A mid-2010 iMac for free

[zoran]

I was given a mid2010 iMac for free and i want to see if it can be fixed. There is no drive and it makes at startup a repeating chime sound. What are the steps one by one i should make to check if it can be fixed.

 

[Significant1]

Maybe the ram is missing too

If your Mac beeps during startup - Apple Support

Certain conditions related to memory or firmware might cause your Mac to beep once or more during startup.

support.apple.com

 

[zoran]

Ram is placed.
Actually its not beeping... its making startup chime sounds, as if its restarting continuously.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

The first step is to acquire a fully working iMac 2010, so you can replace one by one part to verify the defect one on your non-working iMac. That's how to detect and fix things for a rookie.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

My first guess is drive is removed/dead. Attach an external drive formatted for that Mac (that's roughly Snow Leopard or so) and attempt to boot on the external. If it works, you could then open it up and replace what will then be (very likely) a dead drive, install the OS on that drive and probably have a working iMac again. Or just keep using the external drive as boot drive.

2010 had Target Display Mode, so an option beyond trying to use a very outdated system long after it's vintage date, you might be able to use it as a fair display for maybe a newer Mac or PC.

If it's other hardware, you might want to just let that one go and put any new money towards newer tech.

 

[Significant1]

Ram is placed.
Actually its not beeping... its making startup chime sounds, as if its restarting continuously.

Then reset nvram (alt + cmd + p + r). actually holding this key combo, will also result in boot chime loop until you release them.

Another is smc reset. I believe it is done by unplugging power and pressing the power button for a few seconds, but you can look it up.

Also you should connect a bootable drive to it and hold alt key during boot to select boot drive. If you want to make a drive default boot drive, then press ctrl while selecting it

 

[zoran]

Ok i will check, i was thinking since those iMacs have a very well known issue with faulty gpu's, might it be a cooked gpu?

 

[Fishrrman]

A 2010 iMac?
That doesn't work?
No drive inside?
For free?

Sounds like you got your money's worth.

 

[zoran]

Just a sec guys. Can the absence of a drive or a faulty gpu be making the iMac to continuously chime?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I may be mistaken but I think boot up to about chime is separate from drive. It's after the chime that Mac looks for the macOS. But I forget. That's quite a long time ago. I think the chime was disabled in about 2015 or so.

Here's an Apple discussion that might help.

Here's some "beep" keys.

A quick search online leads to many matches for repeating chime with guesses at graphics card failure, drive, faulty RAM, mismatched RAM. It may be a case of- to quote Dr. McCoy: "She's dead, Jim"

 

[zoran]

Then reset nvram (alt + cmd + p + r). actually holding this key combo, will also result in boot chime loop until you release them.

Another is smc reset. I believe it is done by unplugging power and pressing the power button for a few seconds, but you can look it up.

Also you should connect a bootable drive to it and hold alt key during boot to select boot drive. If you want to make a drive default boot drive, then press ctrl while selecting it

Ive reset nvram, smc and also tried to boot a drive, but without any luck :-(

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I usually booted my iMac without GPU and the LCD panel attached to verify other parts.
For reasons unknown to me, my iMac 2010 diagnostic leds are not very visible. So I had to base on the rotating fans and the chimes to guess that the bare iMac is still OK.
Without the GPU attached, a functioning bare iMac 2010 still boot to OS (High Sierra desktop, or Linux consol a.k.a command line screen). Similar to a MacPro with no GPU.
If the OS media was properly set-up for remote control, you can remote access to it from another computer connected to the same network.
Its IP address will show up on the management page of your network router, too.

 

[zoran]

I usually booted my iMac without GPU and the LCD panel attached to verify other parts.

You usually boot your iMac without the GPU, u mean that if i disconnect the GPU, the fact that there is no drive, i should expect to see a search for a boot disk?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

You usually boot your iMac without the GPU, u mean that if i disconnect the GPU, the fact that there is no drive, i should expect to see a search for a boot disk?

My sentence should be read this way:
I usually booted my iMac without GPU and the LCD panel attached to verify other parts.
Or to rewrite it this way:
I usually booted my iMac with the GPU and the LCD panel detached to verify other parts.

And you didn't read or try to understand the other sentences below that sentence.
I'm not a native English speaker,

but your ability to disregard or neglect to understand others saying, then coming up with new deviated questions impresses me very much.

 

[zoran]

#NDH I’m not a native ENG speaker too but i understood and tried what everyone else has suggested to me cause it was in simple words and kindness!
Only you wrote 12lines of strange suggestions and made so fuss about it 😐
You’re not helping when you’re acting that way!

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

#NDH I’m not a native ENG speaker too but i understood and tried what everyone else has suggested to me cause it was in simple words and kindness!
Only you wrote 12lines of strange suggestions and made so fuss about it 😐
You’re not helping when you’re acting that way!

I can't help you, zoran.
You don't follow my advices.

 

[zoran]

I can't help you, zoran.
You don't follow my advices.

I have no problem to follow suggestions as long as they are kind and humane. If i don't understand (which is something that happens to all) i ask with kidness and not being fussy.

 

[DeltaMac]

There's other items that you can check (again...)
RAM: Check that you have memory installed in top slots (top slots are on the display side, bottom slots are on the back side). iMac with a Quad Core i5 or i7 processor will not boot if there is memory only in bottom slots,. Best to remove ALL memory, then test after inserting one memory stick in either top slot.
At the same time, double-check that RAM is correct. It should be PC3-10600 (1333 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMMs

Battery: Replace (more than 2.7 volts is good. Nearly 15 years old, it's likely dead...) You have to remove the logic board, the battery is on the back side. Yes, a lot of work just to replace that battery, but might be useful to get that old iMac going again. Apple's service manual suggests that you should leave the battery out for 1-2 minutes before installing a replacement, which will reset the logic board.
iFixit.com has good repair steps for that. You did not say which 2010 iMac you have. Here's iFixit page for the 21.5 inch model. https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_21.5"_EMC_2389

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

You usually boot your iMac without the GPU, u mean that if i disconnect the GPU, the fact that there is no drive, i should expect to see a search for a boot disk?

No you can't see it, it's not visible.
You can only hear it, like the sound of a noisily rotating HDD, or CD, DVD.

 

[zoran]

You did not say which 2010 iMac you have.

Its a mid2010 27" . A1312 . corei7

 

[DeltaMac]

Ah, OK. Looks like the battery replacement for a 21.5 inch iMac may not help you at all, and iFixit doesn't show a logic board removal for the 2010, and the only logic board close to that would be a 2009 full tear-down, which gets into areas that you may not need to do. Don't know what you can find on other sites, but an actual Apple technician guide for the 2010 iMac. Might find that with an internet search for the file: imac_27_mid10.pdf

 

[zoran]

Im thinking to make the best available cooling for the gpu. Will the 3pipe heat sink fit be an option, will it fit in the 2010 iMac?

 

[zoran]

Please give me your thoughts on this... if i reinstall the gpu using the best thermal paste (LiquidMetal or else), also use a fan app and not let it heat over 70-80C, might that make the gpu live longer despite its age and their known failure issue?

 

[Mr.Fox]

I was given a mid2010 iMac for free and i want to see if it can be fixed. There is no drive and it makes at startup a repeating chime sound. What are the steps one by one i should make to check if it can be fixed.

Throw it in the trash. Why fix it? It's junk. You collect empty beer, whiskey, milk bottles? Maybe toilet paper grommets?

 

[zoran]

Obviously u never had one.