different kind of connector, you can buy an adapter at an electronics store.

Connecting an audio device

To play or record sounds, connect an audio device to your computer.

■

If you want to use your computer to work with the sound produced by a device like a microphone, CD, or tape player, attach it to the sound input port.

■

If you want to use a device such as a tape recorder or external speakers to work with sound produced by the computer, attach it to the sound output port.

A device that can both record and play (such as a tape deck) can be connected to both the sound input and sound output ports. Select the

Microphone

control panel when connecting a record-and-play device.

selection in the Sound Input box in the

stereo mini-plug

Monitors and Sound

, the same kind

External

The following section gives general instructions for connecting an audio device. If you plan to connect a microphone or external speakers, read

Connecting a microphone

later in this section.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

on page 25 or

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Connecting external speakers

on page 24

Connecting Peripheral Devices

To connect an audio device:

1. Make sure that the device has a stereo mini-plug connector. Attach an adapter if necessary.

2. Shut down your computer and turn off the audio device.

3. Connect the audio cable to the device and to the appropriate sound port of the computer.

4. Turn on the computer and the device.

After starting up the computer, use the Mac OS control panel to select the device as the the Mac OS Guide for information about using the control panel.

Connecting external speakers

You can connect external, ampliﬁed speakers to your computer to take advantage of its high-quality, stereo sound output.

You need a cable with stereo mini-plugs on each end to connect the speakers. In some cases, you connect the cable to one of the speakers and then use speaker wire to connect the second speaker. In other cases, you use a Y -shaped, two-plug adapter on the end of the cable and attach one plug to each speaker. Refer to the instructions that came with the speakers for more information.

To connect external speakers:

1. Turn off the computer and the speakers.

2. Connect one end of the cable to the sound output port of the computer.

Monitors and Sound

Sound In or Sound Out source. See

Monitors and Sound

3. Connect the other end of the cable to the speakers.

If necessary, use a Y-shaped adapter.

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4. If necessary, connect the speakers with speaker wire.

5. Turn on the computer and speakers.

The sound output of the computer is heard through the speakers.

You can control the speaker volume in the Mac OS Monitors and Sound control panel or the Control Strip. In some cases, the speakers themselves may also have a volume control. See the Mac OS Guide for information about controlling the volume.

Connecting a microphone

You can connect a microphone to your computer via the sound input port. The microphone can be used for recording sounds or for issuing spoken commands to your computer.

The computer requires the Apple PlainTalk Microphone, pictured below. PlainTalk software is required for voice commands. PlainT alk microphones and software are available from authorized Apple dealers. Other line-level microphones can be used for sound recording.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

Playing audio CDs on a CD-ROM drive

You can use a CD-ROM drive to play audio CDs on your computer. The sound will be heard through the computer’ s built-in speaker (or through headphones or external speakers if you connect them appropriately).

Use audio CD software (such as AppleCD Audio Player , part of Mac OS) to play the CD. The volume control on the AppleCD Audio Player controls the output level of the CD-ROM player, and should normally be set at maximum volume.

CD Audio Player volume control

The CD-ROM output then may be routed from the CD-ROM player to any of several outputs. The volume you hear from the audio CD is controlled by one of several controls, depending on which output you are using, as shown in the following table.

Output Device Volume Control

Internal speaker CD-ROM Player front-panel

Headphones connector ( Computer rear panel

Sound Out port (

- )

f )

Monitors and Sound control panel Computer Speaker Volume control

CD-ROM drive front-panel volume control ( )

Monitors and Sound control panel Sound Out Level control

26 PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Connecting Peripheral Devices

To check or adjust the internal speaker or sound out settings, open the

Monitors and Sound control panel and select the Sound button at the top

of the dialog box, then view or adjust the appropriate control.

If you want to turn off the sound to the internal speaker, select the check box in the

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Computer Speaker Volume control.

Mute

Getting Started With Mac OS

Chapter

Your computer uses the Mac OS operating system, which offers a unique combination of power and ease of use. This chapter offers very basic instructions about how to use the built-in learning features of Mac OS. It also explains how to shut down your computer properly.

For detailed information about the Mac OS, refer to the Mac OS manual that came with your system.

Running the Basics tutorial

Mac OS includes a tutorial program called Mac™ OS Tutorial that shows you how to use the fundamental features of the software. If you are brand new to Mac OS, we suggest you complete the tutorial before you begin working with your computer.

In Mac OS, you use the mouse for tasks such as choosing menu commands or starting programs. When you move the mouse, the arrow on the screen, sometimes referred to as the direction. By placing the tip of the mouse pointer over an icon and clicking twice quickly (

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double-clicking

mouse pointer

cursor

), you can open a folder or launch a program.

PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

) moves in the same

(

the small

Getting Started With Mac OS

To run the Basics program:

1. In the Mac OS desktop, if your hard disk window is not already open, double-click the icon that represents your hard disk (located in the upper-right corner of the screen). Be careful to place the mouse pointer over the icon, not on the words below.

The hard disk icon “opens,” displaying a “window” containing the ﬁles and folders stored on the hard disk.

2. Double-click the folder called

The folder opens, displaying the

3. Double-click the

The program starts up, displaying an introductory screen.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the tutorial.

Using online help

Mac OS (and many applications that run under it) include an online help system with information about using the software. The help system for Mac OS is called Mac OS Guide and is available through the Guide menu (marked with ).

To use the Mac OS Guide:

1. Choose corner of the desktop) to make it the active application.

Finder

Mac™ OS Tutorial

Mac

™ OS

Mac™OS Tutorial Part 1

from the Application menu (in the upper-right

Tutorial Part 1

icon.

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Getting Started With Mac OS

2. Choose press

Mac OS Guide

-shift-?.

from the Guide menu (marked with ) or

The Mac OS Guide window appears.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to get the information you need.

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Getting Started With Mac OS

Shutting down the computer

When you are ﬁnished working with your computer, it is very important to shut it down correctly.

To shut down the computer:

1. Choose

You are prompted to save any unsaved ﬁles before shutting down.

SSSSlllleeeeeeeepp

2. Press the

A Shut Down dialog box is displayed.

Shut Down

power key

from the

on the keyboard.

Special

menu in Mac OS.

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Getting Started With Mac OS

3. Choose the Shut Down option by pressing the

CAUTION:

computer. If you do, unsaved or open documents may be lost and you may damage System ﬁles.

Note:

movement or the keyboard, see

Do not use the power button on the front panel to turn off the

In the unlikely event that the system does not respond to mouse

Restarting the computer

Sleep

If you choose the system enters energy-saving “sleep” mode. The monitor will dim if it is an energy-saving monitor , and the mouse will stop responding to movement. For information on how to use energy-saving functions, see the Mac OS Guide.

To wake the system up, press the keyboard power key.

Sleep

option in the Special menu or shutdown dialog, the

Additional information about Mac OS

return

on page 36.

key.

Energy Saver

For detailed information about the Mac OS, refer to the Mac OS manual that came with your system.

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PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Chapter

Troubleshooting

This chapter contains information on how to resolve some of the most common issues users see and strategies you can use to ﬁx them.

If you are unable to resolve an issue using these suggestions, visit our Web Site at:

http://www.powercc.com

for additional troubleshooting tips or contact Power Computing’s Technical Support Department. Power Computing Technical Support can be reached tollfree in the United States at Support, please be certain to follow the pre-contact instructions detailed in

Technical Support Contact Information

1-800-708-6227

on page 56.

. Before contacting Technical

Customers who did not purchase systems directly from Power Computing should contact the dealer they purchased their system from for assistance.

Common problems and solutions

As you use your computer you may occasionally encounter a problem. A high proportion of the problems you may encounter are described and dealt with in this section. For those problems, rather than go through a general troubleshooting procedure, we just list the problem along with a logicallyordered list of their most common solutions. If your problem is on this list, try the suggested solutions before you do anything else besides restarting your computer, which resolves a gratifying number of problems. Details on how to perform the procedures involved are found in

troubleshooting,

If your problem does not appear in the Common problems and solutions list, go to procedures described there does not resolve your problem, go to

Support Contact Information,

Isolating system software issues,

starting on page 45.

starting on page 43. If following the

starting on page 56.

Procedures involved in

Technical

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Troubleshooting

Restarting the computer

You can eliminate some common problems by restarting the computer, which clears the computer’s memory.

■

If the mouse is still working, choose error dialog box is displayed, it may have a Restart button.

■

If the mouse is not working, try holding down the x and control keys while pressing the keyboard power key. This key combination restarts the computer, but should only be used when you cannot use the Restart menu command.

Restart

from the Special menu. If an

power button

reset button

control key

keyboard power key

x key

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Troubleshooting

■

If you cannot restart the computer from Mac OS, use the Reset button on the front panel.

■

If the Reset button does not work, use the power button on the front panel to turn off the computer. Wait at least ten seconds before turning it back on. (You need to wait to give the hard disk time to spin down.)

The monitor is dark after you turn on the computer

Follow the suggestions under

Problems starting up

Flashing question mark on start-up

In order for your computer to start-up successfully, the computer must have a valid System Folder to start from. A ﬂashing question mark indicates that the computer is unable to locate a valid system folder on the hard disk or any other bootable device (i.e., a ﬂoppy disk, the CD-ROM, etc.). This is typically caused by lack of a bootable device, a device interfering in the boot-up process, or a corrupted System Folder.

1. VERIFY that all external SCSI devices such as hard drives and scanners are turned on and properly conﬁgured as detailed in

Hard Disk Toolkit•PE to test and repair SCSI disks,

One of the main causes of a ﬂashing question mark is a misconﬁgured SCSI chain.

2. REMOVE all external peripherals except the monitor, keyboard, and mouse from the computer.

Examples of peripheral devices include removable-media drives, network connections, scanners, and modems. One of these peripherals could be interfering in the start-up process. T ry booting the computer again with the external devices disconnected. If it boots with no issues, try reconnecting the external devices one-by-one until you ﬁnd the interfering device. V erify the device is conﬁgured correctly. If it is, contact the device’s manufacturer for assistance and conﬁguration information.

on page 11.

Using

starting on page 48.

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Troubleshooting

3. INSERT the Power Computing System Software CD.

This CD contains a System Folder and tools that can be used to resolve your issue. The computer should present the “Happy Macintosh” and begin starting-up. If the computer does not begin booting from the Power CD, contact Power Technical Support for assistance.

Tip:

that says,

the disk?

When the computer is finished booting up, you MAY see an error message

This disk is unreadable by this Macintosh. Do you want to initialize

Press

Cancel

. The expected volume disk will not appear on the desktop, but nothing will eject from the computer either. That’s okay. Just continue following these instructions.

4. TEST the hard disk with Disk First Aid.

For instructions on how to use Disk First Aid, see

Using Disk First Aid,

starting on page 47.

5. If Disk First Aid is unable to repair the hard disk, RE-INITIALIZE it using Hard Disk Toolkit as detailed in

test and repair SCSI disks,

starting on page 48.

Using Hard Disk Toolkit•PE to

Re-initializing the hard disk will erase all its contents. After re-initializing, re-install the system software as detailed in

installer,

CAUTION:

starting on page 51.

Re-initializing the hard disk will remove all data from it. Make

Using the System Software

certain you have backed-up your ﬁles prior to initializing the drive.

6. If Disk First Aid is able to repair the hard disk, but the computer still boots to a ﬂashing question mark, CLEAN INSTALL the system software as detailed in

Clean install,

starting on page 54.

The System Folder is likely to be missing an important ﬁle or a ﬁle in the folder may contain invalid data. Performing a clean install will disable the existing System Folder and install a new System Folder which should enable you to start up your computer from your hard drive.

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Troubleshooting

7. If the hard drive does not appear in the selection list in Disk First Aid, PROBE the SCSI bus using Hard Disk Toolkit•PE.

Verify that the hard disk is seen on the SCSI bus by the computer; most primary internal hard disks ship at ID 0. If the hard disk does not appear in the HDT Primer window, contact Power Technical Support.

Tip:

bus and SCSI ID for all of the devices on both buses. The UltraSCSI bus is Bus 1; the standard SCSI Bus is bus 0.

8. If after a clean installation or re-initialization the computer still only boots to a ﬂashing question mark, contact Power Technical Support for assistance.

The PowerCenter Pro has two SCSI buses. Hard Disk Toolkit•PE lists the

A ﬂoppy disk icon with an X in it appears

You inserted a non-start-up ﬂoppy disk during the start-up process. If you wait a few seconds, the computer will start up normally from the hard disk. Remember to insert ﬂoppy disks only after the start-up process is complete — when the Mac OS desktop is visible.

If the system does not start up, power down and restart holding the mouse button down until the ﬂoppy disk ejects. Then the system should start from the hard disk containing a valid system folder.

An icon with a sad face appears when you start up

This can indicate a problem with the system software or with the computer hardware.

■

Try starting up from the Power Computing Mac OS CD-ROM. If you can start up with a different disk, it means that there is a problem with your system software.

■

If the sad face icon continues to appear , contact Power Computing. There is most likely a problem with the computer hardware.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

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Troubleshooting

■

If you can start up from your Power Computing Mac OS CD-ROM, follow the steps under the previous section, page 37.

Flashing question mark on start-up

A hard disk icon does not appear on the Mac OS desktop

■

If the start-up hard disk is internal, restart your machine.

■

If the hard disk was recently installed, verify that all connections are ﬁrmly in place and that the drive (if it is a SCSI drive) has a unique SCSI ID.

■

If the hard disk is external, verify that it is connected and terminated properly, and that it has a unique SCSI ID. Make sure that there are no SCSI ID conﬂicts. See

■

If the disk is your start-up disk, start up your computer from Power Computing Mac OS CD-ROM. You can remove the internal drive from the startup sequence (and force your system to boot from the CD-ROM if you have it in place) by holding down the

(the you start up.

key is also called the command or

Using SCSI devices

on page 16 for information.

shift, option, x, and



key on some keyboards) when

delete

keys

Use the Hard Disk Toolkit PE utility on your CD-ROM drive to mount the hard drive; see

Use the Disk First Aid program to check and repair your disk. (See the Disk First Aid entry in the Mac OS Guide for instructions.) If repairing the disk does not solve the problem, reinstall the system software as described in

Using the System Software installer

Mounting the hard disk,

You cannot read a ﬂoppy disk

This can indicate a damaged disk or one that is not initialized.

■

If a ﬂoppy disk has never been used, it may not be initialized. See the Mac OS Guide for instructions on how to initialize disks.

■

If the disk is damaged, try using the Disk First Aid program to repair it. See the Mac OS Guide for instructions about using Disk First Aid.

starting on page 49 for details.

on page 51.

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Troubleshooting

The mouse pointer does not mo ve when y ou mo ve the mouse

This can indicate a system software problem, a problem with your mouse, or a problem with a program that you are running.

■

Turn off the computer by pressing the power button on the front panel and verify that the mouse and the keyboard are connected properly. See

Connecting the mouse and keyboard

■

Try using a different mouse or input device. If it works, there is a problem with the original mouse.

■

Try starting up from the Power Computing Mac OS CD-ROM. If the mouse works, there is a problem with the system software on your normal start-up disk. Reinstall the system software as described in

installer

■

If the problem continues, you may be using an incompatible program.

on page 51.

Verify that the applications, system extensions, and control panels on your computer are compatible with your system software.

on page 8 for information.

Using the System Software

No characters appear on the screen when you type

■

Use the mouse pointer to click in the window in which you want to type. This ensures that the program is active and that you have an insertion point for your text.

■

Shut down the computer and verify that the keyboard is connected properly. See

■

Try using the Key Caps utility, under the Apple menu, to test the functionality of the keyboard. Open the utility and type on the keyboard. As you press a key on the keyboard, the corresponding key symbol in Key Caps should darken.

■

Try using a different keyboard; turn off the computer before switching keyboards.

Connecting the mouse and keyboard

on page 8 for information.

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Troubleshooting

■

Try starting up from the Power Computing Mac OS CD-ROM. If the keyboard works, there is a problem with the system software on your normal start-up disk. Reinstall the system software as described in

System Software installer

on page 51.

You see a dialog box with a bomb

This indicates a software problem.

■ If there is a number in the dialog box, write it down for future reference.

Make note of what you were doing when the error occurred.

■ Restart the computer. See Restarting the computer on page 36 earlier in this

chapter.

■ Verify that the applications, system extensions, and control panels on your

computer are compatible with your system software. You may need to update some of your software.

Using the

■ Restart your computer without extensions. (To restart without extensions,

hold down the Shift key as you restart.) If your software works properly, you probably have an incompatible system extension or control panel. See the Mac OS Guide for information about using the Extensions Manager control panel to isolate the problem.

You cannot launch a program or it quits unexpectedly

This may indicate that there is not enough RAM for the program to run. A dialog box may appear, indicating insufﬁcient memory as the source of the problem.

■ Quit programs to free up memory , then launch the application you want to

use.

■ Restart the computer to clear memory. See Restarting the computer on

page 36, at the beginning of this chapter.

■ Use the Get Info window to allocate more memory to the program. See the

Mac OS Guide for information about Get Info.

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■ Rebuild the desktop by restarting and holding down the x and option

keys. Answer

Yes when the computer asks you if you want to rebuild the

desktop.

■ Turn on virtual memory to use some of the computer’s hard disk space as

memory. See the Mac OS Guide for information about turning on virtual memory.

■ Install additional RAM. See Adding memory on page 71 for information.

Isolating system software issues

If the problem you are trying to troubleshoot is not in the list of problems discussed in the preceding section, or if the procedures suggested there do not resolve your problem, you may need to use a general troubleshooting approach outlined in this section. Most of the issues you will encounter will be caused by incompatible or corrupted software.

Troubleshooting

In order to isolate the issue, it is necessary to use a process of elimination to ﬁnd the single element that is the source of your issue. The method presented here is a general one designed to demonstrate the way to approach troubleshooting your computer. Though variations may need to be made in this approach for speciﬁc situations, this process provides a general guideline you may follow to isolate most issues. If this process does not result in a solution to your problem, go to Technical Support Contact Information, starting on page 56.

1. REMOVE all peripherals from the back of the computer except the mouse, monitor, and keyboard.

Examples of peripheral devices include removable drives, network connections, scanners, and modems. It always easiest to test for conﬂicts caused by external devices ﬁrst. If, after removing your peripherals, your issue goes away, add back your peripherals one-at-a-time, restarting each time to verify whether or not the newly added peripheral is the source of your issue.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 43

Troubleshooting

2. Use the Extensions Manager to test the computer with Mac OS 7.6.x

3. If after setting the computer to “Mac OS 7.6.x Base” the issue does

Base extensions only.

The Extensions Manager is located in the Control Panels folder and can be accessed via the Apple menu. You can also access the Extensions Manager during startup by holding down the spacebar as the computer boots. You can use the Extensions Manager to test the computer with only the Apple system software, excluding all non-Apple extensions and control panels which may be causing conﬂicts. You can do this by selecting “Mac OS 7.6.x Base” from the Sets pull-down menu. Once you select “Mac OS 7.6.x Base” you will notice that the check marks next to several items in the Extensions Manager’ s extensions list disappear. A check mark next to an item indicates that the item is active. The items without checks marks are non-Apple system software and were disabled when you selected “Mac OS 7.6.x Base”.

not occur, it is most likely related to a conﬂicting or corrupted extension. Turn the disabled extensions on one-by-one, restarting the computer each time, and verifying that the extension you just added back is not the source of your issue.

If your issue returns after adding back an extension, disable that extension. Remove the suspect extension and try re-installing it to see if the copy on you hard drive is corrupted. If replacing the suspect extension with a fresh copy fails, contact the manufacturer of the extension to report your issue. They may have a newer version which resolves your issue.

4. TEST the issue when booted from the Power CD.

If the issue does not occur when booted from the CD your issue may be a corrupted System Folder. If it continues to occur, the application you are trying to use may be corrupted.

5. If the issue appears to be related to one application and does not occur in other applications, RE-INSTALL the failing application.

The application may be corrupted. Replacing the suspect application with a fresh copy may resolve you issue.

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Troubleshooting

6. If the issue seems related to a speciﬁc type of system software like printing software, CUSTOM RE-INSTALL that software as detailed in Custom install, starting on page 53.

7. If the issue seems to occur system-wide, regardless of the application you are using, or a re-installation of a suspect application did not ﬁx the issue, CLEAN INST ALL the system software as detailed in Clean install, starting on page 54.

The issue may be corruption of your core system software. Replacing this software with a fresh copy may resolve your issue.

8. If a clean installation of the system software is unsuccessful, REINITIALIZE the hard disk as detailed in Re-initializing the hard disk, starting on page 50.

The issue may be related to a low level software issue on the hard disk. Reinitializing the hard disk will remove all data from the hard drive eliminating possible corruption.

CAUTION: Re-initializing the hard disk will remove all data from it. Make certain you have backed-up your ﬁles prior to initializing the drive.

9. If you are still unable to resolve your issue, CONTACT Power Computing T echnical Support as detailed in Technical Support Contact Information, starting on page 56.

Procedures involved in troubleshooting

Rather than describe in detail how to perform each procedure in the troubleshooting process, we have consolidated the instructions for common procedures in this section. For example, if, in the process of troubleshooting a problem, you get to the point that you need to start up your system from the Power CD, just turn to those instructions and follow them.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 45

Troubleshooting

Starting up from the Power CD

In order to test the hard disk or reinstall system software, it is necessary to startup from the Power Computing System Software CD. There are two primary methods for booting from the Power CD:

Method 1 - The Startup Disk control panel

If the computer boots off the hard disk normally and mounts the Power CD on the desktop when it is inserted in the CD-ROM, you can boot from the Power CD using the Startup Disk control panel located in the Control Panels folder underneath the Apple menu.

When you open the Startup Disk control panel, you should see icons of all the volumes you have mounted on the desktop including the hard disk and the Power CD. The hard disk will most likely be highlighted.

1. SELECT the

2. CLOSE the

3. SELECT Tip: If the CD-ROM ejects upon restart, push it immediately back in. Otherwise,

the CD will not be present when the computer needs it for startup

Power CD icon by clicking on it one time.

Startup Disk control panel.

Restart from the Special menu.

Method 2 - The Startup Key sequence

If the computer is unable to boot, or the CD-ROM is unable to mount when you’re booted up from the hard drive, you will be unable to access the Startup Disk control panel. In these instances, you should use the startup key command sequence to boot-up from the Power CD. If you are testing issues related to your CD-ROM device, you may need to reactivate the CD-ROM Toolkit extension to access the device. To boot up from the Power CD:

1. Insert the Power Computing System Software CD into the CD-ROM player with the artwork side of the CD facing up.

46 PowerCenter User’s Guide For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Troubleshooting

2. HOLD down the x, Option, Shift, and Delete keys on the keyboard all at the same time.

The

x key is also called the command or  key on some keyboards.

Tip: There are keyboard, these keys are identical in function. For the purposes of starting up from the Power CD, it is always easier to hold down the the right-hand side of the keyboard. The Delete key is also on the right-hand side, but has no counterpart on the left. By holding all keys down on the right-hand side, only one hand is needed to hold all keys, freeing your other hand to use the mouse.

3. While continuing to hold these four keys, SELECT Special menu.

4. Continue holding the keys down. You will see a ﬂashing question mark, then a Happy Macintosh face. RELEASE the four keys. The computer should now boot from the Power CD.

Tip: When you use the Startup key sequence to boot from the Power CD, you will

notice that hard disk does not automatically show up on the desktop when the computer is ﬁnished booting. This is because the startup key sequence suppresses the hard disk at startup allowing the computer to start from the Power CD. (In order to test or repair the hard disk, you must ﬁrst mount it by following the instructions for mounting the hard disk as detailed in Mounting the hard disk, starting on page 49.)

x, Option, and Shift keys on both the left and right sides of the

x, Option, and Shift keys on

Restart from the

Using Disk First Aid

Disk First Aid can be used as a ﬁrst step to ﬁxing minor issues on most Macintosh storage volumes such as hard disks (SCSI and IDE) and removable cartridges. Disk First Aid can be found in the Apple Utilities folder by opening the Power CD, then opening the Utilities folder , and ﬁnally opening the Apple Utilities folder. Double-click on

When Disk First Aid is open you will see “Select volume(s) to verify” at the top of the Disk First Aid window . Underneath it you will see the icons of the Power CD, your hard disk, and any other volumes mounted on the system.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 47

Disk First Aid to launch it.

Troubleshooting

■ Select the volume you want to verify by clicking one time on its icon.

1. SELECT the device you wish to repair, then

Typically you will want to verify your hard disk, but you can verify any Macintosh (HFS) volume.

Disk First Aid will then test the selected volume for directory issues. If any issues are found, they will be displayed in the “Review instructions and results” ﬁeld in the Disk First Aid window. If no issues are found, Disk First Aid will report that, “The volume (your disk name) appears to be OK.”

If Disk First Aid does ﬁnd issues with this disk, you will see one of two responses:

A. “The volume (your volume) needs to be repaired.” – Disk First Aid has detected minor issues on your hard disk which it can repair for you. To repair the hard disk:

2. PRESS the First Aid window.

B. “Issues were found but Disk First Aid could not repair them.” – The issues found were too severe to be ﬁxed by Disk First Aid. If you own another disk repair program, you may try using it to repair the drive. If the second disk repair program is unsuccessful, or you do not have another disk repair program, re-initialize the drive using Hard Disk Toolkit•PE as detailed in Re-initializing the hard disk, starting on page 50.

Repair button in the lower-left-hand corner of the Disk

Using Hard Disk Toolkit•

Hard Disk T oolkit•PE is the formatting software Power Computing includes for formatting, initializing, and testing SCSI storage devices.

Although most devices can be formatted by Hard Disk Toolkit•PE, it does not support all devices. To verify that Hard Disk Toolkit•PE supports your SCSI device, consult the “Supported Devices” ﬁle accompanying HDT Primer in the Hard Disk Toolkit PE folder. The Hard Disk Toolkit PE folder is located in the Utilities folder on the Power CD.

to test and repair SCSI disks

48 PowerCenter User’s Guide For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Troubleshooting

This section includes explanation of only the most frequently used functions of Hard Disk Toolkit•PE. For more detailed information on how to use Hard Disk Toolkit•PE, consult the Hard Disk Toolkit documentation.

When HDT Primer is launched, you will be presented with a list of SCSI devices connected to your computer. Your hard disk will most likely be the device located at ID 0. The volume name will normally be that of your hard drive. However , if the hard drive has not been mounted yet, the volume name “N/A” will appear in its place.

Mounting the hard disk

If your hard disk icon does not appear on the desktop, you can use Hard Disk Toolkit•PE to make it appear by mounting it. To mount a hard disk:

1. SELECT the device you wish to mount, then

2. PRESS the

Mount button located at the top of the Hard Disk

Toolkit•PE main window.

Testing the hard disk

If a hard disk seems to be performing unreliably, you may use Hard Disk Toolkit•PE to test the physical integrity of the hard disk. This test goes a step further than Disk First Aid as it tests the actual medium rather than only testing the software structures on the medium.

To test a disk:

1. SELECT the device you wish to test, then

2. PRESS the Toolkit•PE main window.

■ If the drive passes, the drive is physically ﬁne, but may contain software

imperfections which could be the source of your issue. RE-INITIALIZING the hard disk should erase all software on the drive, removing the corruption.

Test button located at the top of the Hard Disk

■ If the drive fails, the actual hardware of the drive is most likely damaged,

Contact Power Computing Technical Support for further assistance.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 49

Troubleshooting

Re-initializing the hard disk

If the low level data on your hard disk becomes corrupted and cannot be repaired by Disk First Aid or another drive maintenance program, it may be necessary to remove all software from the hard drive to eliminate the data corruption. You can do this by re-initializing the hard disks. T o re-initialize the hard disk:

CAUTION: Re-initializing the hard disk will remove all data from it. Make certain you have backed-up your ﬁles prior to initializing the drive.

1. SELECT the device you wish to mount, then

2. CHOOSE the

You will be presented with a warning message which states, “The disk at ID x already has data on it. Initializing it will wipe out all existing data with no possibility of recovery.

3. PRESS the

A dialog box will appear which asks you to “Choose a partitioning method”.

4. Unless you wish to partition the drive into multiple volumes, select

Maximum Macintosh and press the OK button. To partition the

drive into multiple volumes see the Hard Disk Toolkit documentation.

Autoinitialize command from the Devices menu.

Continue button.

50 PowerCenter User’s Guide For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Using the System Software installer

The System Software installer can be used to refresh an old System Folder with a new copy of the system software. The installer allows for both “easy” and custom installs. Either of these install types can be used to update the existing System Folder or to create a whole new System Folder altogether. Please make

certain you are booted up from the Power CD as detailed in Starting up from the Power CD, starting on page 46 before performing any system software installations.

Launching the installer

1. OPEN the Power CD.

Troubleshooting

2. OPEN the

3. Double-click on the icon.

System Software Installers folder.

Power Computing Mac™ OS Install folder

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 51

Troubleshooting

4. When the installer is open you will be presented with a welcome screen followed immediately by the following screen listing the following four steps.

5. Follow the four Mac OS Install steps.

Click on the icon associated with each step to perform that operation. The steps will lead you through reading the readme ﬁle, updating your hard disk driver, choosing a disk for installation, and installing the system software.

When you click on the “Install the Software” icon, the install window will be displayed. That window contains a list of the software components available for installation, with an X in the box by each component which is to be installed. You can accept the options selected by the installation or change the options to be installed, and you choose to perform a clean install. Those options are described in the next three sections.

52 PowerCenter User’s Guide For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227

Troubleshooting

Easy install

In most cases, you will want to do an easy install when re-installing system software. This allows the computer to determine which components are appropriate for your computer and install them for you. The easy install is the default of the system software installer.

To perform an easy install from the Software Installation screen:

1. Review the list of software components to make sure they are the ones you want installed.

2. Click on the “Start” button in the lower right corner to install the software.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions for completing the system software installation.

Custom install

The system software installer also allows you to install speciﬁc categories or pieces of system software without having to re-install all the system software. For example, using the custom install option, you can re-install a general class of software such as Cyberdog or QuickDraw GX.

A custom install is most often used to replace a speciﬁc component of corrupted or missing software, or to add speciﬁc functionality to your system.

To perform a custom install from the Software Installation screen:

1. Select or deselect any of the components shown in the list labeled “Optional Software.”

2. When you have selected the software components you want, click on the “Start” button in the lower right corner to install the software.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions for completing the system software installation.

For Technical Support, Call 1-800-708-6227 PowerCenter User’s Guide 53

Troubleshooting

Clean install

A clean install of the system software disables the existing System Folder, renaming it “Previous System Folder”, and creates a fresh System Folder on the hard drive. A clean installation of the system software does not delete or erase any of the software on your hard drive. Performing a clean install should resolve Mac OS system software problems.

To perform a clean install from the Software Installation screen:

1. Select or deselect any of the components shown in the list labeled

2. Click on the “Options” button on the lower left side of the Software

“Optional Software.”

If you are doing a clean install, you must select “Mac OS 7.6” and “FWB CD-ROM Toolkit.”

Installation screen.

3. The options screen will present a dialog box with an option, “Create new System Folder.”

The options screen may also present a dialog box with an option “Check Destination Disk” if you want to check and repair the installation disk before installing the software.

4. Click on the “Create new System Folder.” box in the upper left corner of the dialog box.

If you have reason to suspect that there may be disk problems, click on the “Check Destination Disk” box if it is available.

5. Click on the “OK” button in the lower right corner of the dialog box.

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Troubleshooting

6. Follow the on-screen instructions for completing the system software installation.

After the clean installation, you will have a new System Folder containing only the licensed Apple system software, and a Previous System Folder which contains all your old system software. Because the new System Folder contains only Apple system software, non-Apple peripherals which require their own drivers will not function until the driver is reinstalled.

7. VERIFY that the issue has been solved. Do not add back non-Apple system software until you are certain that all your issues were ﬁxed by a clean install.

8. RE-INSTALL any non-Apple system software into the new system folder one item at time. After adding an item to the system folder, restart and verify that the issue does not return. If the issue does return, remove the software you just added and contact that software’s manufacturer.

9. Once all non-Apple system software has been reinstalled into the new System Folder, REMOVE the Previous System Folder from the hard drive by dragging it to the trash.

Rebuilding the desktop ﬁle

The desktop ﬁle is an invisible ﬁle on your hard disk which serves as both a table-of-contents and an index for all the data on your hard drive. If are experiencing issues with proper linking to aliases or with generic or incorrect icons appearing for your ﬁles, rebuilding the desktop may help resolve these issues.

To rebuild the desktop:

1. HOLD down the

2. SELECT restart from the Special menu while continuing to hold and Option.

3. CONTINUE holding

x and Option keys.

x and Option as the computer restarts.

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Troubleshooting

4. When the computer is ﬁnished starting-up you will see a dialog box which says, “Are you sure you want to rebuild the desktop?” PRESS “OK”.

Resetting (Zapping) the PRAM

Your computer maintains settings for the various peripherals connected to it, among other things, in the PRAM (parameter read-only memory). If the information in PRAM is not properly updated, your peripherals may not function properly. Mysterious peripheral issues can often be solved by resetting the PRAM and allowing it to re-build from scratch. The process to do this is known as zapping the PRAM. To zap the PRAM:

1. Shut down your computer.

You must perform a complete shutdown; selecting the

Special menu or pressing the Restart button is not sufﬁcient.

2. Press the Power key on your keyboard, and immediately press and HOLD down the simultaneously.

3. Continue holding these keys. You will hear a startup chime. After the chime, RELEASE the keys.

The PRAM should be reset. Some of your computer’s settings will be set to the factory default. For example, AppleTalk will be set to connect via the printer port instead of the Ethernet port. You may need to reset such preferences.

x, Option, ‘P’, and ‘R’ keys on the keyboard

Technical Support Contact Information

Our goal at Power Computing is to provide you with the most accurate technical support possible. Please collect the following information before calling. It will enable us to diagnose and resolve your issue as quickly and efﬁciently as possible.

Restart from the from

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Troubleshooting

■ Back Up and Save.

It is always a good idea to back up and save your information prior to calling Power’s technical support team.

■ Be in front of the computer when you call.

In some cases in depth troubleshooting may be required to identify the issue you are experiencing. The technician may request that you perform a series of troubleshooting steps in an effort to more accurately identify and resolve the issue. Having access to your computer while on the phone with the technician will help facilitate this process.

■ Know the versions of both the software and the MAC OS you are using.

There can be signiﬁcant differences between various versions of software, some of which will conﬂict with other speciﬁc versions of software. The more information of this type we have the easier it will be for us to resolve issues that may occur from their use. You can usually obtain the version number of the software you are using by clicking once on the programs application icon and selecting “Get Info” from the File menu.

■ Have your computer serial number available.

The serial number is located on a white sticker either on the back or bottom of the computer. This will help our technicians identify the conﬁguration of your system as well as your warranty information and will help them identify and resolve issues with your computer more easily.

■ Have your Power CD and disks for any other software which may be

involved easily available. In some cases it may be necessary to reinstall system software, or if you are

having a issue with a particular application, control panel or extension, it may be necessary to reinstall that piece of software. Having your CDs or disks available will help facilitate the troubleshooting process.

■ Have your invoice, this User’s Guide and the Mac OS manual available.

Throughout the troubleshooting process, the technician will point out relevant information in the manual that will enable you to resolve the issue should it occur again.

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Troubleshooting

■ Isolate your computer.

Thank you for calling

Our technicians are trained to assist you as quickly and efﬁciently as possible. Be assured when you call Power Technical Support that we will make every effort to assist you in resolving your issue and in answering any questions you may have.

Your technician may ask you to disconnect external devices, such as scanners and printers in an effort to isolate the issue to its true source. Isolating your computer prior to contacting Power Technical Support will help facilitate the resolution of the issue you are experiencing in a timely manner.

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Installing PCI Expansion Cards

Chapter

This chapter explains how to enhance the capabilities of your computer by adding PCI expansion cards.

Note:

differences in the chassis types are signiﬁcant both types will be illustrated; where there is no signiﬁcant difference, one chassis type will be illustrated.

What you need to know about adding expansion cards

You can install PCI cards on the PCI riser card which is plugged into the mother board on your computer. For example you can increase processing power, improve graphics and video performance, or add networking and communications capabilities. The PCI riser card allows you to install up to three standard PCI cards.

There are two chassis types, Minitower and Low-Profile. Where the

PCI riser card

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Before you install any expansion cards, be sure to follow these guidelines to protect your computer:

■

Do not remove factory-installed cards from inside the computer. Removing a card incorrectly can damage it and the computer. Contact technical support if you believe a factory-installed card requires repair or replacement.

■

The combined power consumption of the expansion cards you install must not exceed the limits of your computer. Refer to the documentation that came with your cards for their power consumption rating and to

requirements

on page 111 in this manual for the power consumption limit

for your computer.

■

Some cards may need to be installed by an authorized service provider. Refer to the documentation that came with the card.

Required tools

Power

■

A small regular (slot-head) screwdriver or a small coin

■

A small Phillips-head screwdriver

Removing the cover

Installing expansion cards requires that you remove the computer’s cover. The cover is designed for easy removal.

CAUTION:

Computing Corporation recommends that you have a certified technician install expansion cards. If you attempt to install cards yourself, any damage you may cause to your equipment will not be covered by the limited warranty on your computer. Please call technical support at 1-800-708-6227 for additional information about this or any other warranty question.

CAUTION:

card or other device that you are installing, put it on and ground it as directed by the device’s instructions before touching any components inside the computer.

If you are not proficient with electronic equipment, Power

If an anti-static grounding strap was supplied with the expansion

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CAUTION:

cover removed.

Never turn the computer on or operate the computer with the

How to remove the cover

1. Shut down the computer and turn off the monitor, but leave the computer plugged in to the electrical outlet.

Leaving the computer plugged in ensures that it is grounded.

2. If the monitor is on top of the computer, disconnect it if necessary, and set it aside.

Otherwise it’s going to be awkward to remove the computer cover.

3. Disconnect everything but the power cord from the back of the computer.

4. Rotate the computer so that its back panel faces you.

5. Remove the screws and cover as follows:

If you have a Minitower chassis

1. Remove the four large thumb screws from the rear of the computer cover.

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2. If the thumb screws are in too tight to remove by hand, use a small coin or a ﬂat-bladed screwdriver to loosen the screws.

thumb screws

cover

chassis

thumb screws

Put the thumb screws somewhere safe where you’ll be able to ﬁnd them when you’re ready to replace the cover.

3. Gently, but ﬁrmly, pull apart the bottom corners of the cover, pull the cover toward you slightly, lift it off and set it aside.

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4. Gently place it on its left (as viewed from the rear) side and rotate it so that the base faces you.

5. If you have a Minitower chassis, remove the four Phillips-head screws from the corners of the base and put them where you will be able to ﬁnd them later.

These Phillips-head screws are for the base only; don’t use the Phillips screws for the cover, or the thumb screws for the base.

base

Phillipshead screws

6. Remove the Minitower base and set it aside.

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If you have a Low-Proﬁle chassis

1. Remove the three large thumb screws from the rear of the computer cover and put them where you will be able to ﬁnd them when you’re ready to replace the cover.

thumb screws

One thumb screw is at the top of the cover to the left of center; the other two are on the sides. If necessary, use a small coin or a ﬂat-bladed screwdriver to loosen the screws.

2. Gently, but ﬁrmly, pull apart the bottom corners of the cover, pull the cover toward you slightly, lift it off and set it aside.

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CAUTION:

Before touching any components inside the computer, touch the metal plate over the hard disk drive to discharge any static electricity that might have built up on your clothes or body.

The system must be plugged in (see step 1 on page 61) for this to work.

metal plate hard disk

drive

To replace the cover, reverse the cover-removal steps and re-connect everything.

CAUTION:

Be careful not to get any cables caught in the cover or the fan housing when you put it back on the computer.

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Installing expansion cards

Follow the procedure below to install expansion cards.

How to install a PCI card

1. Remove the computer’s cover.

See

Removing the cover,

WARNING! Make sure the computer is powered down before removing the cover.

starting on page 60 for instructions.

CAUTION:

static electricity that might have built up on your clothes or body.

The system must be plugged in (see step 1 on page 61) for this to work

CAUTION:

metallic edges only.

2. Select an unoccupied slot on the riser card.

Touch the metal plate over the hard disk drive to discharge any

Use an anti-static grounding strap and handle cards by the non-

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3. Remove the metal slot cover from the back of the chassis for the slot

you want to use.

Remove the slot cover screw at the top of the slot cover and put it somewhere you will ﬁnd it later; then pull the slot cover toward you so that the tongue at the bottom of the cover slides out of the groove in the chassis.

groove

tongue

slot cover screw

slot cover

4. Remove the card from its static-proof bag.

Hold the card by its non-metallic edges and its metal bracket to avoid touching components or contacts on the board.

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5. Align the card over the slot.

Make sure that

slot

connector

tongue

• the

connector

the riser card

• the

slot cover

• the slot cover

groove

socket

on the bottom of the card lines up with the

on the card lines up with the

tongue

ﬁts into the

groove

slot

on the back panel

at the base of the slot.

socket

slot cover

slot cover screw

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6. Push the card into the slot until it is ﬁrmly seated.

Do not force the card. If you feel a lot of resistance, pull the card out, realign it, and insert it again.

• The tongue and screw hole on the slot cover should line up with the slot and the screw hole on the chassis.

• Replace and tighten the screw you removed from the slot cover.

7. If your system is a Minitower, replace the base.

8. Replace the computer cover, tighten the thumb screw(s), and reconnect everything.

CAUTION:

Be careful not to get any cables caught in the cover or the fan

housing when you put it back on the computer.

WARNING! To prevent electrical shock, always replace the cover before turning on

the computer.

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PowerCenter Pro User’s Guide

Power Computing PowerCenter PRO, PowerBase Low-Profile, PowerBase Minitower User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual