Imac 21.5" late 2009 stuck on apple logo help if possible

[nickp00z]

Hey guys a friend passed me he's imac to try fix it since he has sensitive data or there he needs saving, I don't know hardly anything about macs so wondering if someone could give me some help or advice.

when i turn it on it shows the apple screen then has a spinning wheel above it and does nothing.
i looked online and tried holding the cmd key + r when turning on and the same thing happens,
same with holding shift. they board is wireless for the mac i am unsure if that would be an issue i also checked the battery on the keyboard.

I also plugged in my deathadder chroma keyboard and tried with the windows key no luck there either.
The most important thing is saving he's data but getting the machine up and running again is a plus.

if noone is able to help is it possible for me to just remove the harddrive and copy he's data to my pc that way? any help will be greatly appreciated

imac info from apple website VIN,iMac (21.5-inch Late 2009)

 

[Firebrand]

Is that an iMac with a disc player? Maybe via Mac OS X boot CD?

 

[nickp00z]

Is that an iMac with a disc player? Maybe via Mac OS X boot CD?

Hello thanks for the response the iMac has a cd drive on the side of the screen yes. What cd do I need to order or download ? Thanks

 

[Firebrand]

Older Mac’s, with cd drive, used to come with an installation/boot disk. But I fear you don’t have one of those... ?

 

[nickp00z]

he checked he's box and there is nothing there so don't have the disks could i just buy them?

 

[Firebrand]

No, except perhaps ebay or via a fellow Mac user.

You could also try booting up via an external hard disk (or maybe even a usb-stick). But then again, you ’d require system software be present...

P.S.: I’m sure some else here will give you more input soon. Hang on!

//

Try again?

How to boot in Safe Mode
Step 1: If your Mac is awake, shut it down by choosing Shut Down from the Apple menu. Otherwise, just power it on and proceed to step 3.

Step 2: After your Mac shuts down, power it on again.

Step 3: Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key. Do not press the Shift key before you hear the startup chime. You would ideally hit Shift as soon as possible after you hear the startup tone.

Tip: If you use OS X’s FileVault feature to encrypt the entire startup disk, release the key when your Mac prompts you to unlock the disk, type in your password and press Enter.

Step 4: Release the Shift key when the desktop or OS X’s login screen appears.