Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsHeadlinesRSS
14,000 hints and counting!


Click here to return to the 'Why the reboot loop' hint
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Why the reboot loop
Authored by: jms1 on Aug 31, '05 01:15:31PM

When the machine starts up, the boot code (in the OpenFirmware) looks at the keyboard and looks for certain combinations. If it sees Cmd, Opt, P, and R all pressed, it jumps to a routine which (1) resets the PRAM, (2) plays the three tones, and (3) resets the machine.

After the reset, the same boot code scans the keyboard again. If the same keys are still down, guess what- the same three-step routine runs again.

Which means that if you don't release the keys, YOU cause a loop- and since one of the steps is a total reset of the machine, there is no way for the machine to detect it as a loop.

I don't see anything confusing about this, or what "doesn't hold water" about it.



[ Reply to This | # ]