Cold booting my new 27" Quad-core iMac

[BDD888]

Have owned my iMac for a little over a month. Recently, I have to press the power button a 2nd time to power it up. I thought I might not have been pressing the button square on. Though I could have sworn from the beginning I was pressing the button the same way.

Once my iMac boots all is well. I can press the power button once to put it into sleep mode each and every time. Several times a day. Which is why I'm thinking it might be software related.

I can also then shut it down. Wait. Press again once to power it up. The 2 presses has only been happening first thing in the morning. Will see if this happens again tomorrow morning. Will make a more firm 1st press.

Asked around in another Mac forum and was told if this continues maybe I should reset the "PRAM and then SMC". What does that accomplish? Are there consequences I should be aware of? (e.g. loss of settings and data?).

Ideas?

 

[S.B.G]

Resetting the PRAM & SMC will not cause you to lose any information. It just resets some very basic computer functions.

Did you try holding the power button for just a few seconds until you hear the fans start up? That's what I do with mine, and I've never had to press it twice.

 

[BDD888]

Ok thanks. Good to know. And no I haven't tried holding the power button till I hear the fans. Will try that tomorrow morning. Assumed I could do a quick button press and let go. As I had before.

Why have you been doing this? Holding the power button till you hear the fans.

 

[S.B.G]

Ok thanks. Good to know. And no I haven't tried holding the power button till I hear the fans. Will try that tomorrow morning. Assumed I could do a quick button press and let go. As I had before.

Why have you been doing this? Holding the power button till you hear the fans.

Usually a quick press of the button doesn't fire it up, that's why I hold it for a second or two until I hear it. It's like that on both of my iMac's.

 

[BDD888]

Sandboxgeneral,

As I said. I never had to do that to power on my iMac when I first got it. Just assumed recently I wasn't pressing the button firmly enough. Never thought to hold the power button till I heard the fans.

Ended up leaving my iMac in sleep mode last night. This morning it was cool to the touch. Quick to wake which I liked. It's just that I usually shut everything down when I'm not there (e.g. overnight) and then again at the power bar. So that in case there is a storm and an surge it doesn't get to my iMac or home theatre gear (another room).

Do you use a surge protector? Higher the joules # the better I take it. Saw one APC surge protector rated at 3000. Mine is probably at under 400.

 

[S.B.G]

Sandboxgeneral,

As I said. I never had to do that to power on my iMac when I first got it. Just assumed recently I wasn't pressing the button firmly enough. Never thought to hold the power button till I heard the fans.

Ended up leaving my iMac in sleep mode last night. This morning it was cool to the touch. Quick to wake which I liked. It's just that I usually shut everything down when I'm not there (e.g. overnight) and then again at the power bar. So that in case there is a storm and an surge it doesn't get to my iMac or home theatre gear (another room).

Do you use a surge protector? Higher the joules # the better I take it. Saw one APC surge protector rated at 3000. Mine is probably at under 400.

Yes, I use an APC UPS for all my high dollar equipment and when I know a storm is coming or will be away for an extended period of time, I will physically unplug all of it from the wall to protect against lightning. Otherwise, my Mac's only go to sleep and I use the keyboard to wake them.

As for the power button, it doesn't seem like a huge issue, so if it were happening to mine, I wouldn't worry about it. If it becomes some type of problem, then I'd have Apple look at it.

 

[BDD888]

Till it becomes a major issue I'm not going to bother with it. Haven't tried resetting the PRAM or EFI. If that allows me to press once to power on my iMac then great. Right now I'm leaving my iMac in sleep mode. Unless there's a major storm coming. Then I'll completely shutdown the iMac. Turn off the APC power bar.

Will be buying a "high joule" rating and capable APC power bar. Saw some rated for 3400 joules. And by design they do stop any power overload from going past the surge protector.