Here’s a new one.

So I’m eating more Vegan French Silk Pie in the kitchen, and all of a sudden from the office I hear my G5’s fans spinning up like the computer is taxing for takeoff. This fan noise, mind you, is unlike any I’ve ever heard coming from any computer. We’re talking top-fuel dragster loud. “Holy Sh*t It’s Gonna’ Blow Up!” loud.

Immediately, I run into the office. The computer, as it should have been, was still sleeping. As I attempt to wake it up, the fans keep getting louder and louder. CRAZY LOUD. Whoa……

It won’t wake up. Fans now roaring. Hard Power Down. Fans fall silent…(whew).

–
OK. What the hell just happened?

[pause for spinning wheels...scanning....searching....searching...]

Bingo. Lets rewind.

–

Just before sleeping the ‘puter, I remember the last task ongoing was importing photos from my digital camera via USB. This camera runs on a lithium ION battery and automatically turns on and mounts to the desktop when plugged into the USB port.

After importing the photos, I forgot to unmount the camera’s disk image and turn the camera off before putting the G5 to sleep.

Upon reentering the room - I notice that in fact, the digital camera has died.

—
Alrighty. So my theory, at this point, is that the sleeping computer encountered some critical error while sleeping AND having the USB Flavored disk image IMPROPERLY unmounted from the desktop.

Internet research (here, for example) supports this possible theory. Seems as if many Apple owners (not even just G5 owners) have traced crazy fast fans while sleeping to faulty USB card/ media readers, USB cameras, and other USB INPUT devices (in my case faulty meaning a dying battery).

Other help forums made no mention of USB devices, but some people have had Apple Scare walk them through, PMU reseting, reformatting drives, OS X reinstalls, fan replacement, or even LOGIC BOARD replacement. I hope Apple Care suggests folks disconnect all USB Input devices before they start resetting their Power Management Units, but some how I bet this USB check isn’t on the script.

—

Upon G5 restart, everything is 100% okay. As scary as those fans sounded, one poster of the forum I linked to above writes: “When the OS stops responding, the system is designed to run the fans at maximum for safety.”

I guess that makes sense.

Oh yeah, the pictures I was importing which I temporarily thought were leading to the death of my G5 —>>>

Doesn’t Blanket seem harmless?