Steady "beep" after installing more memory--why?

Take them out and put them back in again, if that changes nothing put them in one at a time and check each one, if that fails put the original chips back in and return the new ones.

These are the error 'beeps' and their meaning.

1 beep = no RAM installed
2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
3 beeps = no good banks
4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
5 beeps = processor is not usable

If your RAM is Kingston's Value RAM that could also be a problem. That RAM tends to have a lot of problems with earlier iMacs. First I would check to see if it have fully seated. You can do this by pressing very firmly with both thumbs until you fill the RAM click into place. Then restart, if it works OK then you are OK if not then I would return the RAM and buy higher quality products. I would recommend both www.macsales.com (OWC) and Crucial as vendors. Of course make sure the RAM is the exact specifications Apple recommends for your iMac.

Cinephile8 wrote:

Is there any other way to get the data above that you requested without my being able to turn the unit on?

Lets deal with chips first I think, they do require some force, maybe more than you are applying, stick with the original combination and once they are inserted as far as you can, change your grip and push each chip firmly, it will have a small but perceptible 'end'. Keep everything straight as you push, no flexing please.

Cinephile8 wrote:

OH MY GOSH, IT WORKED!!!! CSOUND1, YOU'RE A GENIUS!

I followed your directions exactly, and I did feel the chips go in a little deeper. A very small distance, but that made the difference between contact and no contact.

I'm afraid all of my on-and-off attempts may have stripped the little screw that holds the plate in. Does the plate have to be completely flush against the bottom?

I'm now going to try the new cards. Is there any reason to swap a new 2GB card (the one I just bought) for the old one that came with the iMac?

Try the screw again, it should work. Try the new cards, you can't put them in to deep and you won't hurt the machine using your hands to insert them.

Additionally, if the problem persists, please post the specs of your model Mac to determine what the maximum RAM is the computer can address. Except for one model (which I used to have) where the maximum was 3 GB, most prefer having even numbers (i.e. 2 x 2 GB or 2 x 4 GB, etc). But, to figure that out, we need to have the specs including model idenifier number (something like 8,2, 11,3, etc).

What we need to tell which iMac you have is by what is in the first page of System Profiler (Applications - Utilities - System Profiler). It will look similar to the shot below. DO NOT include your serial number please.

When you insert the RAM yes the cover should be installed before turning on the machine. As for the "click" you will feel that more than hear it.

Cinephile8 wrote:

OH MY GOSH, IT WORKED!!!! CSOUND1, YOU'RE A GENIUS!

Don't know about that but thanks, glad you got it working ....