MBD999

Q: AHT not starting

I've tried both install DVDs, holding D when restarting, holding option+D, holding just option. Option brings up disk utility, but not AHT. What gives?

 

BTW, diagnostics in Disk Utility has revealed nothing, but I KNOW there is something wrong. I need to do a more thorough diagnostic.

iMac, MacBook Air, iPhone 3GS, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Apr 4, 2014 11:07 AM

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Q: AHT not starting

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Apr 4, 2014 11:15 AM in response to MBD999
    Level 9 (57,623 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:15 AM in response to MBD999

    CLICKY CLICK---> http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2000 Mac doesn't start up from install disc

     

     

     

    Mac OS X (10.6.1)

     

    Use Software Update or the OS 10.6.8 combo update to update your OS.  Also, update everything SU has to offer for your computer.  When done, repair permissions and restart your computer.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 11:19 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:19 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    I'm actually running Mavericks, but my understanding is that AHT is on the original disk? I don't know, I just want the thing to stop freezing every 30 minutes!!!

     

    I'll try those things and get back...

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Apr 4, 2014 11:23 AM in response to MBD999
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:23 AM in response to MBD999

    With Mavericks, the AHT and diagnostics is described in: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14291

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Apr 4, 2014 11:30 AM in response to MBD999
    Level 9 (57,623 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:30 AM in response to MBD999

    MBD999 wrote:

     

    I'm actually running Mavericks, but my understanding is that AHT is on the original disk? I don't know, I just want the thing to stop freezing every 30 minutes!!!

     

    I'll try those things and get back...

    Please correct your system profile so that you can get the correct troubleshooting suggestions.  Thank you.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 11:50 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:50 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    But my iMac is an early 2009 model, which means I have to run AHT from the OSX 10.6.1, no??? That's what Apple's support page says!!!

  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 11:54 AM in response to MBD999
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:54 AM in response to MBD999

    The link on Mavericks AHT page:

     

    • If you updated your Mac to OS X v10.8.4 or later, use the system software disc or USB flash drive that came with your Mac.

     

    I've followed the instructions TO THE LETTER, hence posting here.

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Apr 4, 2014 11:59 AM in response to MBD999
    Level 9 (57,623 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 11:59 AM in response to MBD999

    Did you try the suggestions in the link I posted in my original response to you?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 12:23 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 12:23 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    I did. I don't want to install Leopard tho (which is what it's asking me to do now), I just want to run AHT. Can I not do that?

     

    I'm not familiar with doing more than running Disk Utility and resetting PRAM... much more than that and I'm out of familiar territory. I DO want to find out what the heck (replace "he" with "fu" in that word) is wrong with my system.

     

    I've JUST finished erasing my HD (7-pass) and reinstalling Mavericks, which took nearly 24 hrs to do. I'm not much interested in installing Leopard just to be able to run a diagnostic tool...

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Apr 4, 2014 12:37 PM in response to MBD999
    Level 9 (57,623 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 12:37 PM in response to MBD999

    Take your iMac to your local AS or an AASP.  Diagnostic testing is FREE!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 12:38 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 12:38 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    Even after Apple Care is long done?

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Apr 4, 2014 12:55 PM in response to MBD999
    Level 9 (57,623 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 12:55 PM in response to MBD999

    Yes.  You will be responsible for OOW repairs.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • by andyBall_uk,

    andyBall_uk andyBall_uk Apr 4, 2014 2:55 PM in response to MBD999
    Level 7 (20,495 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 2:55 PM in response to MBD999

    Many AHT images are available from Apple's own servers, although of course, the DVD usually works.

    upekkha/AppleHardwareTest · GitHub  has numerous links & instructions.

     

     

    What doesn't work properly after erase/install ?.

  • by MBD999,

    MBD999 MBD999 Apr 4, 2014 6:06 PM in response to andyBall_uk
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2014 6:06 PM in response to andyBall_uk

    It has been freezing/crashing intermittently for the better part of a year now. Sometimes it just freezes, requiring me to hold the power button; sometimes it freezes and restarts automatically; sometimes the screen flickers and/or displays artifacts, which can usually be corrected once and a crash forestalled by quitting Safari, relaunching Finder, and then reopening Safari; sometimes when powering down or restarting, it freezes on a grey screen before actually shutting down, again requiring a hard reboot (power button), and at other times it's just slow (this has been less of a problem lately, as the freezes happen before it has a chance to slow down!).

     

    The problems occur frequently one day, and then it'll be fine for several days. I did the erase reinstall and nothing has changed. Since doing a reinstall of Mavericks, which completed around noon today, it has crashed 3 times without any peripherals, and thrice more with peripherals. The peripherals seem to not have any added negative effect on the frequency, timing, or manifestation of the various problems. It almost ALWAYS (99% of the time) crashes when Safari is running (which is why I can forestall a crash by quitting Safari when the screen flickers or there are minor artifacts). I have tried a couple of other browsers, Opera being one of them, and it still crashed... so what I thought was a Safari problem seems to be a web content problem. There do seem to be certain sites that reliably cause a crash, and I do not visit them anymore (tumblr, buzzfeed, etc).

     

    Now (since the erase and reinstall), my hard drive is virtually empty: I have not installed a single app or put any files on, so my 640GB HD has 630GB available, and I have 8GB of RAM. Also since the erase and reinstall, I am ONLY running Safari--no mail, no messages, no login items, NOTHING... and yet the problems persist, which rules out third-party apps, RAM-heavy apps, conflicting apps, HD capacity, peripherals, etc etc etc as problems.