fiona.mac
Level 1 (15 points)
iPad

Q: iMac 27" Black Screen?

For 6 long and painful weeks, my 27" iMac (10.7.5) has intermittently turned itself to sleep mode (black screen). It's driving me up the wall and sent my productivity through the floor. You'll be in the middle of something and whammo, black screen. I have to push the power button to get the screen to work again. It doesn't respond to keyboard or mouse.

 

The screen turns black when you're on the Internet, playing quicktime files, using Microsoft office, so it happens across different applications... it happens on my account, my daughter's account, the guest account. It is indiscriminate, it just does it whenever it feels like it, but not all the time. If it shuts down video, the audio still plays, there is just a black screen with no picture to watch.

 

The computer is 8 months old and I have Apple Protection as well, so that's not the problem, but I see other people have experienced a similar issue and I'm up for suggestions as to what you think might be causing the problem.

 

So far, these are the fixes that have been done and NOT fixed the problem:

 

  • OSX has been reinstalled twice
  • The logic Board has been replaced
  • RAM has been replaced
  • The graphics card has been replaced

 

The tech is coming back out Monday to replace the power supply and the screen. If this doesn't work I'm told I'll be reissued with a new machine.

 

So any other suggestions out there? Is it possessed by a ghost? Cursed? Just should be declared a lemon?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5), Bought July 2012, Built mid 2011

Posted on May 2, 2013 9:56 PM

Close
fiona.mac

Q: iMac 27" Black Screen?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 of 10 last Next

  • by fiona.mac,

    fiona.mac fiona.mac May 2, 2013 11:16 PM in response to fiona.mac
    Level 1 (15 points)
    iPad
    May 2, 2013 11:16 PM in response to fiona.mac

    Managed to capture the fault on camera and you can all see for yourselves at 2 minutes in at - http://youtu.be/-X9ZxOyi6H0

  • by Petit Paul,

    Petit Paul Petit Paul May 3, 2013 9:38 AM in response to fiona.mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 3, 2013 9:38 AM in response to fiona.mac

    I'm having the same issue recently (older iMac 27, Mountain Lion), though the iMac does not really go to sleep. It's only the screen that turns itself off randomnly, the Mac is still awake. To get it back on, I use the key combination alt-cmd-eject to actually put the iMac to sleep. Hitting any key will wake it up with the screen turned on again. Annoying. Can't find an answer so far as to where the problem is coming from.

  • by fiona.mac,

    fiona.mac fiona.mac May 3, 2013 6:10 PM in response to Petit Paul
    Level 1 (15 points)
    iPad
    May 3, 2013 6:10 PM in response to Petit Paul

    Yeah, I'm at a loss too. The keyboard doesn't bring my computer back to life, I have to use the power button and normally it takes me to the sleep screen. At the moment, Apple is rebuilding my computer one part at a time but its not fixing the problem. I'll report back to this forum whether the next lot of fixes work. Groan.

  • by fiona.mac,

    fiona.mac fiona.mac May 5, 2013 5:33 PM in response to fiona.mac
    Level 1 (15 points)
    iPad
    May 5, 2013 5:33 PM in response to fiona.mac

    Now doing it pretty much everytime I try to use the machine as per this video:

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6Sm_pcgmM

  • by fiona.mac,

    fiona.mac fiona.mac May 17, 2013 1:14 AM in response to fiona.mac
    Level 1 (15 points)
    iPad
    May 17, 2013 1:14 AM in response to fiona.mac

    Okay, I thought you might ike an update. So the logic board, graphics card, screen and power supply was all replaced. OSX was re-installed twice. So none of these things have fixed the computer. Apple is replacing the iMac with a new one. The black screen problem has now escalated... to a white screen of death.

     

    So its kaput.

     

    imac-white-screen-photo.JPG

  • by fiona.mac,

    fiona.mac fiona.mac Jun 25, 2013 4:47 AM in response to Petit Paul
    Level 1 (15 points)
    iPad
    Jun 25, 2013 4:47 AM in response to Petit Paul

    Try your power supply. Replacing it fixed my black screen problem... of course then I had a white screen problem which was even worse. iMac has now been replaced by Apple for new machine and so far so good.

  • by GV19,

    GV19 GV19 Dec 19, 2013 12:01 PM in response to fiona.mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 12:01 PM in response to fiona.mac

    I'll add my twopenneth here, after  days testing an imac 27, swapping out the PSU I still have the same  issue. The screen goes dark on test (not a graphics issue) as it  continues playing videos from you tube I can hear the sound but there is  no rfesponse from keys or mouse. The computer will stay active for a  long time (overnight) and can be seen in network but can not be directly  accessed. The system is only two years old.

     

    I  am frankly at my wits end with this issue I cant get any screen image  on an external using an adapter. using tech toolsv7 shows no issue with  any aspect of the system. Do I change the graphics card or is it  something else?

     

    Why no comment from Apple on these issues? - very very poor service!

  • by girlsonboard,

    girlsonboard girlsonboard Feb 10, 2014 7:14 PM in response to GV19
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2014 7:14 PM in response to GV19

    I replied in another thread but it applies here as well. I think it could be the keyboard.

     

    I had the problem recur 3 times exactly the same, screen goes dark, computer is still on as the audio works. Twice the genius bar failed to find the problem.

     

    Then I realized they use their own keyboard when I take it in. The keyboard has a brightness control, so it's not completely illogical.

     

    I have a new keyboead and so far the problem has not recurred.

  • by Rixxi,

    Rixxi Rixxi Feb 11, 2014 7:54 AM in response to girlsonboard
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 7:54 AM in response to girlsonboard

    I turned my keyboard off... Mac has been running fine now for 6 hours

    Keeping my fingers crossed

  • by Rixxi,

    Rixxi Rixxi Feb 11, 2014 10:15 AM in response to Rixxi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 10:15 AM in response to Rixxi

    I think we have a winner... How can a keyboard cause so much graphic problems ?

  • by girlsonboard,

    girlsonboard girlsonboard Feb 11, 2014 11:15 AM in response to Rixxi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 11:15 AM in response to Rixxi

    The bigger question is why hasn't Apple figured it out yet?

     

    I'm on day three with the alternate keuboard, no repeat of the problem. I'm going to have to use this one for a couple weeks and if the problem doesn't recur, get a new keyboard (this one is klunky). Please do let me know how your experience progresses. I appreciate it.

  • by Rixxi,

    Rixxi Rixxi Feb 11, 2014 1:18 PM in response to girlsonboard
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 1:18 PM in response to girlsonboard

    Are you using another Bluetooth key or USB?

    6hrs and still good, was crashing every 15 mins before

    Hope Apple figures this one out soon... I don't have another keyboard

    Guess I'll go buy one later... 3 days is pretty good ...

  • by Rixxi,

    Rixxi Rixxi Feb 11, 2014 1:19 PM in response to Rixxi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 1:19 PM in response to Rixxi

    Actualy 12 hrs now

  • by girlsonboard,

    girlsonboard girlsonboard Feb 11, 2014 1:56 PM in response to Rixxi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 1:56 PM in response to Rixxi

    I'm using my old keyboard from a PC that I replaced with the IMac. It's wireless but the signal is from a USB connected device and it's not Bluetooth. I removed the batteries from my Mac keyboard to assure it was off. It's the one that came with the IMac. You can turn it on, but hitting the switch again just turns it on, not off as far as I can tell. So I took the batteries out.

     

    How are you typing with only a mouse?

     

    I'd suggest waiting to see if the keyboard is the problem by buying one of those really inexpensive ones to use for a while before getting another nice one.

     

    Also, I'm considering taking the keyboard in to the genius bar. Around here Apple doesn't charge for diagnosing, only for fixing if you are off warranty.

     

    The more I think about it the more nervous I am to use the problem keyboard. I don't know if it's possible it might make the computer unbootable or unable to stay on long enough for me to switch back to this keyboard.

     

    And speaking of that, do you have a model with the recalled hard drive? Mine was. That wasn't the screen problem but the hard drive was failing when I took it in. They weren't going to give me a free replacement because the window for getting a new one had passed. I put up a fuss and got the free hard drive replacement. After all, it was a recalled part.

Page 1 of 10 last Next