OSX Lion + 2011 iMac 27'' + Video = Freeze

Thanks Studio K. Nothing is easy as it seems. I tried to reinstall Snow Leopard (using the DVD) and I'm having a hard time installing it. I followed your directions and 2 other directions I found online. I inserted the disc and restarted my computer holding down the option (alt) key and computer continues to go to log on page. I tried holding the C key down, command + R and even going to the start up disc in sys preferences (where it allows you to choose which disc to boot up from) - and nothing. After trying the last thing (booting from start up disc), computer gets stuck on grey apple logo screen.

So then I put the computer into target mode and erased it from disc utility on my laptop, ejected it and restarted it - again no luck. It's still stuck on the grey apple logo screen.

Any ideas?

I'm stuck at the same point. I can't get my iMac to boot from any DVD except a LION DVD! When I use my original disk, I am left with a grey screen.

Keep on topic please., so we can get Apple to take us seriously. This is a serious problem for me and I want Apple to take notice. Please dont let the thread run to "I cant plug my mac in the wall".

It's a big forum full of lots of solutions. You cant retro install. You can't put a disk in of an earlier version than your machine release. google or search.

Hopefully Apple will take note of this thread and help with the freezing and black screen problem.

Anyone who gets a foot forward on this problem, please take a moment to update us on what hardware was changed or what software helped to reduce or remove this disaster.

Thanks

lumino and TWKP,

I don't know why your iMac would not start up from the install DVD. Occasionally I would have to try it a couple of times because my bluetooth keyboard would not wake up quickly enough for the 'option' key to register.

Regarding the grey screen....it could be that it takes a bit of time for the install DVD to boot up. How long did you wait for it?

Instead of 'option', press and hold the 'C' key at startup---that will take you straight to the DVD installer bypassing the boot menu. Keep holding 'C' for a while until you see something happen. And give it some time. The DVD drive should start grinding away.

iDik,

I purchased and installed LION last July. By August, I was back to LEOPARD because of the freezing and overheating.

Like many, I assumed that Apple would resolve the problem quickly, but it is now April and no progress has been made. Perhaps things will be better with Mountain Lion.

In the interest of preserving our hardware, some of us must revert to the older OS if possible.

Hasn't it struck anybody that we have been into LION and now we are going out of it rather quickly? Could it be that Lion has offered Apple too many headaches like the one we are having?? Maybe, just maybe, Mountain Lion will offer something better . . . Of course, I'm reaching for hope . . .

I went this past saturday to the Apple store... and I told the genius guy all the studd i did to my iMac... (basically all the alternative solutions and all the maintenence process) he was very impress and told me that I did the 90% of his job.... anyways as soon as he put the serial number of my imac he got a warning that he needed to change th Hard drive (back on 2011 around july I got an Apple email saying that my HD might be a faulty drive) but anyways... I don't know if that's gonna solve the issue... he had a very valid point, that the Lion wasnt compatible with the Harddrive firmware, somethng like that.... but I had read that people had changed their HD and the iMac keeps freezing... sooooo... he said that if the problem persists then they will change the Logic Card....

For those who bought the iMac 27in back in june/july.... check if you have this HD and run to your apple store cause you should have a free HD change...

My iMac slowed to the point that it was unusable yesterday. I booted from my LION DVD and re-partitioned the HD. Then I started a restore from time machine and went to bed. This morning my machine is working again! It appears to be just fine for now!

I just tested my Leopard Installation DVD, and it worked fine.

I inserted the disc, restarted, and pressed the 'C' key until I heard the DVD drive churning.

It did take about 3 and-a-half minutes for the installer to begin, however. 3 and-a-half minutes of the Apple boot screen with gear turning.

So don't give up thinking it has frozen.

Good evening/morning.

I just wanted to share a recent experience.

My iMac9,1 (early 2009) was freezing so often that I've decided to reinstall Snow Leopard. It works way better but it freezes from time to time (but less than with Lion). I suspect that the firmware update has modified something?

Before Lion, my iMac never frooze.

What about making more noise about the issue with Lion? What about contacting MacRumors, etc...creating a Facebook page about it. I just want Apple to pay attention, aknowledge the issue and get it fixed.

Thoughts?

I'm following this thread having had similar freezing problems on my brand new MacBook Pro.

Luckily (for me) my machine now works fine (after an update it just stopped crashing), but I continue to read this thread in dismay at the lack of acknowledgment from Apple about this problem.

As far as I can tell, no-one has yet managed to get their computer to function as it should once the problem rears its ugly head. Sometimes there's an improvement, but the freeze continues.

This is just not acceptable. We all expect so much more from Apple because generally their machines function very well for a lot longer than any other given product - hence the reason we're willing to pay so much more for them.

At this point I think that mtv is correct and that all of you who are still suffering with the same problem need to club together and work out a strategy. Obviously posting on this thread is not eliciting a response, nor the many visits to Apple shops you've all made.

I think contacting the leading mac support sites is a very good idea. Also sending an email to Tim Cook and perhaps Bob Mansfield ( who is Senior V.P of Hardware ) outling the problem with a link to this thread and the lack of attention from Apple. If you get no response then I'd think about contacting the US/UK mainstream press with the story - they love to have a dig at Apple if they can.

Good luck folks.

I agree to your firmware update root.

I don't think it's OS related. Thats just chronologically coincidental.

Mine started while doing a fairly big update, and there was a firmware update involved.

I immediatly tried to retro install the old firmware but to no avail.

Apple said that it can't be done.

I have two other iMac 27" on older firmware that dont have any problems.

I wish Apple would do a quick test on these lines.

I'm having the same problem here on a 13" 256GB Macbook Air. The machine will essentially freeze, but some of the UI is still responsive. I can click on dock icons, menu pulldowns etc, but nothing happens. Eventually everything totally freezes and I have to hard reboot with the power button. This happens at least once a day, and almost always results in me losing more than a few minutes worth of unsaved work.

Apple, this is unacceptable, and is making me miss my Lenovo laptop more and more.

Facebook is a great idea..

I'm still (since November) running my iMac on Leopard with no freezes, lines on screen, etc. after my failed attempt at trying to move to Lion. It was pretty much down/off line for a month or better. Since going back to Leopard, I don't let the iMac sync with my MBP or the iPad. I had to "move on" with my business, and worked on the MBP as my main computer. Not being able to sync is a GIANT PITA.. but I try not to think about that.

How could a perfectly performing 2008 iMac start freezing up immediately after the switchover to Snow L. then Lion...? Then... revert back to it's perfectly flawless self after going back to the original OS? If it were a hardware issue (graphics card, hard drive, logic card.. etc.) how did that faulty card "repair" itself? If a graphics card is broken.. It would stay broken, I would think.

I could perhaps follow the "faulty hardware" blame under the theory that back in the early production days, a new and improved graphics card (or logic card or HD) was developed. Lets just say the "improved part" would be more receptive to changes down the road. Apple is not going to recall the already produced and sold machines.. because they work perfectly fine with Leopard. And they are not going to toss out the warehoused boxes of "not really faulty" parts. It would be too costly. So China would continue to assemble whatever they had on hand.

Then comes Snow Leopard... Then Lion. The loyal Mac customers are going days, weeks and months without resolve. Every so often, someone has had a part replaced, and the problem goes away...for a little while, or perhaps forever. And the worst part of all of this is that APPLE doesn't even try to acknowlege the problem. I've stood in line at the Apple Store and heard a customer explain in detail what is happening to his machine. I'm listening very carefully.. The genius has never heard of this happening before, but is willing to go thru the computer to check out a few things. When it's MY turn.. the genius has never heard of the problem, but is willing to check out a few things. I told him, I was in months ago with the same problem, the guy that just left has the same problem - so I KNOW he has heard of it before. I just leave.

Right now, I'm scared to update ANYTHING from Apple, my iPhone, Safari, iTunes.. I can't afford the downtime. I'm going to use this equipment until it totally poops out. I would hope that SOMEDAY Apple can go back to making reliable computers. Right now they are too busy trying to monopolize the world.

@2rodee I am with you . . . I agree . . . The problem seems to have its roots in software and perhaps software thatfoesn't agree with all the forms/models of Apple machines out there. I follow this thread and wait, but meantime my story is that of you and growibngnumbers of others out there who believe that software MAY be the real culprit. I, too, had Leopard, and never had so much as a hint of a problem. The I upgraded to Snow Leopard and all seemed to go well up to about 10.6.5. Then very rare freezes strted to occur. This increased dramatically in 10.6.6 and 10.6.7 and at first in 10.6.8: things would freeze with video, and waking from extended sleep especially. Now I'm still with 10.6.8, but crashes only occur about once or twice a week. I think this has to do with change of my habits--I no longer keep my MAC on most of the day, and I don't let my MAC sleep for long periods. I WILL NOT go on to LION, and I am very close to going back to Snow leopard 10.6.5 at least.