This article explains how to use the Escape key (esc) if the computer fails to start up properly. This is only relevant when "Preserve memory contents on sleep" has been selected in the Energy Saver control panel.

If you select the "Preserve memory contents on sleep" option in the Energy Saver control panel, the computer protects your RAM contents during sleep by saving all of your open work to a hidden file on the hard drive. Refer to article 60429: " iBook: Description of Preserve Memory Contents on Sleep " for more information.

In some rare circumstances, the computer may have trouble reading this file and fail to start up properly. If this happens, restart the computer and immediately press the Escape key. Keep the key pressed down until you see the Happy Mac icon, then release the key.

Important: All RAM contents are lost when doing this. Pressing the Escape key at startup tells the iBook or PowerBook (FireWire) to bypass reloading the RAM file and to start up normally.