11-24-2007, 06:32 PM

Hi guys,
I can open it by pushing the button on the front of the plate but Apple advise against doing that and to use the keyboard shortcut instead. Sadly, my Macally keyboard doesn't have the "Eject" button.
I have tried to assign a Function key to do it but failed miserably. Here's what I did.....
I opened Apple Menu >> Control panels >> Keyboard and selected the function keys button. T%he F keys were all blank.
Then went over to the hard drive on the desktop and selected Applications so that I could then go to Apple extras >> Eject extras >> and so on to assign a F key.

The problem is that there is no Apple Extras folder and the only thing Finder found for "Eject" was the Spoken Alert so no actual application.
I'm running OS 9.2.1 but I have no actual disks. (Tiger is coming soon)
Any clues?
Cheers,
Steve

11-24-2007, 07:11 PM

Is there a multimedia program ie: dvd player or some such? this would normally have an eject built into it and allow you to trace where you might locate an alternative

11-24-2007, 07:18 PM

There's a DVD prog and I played with it for ages trying to get it to eject but I finally figured out that I don't actually want to eject a disk (There isn't a disk in there) which is what the eject button does, I guess. I just want to open the drive to put a disk IN.

11-24-2007, 08:49 PM

Try F12. I don't remember if that worked in OS9 or not.

11-24-2007, 08:58 PM

Baggss... F12 is the normal key to use but this Macally keyboard has no function keys allocated at all.

11-24-2007, 09:02 PM

My Macally has an eject button. What is the model on that keyboard?

I have an old Mac with OS 9.2.2 and will mess with it later and see what I come up with.

11-25-2007, 05:28 AM

There's no model number anywhere that I can see, just the Macally name and "iKey". It's a bluey/grey and clear plastic with numerical keys to the right and the Mac shut-down button.
In fact, it's exactly the same as eBay item # 140181144050 'cos that's mine, lol
Cheers,
Steve

11-25-2007, 05:43 AM

Strange. Mine looks like a carbon copy except it does not say iKey and on the top next to the power button is two rows of maybe 6 buttons. One is the eject. The keyboard is called the iMediaKey by Macally. There is a driver that installs to make the top keys work.

11-25-2007, 09:28 AM

Do what trav suggests.

I bought the MacAlly iCeKey keyboard for my old iMac G4 and I loved it: to have access to all the function keys, you had to install the driver otherwise the specialized keys would not work at all.

And to open the optical drive, wouldn't a restart while holding down the left mouse button work?

11-25-2007, 11:01 AM

I'm pretty sure on my old G3 imac holding down the mouse button only ejected the tray if there was a cd in it in the first place. But it's worth a try. And is there a button on the front of the tray itself? On my G3 there was and pressing it opened it, if it was empty.

I just remembered this.

Use the eject application found in the Eject Extras folder. The Eject Extras folder is located: Applications (Mac OS 9) -> Apple Extras -> Eject Extras. If I remember correctly.

I remember using it back in the old 9.2 days and it worked quite well. I think the app will be somewhere on your Hard drive. Just do a search for it. And if not a google search should be able to help find it.

11-25-2007, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Wabbit

Hi guys,
I can open it by pushing the button on the front of the plate but Apple advise against doing that and to use the keyboard shortcut instead.

Where? Assuming you're using the Blue & White G3 mentioned in your .sig, then the only supported method for opening the built-in drive was the front panel button.

The B&W G3 came out a few years before the keyboards with eject keys, and probably don't support it, especially under OS 9.

11-25-2007, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by technologist

Where? Assuming you're using the Blue & White G3 mentioned in your .sig, then the only supported method for opening the built-in drive was the front panel button.

The B&W G3 came out a few years before the keyboards with eject keys, and probably don't support it, especially under OS 9.

Agreed, I have never seen it even suggested not to use the button on the tray. That is what it was for. Same with the PowerMac G4's with a button. On the Macs without a button then you need to do something else.

Also if pushing that Tray button hurt anything, my G3 B&W and G4 Sawtooth would be Damaged long time ago because I have pressed that button to open the tray for years. Only time the button will not work is in the OS if there is a CD/DVD in the drive.

11-25-2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by Wabbit

...I can open it by pushing the button on the front of the plate but Apple advise against doing that...

I think he means the 'emergency eject pinhole' that you shove something like a paperclip into to open the dirve

11-25-2007, 08:31 PM

Hi again.
No, I actually meant the silver stick-out button on the front plate, not the paper clip thing. Maybe I have just read too much about Macs in the last few weeks and got confused about damage caused by using it too often. Besides, my Mac is hooked up to a 42" LCD TV so to press that button I have to get up and walk across the room, avoid tripping over the cat and walk back to my recliner, lol

11-25-2007, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Wabbit

Hi again.
No, I actually meant the silver stick-out button on the front plate, not the paper clip thing. Maybe I have just read too much about Macs in the last few weeks and got confused about damage caused by using it too often. Besides, my Mac is hooked up to a 42" LCD TV so to press that button I have to get up and walk across the room, avoid tripping over the cat and walk back to my recliner, lol

But you wouldn't be opening it unless you are putting something in or getting something out, so you would have to walk anyways, correct?