My iMac won't start up :(

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Ok, is there any way of getting my data off of it or is everything lost?

Paul

If you have a USB to IDE adapter you can plug it in another computer and see if it opens and pull files off. You could also try to reformat it this way too. The system may just be FUBAR and a reformat may straighten out the drive, otherwise the systems just so messed up that it want work but the drive is still ok. You want know till you run some disc repair app on it or just nuke it and start over.
 
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Hey everyone,

Long time since I had my problems, but I've finally got round to doing something about it! Been on my laptop for far too long now!

I have bought a Western Digital 1TB External drive and swapped the discs over. The old drive seems to be working fine when connected to my laptop, I'm accessing all the files on it no problem.

With the new HD in the iMac, I've tried starting it up with the OSX disc in, and again, it has the same problem of getting to the grey screen with the Apple icon and turning off. It sounds like it is reading the disc, but just turns off rather than going into the menu and stuff. I'm really confused! :S

Any ideas what the problem is?

Cheers,

Paul
 
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Did you try to boot from the OS disc with out the hard drive in the machine. If you get the same grey screen the optical drive may not be working.
 
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Tried it this morning without the hard drive, and exactly the same thing happens. There was no flashing ? like the last time I tried starting it up without the hard drive in, although that was without the CD. Is the CD drive just not reading the disc then?

Paul
 

Lex


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Tnx all for the info... I needed this bad too, to help my brother fix his mac. Didn't work so far though. It is still under warranty so I better keep away from it now and bring it to the store.

- Lex
 

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