imac 333 screen snapping --scary

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
The Header says it all. I have an imac 333 and the screen has started to snap. It's like static is discharging, but it will happen when I am in front of the computer, or when I am on the other side of the room and haven't it touched it in a while. The screen flickers and makes a snapping sound. Sometimes the snaps are quiet and the flicker quick, sometimes the snaps are loud and I almost lose the picture. It's fast, and infrequent, but has become more frequent in the past month. It isn't more than two months old as a problem. I've had the machine since they were introduced, so it's old and a workhorse.



This is my first issue with the machine, but it's a scary one. Will this box blow up, shredding my face with a thousand fiery needles of glass? Could someone give me some insight on this one. Thanks.



<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    pastapasta Posts: 112member
    [quote]Originally posted by trimalchio:

    <strong>The Header says it all. I have an imac 333 and the screen has started to snap. It's like static is discharging, but it will happen when I am in front of the computer, or when I am on the other side of the room and haven't it touched it in a while. The screen flickers and makes a snapping sound. Sometimes the snaps are quiet and the flicker quick, sometimes the snaps are loud and I almost lose the picture. It's fast, and infrequent, but has become more frequent in the past month. It isn't more than two months old as a problem. I've had the machine since they were introduced, so it's old and a workhorse.



    This is my first issue with the machine, but it's a scary one. Will this box blow up, shredding my face with a thousand fiery needles of glass? Could someone give me some insight on this one. Thanks.



    <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Sounds like your analog video board is either loose or beginning to fail. Time for a service shop.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    This won't be much help to you but...



    My iMac266 was doing the same thing several weeks ago ... did it frequently for a couple weeks ... now I haven't noticed it at all for about a month.



    I really don't know what caused it ... maybe some dust collected on the rear of the CRT ? (inside the case)... perhaps dust on the magnetron caused some arcing and these snaps till it burned away ??? a poor theory, but i AM an amateur.



    In any case, a CRT is a vacuum tube ... so if it were to have a catasrophic failure, it would IMPLODE (not explode), so you should be relatively safe sitting there !
  • Reply 3 of 3
    composercomposer Posts: 212member
    Just ignore it, everything will be fine...



    My screen snaps too. Especially when I'm concentrating hard. It often makes me jump out of my seat. Mine's been doing it since I bought it in '98. Screen still works fine.
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