What is wrong with my IMac - suspect -> graphic card

Hi

Lately my IMac has been acting weird. As you can see in the video in the link below, it starts up fine, but after a few seconds half the screen turns yellow, and after that the start up screen just freezes completely (i.e. the little circle also freezes).

What is the course of this? I myself suspect the graphic card, but what I don't understand, is then, how all the graphics can work fine when you start it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDktz4y0peI&feature=youtu.be

The machine is a 2008/2009, with the 3,06 GHz processor and NVIDIA GeForce 8800 gs graphic card.

I can see on the web that this specific graphic card has a lot of faults, and that is why I suspect that that is what has gone wrong...?


--
Regards

Anders

It very well could be the graphics hardware. In the duration of the video some "weird" stuff could be seen.

I would have liked to see more video. Like what it looks like after it has completely booted…and maybe what happens while using it…such as internet surfing with Safari.

- Nick

Nothing else happens, it just stays there "forever". I think it freezes up, as the little waiting circle isn't rotating after the orange stuff kicks in.

@nders said:

Nothing else happens, it just stays there "forever". I think it freezes up, as the little waiting circle isn't rotating after the orange stuff kicks in.

Click to expand...

In your first post you said…"it starts up fine". If the computer does not fully boot up (get to the desktop)…then it certainly is NOT starting up fine. It is possible for a Mac with a graphics hardware issue to still boot up fine (just has graphics issues).

So I would say with what I'm seeing/hearing so far…there may be two issues (graphics & a startup issue). The startup issue could be a dead, dying, or messed up HD. The first problem to solve is the startup issue…then see what's up with the graphics.

Do you have?:

- an external HD with an OS on it
- the original gray disks that came with the computer when new
- an Apple retail OS install DVD

These would be ways to boot the computer other than the internal HD.

- Nick

Also…what OS is installed on the computer? If it's a newer OS version…you may be able to boot the computer via the recovery partition.

- Nick

Hi Nick, thanks for your help

I bought it used, so I don't have any of the software or disc's that came with it. I do although know that it's the latest or second latest version that it's running and I also have a portable HDD.

Will it still work...?


/Anders

@nders said:

I bought it used, so I don't have any of the software or disc's that came with it. I do although know that it's the latest or second latest version that it's running and I also have a portable HDD.

Click to expand...

Ok…used computer. Just so we know…how long has the computer worked fine…or did you get it recently…and it has never worked?

If it has one of the latest two OS versions…then that would be OS 10.8 or 10.9. If this is the case…try rebooting the computer holding down the 2-keys…command + r.

Depending on the condition of the HD…this should boot the computer into the recovery partition.

- Nick