Hi folks,
I'm facing a problem with an iMac (year ~2007) that doen't start correctly.
I can hear the gong. Then light grey screen with the logo from Apple displays.
After a few seconds, the "loading" icon appears and the computer does nothing like if it was loading and looking for some driver.
After two or three minutes, a dark grey popup appears, asking to reboot the computer.
I tried the following :
1) Disconnected devices like external hard drive, external speakers, keyboard and mouse.
2) Reconnected keyboard and mouse and rebooted the computer with the following keys hold down : Apple + Alt + P + R
Nothing happened. I could not ear the gong two or four times like I read somewhere; only once just after the computer started.
3) Rebooted the computer with "Apple+S" keys hold down.
and ran the "fsck -yf" command.
The drive was reported being OK, but a short message in capital letters
also told that changes were done. I cannot remember the exact message.
This total checkup time for the hard drive was about 2 minutes.
The drive is probably around 500 Gb from what I was told.
4) Tried to boot in verbose mode. The last messages that were printed were about Aironet
So, I assume some problem either with Aironet or with devices that come later.
I can remember having seen something like an IP address.
This make me think the problem could occur after WLAN was set.
5) Tried to boot with the X key hold down. No change.
6) Tried rebooting from the Mac OS X installation compact disk, by holding down the C key. We can hear the typical sound of the CD that boots, but nothing happens and afterwards, the iMac still seems to try booting form the hard drive.
Had some problem ejecting the CD from the keyboard; worked only if the eject key was hold down very soon after some reboot.
7) Tried changing the batteries from the wireless keyboard, but no improvement.
The battery from the wireless mouse was changed recently and the mouse shows some red light.
8) Tried booting from Knoppix CD version 6.7.
Knoppix loads but I cannot use the keyboard then; I assume that Knoppix doesn't have the right driver for the wireless keyboard.
Unfortunately, I don't have yet a classical "wire-keyboard" yet to test.
I could not perform a memtest with Knoppix, as the keyboard was not recognized by Knoppix.
9) Tried running again the computer in verbose mode by holding down "Apple + V" after reboot, but the console black and white screen does not display anymore.
The computer still freeze at loading.
The iMac does not have any socket for a classical keyboard.
On the rear side are just USB sockets as well as few other ones.
I'm not scared by console mode commands if necessary, although I currently have more experience with Linux and Windows than with BSD systems.
Thank you very much for your help.
I'm facing a problem with an iMac (year ~2007) that doen't start correctly.
I can hear the gong. Then light grey screen with the logo from Apple displays.
After a few seconds, the "loading" icon appears and the computer does nothing like if it was loading and looking for some driver.
After two or three minutes, a dark grey popup appears, asking to reboot the computer.
I tried the following :
1) Disconnected devices like external hard drive, external speakers, keyboard and mouse.
2) Reconnected keyboard and mouse and rebooted the computer with the following keys hold down : Apple + Alt + P + R
Nothing happened. I could not ear the gong two or four times like I read somewhere; only once just after the computer started.
3) Rebooted the computer with "Apple+S" keys hold down.
and ran the "fsck -yf" command.
The drive was reported being OK, but a short message in capital letters
also told that changes were done. I cannot remember the exact message.
This total checkup time for the hard drive was about 2 minutes.
The drive is probably around 500 Gb from what I was told.
4) Tried to boot in verbose mode. The last messages that were printed were about Aironet
So, I assume some problem either with Aironet or with devices that come later.
I can remember having seen something like an IP address.
This make me think the problem could occur after WLAN was set.
5) Tried to boot with the X key hold down. No change.
6) Tried rebooting from the Mac OS X installation compact disk, by holding down the C key. We can hear the typical sound of the CD that boots, but nothing happens and afterwards, the iMac still seems to try booting form the hard drive.
Had some problem ejecting the CD from the keyboard; worked only if the eject key was hold down very soon after some reboot.
7) Tried changing the batteries from the wireless keyboard, but no improvement.
The battery from the wireless mouse was changed recently and the mouse shows some red light.
8) Tried booting from Knoppix CD version 6.7.
Knoppix loads but I cannot use the keyboard then; I assume that Knoppix doesn't have the right driver for the wireless keyboard.
Unfortunately, I don't have yet a classical "wire-keyboard" yet to test.
I could not perform a memtest with Knoppix, as the keyboard was not recognized by Knoppix.
9) Tried running again the computer in verbose mode by holding down "Apple + V" after reboot, but the console black and white screen does not display anymore.
The computer still freeze at loading.
The iMac does not have any socket for a classical keyboard.
On the rear side are just USB sockets as well as few other ones.
I'm not scared by console mode commands if necessary, although I currently have more experience with Linux and Windows than with BSD systems.
Thank you very much for your help.
