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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5 System
Not sure how this one is to be classified, but while getting ready to boot my G3 PowerBook into Target Disk mode, I found something interesting. By connecting the PowerBook to the front of the G5 (the G5 is off) with a 6-pin FireWire cable, and then turning on the PowerBook, I was able to access and mount the two chained Firewire drives connected to the back panel of the G5. I guess the front and rear FireWire ports are somehow connected and still drawing power even when the G5 is "off."
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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5 | 7 comments | Create New Account
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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5
Authored by: representa on Jun 10, '05 11:57:36AM

I noticed something similar just a couple of days ago when I was booting an iMac G4 into target disk mode. My setup was iMac G4->Lacie d2 Hard drive (powered off, i.e. the blue light was off)->iMac G5. Even though the Lacie wasn't on (it was plugged in, however), the iMac G4 still showed up on the iMac G5 as an available volume after I booted it as a target disk. It would seem then that all firewire chipsets do this.



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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5
Authored by: smsm1 on Jun 10, '05 01:09:12PM

General case:
If any more than one port firewire device has enough power to allow data transfer like this, then it will. My G3 iMacs will do the same. If there is enough power on the FireWire bus, you can even use and EyeTV box as an extension.



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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5
Authored by: wiretrip on Jun 10, '05 02:45:50PM

Something has changed with the way FW remains powered even if the Mac is off or in sleep mode. My PowerMac G4 has no power with its FW when in sleep mode. My iPod will not even charge. However with my iMac G5 has power with its FW when in sleep mode. My iPod remains in charge mode. Anyway I find it more convenient that the FW remains powered.



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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5
Authored by: alblue on Jun 10, '05 06:11:41PM

This isn't really surprising. FireWire is a bus model, so anything plugged into the bus can talk to anything else on the bus.

Whilst obviously you won't be able to see the G5's drives, any powered-on drives *will* be seen by the firewire, since it's basically the same circuit.

It's as likely as being surprised that you can see another computer on a network if one plugged into your local hub happens to be turned off...

In an unrelated hint, if you boot the Mac into Target mode, you can not only see its hard drives, but also its CD/DVD roms that are mounted. Quite useful if you've only got one DVD drive but want to install Tiger onto a different Mac ...



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optical drive via target disk, not all machines
Authored by: saint.duo on Jun 10, '05 10:35:08PM

Not all machines' optical drives can be accessed via target disk mode.

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duo



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Allows to circumvent the DVD region codes
Authored by: hamarkus on Jun 12, '05 01:44:03PM

This seems to allow to circumvent the DVD region codes. A DVD inserted into a Powermac did not play because the region code was not set yet (and without an Admin password I could not set it), booted in Target disk mode the DVD drive did not ask for any region codes.



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Access FireWire drives connected to a shut-down G5
Authored by: xSmurf on Jun 10, '05 09:06:04PM

I have noted a similar behavior. I have two machines with an internal network using TCP over Firewire (TCPoFW). It's great it allows blazing fast transfers between the machines. One problem I've had is sometimes my iPod will mount on the wrong machine. Although I have never tested this with the machine in betwen turn off. This behavior seamed to have diminished as of Tiger. Although, it still happens from times to times...

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PM G4 DP 800 / 1.25gb / 120Gb+80Gb / CD/DVD±RW/RAM/DL
- The only APP Smurf



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