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Quadra 950 key

beachycove

Well-known member
I have two Q950s, one of which came to me with a key and one without. The same key works in both, so I had assumed that the lock was the same in all of the Q950s.

Then last week I discovered a spare Q950 key (well, it looks just like the other one) in the bottom recesses of one of the many boxes of parts that came to me recently, but it does not work in either of the machines. It goes in the locks, yes, but it does not turn. So, evidently not all the Q950 locks were alike.

I plan to get the key re-cut or else to get the lock changed so as to fit the other key. I have a disabled-but-savant friend from my childhood neighbourhood who is mentally a bit delayed but who is an absolute whiz at this stuff, so I try to give him lock-related jobs to do in order to be able to put a few dollars his way. He needs the money more than me. ;)

Before I commit to his re-cutting the key, however, or to getting the lock tumblers changed, assuming there are tumblers in there, am I right that, with the exception of the DuoDocks, there is no other piece of hardware that came from Apple with a key to which this could conceivably belong? (It doesn't even go into a DuoDock.)

 

Unknown_K

Well-known member
I have 5 or so,950's and call tell you each is slightly different. I found one key that worked in a unit that didn't have one, but the others use a different cut key.

All of mine have working keys, and if you don't have a working key you can just junper it out on the motherboard so it works from the keyboard.

 

Osgeld

Banned
back in high school the teachers would lock down the computers with those case keys, on a PC you can just grab it with some pliers and turn it, never got enough "alone time" with the mac's in the library to try it

 

beachycove

Well-known member
[He says in Sheldon-on-Leonard-Nimoy-fashion (Big Bang Theory)]: So I have a piece of ... an APPLE NETWORK SERVER!??

 

defor

You can make up something and come back to it late
Staff member
Q900, Q950, WGS95, Q9150, ANS500/700 all should share the same style key .. TYPE, but i'm unsure of the keying...

duodock keys look COMPLETELY different.

gold colored, dark grey rectangle end...

I think i had something else that used the duo keys, but i'm drawing a blank at the moment

 

joshc

Well-known member
I bought some Q950 keys off eBay but sadly they don't fit my 950's lock barrel.

Did we ever get to the bottom of many lock barrel variations/keys there are out there?

My keys...

9FFF8E0E-7BBF-4370-991F-F57D7F352DE2_1_105_c.jpeg
 

Skate323k137

Well-known member
I bought some Q950 keys off eBay but sadly they don't fit my 950's lock barrel.

Did we ever get to the bottom of many lock barrel variations/keys there are out there?

My keys...

View attachment 42759
That picture is helpful... usually the numbers indicate the key cut. I know a lot more about arcade machines, but I have done a fair amount of lockpicking/replacement on them. For example Japanese sega cabinets, all the maintenance doors take the same key marked 5575 but the cash box keys are all uniquely cut (and numbered to indicate). With any luck, the barrel of the lock itself could have an engraving of the expected key.

The 016 could indicate the cut itself as well. Looking from tip of the key back, you have low, slightly higher, and a lot higher. This matches the numeric pattern on 1st glance but no guarantee. A similar numbering scheme is used on standard house keys.
 

slomacuser

Well-known member
As far as I know these numbers should mach (see picture). Mine dors not but I can turn to position I or 0 but not into lock (server) position.

22C9BA36-EB19-4B07-9BD3-1F71387D5662.jpeg
 

joshc

Well-known member
I've been told the number on the key indicates the height of the 3 pins in the lock barrel. Toward the insertion end, my key is at its lowest point (0), then slightly higher (1), then really tall (6). So I'm still not sure how we match up the lock to the right key.

I do know a good locksmith and he was able to get keys for the windows in my house when I moved in, obviously different to the type of lock used in the Quadra but he had so many spare keys it wouldn't surprise me if he has something that might fit already.
 

David Cook

Well-known member
As far as I know these numbers should mach (see picture). Mine dors not but I can turn to position I or 0 but not into lock (server) position.

Here is a close-up of my Quadra 900 (upgraded to 950) key, numbered 033.
Quadra-950-Key.png

The tag of the lock says N033. I can turn the lock to all three positions. So, yes, I believe that the tag is supposed to match the key.

Quadra-950-lock-tag.jpg
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
It wouldn't surprise me if they're still being made. These days we have the CH- single cut keys. It's scary how many locks you can open with a CH751, including ATM machines.

The Apple keys look a bit shorter. I wonder if we could match them up with a currently manufactured cheap key + barrel lock set. Then you could 3D print the plastic cover and make a replacement key.
 

volvo242gt

Well-known member
Just checked my 950. Key code is 002.

@Unknown_K as long as the key switch is in the "I" position, the keyboard's power key works, so only time someone would need to jumper it is if the lock is in the "O" position, or locked. 99-100% of the Q9x0 machines I see on the 'bay that are missing their keys have the switch on I.
 

Unknown_K

Well-known member
Making Q950 keys would be interesting.

Any Q950 that was used as a server was probably left in the locked position with the keys in some IT guys drawer never to be seen again. My AWS95 was never used (kept as a spare) so they keys were still with the unit (you get 2 of them).
 
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