Thoughts on what I did

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I was plugging in a headset, I had the mic portion plugged in and reach back to plug in the headphone and pushed (not hard) in the usb. I ended up with no sound so I did a restart. No start up chime, no display (black screen), no external display, mouse lights up and the audio port has a red light coming out of it. It will take a DVD but won't give it back and finally, it does not show on the net work.

I am going to take it in to have the drive pulled and put in an enclosure on Monday, but I am a bit obsessed and would love to figure out what I did.

(Intel iMac, dual core (first rev dual)

I would love your thoughts

daryl
 
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So let me get this straight, u shoved the 'headphone' plug from your headset into a USB port, just to check, what type of connector was this...

If its a USB headset, iv not a clue...

If it was a 3.5mm Jack then i might have a clue... a while ago a friend of mine did something similar (shoved a USB stick in the wrong way up... eh who new)... and then the computer wouldnt boot, or do anything other than pretent do be a paperweight...

Turned out then when he'd stuck the connector in, it had bent one of the pin's inside the USB port up and it was in contact with the outer area of the USB socket, causing a short i guess... As soon as id straightened this out, turned it on and it was fine...

Take a look in the USB socket u shoved your connector into, make sure all the pins are lying flat on the plastic guide (sorta compare it against the other USB sockets).... other than that im kinda drawing a blank, never heard of a headphone killing a computer before, unless it was plugged into the mains at the other end !
 
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Mac pro Quad Xeon; 15" Retina Macbook Pro; macbooks (family); Macbook pro 17"; intel & G4 iMacs.
Do you have the exact model number?
 
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I am just looking at the service manual for the first intel imac 20". Its not clear re the USB ports as there is no actual picture in the service manual of the logic board in that area. The USB ports etc are on the back of the main board and it does sound like the most likely cause is a shorted usb socket. Dependent on how hard you pushed it in you may have broken the USB port's connection with the logic board or even cracked the logic board. Like Aztech said it is worth taking a close look at that USB port and if there are any bent pins unbend them! If you take it to an Apple centre they will follow the flowchart and replace the logic board at a cost of ?????? If the USB port is terminally damaged it would be better removed that pay for a new logic board.
 
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boneheadz
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So let me get this straight, u shoved the 'headphone' plug from your headset into a USB port, just to check, what type of connector was this...

<snip>
!

Cut me a bit of snack, I didn't "shove" I was reaching around and not looking. To much multi tasking. :) I'm a bit slow, but I don't shove round pegs into square holes any more.

I will check the pins ect, but as luck would have it, look apple shop suggested check with credit card company for extra warranty. Turns out I have an extra year warranty that expires monday so the fix will be long (2 weeks to process) but should be mostly free.

daryl
 
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sorry... didnt mean it quite like that, just meant 'shoved' as in pushed, placed gently, inserted, placed....

Was a combination of it being 2:40am where i am, and my rubbish command of the english language, ud think speaking it for 23 years might help !

Good news on the warrenty front, but check the pins anyways, could be just that simple :)
 
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boneheadz
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sorry... didnt mean it quite like that, just meant 'shoved' as in pushed, placed gently, inserted, placed....

Was a combination of it being 2:40am where i am, and my rubbish command of the english language, ud think speaking it for 23 years might help !

Good news on the warrenty front, but check the pins anyways, could be just that simple :)


Don't worry I took it in fun.

I was setting up for a class I was teaching. I had decide to work on the imac with an external monitor faced the class. That way a participant without a lap top could use the macbook. I was messing around to organize the imac and set up the hardware to record.

The only really down fall right now is I don't typically back up the imac as it is just a production machine. But all of me audio file are there and they aren't backed up.

The pin does not seem to be the problem but I am hoping for a usb problem rather than a logic board.

Do you have the exact model number?

I don't have the model number handy but the pin does not seem to be the problem but I am hoping for a usb problem rather than a logic board.
 
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boneheadz
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fried the logic board. est. $900.00. Paying 150 to get data and estimate then recycling. Sadly credit card gives me an extra year warranty, but only if you buy it with a credit card, I paid cash. :(

I try to replace my computers every 2 years, this one was 2 day shy of it's 2 year birthday. Oh well no more cash purchases.
 

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