Constant problem with my iMac.

[squalorvictoria]

I purchased a 24" iMac in fall of '07 and up until have had no problems at all. Let me describe the problems I'm having now and maybe someone can tell me what to do to remedy them.

A couple weeks ago it started freezing randomly. The mouse will switch to the beach ball and just spins endlessly. I can move it around but can't really do anything other than that. I have to do a hard reset to get it back to normal. Sometimes a couple programs are open, and sometimes none. It seems like it happens often when I quick switch from one user to another. It will switch, work for awhile, then freeze.

Now, no big deal, annoying, but whatever. But, the other day after doing a hard reset it revolted into a white screen with a flashing folder with a question mark. I did some research and found that I needed to repair the startup disc using the snow leopard disc. I did that and it allowed me to boot it back up normaly but didn't really solve the freeze up issue.

So, that just happened again, so I'll have to boot it up with the disc again and repair the startup disc when I get a chance. It's really beyond frustrating now.

I have repaired all permissions, updated all firmware, made sure the drive isn't full, pretty much everything short of backing up and wiping the drive and reinstalling the OS. Is that what I need ro do now? I mean, I know I need to, but is there something I can do to remedy until I can get around to doing that?

Thanks for any help.

 

[davidwarren]

Sounds like hard drive failure.

 

[biggd]

Sounds like hard drive failure.

Ya man, bad HDD or corrupt OS

Save all your data. Do clean install
If issues continue, replace harddrive

 

[ruk110]

yeah jigga- restore from a backup if you have been using time machine- if not, back up yo shizzle and do the biz- i just did that with my mum's old school mac mini core solo and now its running liek a dream with snow leopard!!

 

[AlexisV]

Slow down folks.

Insert the system DVD, hold down C to boot from it, and run a disk repair from Disk Utilities. That might fix it without having to do anything drastic.

 

[harcosparky]

Yeah run disk repair ... and when that fails to resolve the problem replace the HDD.

The same thing happened to my 24" iMac ... beach balls, random freezes and the like.

When I got the cursor back I will try to start up a new App, click on it and nothing happened.

Took it to Apple and they put in a new hard drive. Gotta love that APPLE CARE, my Apple Care expired two days ago....time for a new iMac 27"!

 

[Eldude]

have you done a hardware test on it too, along with repair permissions
If that comes back clean id reinstall the OS if your doing 10.5 do archive and install. If the disk has errors on it though do a erase and install, because the archive may save the error.

 

[squalorvictoria]

Slow down folks.

Insert the system DVD, hold down C to boot from it, and run a disk repair from Disk Utilities. That might fix it without having to do anything drastic.

Should have mentioned that I did this also. Didn't seem to fix it.

Looks like I'll need to do a backup as soon as I can get the flashing question mark folder cleared up. Then I'll just do a fresh install of the OS. Hopefully it's not the HDD, my apple care expired 3 months ago.

 

[MacHamster68]

it sounds like a failing or already dead hdd if you see the question mark
harddrives are not expensive today and easy to install too , no need for apple care

 

[Bobbytoad]

Sorry to jump the thread but interested in talk of apple care (don’t have it yet) My refurb came with a surprise 2TB drive in it - if I get Apple Care and a problem will they replace it for a 2TB or a 1TB which should have been in there? trying to wigh up wether to get AC?