Mac Daniel's Advice

Hot Swap or Not?

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

OtherWorld Computing: Better than new Batteries for iPods NewerTech NuPower, up to 20+ Hours! Complete with Tools from $19.99. Online videos. Professional installation available.

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB Kit $ 90 / 4GB Kit $140 / 8GB Kit $278 Click to Maximize your Macs...

Charlie Ruggiero - 2001.02.28

Q: Recently I read about how FireWire and USB on newer Macs are hot swappable (this means you can unplug and re-plug devices while the computer is on). I am confused, because I thought that serial and ADB connections on older Macs were hot swappable as well. I have swapped out both connections without problems.

A: This, as I remember, was a hotly debated subject between various experts in the field. When it all comes down to it, there is not a clear cut answer for all the older connections.

Serial (modem and printer ports) on older Macs is considered by most (including me) to be hot swappable. I have swapped thousands of serial devices with no problems I could detect. To be careful, you should always do what Apple says. As a general rule, you should only swap devices when they are not being accessed. You can cause problems with FireWire and USB if you unplug them while data is being transferred. Serial is the same way: If you are transferring data via local talk or through a modem unplugging the device or cable could cause data corruption. I would not expect this to cause hardware damage, however.

ADB in my opinion, is not hot swappable. I have seen many people swap keyboards and mice with no problems, but I have also seen the ADB port become dead because of this very same thing. Although rare, hardware damage can occur to both your computer's port and the devices you plug in. It is best to shut down your computer before swapping any kind of ADB devices. After all, data corruption is far less serious than hardware damage (especially if you back up your data frequently).

Update: ADB is hot swappable on the PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet).

SCSI (not considering some advanced server SCSI solutions) is not hot swappable. You can cause serious damage to hardware and data by unplugging and re-plugging SCSI cables and devices.

Headphone/Speaker Jack is hot swappable to a point. I say this because a lot of people use speakers. Be sure to turn your speakers down or off before you plug them into this port. When the metal touches the back it could cause a pop, which, if the speakers are turned up enough, can break the speakers.

Monitor port is sometimes considered to not be hot swappable, but I have never seen damage from someone plugging in a monitor after the computer has started up. If I do unplug or plug in a monitor after the computer is on I always make sure the monitor is off before doing so. If you want to be on the safe side, shut down your computer before unplugging your monitor cable. Sometimes when you plug in a monitor after you turn on the computer, you will not be able to set a resolution above the default. To fix this, just restart with the cable already in.

Floppy port (like on the Mac Plus) is not hot swappable.

Ethernet (this includes the various different connection types) is always hot swappable. If it was not, then every time your computer lost a network connection there could be damage.

Modem connections are the same as Ethernet.

S-Video in/out and composite (RCA) video in/out are hot swappable. These connections are similar to those you would find on your VCR and DVD players.

The bottom line is that you do not know always shut down and do your cable swapping. Incorrect use of hardware is not covered by your warranty, so always follow Apple's recommendation (which you can find either in your manual or in their vast tech-info archives). LEM

Charlie Ruggiero has used a lot of Macs, from Plus to G4, and even ran a BBS (remember those?) on a Plus. He works as Macintosh tech support and technology advisor for the College of Education at Michigan State University. He does a lot of hardware and software troubleshooting, as well as a great deal of video editing, capture, and streaming. Charlie is well versed in HyperCard, fairly knowledgeable in Future Basic, and has a good background in sound and video. He even has his own site, Edge of Heaven.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Recent Content on Low End Mac

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.


Have a question?
Ask an expert!

Low End Living

Amazon.com

Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.