Imac will not start

Have you tried starting up in safe mode...hold down the shift key, and if the iMac starts up ok, then reboot and see if it starts again in multi-user mode.

If that does not work, insert your Mac OS X install disk and startup while holding the C key...select the language then go to the utilities and run disk utility on the internal hard drive. Repair the disk, then restart and see if that clears the problems.

Hi Alan,

Have you tried starting while hodling down the mouse to force the disk to eject?

The rest of it is sounding a lot like a logic board failure. Since the fan spins up and you can hear hard drive activity, probably not the power supply.

Have you had the iMac open all the way? Have you looked at the capacitors, look like small soda cans (I prefer beer cans 🙂 ) to see if any are bulging? If they are that is a sure sign of failure.

You haven't said anything about an external hard drive or another Mac computer. If you had either, and the drive was bootable, could try starting from that drive or in target disk mode to make sure it was the logic board.

Alternative is to take the iMac to an Apple authorized servioe person and have it checked out.

Ralph

I have been having the same sort of problems with my imac. It will get stuck on boot though. The loading circle will keep going continuously. Restarting SMC wont work even my leopard install disk wont eject now. Im pretty sure you should take it into an Apple Retail store.

Dom

Hi Alan,

At least partial success...let us know what the verdict is on the rest of the issues.

Ralph

Hi Al,

Thanks for the update.

Yes, iMacs have a battery on the logic board, small button type battery that usually has a life quoted as 5 years, which does vary a lot. If a repair tech has the unit open it is best to simply replace the battery as standard procedure, they are only a few dollars, US or AUS. And 42 C > 108 F should not cause damage, a little hot, but since the iMac was not running and trying to stay cool should not have been damaging to it physically.

If you take the iMac to an Apple person, and they open it up and can repair for a price you find acceptable, make sure they put in a new logic board battery at the same time...that battery keeps the information in the PRAM up to date so the machine knows where to find the startup disk, etc.

Ralph