is there a way to turn the volume down? adjusting the volume doesn't seem to help, at least i don't think it does. i haven't played around with it too much
Adjusting the system volume *will* affect the startup chime. For example, if you hit the mute button before you shut down, the startup chime will be nonexistent. At least, that's how it works on my dual 500 G4.
Of course, it would seem that YMMV because there have been a small few reports of startup chimes disappearing altogether.
Here's what works on my Cube. Go into your startup disk and choose OS 9. Reboot into OS 9. Go into the Sound control panel and and adjust the Main Volume setting at the bottom of the control panel. This controls your startup chime in OS X.
I guess what is happening is that when the computer is booting it doesn't have the whole system available to it. When the startup chime happens, the computer is doing preliminary work and hasn't figured out yet whether it is going to boot into OS 9, OS X, or some other OS. So it just grabs the setting from a predetermined place, not necessarily OS X.
<strong>Here's what works on my Cube. Go into your startup disk and choose OS 9. Reboot into OS 9. Go into the Sound control panel and and adjust the Main Volume setting at the bottom of the control panel. This controls your startup chime in OS X.
I guess what is happening is that when the computer is booting it doesn't have the whole system available to it. When the startup chime happens, the computer is doing preliminary work and hasn't figured out yet whether it is going to boot into OS 9, OS X, or some other OS. So it just grabs the setting from a predetermined place, not necessarily OS X.
My thoughts exactly. I use a 20 foot extension cord and 1 foot volume control from Radio Shack to hook up my headphones/stereo. I have the volume control plugged into the front of the iMac and whenever I want to eliminate most of the sound i just push it in. Works like a charm.
Then again, you could delete OS 9 as a whole and I think it would look at the OS X prefs instead. Hmm.
I think the volume is in the PRAM. Whenever I reset the PRAM (command-option-p-r, right?) the volume (and chime) resets to about 50% no matter what OS I boot in to.
I think that the sound itself is built into the firmware. The PRAM holds information like the startup volume. On my iMac i have never noticed the system volume affecting the start up chime. Then again, if i want a silent startup i just turn the volume on the external speakers all the way down.
Back in the day (in OS 9) I wrote a couple of Applescripts that I put in startup items and shutdown items to set and mute the volume so as not to freak others in the house when I had to restart my Mac in the early hours. Don't see how you could do that in X without resort to *nix trickery.
The chime volume should follow the system volume. It works OK on my G4 QS but on my Pismo it seems to sometimes ignore the OS X setting. Could be a bug, could be I just need to reset the PRAM. Seems to work OK from OS 9.
Just to add my thoughts, on my 350MHz all-in-one iMac, turning the volume up or down does affect the startup volume. Turning the volume right down makes it chime quite loudly as it uses a medium volume I think, but pressing the mute button on my keyboard will stop it from chiming entirely. Dont know if this is of any use to anyone, but I felt like saing it anyway!
Comments
plug in the headphones.
Muting the sound in OS X does not affect the startup hardware at all. Putting the sound down to one doesn't either.
Havintg tghe sound go through the headphones is the only way to quietly start up the comluter. Without major surgery, that is./
Of course, it would seem that YMMV because there have been a small few reports of startup chimes disappearing altogether.
[ 05-16-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
I guess what is happening is that when the computer is booting it doesn't have the whole system available to it. When the startup chime happens, the computer is doing preliminary work and hasn't figured out yet whether it is going to boot into OS 9, OS X, or some other OS. So it just grabs the setting from a predetermined place, not necessarily OS X.
[ 05-19-2002: Message edited by: spindler ]</p>
<strong>Here's what works on my Cube. Go into your startup disk and choose OS 9. Reboot into OS 9. Go into the Sound control panel and and adjust the Main Volume setting at the bottom of the control panel. This controls your startup chime in OS X.
I guess what is happening is that when the computer is booting it doesn't have the whole system available to it. When the startup chime happens, the computer is doing preliminary work and hasn't figured out yet whether it is going to boot into OS 9, OS X, or some other OS. So it just grabs the setting from a predetermined place, not necessarily OS X.
[ 05-19-2002: Message edited by: spindler ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
My thoughts exactly. I use a 20 foot extension cord and 1 foot volume control from Radio Shack to hook up my headphones/stereo. I have the volume control plugged into the front of the iMac and whenever I want to eliminate most of the sound i just push it in. Works like a charm.
Then again, you could delete OS 9 as a whole and I think it would look at the OS X prefs instead. Hmm.