NT888
Level 1 (8 points)
iPhone

Q: Small squares all over screen

My iMac 21.5" Mid-2011 (i5 2.7 GHz) has started exhibiting a strange behavior where small colored squares, about 1/8", appear all over the screen. They then proceed to dance around the screen as I continue to work on the computer. I've attached a screen shot. From searching the forums it appears others have this problem, but I am unable to find any threads that actually contain a fix. Any help would be very much appreciated!IMG_6823.jpg

Posted on Feb 6, 2016 8:07 AM

by NT888,Solvedanswer
NT888 NT888
Level 1 (8 points)
iPhone
A:

Just dropped my iMac off at the local Apple Store. They did a limited amount of testing (not as much testing available for older models) and were pretty confident the graphics card is the culprit (echoing Eddie Jasmine). They are going to replace the card and get it back to me in 2-3 days. Total will be $175 ($135 for the card and $40 for labor) assuming replacing the card fixes the problem. I'll keep you all posted.

Posted on Mar 5, 2016 1:38 PM

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Q: Small squares all over screen

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  • by NT888,

    NT888 NT888 Mar 7, 2016 6:41 PM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Mar 7, 2016 6:41 PM in response to NT888

    Just picked up my iMac after the repair. So far no signs of the little squares and no freezing. I'll report back in a week or so.

  • by kindred5,

    kindred5 kindred5 Mar 7, 2016 7:38 PM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 7, 2016 7:38 PM in response to NT888

    That's great news, unfortunately for me the closest apple store is 4 hours away. I'm going to try to try the gpu heat up trick from YouTube.  I figure I don't have anything to lose since I was going to buy a new video card from that website I mentioned earlier.

  • by NT888,

    NT888 NT888 Mar 15, 2016 6:11 PM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Mar 15, 2016 6:11 PM in response to NT888

    iMac is still running great over a week later. I'm calling this one solved!

  • by Blaquespell,

    Blaquespell Blaquespell Jul 13, 2016 11:16 AM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jul 13, 2016 11:16 AM in response to NT888

    I know this is an old thread, but I too was having this same problem on a 2011 iMac. I upgraded to the macOS Sierra beta hoping maybe it was a driver issue only to find that it still did it. I tried all the other solutions, zapping PRAM, turning on reduced transparency, etc. but nothing changed. Meanwhile I was really annoyed by the wiggle to find your cursor feature they added so I disabled that. Lo, and behold, I have not had another issue since. This has been a week ago now and it was an everyday occurrence.

  • by NT888,

    NT888 NT888 Jul 29, 2016 12:44 PM in response to Blaquespell
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 29, 2016 12:44 PM in response to Blaquespell

    So it's been four months since my video card was replaced and my graphics gremlins are now back. Blaquespell, you said that you disabled a "cursor feature" which seemed to help. Can you please elaborate on what you did?

  • by Blaquespell,

    Blaquespell Blaquespell Jul 29, 2016 12:56 PM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jul 29, 2016 12:56 PM in response to NT888

    Go to System Preferences | Accessibility | Display | uncheck "Shake mouse pointer to locate". It's the feature in El Capitan and Sierra where the mouse cursor scales up big when you wiggle the mouse quickly. I would love to say this 100% solved it, but I have had an issue once or twice, but no where near the level it was before.

  • by marc_l,

    marc_l marc_l Aug 26, 2016 12:03 PM in response to NT888
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Aug 26, 2016 12:03 PM in response to NT888

    This problem began for me a few years ago. I took my Mac to a local authorized repair center instead of the Apple Store because a 27" iMac from 2011 weighs a ton and I didn't want to drag it through a shopping mall to the Apple Store. The local repair place has a parking lot and I can just carry it in.

     

    They tested it and said the graphics card tested bad. So I had it replaced. I forgot what it cost but it wasn't cheap. It worked fine after that but the hard drive tested bad so I had that replaced, too. Between the two repairs, I spent close to $750. At that point, I vowed not to spend one more cent on this Mac.

     

    Lo and behold, a few months later, the problem started again. At first, it wasn't too bad but now it's back to the point where it's freezing my iMac. I want to throw this piece of junk out the window and buy a new iMac but I just lost my job and I can't afford it. I don't know what I'm going to do.

     

    So, there's the correct answer. Throw the iMac out the window, being careful to make sure it doesn't land on anyone.

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