I'm still using OS9 but last night I was playing around with OSX on my
eMac just to see what it was like. When I was finished, I accidentally set
the Startup Disk to a wrong version of OS9 that completely hung the
computer on startup. I hit the power key and rebooted, but the same thing
happened because of the Startup Disk setting.
I got out of it by rebooting and holding down the X key to get back into
OSX, then selected the right OS9 folder. But before I hit on that
solution, I was going to try using an emergency OS9 boot CD -- except that
I had no way to open the CD tray because the screen was dead and so was
the keyboard.
This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you can
stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the eMac.
Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the computer is
frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject button?

--
dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca

In article <dotlyc-1008031229220001[at]10.0.1.2>, dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca
wrote:

> This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you
> can stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the
> eMac. Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the
> computer is frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject
> button?

I think that if you hold down the mouse key while booting, the CD tray
will open.

--
Never play strip tarot.

In article <BB5C3C69.26D85%jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk>, JayOxO
<jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca at dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> > This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> > manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you can
> > stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the eMac.
> > Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the computer is
> > frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject button?
>
>
> Restart your emac, as it restarts click and hold the mouse down, the CD tray
> will pop open. If you can't restart in the normal way, press the power
> button for a few seconds, the eMac will shut down, wait about 15
> seconds,then press the power button to startup the Mac, then click and hold
> the mouse.
>
> John

Thanks for this information. I'll add it to my list of magic
troubleshooting keys and buttons. It's hard to keep track of them all.

--
dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca

In article <dotlyc-1008031532580001[at]10.0.1.2>, dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca
wrote:

> In article <BB5C3C69.26D85%jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk>, JayOxO
> <jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca at dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca wrote:
> >
> > > This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> > > manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you can
> > > stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the eMac.
> > > Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the computer is
> > > frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject button?
> >
> >
> > Restart your emac, as it restarts click and hold the mouse down, the CD tray
> > will pop open. If you can't restart in the normal way, press the power
> > button for a few seconds, the eMac will shut down, wait about 15
> > seconds,then press the power button to startup the Mac, then click and hold
> > the mouse.
> >
> > John
>
> Thanks for this information. I'll add it to my list of magic
> troubleshooting keys and buttons. It's hard to keep track of them all.

Someone's already done it for you!

http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html

it's quite comprehensive.

--
DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...

In article <news-407786.15275910082003[at]news.tdl.com>, "Michael Vilain
<vilain[at]spamcop.net>" wrote:

> > Thanks for this information. I'll add it to my list of magic
> > troubleshooting keys and buttons. It's hard to keep track of them all.
>
> Someone's already done it for you!
>
> http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html
>
> it's quite comprehensive.

Bless you. I've been meaning to collect all this information and
print out a hard copy so it will be available when the computer is down
but I've never gotten around to it. This will save me some work.

--
dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca

In article <news-407786.15275910082003[at]news.tdl.com>, Michael Vilain
<vilain[at]spamcop.net> wrote:

> In article <dotlyc-1008031532580001[at]10.0.1.2>, dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca
> wrote:
>
> > In article <BB5C3C69.26D85%jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk>, JayOxO
> > <jayoxo[at]blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > > dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca at dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca wrote:
> > >
> > > > This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> > > > manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you can
> > > > stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the eMac.
> > > > Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the computer is
> > > > frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject button?
> > >
> > >
> > > Restart your emac, as it restarts click and hold the mouse down, the CD
> > > tray
> > > will pop open. If you can't restart in the normal way, press the power
> > > button for a few seconds, the eMac will shut down, wait about 15
> > > seconds,then press the power button to startup the Mac, then click and
> > > hold
> > > the mouse.
> > >
> > > John
> >
> > Thanks for this information. I'll add it to my list of magic
> > troubleshooting keys and buttons. It's hard to keep track of them all.
>
> Someone's already done it for you!
>
> http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html
>
> it's quite comprehensive.

Very nice - thanks for posting this!

Cathy

--
"there's a dance or two in the old dame yet." - mehitabel

C.Stevenson, M.D.
cats1921[at]sonic.net

>> This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
>> manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you
>> can stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the
>> eMac.

It's hard to find, but it's there! Flip down the white CD tray cover
with your fingernail. You'll see it below the CD tray, about an inch to
the right of centre.

But unless your computer's power is off, you won't have to use the
paperclip hole. Another inch to the right of the hole is another
powered eject button. You have to shove a pencil in there to press it.
Your computer just has to be on for this button to work, freeze or no
freeze. It even works if you find yourself without a keyboard or mouse.
:-)

Gavin

In article <w9VZa.6899$Rm1.6585[at]edtnps84>, nospam[at]spam.sucks.it (Gavin) wrote:

> >> This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> >> manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you
> >> can stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the
> >> eMac.
>
> It's hard to find, but it's there! Flip down the white CD tray cover
> with your fingernail. You'll see it below the CD tray, about an inch to
> the right of centre.
>
> But unless your computer's power is off, you won't have to use the
> paperclip hole. Another inch to the right of the hole is another
> powered eject button. You have to shove a pencil in there to press it.
> Your computer just has to be on for this button to work, freeze or no
> freeze. It even works if you find yourself without a keyboard or mouse.
> :-)

Wow, you're right! Learn something new every day. I guess they didn't
want to rumple the smooth lines of the eMac. But they sure make you work
for it.
Thanks for this tidbit.

--
dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca

"Michelle Steiner" <michelle[at]michelle.org> wrote in message
news:michelle-B0F6BE.11473610082003[at]news.west.cox.net...
> In article <dotlyc-1008031229220001[at]10.0.1.2>, dotlyc[at]sympatico.ca
> wrote:
>
> > This got me thinking -- *is* there any way to open the eMac CD tray
> > manually? On the iBook, I think there's a little pin-hole that you
> > can stick a paperclip into, but I can't see anything like that on the
> > eMac. Does this mean I could not boot from an emergency CD if the
> > computer is frozen and I can't get access to any kind of eject
> > button?
>
> I think that if you hold down the mouse key while booting, the CD tray
> will open.
>

Hey Michelle!

It may depend on the machine. I have one source that says holding down the
mouse button ejects the floppy disk.

http://www.jacsoft.co.nz/Mac_Keys.htm

Amanda - Save the Wild Eep! - http://www.wildeepfoundation.org/about.html