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iMac: Won't get passed white screen

M

macguy40

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 11, 2008
18
0
Earilaer today I was on my computers desktop gong into my Applications folder when my computer froze. Nothing worked at all so I held down the power button until it turned off. I then waited about 5 or so minutes to turn it back on. I turned it on and I got to the greyish screen and the apple logo came up. During this time the fan was loud and on but turned off. Usually it stays on for about 30 seconds after I get to my desktop. I turned it off again the same way as before but this time I turned it on and the computer got only to the very first white screen. The fan did the same thing as before and nothing else happened. There is a disk in my drive, I think its some type of old game or a CD so I can't put my start up disk in there. I tried holding down my mouse when I start the computer to get the disk out but nothing happened. Im not sure what to do. I don't have Applecare. :eek:

So does anyone have any ideas as to what I should try?

My iMac is a 24" Intel Mid 2007.

I apologise in advance if there is already a thread on this. I serched but came up short.

Thank you everyone for your help!
 
Have you tried holding down the OPTION key upon startup? This allows you to choose which OS to boot from.
 
I just tried it but still nothing. I think I might just have to take it to the apple store tommorrow.
 
Try the old SMC reset method, since this will be what you get when you unplug everything and take it to the store.

this also might allow you to eject the disk also on first boot.
 
FYI, a paper clip inserted into the disk drive at at startup is generally sufficient to pop out a stuck CD so you can try booting from your original OS X install/recovery disk. I have used this method more times than I can remember over the years.
 
It's most likely of three things. Hard drive failure being the first, on the Intel machines, a hard drive that fails in a certain way will make the machine just sit at the grey screen. Optical drive, again, same issue. Last, the optical drive flex cable, which is more likely than the optical drive itself. The whole freezing issue makes me lean more toward hard drive, but without seeing it, it's hard to tell.
 
Ive heard of the paper clip method but Im not too sure how to do it. Is there a wrtie up that I can check out somewhere?
 
bizzle said:
It's most likely of three things. Hard drive failure being the first, on the Intel machines, a hard drive that fails in a certain way will make the machine just sit at the grey screen. Optical drive, again, same issue. Last, the optical drive flex cable, which is more likely than the optical drive itself. The whole freezing issue makes me lean more toward hard drive, but without seeing it, it's hard to tell.
Click to expand...

Yeah this happened to my Mac Mini last week. I just got my Mac Mini back yesterday from the Apple Store. The interior of the case was basically burnt out. The HD had to be replaced... and I somehow guess the sleep function wasn't coming on at all causing it to fry!
 
dance2noise002 said:
Yeah this happened to my Mac Mini last week. I just got my Mac Mini back yesterday from the Apple Store. The interior of the case was basically burnt out. The HD had to be replaced... and I somehow guess the sleep function wasn't coming on at all causing it to fry!
Click to expand...

I sure hope they didn't tell you that at the store, because it's a giant load of crap. You can have your computers run 24x7x365 and never let anything go to sleep and it won't fry. The temperature sensors would have forced the unit off if it got too hot.

Try to boot the computer holding option, if it never goes to a boot menu than it has nothing to do with the disk being in the drive. I would recommend taking the computer apart and disconnecting the optical drive and see if the computer boots normally. Use this guide to see how to take it apart, http://www.amfiteatar.org/content/view/155/57/lang,en/

To disconnect the optical drive you need a T8 and T6 screw driver. Use the T8 to remove the two screws on the plastic frame of the drive that holds it onto the rear housing of the iMac and move the drive so you can use the T6 to remove the two screws holding the flex cable.

After you disconnect the cable, just half-ass the thing back together laying down on a table and try to boot it up. If the unit boots, it's the flex cable or the optical drive.
 
bizzle said:
I sure hope they didn't tell you that at the store, because it's a giant load of crap. You can have your computers run 24x7x365 and never let anything go to sleep and it won't fry. The temperature sensors would have forced the unit off if it got too hot.

Try to boot the computer holding option, if it never goes to a boot menu than it has nothing to do with the disk being in the drive. I would recommend taking the computer apart and disconnecting the optical drive and see if the computer boots normally. Use this guide to see how to take it apart, http://www.amfiteatar.org/content/view/155/57/lang,en/

To disconnect the optical drive you need a T8 and T6 screw driver. Use the T8 to remove the two screws on the plastic frame of the drive that holds it onto the rear housing of the iMac and move the drive so you can use the T6 to remove the two screws holding the flex cable.

After you disconnect the cable, just half-ass the thing back together laying down on a table and try to boot it up. If the unit boots, it's the flex cable or the optical drive.
Click to expand...

"The temperature sensors would have forced the unit off if it got too hot." The guy actually told me this as well at the store, but clearly they didn't shut off the machine.
 
So yesterday night I was able to take it to the apple store. They did some tests and what not and told me what my options were. What they thought could be wrong was the hard drive or the logic board. I opted to have them try and get a new hard drive in there because it was much cheaper. The hard drive is $280 plus $120 for labor. The logic board was $1000 and I think around $300 for labor. Im hoping the hard drive fixes it because Im not sure if I want to spend $1300 on fixing this computer. Thansk everyone for your help.
 
Just a little update...

I got a call the other day from the apple store saying that there is "an interesting problem with my computer." Thats all the guy oon the phone said. Now keep in mind i do not have apple care and my copmuter is well out of warantty. But, they said they are going to give me a brand new iMac at no charge! The new iMac is going to be the latest model and everything. Thanks for all of your help everyone!

Also I have another similar question to my first one if you guys don't mind helping me out with. My first mac was an iMac. The older gen ones that are just the flat screen with all of the compents and all in the screen. Its all white and I think its the 20" model or something around there; thats what I got when I measured the screen dinagonaly. So the probelm on this guy is It boots up fine, but when the loading screen comes up and shows the apple logo and the circle that is the loading icon it just spins and spins and spins. After about 5 or so minutes the computer fans or something really kicks in and it gets pretty loud. Otherwise the computer does nothing. I just want to get on the computer for a minute in order to grab a movie file I made a few years back. I was either going to try to get a disk in there and burn it real fast or if that does not work, transfer the file to a USB drive and burn it on another computer. I have a disk of the movie but it is pretty scratched up and only plays about half of the movie. Am not sure if I can do anything with that disk, can I? I don't think I can "recover" the rest of the movie off that scratched disk.

Sorry for such a long post.

Thanks!
 
I just tried holding OPTION down on startup and that worked. I was able to go to a blueish screen where there was a refresh button on the left, a harddrive symbol in the middle with a blue X on it, and at the right an arrow pointing right that took my to boot up, back to the screen with the apple logo and loading circle thing that never stops. So it has some signs of life. :D
 
hold 'command v' ("apple key" "v")
it might work, if not i would do a achieve install
 
bizzle said:
It's most likely of three things. Hard drive failure being the first, on the Intel machines, a hard drive that fails in a certain way will make the machine just sit at the grey screen. Optical drive, again, same issue. Last, the optical drive flex cable, which is more likely than the optical drive itself. The whole freezing issue makes me lean more toward hard drive, but without seeing it, it's hard to tell.
Click to expand...

Does sound like a failed HD to me.

I had failing HD and had to reinstall the OS every time i turned off my macbook but one time it completely locked up and would not eject my install DVD i used the eject key on my macbook (i dont know if the imac has one or not becuase i dont have one).
 
I was able to use COMMAND and V at the same time on startup which worked. It just brought me to a black screen with some white text. After that I didn't know what to do and could'nt see to go anywhere from there.
 
macguy40 said:
So yesterday night I was able to take it to the apple store. They did some tests and what not and told me what my options were. What they thought could be wrong was the hard drive or the logic board. I opted to have them try and get a new hard drive in there because it was much cheaper. The hard drive is $280 plus $120 for labor. The logic board was $1000 and I think around $300 for labor. Im hoping the hard drive fixes it because Im not sure if I want to spend $1300 on fixing this computer. Thansk everyone for your help.
Click to expand...

$1000 for a mother board? There isn't a $1000 MB in the world. That's a new computer.
 
macguy40 said:
I was able to use COMMAND and V at the same time on startup which worked. It just brought me to a black screen with some white text. After that I didn't know what to do and could'nt see to go anywhere from there.
Click to expand...
then you need to reinstall OS X, do a achieve install. (you do have the original restore DVD. or a Mac o x install dvd?)
 
animaxcg said:
then you need to reinstall OS X, do a achieve install. (you do have the original restore DVD. or a Mac o x install dvd?)
Click to expand...

I have two Mac os x install disks ( Labeled disc 1 and 2 ) and a Mac G5 additional software & Apple hardware test discs.
 
macguy40 said:
I have two Mac os x install disks ( Labeled disc 1 and 2 ) and a Mac G5 additional software & Apple hardware test discs.
Click to expand...
boot from disc, go through the installer, but make sure you do achieve install instead of a Erase and install
 
Well its working, kinda.

I got the install disc in and working. I got up to that part were it asks me to "Select a Destination" for the install. At this point nothing nothing up for the destination and I can't hit the continue button. So I guess Im stuck at this part.
 
macguy40 said:
Well its working, kinda.

I got the install disc in and working. I got up to that part were it asks me to "Select a Destination" for the install. At this point nothing nothing up for the destination and I can't hit the continue button. So I guess Im stuck at this part.
Click to expand...

your hard drive is probably shot.
boot from the install disk open disk utility and see if you hard drive is there, if so repair permission & repair disc. if not its dead.
 
Well I tried that, and it looks like its dead. Thanks for the help though everyone!
 
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