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iMac wont boot

post #1 of 10
7/16/08 at 1:58pm
Thread Starter 
When I try booting up my iMac its freezes(with the color wheel) once it gets to showing my background with no dock or anything but wallpaper. Any suggestions
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post #2 of 10
7/16/08 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoomBox507 View Post

When I try booting up my iMac its freezes(with the color wheel) once it gets to showing my background with no dock or anything but wallpaper. Any suggestions

Various things:

Hold down shift key while booting to boot into safe mode.

Hold down command-option-P-R after pressing Power button until you hear the chime twice.

Insert the System DVD that came with the computer. Turn on power and hold down the "d" key to boot from the dvd.

Once there, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities menu in the DVD install screen and check the disk.
--Johnny
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--Johnny
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post #3 of 10
7/16/08 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy View Post

Various things:

Hold down shift key while booting to boot into safe mode.

Hold down command-option-P-R after pressing Power button until you hear the chime twice.

Insert the System DVD that came with the computer. Turn on power and hold down the "d" key to boot from the dvd.

Once there, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities menu in the DVD install screen and check the disk.

tried both of those (safe mode works) and nothing was wrong with disk.

Would reinstalling leapord fix this?
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post #4 of 10
7/16/08 at 3:44pm
Can you log into another account properly (if there is another account)? If so, it's probably something wrong with your account. Create a new one and copy your data across from the old to the new.

Did you do a "repair permissions" when you were booted onto the install DVD? That's been known to fix user environment problems, as well as programs installed using an apple installer.

Yes, re-installing Leopard would probably fix this, unless there's something physically wrong with the mac's hard drive. I doubt this is a hardware issue though.
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post #5 of 10
7/16/08 at 3:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toymaker View Post

Can you log into another account properly (if there is another account)? If so, it's probably something wrong with your account. Create a new one and copy your data across from the old to the new.

Did you do a "repair permissions" when you were booted onto the install DVD? That's been known to fix user environment problems, as well as programs installed using an apple installer.

Yes, re-installing Leopard would probably fix this, unless there's something physically wrong with the mac's hard drive. I doubt this is a hardware issue though.


Don't have another account. I'll try creating a new one now.

Yes i did repair permissions.

I'll try reinstalling leopard if nothing else works.
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post #6 of 10
7/16/08 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoomBox507 View Post

tried both of those (safe mode works) and nothing was wrong with disk.

Would reinstalling leapord fix this?

What this means is that either one of your kernel extensions or one of your login items is buggy. If you added any third-party software that wanted a password to install, or added anything to Login Items in your account pane, that could be it.

Making a new account is the usual best way to tell where the problem is. If the new account runs fine, then there is something in the extensions, login items, or preference files on that account.
--Johnny
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--Johnny
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post #7 of 10
7/16/08 at 7:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy View Post

What this means is that either one of your kernel extensions or one of your login items is buggy. If you added any third-party software that wanted a password to install, or added anything to Login Items in your account pane, that could be it.

Making a new account is the usual best way to tell where the problem is. If the new account runs fine, then there is something in the extensions, login items, or preference files on that account.

I just reinstalled leapoard with archive and install and now it works fine. Guess that wasn't necessary but oh well.
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post #8 of 10
7/19/08 at 6:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoomBox507 View Post

I just reinstalled leapoard with archive and install and now it works fine. Guess that wasn't necessary but oh well.

That's often the quick & easy fix -- sometimes troubleshooting takes longer. 10.5 is better about keeping necessary stuff in /Library for 3rd party apps that 10.4 was, too.

Do what you will, but harm none.

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Do what you will, but harm none.

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post #9 of 10
8/18/08 at 9:27pm
Sorry to add my own problem to this thread, but I didn't think I should start a new thread for the same subject on the same day.

I have an iMac G5 (pre-Intel) and it won't boot up either. However, it doesn't even get past the start up sound. No picture ever comes up, just a loud "DUN" and then the loud sound of the hard drive coming to an abrupt halt.

Holding down shift while booting up or option+command+P+R doesn't do anything either.

It's also been having trouble in sleep. Whenever I put it into sleep, the second the screen goes black and the hard drive stops... it comes back to life.

Anyone have any suggestions?
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post #10 of 10
8/30/08 at 5:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoomBox507 View Post

When I try booting up my iMac its freezes(with the color wheel) once it gets to showing my background with no dock or anything but wallpaper. Any suggestions


go 2 the apple store and it will b fixed
I hate 9 year olds with Ipods

What are they listening to, the Barbie Soundtrack???
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I hate 9 year olds with Ipods

What are they listening to, the Barbie Soundtrack???
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