help with imac running tiger! runs so slow all of a sudden!

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I bought my imac used last year and it has been great, but for the last couple of weeks everything takes so long and I am getting that spinning rainbow wheel just about every time I click on something or start typing. I have an imac 2.16ghz intel core 2 duo with 2bg ram running 10.4.11. What can I do to get this thing running back up to the speed it once was? I am new to macs, and need all the help I can get. This is what I have tried so far with the limited knowledge I have.... I emptied the trash. I reset safari. I cleared cache with onyx. and I reset the PRAM (I think thats what it's called) by the instruction of someone else. None of these things got me back up to speed. Do I need to do a virus check or something? I can hardly use this thing anymore because it is so slow. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it!
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Black MacBook 2.2GHz C2D, 4GB Ram - iMac G4 700MHz, 512MB Ram
Use the application Disk Utility to verify and repair permissions on your Hard Drive. Also, how much space do you have left?
 
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Use the application Disk Utility to verify and repair permissions on your Hard Drive. Also, how much space do you have left?

Hello and thanks for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to post that I already did that also by the suggestion of someone else, but it didn't help. 184 gb free.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Black MacBook 2.2GHz C2D, 4GB Ram - iMac G4 700MHz, 512MB Ram
Also in disk utility, does your SMART status say verified? The slow down that you are describing can be the result of a dying hard drive.
 
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Also in disk utility, does your SMART status say verified? The slow down that you are describing can be the result of a dying hard drive.

Computer froze while online about an hour ago, had to hold down power to reboot and now will not go past the blank white apple screen with the spinning circle thing or a blank blue screen. I have powered it down and rebooted about 20 times and the same thing happens. Help!! What can I do??
 
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Computer froze while online about an hour ago, had to hold down power to reboot and now will not go past the blank white apple screen with the spinning circle thing or a blank blue screen. I have powered it down and rebooted about 20 times and the same thing happens. Help!! What can I do??

I think your Hard Drive just died. :( Leave it on the blue screen for a while, does it eventually show a flashing folder/question mark?
 
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I think your Hard Drive just died. :( Leave it on the blue screen for a while, does it eventually show a flashing folder/question mark?

Well I got it to boot last night using P R alt command and I hurried and saved my important files, but then it froze and I shut it off and haven't been on it since. If I got it to boot up again, is there a way I could test and see if its the hard drive? What does it take to replace the hard drive? Is it something apple has to do in an imac or what? And do u have any idea the cost?? Thanks.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
If you have the system install discs, pop that in and reboot,m holding down 'C' immediately after the chime. Go into Utilities > Disk Utility and run Repair Disk from there.
 
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Sorry to hear about your mac jennefur. I just went thru the same thing with my iMac 2 days ago. Ya that is a good question tho. What does it take to replace hard drive? In the disk utility of my iMac it said the hard drive was beyond repair. What are the steps to replacing the hard drive on an iMac?
 
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If you have the system install discs, pop that in and reboot,m holding down 'C' immediately after the chime. Go into Utilities > Disk Utility and run Repair Disk from there.

Well I got it to boot again using P R Alt Command. But if I don't boot it using that method, all I'm getting is the white apple screen. I am on it right now, I ran the verify disk permissions and repair disk permissions. Repair disk was greyed out and not clickable. I am looking for my system install disks but can't find em yet. Any ideas on what could be wrong before I make a trip to the genius bar next week? Thanks.
 
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Again. You haver to boot from the install disc to run Repair Disk. Find those discs first and fingers crossed they will be able to repair the drive otherwise up for a new drive.
 
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Again. You haver to boot from the install disc to run Repair Disk. Find those discs first and fingers crossed they will be able to repair the drive otherwise up for a new drive.

Oh ok, I get it now. I will find them!!! Thank you harryb!
 
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Again. You haver to boot from the install disc to run Repair Disk. Find those discs first and fingers crossed they will be able to repair the drive otherwise up for a new drive.

Does fsck do the same thing as booting from install discs and repairing disk? I just did fsck and it I was all good there. I have not found my install discs yet and it does not look promising so far....
 

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