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My Old iMac Won't Boot Up! (1 Viewer)

Johnny Angell

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Bought a new iMac, sold the old mid-2011 (I think) 21 1/2" model and shipped it to the buyer. I had the original iMac box, so it was well protected.


He has hooked up the keyboard, put batteries in the mouse, and plugged in the power. He has it in a room where there is no ethernet cable so he plans to use the wifi.


He turns it on and it makes that power on sound and then, nothing. Screen stays black. We've powered on and powered up. He unplugged the power and plugged back in and powered up. Always the same results.


When I shipped the computer I had powered down from the Welcome setup screen, it was working. Now it's not. The only difference from my use of it and his is that I always had it plugged into ethernet. I've not tried using the wifi.


If you have any ideas on how to proceed, I'd love to read them.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Doing a little Google search for you I came up with this possible fix...


Can you press and hold down the power button on your iMac till it shuts off, Once you have done that can you then find the Command, Option, P, and R keys on your keyboard.

Once you are ready can you turn on the machine and then press and hold the Command+Option+P+R keys at the same time and hold the keys down until you hear the startup chime 3 times then let go of the keys and let me know if the machine will now startup properly or if you still have the blank black screen.

Read more: http://www.justanswer.com/mac-computers/3ii4o-imac-black-screen-when-start.html#ixzz3Q30BgOSG
 

Johnny Angell

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Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. It will be tomorrow afternoon before the buyer is available to work on this. I do appreciate the idea.
 

Johnny Angell

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I'll be getting the iMac back. I offered to pay for a tech call to apple but the the buyer declined and is shipping it back. I'll bet I get it working.


I did learn one thing in this process, the applecare warranty goes with the computer. I was told that by apple. When I asked if the applecare was still in force for the old mac, he wanted the serial number which I couldn't give him. He said he couldn't find out anything about the mac without the serial. That seems like a load of BS to me. They have me as a customer and they know what I've bought. they are just choosing to require the serial.
 

AndyMcKinney

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Sometimes, a black screen on a Mac can be as simple as the clock battery needing to be replaced. In some Macs, it looks sort of like a short, stubby AA battery (a half-AA). In others, it one of those round "coin-like" batteries often used in camcorders, etc.


The clock battery's main function is to keep date/time alive when the Mac is unplugged or during a power outage, so if the Mac's been in storage/unplugged for awhile, that would likely have helped drain it. Lifespan of the clock battery can vary from Mac to Mac. I've got a 2006 Mac Pro at work that I've been using since 2007 that has never had the battery replaced. I've also used older Macs that needed a new battery every 3-4 years or so.


Back when they were still worth some cash, I bought a half-dozen or so Power Mac 6100s at a university surplus auction. Every one of them produced a black screen at startup and I thought I had a bunch of duds (they were in sent to surplus, after all), until it dawned on me to try the battery. Every single one of them worked just fine when I did the battery swap.


Before I tossed it on the scrapheap, I'd definitely invest in a new battery and try that first.
 

Johnny Angell

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AndyMcKinney said:
Every desktop Mac has a replaceable PRAM/Clock battery. I think this video shows you how to install it (assuming that's the same iMac model you have).
Are you kidding me? In a closed box system they've got a cheap battery that needs replacing? I've replaced batteries on PCs but they aren't closed boxes.

How easy was this process for you? Did you have all the tools they show?

It's nearly a three year-old battery and this is the first time it's been unplugged for any period of time. So it makes sense the battery died. But it's a backup power source isn't it? Wouldn't being connected to power fix the problem?

I'm hoping, sort of, that this is the problem.
 

Johnny Angell

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Somewhere in the sludge of my mind I am vaguely remembering having to replace a battery in a pc. Can't remember why.
 

AndyMcKinney

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Johnny Angell said:
Are you kidding me? In a closed box system they've got a cheap battery that needs replacing? I've replaced batteries on PCs but they aren't closed boxes.

How easy was this process for you? Did you have all the tools they show?

It's nearly a three year-old battery and this is the first time it's been unplugged for any period of time. So it makes sense the battery died. But it's a backup power source isn't it? Wouldn't being connected to power fix the problem?

I'm hoping, sort of, that this is the problem.

The PRAM (or NV-RAM) battery, that saves things like network settings, choice of startup drive, etc. If the date and time reset each time you unplug the Mac you need a new PRAM battery. A dead or dying PRAM battery can prevent a Mac from booting or cause erratic behavior.


Date/time and not remembering startup disks are the most common symptom of a dead/dying PRAM battery, but are not a 100% tell-all. You could have a bad battery without this. Of course, with a black screen, you can't really see whether that message is displayed or not!


When you get that Mac back, you might also try connecting it to your new Mac in "target disk mode" (assuming both Macs have a Firewire port). Simply connect the old Mac to the new one via Firewire, and after the new Mac is up and running, press the power button on the old one and almost immediately, press (and hold down) the "T" key on the old Mac's keyboard (T as in "target"). If all goes as it should, your old Mac's hard drive should appear on the desktop of the new Mac. If that works, you can run Disk Utility on the old iMac's drive, and if you have Disk Warrior (recommended), you could run that, too.


This would help rule out any HDD problems.


I'd definitely try the battery first. As for how easy/difficult it is to swap, it all depends on the Mac. Most of my Macs have been desktop models, and the battery has been very easy to locate/access. Because of Apple's "thin as possible" obsession with the iMac lately, I suspect that it will be a bit more difficult to swap out in your case, as that means disassembling the iMac's case (where I only have to open the side door on my Mac).
 

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Johnny Angell said:
I'll be getting the iMac back. I offered to pay for a tech call to apple but the the buyer declined and is shipping it back. I'll bet I get it working.

I did learn one thing in this process, the applecare warranty goes with the computer. I was told that by apple. When I asked if the applecare was still in force for the old mac, he wanted the serial number which I couldn't give him. He said he couldn't find out anything about the mac without the serial. That seems like a load of BS to me. They have me as a customer and they know what I've bought. they are just choosing to require the serial.
If the warrant goes with the Mac, why didn't you give the warranty info to the buyer? I can see how, to the buyer, it could feel like you're trying to pull a fast one.

I hope you get the Mac back and find an easy fix, to resell it successfully.
 

BobO'Link

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Ronald Epstein said:
Doing a little Google search for you I came up with this possible fix...


Can you press and hold down the power button on your iMac till it shuts off, Once you have done that can you then find the Command, Option, P, and R keys on your keyboard.

Once you are ready can you turn on the machine and then press and hold the Command+Option+P+R keys at the same time and hold the keys down until you hear the startup chime 3 times then let go of the keys and let me know if the machine will now startup properly or if you still have the blank black screen.

Read more: http://www.justanswer.com/mac-computers/3ii4o-imac-black-screen-when-start.html#ixzz3Q30BgOSG
Resetting PRAM can cure all kinds of issues with Mac systems. Make sure to press the keys *before* the "Sega" bong plays. If you miss it, try again as it can take several tries to get it right. Be patient waiting for the startup chime as it can take 5-10 seconds.

Johnny Angell said:
I'll be getting the iMac back. I offered to pay for a tech call to apple but the the buyer declined and is shipping it back. I'll bet I get it working.


I did learn one thing in this process, the applecare warranty goes with the computer. I was told that by apple. When I asked if the applecare was still in force for the old mac, he wanted the serial number which I couldn't give him. He said he couldn't find out anything about the mac without the serial. That seems like a load of BS to me. They have me as a customer and they know what I've bought. they are just choosing to require the serial.
Apple is totally anal about having that informtion. They don't care who has the product but that SN is all important. You can also look up the warranty online without having to call and wait for a person (why they don't offer on-line support is a mystery). At least that way if it's expired you won't have that 20+ minute wait to find out they won't help.

Johnny Angell said:
Are you kidding me? In a closed box system they've got a cheap battery that needs replacing? I've replaced batteries on PCs but they aren't closed boxes.

How easy was this process for you? Did you have all the tools they show?

It's nearly a three year-old battery and this is the first time it's been unplugged for any period of time. So it makes sense the battery died. But it's a backup power source isn't it? Wouldn't being connected to power fix the problem?

I'm hoping, sort of, that this is the problem.
You don't need any special tools. Those suction devices are to help get the magnetic bond broken more easily. You can use your thumbs (or fingers if so inclined) on the top corners to pull the front glass away from the case as it sits flush with the top and sides rather than recessed. There are *several* strong magnets around the screen that hold it in place so it takes some pulling but if you're careful it can be done. Once you get the top pulled away the rest will come easily. After that it's a few torx screws to get stuff off and allow access to the battery.


Yes, connecting to a power source *should* correct the issue if it's a dead battery *but* you'd probably have to reset the PRAM before it would work and would possibly have to do this every time the system was removed from power.


FWIW every "closed" system I've worked on has a battery of some type on the MOBO for holding BIOS information in case of power failures - even laptops. It's also very rare that one needs replacing.
 

Johnny Angell

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I have learned a couple more things that I've not related before. The first is that the applecare has expired. My purchase date of the mac was August 2011 and I'm sure I bought the applecare at the time. Between apples automated agent telling me its expired and knowing the purchase date, I now know it's done.


Another tidbit of information being related to me buy the now ex-buyer is that as the computer sat there at the black screen, the computer would begin talking. I never got a very clear answer from him about what it was saying, but I do remember that when the computer sat there at my house on the welcome screen ready to be setup, if I let it sit there long enough the computer would talk. I think it was about accessibility.


At any rate, since the computer is talking, am I correct in assuming the mac is up and running, the HD is spinning, but for some reason the screen doesn't light up. My impression is the mac is booting up, but no screen. Could a dead battery do this?
AndyMcKinney said:
The PRAM (or NV-RAM) battery, that saves things like network settings, choice of startup drive, etc. If the date and time reset each time you unplug the Mac you need a new PRAM battery. A dead or dying PRAM battery can prevent a Mac from booting or cause erratic behavior.


Date/time and not remembering startup disks are the most common symptom of a dead/dying PRAM battery, but are not a 100% tell-all. You could have a bad battery without this. Of course, with a black screen, you can't really see whether that message is displayed or not!


When you get that Mac back, you might also try connecting it to your new Mac in "target disk mode" (assuming both Macs have a Firewire port). Simply connect the old Mac to the new one via Firewire, and after the new Mac is up and running, press the power button on the old one and almost immediately, press (and hold down) the "T" key on the old Mac's keyboard (T as in "target"). If all goes as it should, your old Mac's hard drive should appear on the desktop of the new Mac. If that works, you can run Disk Utility on the old iMac's drive, and if you have Disk Warrior (recommended), you could run that, too.


This would help rule out any HDD problems.


I'd definitely try the battery first. As for how easy/difficult it is to swap, it all depends on the Mac. Most of my Macs have been desktop models, and the battery has been very easy to locate/access. Because of Apple's "thin as possible" obsession with the iMac lately, I suspect that it will be a bit more difficult to swap out in your case, as that means disassembling the iMac's case (where I only have to open the side door on my Mac).
When you say firewire do you mean thunderbolt? When I look at the specs for my new mac and I found some for a 2014 21 1/2" mac, both indicate two thunderbolt ports but I see no firewire at all. If I get the thunderbolt cable I presume I need one with identical plugs at both ends. Would they be female or male?


When I migrated data from my old mac to the new, I used an ethernet cable. Could I do this "target disk mode" with ethernet?
 

Johnny Angell

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DaveF said:
If the warrant goes with the Mac, why didn't you give the warranty info to the buyer? I can see how, to the buyer, it could feel like you're trying to pull a fast one.

I hope you get the Mac back and find an easy fix, to resell it successfully.
While we are not bosom buddies, the buyer does know me. He lives in another state and visits his sister who is my next door neighbor and good friend. I mentioned more than once I still have his check and will not deposit it until he tells me to do, which will now not happen. I asked if he was concerned about losing his money and he said no.


From our first conversation after the mac wouldn't work, he was immediately in a mode of confrontation about it. He would continually interrupt me as I made suggestions. He was pissed at the computer and it transferred to me. He had very little patience. On our last phone call I offered to pay for an apple tech call and his response was to say he'd had enough, he was shipping it back. He would not invest any more time in it.


This would be a little more understandable if we were total strangers, but we weren't. I value my friendship with my neighbors and would do nothing to endanger it.


Edit:to show his attitude, here's how cooperative he was. He wants to run the mac using wifi. Fine. He's booting it up without it being connected to an ethernet cable. Fine. After we try this procedure and that, I suggest to him that since the last time it was working it was connected to a router via ethernet, that he temporarily try that. He reacted like i had just asked him to jump out of a airplane and flap his arms to see if he could fly.


He absolutely would not consider doing that and got even more pissed that I suggested it. I said, yeah it probably won't fix it, but it is the configuration the last time it worked. What can it hurt to try? His reply is ABSOLUTELY NOT.


I get the frustration, but if I'm in his shoes, I know I'm going to give it a try.
 

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That's unfortunate. He's moved to the stance where he doesn't want it to be fixed and simply hopes things get worse to justify his outrage. The next stage is to swear off Macs forever and buy a cheap Windows PC.
Sorry it's so tough, and your friend is transferring his computer rage to you. :(
 

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Johnny Angell said:
I have learned a couple more things that I've not related before. The first is that the applecare has expired. My purchase date of the mac was August 2011 and I'm sure I bought the applecare at the time. Between apples automated agent telling me its expired and knowing the purchase date, I now know it's done.


Another tidbit of information being related to me buy the now ex-buyer is that as the computer sat there at the black screen, the computer would begin talking. I never got a very clear answer from him about what it was saying, but I do remember that when the computer sat there at my house on the welcome screen ready to be setup, if I let it sit there long enough the computer would talk. I think it was about accessibility.


At any rate, since the computer is talking, am I correct in assuming the mac is up and running, the HD is spinning, but for some reason the screen doesn't light up. My impression is the mac is booting up, but no screen. Could a dead battery do this?

When you say firewire do you mean thunderbolt? When I look at the specs for my new mac and I found some for a 2014 21 1/2" mac, both indicate two thunderbolt ports but I see no firewire at all. If I get the thunderbolt cable I presume I need one with identical plugs at both ends. Would they be female or male?


When I migrated data from my old mac to the new, I used an ethernet cable. Could I do this "target disk mode" with ethernet?

1. Yes, a dead battery can explain a computer that boots up, but has no display (among other things).

2. I was talking Firewire rather than Thunderbolt, which is what has replaced Firewire on newer Macs. I assumed yours might be old enough to still have Firewire.


I'm not sure whether Target Disk mode exists under Thunderbolt or not, perhaps you could do a search, but I think it was exclusive to Firewire. You might be able to connect it by Ethernet, I'm not sure (I haven't tried any other method).


If you run Migration Assistant, that should outline whatever procedure your need for your particular Macs to link up, as it takes you through the whole process step-by-step.
 

Johnny Angell

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I've got my old iMac back and the first thing I did was to power it up without an ethernet connection, just like my ex-buyer. It behaved normally, got the power on sound, screen lights up, and goes to the welcome screen.


I have noticed for the first time, dust particles on the screen. I think they're on the inside, so I may still have to remove the screen to try to clean it.


Considering the computer is now working, does anyone think it's worth my while to do all that disassembly to replace the battery.


I'm really wondering about my ex-buyer now.
 

Johnny Angell

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schan1269 said:
Make sure it is really your computer...

Yep, had that happen before.
It's my computer and this had never happened before. I'm thinking the buyer changed his mind and had to have an excuse to return it. I did nothing but hook it up and power it on.
 

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