Blue & White G3, keyboard stops working after random time, weird symptoms
Hello, people!
I recently got my hands around an old Power Macintosh G3, with no keyboard.
I managed to get a brand new USB keyboard working with it, but after some random amount of time (It has been as little as 5 minutes after boot, as much as 5 hours), the OS stops responding to the keyboard, any key, and it starts flashing the three keyboard LEDs, twice each time, at a set interval.
I could not isolate a cause to the problem, so at this point it isn't reproducible.
I am new to the Mac world, so I don't know if this is some kind of known issue. I couldn't find references on the Internet.
Mac Specs: G4 eMac 1.25 2 Gb RAM OS 10.4.11; G3 iMac 600 OS 10.3.9; G3 350, 80 Gb OS 10.3.9 & 40 Gb OS 9.2.2
[I have a similar setup/situation, seldom used these days.]
First, what OS are you using on the G3? They were issued originally with OS 8.5, but will cope with Panther (10.3.x), perhaps Tiger (10.4.x). If you're using OS 9, there are known issues with USB.
When you first started using the keyboard, were you prompted through the setup process, eg. "press the following keys ....."?
I am running OS 10.4 on the G3. According to Wikipedia[1], they can handle up to 10.4.11. I don't know if that information is reliable.
I got the computer with the software already installed, matter of fact I've never installed OS X before. Albeit extremely slow, it appears to be running correctly.
The first attempt I made to use a keyboard was with an adapter that turns one USB port in two PS/2. The computer would show the "Press the key to the right of your Shift" message but wouldn't recognize the keypress.
Then I tried with an USB keyboard and it was correctly recognized and installed. It began presenting those weird bugs maybe two days later. Which indeed reflects a time the problem usually takes to kick in.
As a matter of fact, I've been using it since morning and it hasn't failed yet.
Not all PC keyboards work real well with G3's. Go on eBay and find a Apple keyboard for an old Imac the color ones will work great. You can use like a Microsoft laser mouse.
Not all PC keyboards work real well with G3's. Go on eBay and find a Apple keyboard for an old Imac the color ones will work great. You can use like a Microsoft laser mouse.
I'll be sure to pass on the suggestion should I pass on the computer, but right now I am on a short budget, my main objective being getting the rig to work with the current setup.
However, the question about USB is answered. I use an old Apple ADB keyboard OR a common old USB cheap-as-chips Win type (I prefer them) OR a (horrible) Apple USB k/b, (the type with black keys, it came with my iMac), with my G3 b/w. The problem may be the keyboard, so the process of elimination is probably your best bet. Try as many different USB k/b's as you're able.
When you next have a/the keyboard connected, go to System Profiler > USB and see if it's being recognised by the OS.
Keyboards draw very little power from the USB port, so a powered hub is probably unnecessary, but direct connection, as Harry suggests, is best. I use powered hubs as a matter of course now, leaving two direct USB ports free for casual use (flash drive etc).
Last edited by hughvane; 11-08-2009 at 04:24 PM.
Reason: Added para.
Mac Specs: 13 inch alMacBook 2GHz 2GB, 1.25GHz G4 eMac
That happened with the dynex keyboard I got at best buy when the eMac was running 10.4.11... also in 10.5.8 when I upped the OS. I got my old Apple Keyboard to work again though... problem avoided.
