EMac Hardware Issues

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Hey Guys,
I realize that the EMac is slightly outdated, but I acquired one from a friend about a week ago. I wanted to use it just for ITunes, etc. nothing fancy!! I have just now found the time to boot it up. When it first came on, It would display all this crazy code about the clock having a preposterous time, etc. I read in a forum that it could be a corrupt hard drive. I took a hard drive out of an old PC I had lying around and did the correct surgery to get to the HD in the mac and swap it out. Well, I boot up the computer now and all it gives me is a folder in the middle of the screen that flashes the mac symbol and a question mark.
I have the Mac OS 9 install disc (along with all 5 software restore discs), and was going to boot it up that way by holding down the C key on the keyboard. Well, that didn't work. So I swapped out the DVD+RW drive with another one that I had in an old computer, that I know works, and when I hold C down while the computer is booting up now, all I get is a gray screen for about :30 seconds and then it goes back to the screen with the folder and blinking question mark. I tried it twice, and it popped the CD out one of those times when it went back to the screen with the blinking question mark.
Any suggestions as to what could be wrong? I have booted it up using the option key on the keyboard too. Nothing is on that screen except for a return arrow and a right arrow. What should I do?

Thanks,
JOSH
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
G'day and welcome to the forums.

First up replace the 3.6v lithium battery as the time and date error is a dead set give away ther PRAM battery is flat. Here is how to do it:-

Installing eMac PRAM Battery - iFixit

First suggesting cracking it open and replacing the original hard drive, replace battery and give it a go and see if it boots and if there is any operating system on the original hard drive. The folder blinking is telling you there is no operating system installed, and to use the PC drive you will have to erase it and format Mac OS Extended (Journalled) before anything will install.

That is enough to keep you out of the pub for a day or two and keep us posted on progress.
 
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Thanks man! I will take care of that tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes!!!
 
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Back to the Drawing Board

I have installed a brand new Lithium battery and it will boot up past the code that it was giving me. It now goes to a grey screen with the apple logo on it and a spinning loading symbol. It will not go past that. I have tried to reinstall Mac OS 9.1 on the machine, but it will not boot up from the DVD Drive. I used the Apple Hardware Test disk to check out everything and it ran just fine. What should I do now? Thanks guys!!
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
First up reset the PRAM after replacing the battery.

Boot and after chime immediately hold down Option, Command, P and R keys and keep held down until the third chime and release. Hopefully it will boot. Is the 9.1 disc a retail version and not one for another computer?
 
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Reset the PRAM and it still goes to the grey screen and stalls there. The 9.1 disc is the retail version of the software that goes with the computer as far as I know. It is in it's original box with the papers and everything. Thanks for all of your help.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Next consideration is if it is a 1.25GHz model. They do have a huge problem with failing capacitors which causes freezes etc. Just do a Google on the problem and how to identify.


http://emacproblems.blogspot.com/

Also try popping the CD in, rebooting and hold down 'C": immediately after the chime and see if the eMac boots from the optical drive.
 

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