imac won't start/black screen/will Time Machine help?

[PedroTex]

iMac won't start !

this is what I get: grey screen, little black bar going in circles, then BOOM goes black and fans off.

I've tried shift start for Safe Mode and have removed/re-installed my 2 RAM cards.

Last year I had a similar problem that was caused by my HD getting to be 94% full with photography files. I archived them and have activated Time Machine with a 500GB WD MyBook Essential. My 3 year old son was playing on the computer before it crashed. When I approached it was already not responding and the Dock seemed to be missing everything and had been moved. That's all I know.

Any suggestions as to what to do next? Is it possible for me to boot off the time machine drive?

Thanks so so much for any help!

intel iMac bought 2007, running leopard (10.5?)

 

[Hellhammer]

Might be hard drive failure. Check out my guide!

 

[PedroTex]

AHT found a problem: HDD SATA

thanks for the tip Hell....AHT found one problem, HDD SATA and I assume this is my hard drive.

question: my most recent time machine backup is probably 3 weeks ago (unplugged it before vacation and didn't re-plug it)... so, is there a way to try to get it running so time machine can do a now backup and then restore it from that?

Thanks so much for any help.

Pedro

(I'm using my macbook to post to this...don't know what I'd do without a second computer...annoying!)

 

[Hellhammer]

thanks for the tip Hell....AHT found one problem, HDD SATA and I assume this is my hard drive.

question: my most recent time machine backup is probably 3 weeks ago (unplugged it before vacation and didn't re-plug it)... so, is there a way to try to get it running so time machine can do a now backup and then restore it from that?

Thanks so much for any help.

Pedro

(I'm using my macbook to post to this...don't know what I'd do without a second computer...annoying!)

Is there some files that you need that are not in the TM backup? If so, try Target Disk Mode. Otherwise, just get the HD replaced or replace it yourself and migrate from TM backup

 

[PedroTex]

New HDD not able to restore.

Is there some files that you need that are not in the TM backup? If so, try Target Disk Mode. Otherwise, just get the HD replaced or replace it yourself and migrate from TM backup

just had the HDD installed after a failed HDD in my 07 24" Intel iMac. When I boot with the OSX (with TM external HDD connected via firewire) Disk 1 (10.5.2), it says "OS X can not be installed on this computer." I used disk utility to erase and checked mac-ext-journaled. I verified it and it was all green.

anyways, the startup log errors (line by line) are:
"Folder Manager is being asked to create a folder (cach) while running as uid 0"
same but (asav)
"Installation checks failed.
Installation check failures: This software cannot be installed on this computer"

all that is logged before i start the utility. After I start the utility I get...

"CPSGetProcessInfo(): This call is deprecated and should not be called anymore.
CPSPBGetProcessInfo(): This call is deprecated and should not be called anymore.
********
DiskUtility Started"

Any ideas...I'm at my wits end as they say.

 

[Hellhammer]

just had the HDD installed after a failed HDD in my 07 24" Intel iMac. When I boot with the OSX (with TM external HDD connected via firewire) Disk 1 (10.5.2), it says "OS X can not be installed on this computer." I used disk utility to erase and checked mac-ext-journaled. I verified it and it was all green.

anyways, the startup log errors (line by line) are:
"Folder Manager is being asked to create a folder (cach) while running as uid 0"
same but (asav)
"Installation checks failed.
Installation check failures: This software cannot be installed on this computer"

all that is logged before i start the utility. After I start the utility I get...

"CPSGetProcessInfo(): This call is deprecated and should not be called anymore.
CPSPBGetProcessInfo(): This call is deprecated and should not be called anymore.
********
DiskUtility Started"

Any ideas...I'm at my wits end as they say.

Hmmm, that doesn't sounds very good..

Did you replace it yourself or did Apple do it? It may be a logic board failure

 

[PedroTex]

Hmmm, that doesn't sounds very good..

Did you replace it yourself or did Apple do it? It may be a logic board failure

it was an authorized apple outfit called "compuzone"
http://compuzonedirect.com/

I bought the WD 1TB black from fry's.

I am sure tired of trying to fix this iMac! I guess I'll look up logic board prices....Thanks for your help!

 

[Hellhammer]

it was an authorized apple outfit called "compuzone"
http://compuzonedirect.com/

I bought the WD 1TB black from fry's.

I am sure tired of trying to fix this iMac! I guess I'll look up logic board prices....Thanks for your help!

As they did it, I would ask them to fix it (blame them for issues) as they may have broken something while doing it. At least let them see that and tell what may be wrong and maybe they can figure out something

 

[PedroTex]

As they did it, I would ask them to fix it (blame them for issues) as they may have broken something while doing it. At least let them see that and tell what may be wrong and maybe they can figure out something

will do.
BTW I did an AHT and it came up fine, no problems detected. Would the logic board problem typically show up on an AHT? Just trying to figure this out

 

[Hellhammer]

will do.
BTW I did an AHT and it came up fine, no problems detected. Would the logic board problem typically show up on an AHT? Just trying to figure this out

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Hard to say.

You can ask if they could take the HD out and install OS X to it with other computer or something like that.