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Q: imac 2011 white screen reboot

After upgrading to Yosemite, I've gotten into a number of reboot issues.  

 

It seems to start with the screen going white, then it gets stuck in a reboot cycle.

 

I've since booted in targeted mode and repaired the drive (that worked briefly).

I then re-installed Yosemite via network. This too rebooted after a short time (less than an hour). Repaired the drive in single user mode, rebooted. It then crashed with in a hour.

 

I booted with option-D and ran the long diagnostics 3 times and it was clean all 3 times. 

 

This is driving me crazy.

 

I had gotten notice from Apple sometime ago about the hard drive, why didn't they also mention the graphics card.

 

I also noticed that my Radeon card might be in a recall, as the last 4 digits of my serial number is in

http://9to5mac.com/2013/08/16/apple-opens-graphics-card-replacement-program-for-some-mid-201 1-imacs/

 

  Model Name: iMac

  Model Identifier: iMac12,2

  Processor Name: Intel Core i7

  Processor Speed: 3.4 GHz

  Number of Processors: 1

  Total Number of Cores: 4

  L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

  L3 Cache: 8 MB

  Memory: 12 GB

  Boot ROM Version: IM121.0047.B1F

SMC Version (system): 1.72f1

  Serial Number (system): xxxxxxDHJW

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), freeze, reboot, white screen

Posted on Jan 20, 2015 4:58 PM

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Q: imac 2011 white screen reboot

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  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),Helpful

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Jan 20, 2015 5:52 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin
    Level 9 (57,655 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 5:52 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin

    What's stopping you from taking advantage of the replacement program?????

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Wave Siggy.gif

  • by yetAnotherLogin,

    yetAnotherLogin yetAnotherLogin Jan 20, 2015 5:59 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 5:59 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    I didn't notice the problem until Yosemite. Perhaps Yosemite taxes the video card more than previous OSX releases.

    Looks like it's a 4 yr replacement pgm now. Have to call for an appointment.

     

    iMac (27-inch): AMD Radeon 6970M Video Card Replacement Program - Apple Support

  • by BronL,

    BronL BronL Jan 20, 2015 5:59 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 5:59 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin

    I had a similar issue, with a pointer but nothing else. Something very similar happened with the Mavericks update.

     

    What fixed it for me took some tracking down, but it turned out that it was actually sitting there waiting with an invisible insertion point in an invisible username input field. My username was there, I just had to press Tab to move to the invisible password field, type my invisible password and press Enter.

     

    Seriously. I kid you not.

  • by yetAnotherLogin,

    yetAnotherLogin yetAnotherLogin Jan 20, 2015 6:03 PM in response to BronL
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 6:03 PM in response to BronL

    Unfortunately, mine reboots (most of the time) when it crashes.  It has also gotten into a reboot cycle in which it can't quite boot and tries again, and again...

  • by Mr Holmsi,

    Mr Holmsi Mr Holmsi Jan 30, 2015 10:12 AM in response to yetAnotherLogin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 30, 2015 10:12 AM in response to yetAnotherLogin

    Did you ever find the cause of the problem or how to fix it as I'm having the exact same issues on my 2011 27" iMac.

  • by yetAnotherLogin,

    yetAnotherLogin yetAnotherLogin Jan 30, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Mr Holmsi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 30, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Mr Holmsi

    Took it into GeniusBar, they booted into their special onsite diagnostics which showed a problem with the video card (or perhaps just ID'd it as one on a recall, don't really know). They didn't reproduce the error. They ran quick scans on the rest and said it would be fixed under a Warranty Status: Quality Program(E1).  The video card showed being backordered. As of today, it's been 5 days...

     

    Really wish they made the diagnostics utils they used at the store available as a download. I would have taken it in way sooner.

    Problem Description/Diagnosis

    Issue: Graphical images distorted. White screen after 4 hours of use.
    Steps to Reproduce: MRI passed. VST failed.
    Cosmetic Condition: No marks.
    Proposed Resolution: Replace video card under quality program.
    Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 - 5 days
    Mac OS Version: 10.10.1
    Hard Drive Size: 1000 GB
    Memory Size: 12 GB

    Repair Estimate

    Item NumberDescriptionPriceAmount DueCustomer KBB
    661-5969Card, Video, AMD Radeon HD 6970M, 2GB$ 339.77$ 0.00
    S1490LL/AHardware Repair Labor$ 39.00$ 0.00
    Total (Tax not included)$ 378.77$ 0.00
  • by Mr Holmsi,

    Mr Holmsi Mr Holmsi Jan 30, 2015 11:47 AM in response to yetAnotherLogin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 30, 2015 11:47 AM in response to yetAnotherLogin

    Thanks for the quick reply, I have experiencing graphics glitches over the past few days that forced me to reboot and now after 4 hours of attempting to get in recovery seems like it is the same issue. They even mention after 4 hours of use it hangs on the white screen in the details you posted. Hopefully Apple will cover me because my care plan ran out last September.

     

    One last question, I am unable to backup my data, so do they wipe it at the genius bar because I'll have to try and figure something out.

  • by yetAnotherLogin,

    yetAnotherLogin yetAnotherLogin Jan 30, 2015 11:51 AM in response to Mr Holmsi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 30, 2015 11:51 AM in response to Mr Holmsi

    Since I have not gotten my machine back, I don't know what shape the hard drive will be in. However, it's unlikely to be wiped as it's a video card replacement. I'd suggest you ask when you setup your appointment. Mine was also out of the 3yr warranty. The 3rd post in this thread points to a 4 yr replacement on problem.

  • by yetAnotherLogin,

    yetAnotherLogin yetAnotherLogin Jan 31, 2015 4:41 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 31, 2015 4:41 PM in response to yetAnotherLogin

    Picked it up today, and so far, so good.  Hard drive wasn't wiped either.