I just got a ‘09 iMac desktop. It came on when I first got it, but needed the previous owners login to switch it to mine. I turn it on and this question mark folder flashes on the screen now. How can I bypass that? I tried the above instructions, but to no avail. Anybody dealt with this?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iMac
Where did you get the iMac? Did you pay for it or was it a gift? If you paid for it the seller didn't prepare it properly as it should have been prepared according to this Apple document: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support.
I'd send it back and get my money back as it's an obsolete model according to Apple and isn't worth much if anything.
If it's a freebee and you don't have the discs that came with it and you have access to another Mac then download and create a bootable flash drive with High Sierra on it according to this Apple document: How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support (IN). Then you can boot into the bootable flash drive (should be a minimum. of 16 GB in size), erase the drive and install High Sierra.
Where did you get the iMac? Did you pay for it or was it a gift? If you paid for it the seller didn't prepare it properly as it should have been prepared according to this Apple document: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support.
I'd send it back and get my money back as it's an obsolete model according to Apple and isn't worth much if anything.
If it's a freebee and you don't have the discs that came with it and you have access to another Mac then download and create a bootable flash drive with High Sierra on it according to this Apple document: How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support (IN). Then you can boot into the bootable flash drive (should be a minimum. of 16 GB in size), erase the drive and install High Sierra.
Howdy vince_mcclain81, the posting from Apple above your name "If your Mac starts up to a question mark" should be pretty helpful to you, and as Allan Jones posted, if you have a set of system install/restore DVD's that might have been included with your '09 iMac, you could use those to reinstall the Mac OS, holding down the "C" key on the keyboard on startup and sliding the appropriate dvd into the dvd drive, label side UP. IF you DON'T.....you could try rebooting from the Recovery Partition on your iMac (assuming it has one) by restarting and holding down the Apple (command) and R keys together on the keyboard on startup until you see a language selection screen. Pick one and continue....Disk Utility might be available from that menu, but if not, move your cursor (the arrow) to the top center of your screen and click. You should now see "Mac OS X Tools", from there, Disk Utility and Terminal should be available.... run Disk Utility to make sure your built in hard drive is OK.....then you could re-install the Mac OS.... to change the login/admin password and name, you'd have to go to Terminal, run that.....you'd see a white screen with black letters, which is OK for terminal. type in *resetpassword*, all 1 word, but without the *'s. press enter/return on your keyboard and it'll get you into the main login/startup/admin password reset application....
that's all I have
John B
2009 iMacs shipped with a set of system install/restore disks that are very useful on cases like this. Did the seller give you those?
Have you been able to contact the seller?
How to bypass question mark folder that flashes on my iMac screen?
