Does not power up past logo screen

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Level 1

1 points

Does not power up past logo screen

I just acuired a second hand emac.

After plugging it in and connecting the keyboard and mouse, I pressed the power button.

When the Apple logo screen came on, nothing happened. (Not even the startup sound)

I followed the troubleshooting listed in the user guide which suggested holding the Option key and pressing the Power button.

This provided the option to select the hard drive. Now the mouse does not move.

Any suggestions and assistance is greatly appreciated.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.1.x)

Posted on Dec 21, 2012 1:42 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,495 points

Dec 21, 2012 2:04 PM in response to Comptech25

Power it down & see if holding the Shift key at bootup helps.

Might be time to replace the PRAM Battery, 4 years is close to their lifespan, far less if ever without AC power, & can cause strange startup problems...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

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Answer 2

Comptech25 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 21, 2012 2:42 PM in response to BDAqua

I tried holding Shift key with the same results.

Other than replacing the battery, how can I test it?

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,495 points

Dec 21, 2012 4:59 PM in response to Comptech25

Tough without the Install disc, but some things to try...

Does it boot to Single User Mode, CMD+s keys at bootup, if so try...

/sbin/fsck -fy

Repeat until it shows no errors fixed.

(Space between fsck AND -fy important).

Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

Report errors.

Does it boot into Open Firmware with CMD+Option+o+f ?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642

reset-nvram (press Enter)

set-defaults (press Enter)

reset-all (press Enter)

Have you done a PRAM reset, CMD+Option+p+r...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

In fact, do 3 in a row, takes a bit of time.

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Answer 4

Comptech25 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 22, 2012 6:02 PM in response to BDAqua

CMD+s --> startup tone and the logo screen, but then it freezes

CMD+Option+o+f -->provides a prompt to either boot or shut down. When I type boot, the logo screen appears and then it freezes.

CMD+Option+p+r --> produces a blank screen with the startup tone. I continued to hold down the key combination waiting for a picture on the screen. The tone sounded a second time and I released the keys. Then the logo screen appeared where the boot process froze.

I have asked the original owner about the software that was included and should have it sometime next week.

In the meantime, I'm ordering a new battery.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,495 points

Dec 22, 2012 8:22 PM in response to Comptech25

OK, good luck & keep us posted! 🙂

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Answer 6

Comptech25 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 28, 2012 7:23 PM in response to BDAqua

Replaced the battery. Same result.

I am picking up the original software after the first of the year.

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Answer 7

Comptech25 Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 8, 2013 7:31 PM in response to Comptech25

I have the original disks that came with the computer. I put in the "disk 1" and restarted the machine. Same result. Since it still does not boot, is it safe to consider that it is the hard drive, or is there something else I should try first?

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Answer 8

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,990 points

Jan 9, 2013 9:36 AM in response to Comptech25

Does the serial number fall within any of these ranges:

G8412xxxxxx- G8520xxxxxx
YM412xxxxxx - YM520xxxxxx
VM440xxxxxx - VM516xxxxxx

If so, the logic board may well have a near-fatal flaw that is not economical to repair unless you live within driving distance of Eugene OR USA.

The affected units are eMacs with 1.25Ghz processors and USB 2.0 logic boards. There are some rare 1.0ghz eMacs on USB 2.0 logic boards that were sold only to the edu-market that may be affected; the serial number will tell. There was an Apple Repair Extension Program to fix the problem but it expired over two yeas ago.

Apple article showing where to find the serial number:

How to locate the serial number and identify your model

If you serial number is NOT among the dead, please use it to find out exactly what variant eMac you have using the chart in the article. There are two broad families within the eMac model name, with different troubleshooting issues. Knowing the exact variant early-on will make it easier for the community to help you.

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Answer 9

Comptech25 Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 9, 2013 11:01 AM in response to Allan Jones

Yes, the serial number is G8434xxxQQJ

Specs:

G4 1.25 GHZ

256 mb RAM

80 GB HDD

mfg 2006

Looks like it's the end of the road for this one.

Thank you for all of your help.

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