Intel iMac speakers emitting obnoxiously loud noise

Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Problem description: Something is up with my sound. My speakers are emitting something that sounds pretty much like in this video: YouTube - iMac Crash Loud Squeal minus the scratching sound and the computer freezing.

This problem started three nights ago (Sept 4th, morning of Sept 5th really) while my computer was in sleep mode. A vibrating kind sound was coming from my speakers, on and off for maybe a minute or two. At first I thought it was my phone vibrating on my desk, but it definitely wasn't the kind of vibration sound my phone makes. It stopped after about a minute, so I went back to bed and I got woken up again by the noise (I'm not sure how much time passed) so I went and tried to mute or lower the volume on the computer. I couldn't do any of that, display said that my volume was all the way up and I couldn't adjust or mute it at all. So I just decided to turn my computer off and deal with it when I was actually awake.

When I turned on my computer, it instantly played that sound again, which freaked me out so I turned it off right away. I did the whole unplug the computer, hit the power button a couple times, plug it back in and hope that it works (it didn't). Sound was still there but I noticed that it only played during the duration of the boot up sound. My computer booted up fine, I could use the programs and everything so I went to see if I could adjust the volume. I could but that horrid sound came back right away and wouldn't stop. I tried playing music to see if audio was still actually working but I couldn't hear anything at all beside that loud noise. And after letting it go for awhile the speakers started to crack and pop which is when I thought it would be best to turn the computer off.

The sound usually won't happen unless I do something that should be making a sound, i.e. adjusting the volume; playing an audio file, system boot up chime. There was a time like once or twice where it just randomly started.

Attempted fixes: Unplug the computer, hit the power button a couple times, plug it back in; booting into Windows to see if it played that horrid sound during the boot up chime, which it did, so it's not an OS problem; reboot the PRAM with command+option+p+r during start up; plugging in headphones/speakers into the headphone jack to change the output but that didn't do anything, sound still came from internal speakers; tilted the monitor around, light tapped on the back;

Recent changes: Pretty sure I haven't. I do remember doing a system update somewhat recently but heck if I remember what got updated :\

--

Operating system: Mac OSX 10.5.8

System specs: iMac 20" (mid 2007)/2.4 GHz/ 3 GB ram; Model no. A1224/ About 3 years old

I have Googled: Yes
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Are you sure one of your iMac's speakers isn't "blown" from playing the volume too loudly?

- Nick
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Are you sure one of your iMac's speakers isn't "blown" from playing the volume too loudly?

- Nick

Yes, I don't even use the internal speakers. I've always had my external speakers plugged in and now the computer doesn't even recognize anything plugged into the headphone jack.

Unless it got blown out when it first made this noise, but I don't see why that would stop the computer from recognizing my external speakers or headphones.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
According to the Youtube video you linked...the problem was bad ram. Have you considered this?

- Nick
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
According to the Youtube video you linked...the problem was bad ram. Have you considered this?

- Nick

Yes, I have had my current ram installed for two years now and I haven't touched it since. In the video, the computer acted up shortly after the ram installation and it also caused the computer to freeze. My computer is not frozen and I am able to boot it up and shut it down properly. Also, when the guy rebooted his computer, his boot up chime played whereas mine plays that loud sound instead of the chime.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Yes, I have had my current ram installed for two years now and I haven't touched it since. In the video, the computer acted up shortly after the ram installation and it also caused the computer to freeze. My computer is not frozen and I am able to boot it up and shut it down properly. Also, when the guy rebooted his computer, his boot up chime played whereas mine plays that loud sound instead of the chime.

Here's the deal with ANYTHING electronic or mechanical. They always work fine until something goes bad or breaks. So just because your computer has worked fine for two years...doesn't mean something couldn't have all of a sudden just died or broke.

It's just like a automobile...one day the alternator, air conditioning, radio, power windows, etc. can work fine...and the next day not work. Computers can be the same way...one day they work fine...next day not. Things go bad.:(

So unless something different has been done recently to this computer:

- different/new hardware of some sort
- installing of new software
- electrical surges in your homes electricity
- etc.

Then the problem could be something has gone bad inside the computer...including the ram.

Have you tried booting from a CD/DVD?...this could eliminate anything to do with "bad" software on your hard drive.

HTH,

- Nick
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I live in Florida so there has been some power outages due to thunderstorms, but the computer is plugged into a surge protector. I guess there is the possibility something with the speakers may have shorted, though I'm pretty sure there wasn't a storm going on the night this started.

I ran a hardware diagnosis (holding d during boot up) and it found nothing wrong.

I also tried getting rid of AppleOnboardAudio.kext to just completely get rid of audio, but that didn't do anything either.

I'll try booting from a CD next I guess.

Thanks for trying to help me out.

--

I haven't brought it to Apple yet because I'm flying out to California in 8 days and I'm going to be there for almost a month, so I figured if I can't find a fix myself I'll bring it to Apple when I get back. I'm just worried about the costs they'll throw on me and then probably just telling me that I need to get a new computer essentially. And also the closest Apple store to me is almost 2 hrs away and I'd have to find a ride with someone.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
I'll try booting from a CD next I guess.

This is an important thing to try...because it can eliminate any software conflicts with the computers hardware that may be present on the hard drive.

- Nick
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Can I use installation disc 1 to boot from? or is that for only installing mac os x
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Can I use installation disc 1 to boot from? or is that for only installing mac os x

If you're talking about the "gray" disks..then yes you can boot from disk 1. You could also launch "Disk Utility" to examine the hard drive. Disk 2 is a hardware test disk...which you could run as well.

One word of warning (if we're talking about the gray disks)...they need to be the original disks that came with the computer...otherwise they may not work. The gray disks are model specific.

If we're talking about black colored disks with a big "X" on them...then it would be good to know what OS version we're talking about. Because the last time the Mac OS came on multiple install disks (CD's)...and were not gray colored...was OS 10.4...the most recent OS now is OS 10.6.4.

- Nick
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
If you're talking about the "gray" disks..then yes you can boot from disk 1. You could also launch "Disk Utility" to examine the hard drive. Disk 2 is a hardware test disk...which you could run as well.

One word of warning (if we're talking about the gray disks)...they need to be the original disks that came with the computer...otherwise they may not work. The gray disks are model specific.

If we're talking about black colored disks with a big "X" on them...then it would be good to know what OS version we're talking about. Because the last time the Mac OS came on multiple install disks (CD's)...and were not gray colored...was OS 10.4...the most recent OS now is OS 10.6.4.

- Nick

Yeah, the gray disks. They're the original disks that came with the computer. They're OS 10.5
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
i ran a disc verify from disc utility and everything checked out fine. i ran a hardware test earlier today and everything checked out fine.

I think I'm just going to have to take it in :\
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,208
Reaction score
1,411
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
i ran a disc verify from disc utility and everything checked out fine. i ran a hardware test earlier today and everything checked out fine.

I think I'm just going to have to take it in :\

The more important answer is...did this "loud noise" still happen when you booted from the disk?

- Nick
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Happening to me!

Please.... please.

Help!!!

This obnoxious sound it driving me insane! When I go to sleep, I leave the alarm clock to wake me up, but when there's no sound from the mac, the external speakers do that noise!
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top