24" iMac shuts down during startup

Hello all,

I know there are other threads on this topic but I figured I'd give you my specific situation in case it matters to the solution.

I just bought a new Mac Pro and want to transfer files (via Firewire) from my old 24" iMac with an Intel Core Duo processor and OSX (Tiger, not sure exactly which version).

Using Migration Assistant, I attempted to restart the iMac holding the T key down until the Firewrie symbol appears, just as it instructs you to. After trying one or two times, it finally worked…sort of. The Firewire symbol came up on my iMac but Migration Assistant on the Mac Pro never acknowledged the connection, therefore it never prompted me to move on with the file transfer process. So, I tried once more to restart the iMac. But, now all it does is chime, show the gray screen with the Apple logo and the spinning progress icon…and then shuts itself down after about 90-120 seconds.

I don't have the original iMac reinstall disc but I do have the reinstall disc from the new Mac Pro. I tried booting from the Mac Pro reinstall disc (holding C on startup)-I can hear the disc begin to spin and engage but then it just stops and the iMac still shuts down after 90-120 seconds.

I have also tried resetting the PRAM…nothing.

So, I guess the hard drive could have just happened to fail when I was trying to get the two Macs to talk to each other but that seems almost too much of a coincidence… Or maybe just all the restarting caused it to crash?….

Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance!

-Tobias

No, the Mac Pro disk won't work with your iMac.

I don't think it's an iMac hard drive failure. Did you disconnect the firewire cable before trying to restart your iMac? If the two computers are still interconnected, remove the cable from both, and then try restarting the iMac.

If that doesn't work, then hardware analysis of the iMac will be required, and for that you need the original Install disk. Since you don't have it, it probably means buying a retail version of whatever OS you're using, or taking the iMac to an Apple service centre.

Should you manage to get both computers working again, try starting the Pro in Target mode, rather than the iMac.

Another way to transfer files is via network, but you'll need an ethernet switch (hub). They're cheap.

It does sound like your iMac may be having problems with its hard drive. In any event, you won't be able to use the startup disks from the Pro for the iMac as those disks are machine specific. In order to diagnose the iMac you're going to need the original startup media or a retail version of OS X. In other words, a black retail DVD not the gray silver ones.

Once you have the DVD you need, boot the iMac with it and then run Disk Utility. Or boot the iMac in single user mode and run FSCK from the terminal.

Regards.

Thanks to both of you for the responses. Hughvane, yes, I did disconnect all peripherals just for the heck of it and then tried to restart but, sadly, no go.

Luckily, literally ALL of my music, pictures, and most of my other important files live on my external hard drive, so really it's just trying to salvage the iMac for resale at this point.

I suppose I will just obtain the original OS disc and/or just take it to the mac store....bummer.

Thanks, again, for your help guys!

P.S.
Do either of you know how much money, roughly, for just a diagnosis?

tvanklee said:

P.S.
Do either of you know how much money, roughly, for just a diagnosis?

Click to expand...

Not quite sure exactly, but if it's out of warranty, Apple's usually pretty expensive, at least for repair. Try taking it to a Genius Bar (assuming you live near an Apple Store) and see what they say; might as well try.

You still have the option of Disk Warrior. It is the best Mac disk utility by far, and can deal with issues that even Apple's own DU can't. But, it's expensive @ ~US$100.

I don't know labour charges in the US, but here in NZ, Mac techs at the official Apple stores charge about US$70/hour, with a minimum one-hour charge.

The beauty of buying Disk Warrior is that you have it on hand for any future mishaps.

hughvane said:

You still have the option of Disk Warrior. It is the best Mac disk utility by far, and can deal with issues that even Apple's own DU can't. But, it's expensive @ ~US$100.

I don't know labour charges in the US, but here in NZ, Mac techs at the official Apple stores charge about US$70/hour, with a minimum one-hour charge.

The beauty of buying Disk Warrior is that you have it on hand for any future mishaps.

Click to expand...

Burn a Ubuntu Linux Live CD. Copy your Files over that Way