iMac will not finish starting up after upgrade

Question

Paul Craig2 Author

Level 1

7 points

iMac will not finish starting up after upgrade

Hi All,

I installed a new SSHD and added some ram to my mid 2011 21.5" iMac (i5).

I used OWC's in-line Digital Thermal Sensor cable to connect the HD to the Mac.

After the upgrade, the computer wouldn't finish the startup process. It would get a point and just sit there.

I connected the iMac to another iMac via firewire, formatted the hard drive and installed the latest OS 10.11.x

The iMac started, well, kinda, with a little help, but I was able to get into the computer and see that the ram did show the new amount.

I shut down and tried to start again.

It went into an endless loop of starting to start up, hearing the start up chime, hearing the hard drive work, then eventually starting all over again.

Later, it went into a different endless loop of trying to start up, but this time, no chime but the message that the computer needs to restart and to hit any key.

Today, upon starting up, it will get the the Apple logo and the progress bar will go about a third of the way, and just stay there, indefinitely.

Someone suggested to me that it sounds like the graphics card is failing.

Does anyone have any thoughts and if this could be an amazing coincidence that the graphics card failed as I was replacing the hard drive?

Thanks,

P

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Feb 14, 2016 2:49 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Feb 14, 2016 2:59 PM in response to Paul Craig2

Clean Install of Snow Leopard

1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came

with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.

After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see

a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.

2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue

button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.

After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive

size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of

partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button

and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended

(Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.

3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed

with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.

4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup

Assistant. After you finish Setup Assistant will complete the installation after which

you will be running a fresh install of OS X. You can now begin the update process

by opening Software Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your

installation current.

Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1. You may now re-download and install El Capitan from the App Store (you will need the full 6+ GB installer, not an update installer.) If Apple has posted the 10.11.3 version, then you are done. If not then Download and Reinstall OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 Combo Update.

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Answer 2

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Feb 14, 2016 4:15 PM in response to Paul Craig2

Before you reinstall try booting onto Safe mode Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Paul Craig2 Author

Level 1

7 points

Feb 15, 2016 10:40 AM in response to SeaPapp

It won't start in safe mode, it starts to load then as the progress bar gets almost half way, I get a panic display, white type against a black background. The cycle repeats indefinitely.

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Answer 4

Paul Craig2 Author

Level 1

7 points

Feb 15, 2016 10:43 AM in response to Kappy

I'll look for the DVD and give it a try.

If I can't find the disk, I assume I can start it in target mode hooked up to my other iMac and install that OS, thoughts?

Thanks,

P

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Feb 15, 2016 10:58 AM in response to Paul Craig2

Well, only if have the Snow Leopard DVD from which to boot the other computer. Otherwise, you can only clone the system from the other iMac after erasing the drive on the target iMac. And, to do that you need to boot the second iMac from its Recovery HD; and, to clone with Disk Utility the target drive must be at least equal to or larger than the size of the source drive. Oh, and you need Thunderbolt or Firewire ports on both. If one is Firewire while the other is only Thunderbolt, then you'll need the Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire 800 adapter (no FW400.)

Target Disk Mode

Clone Yosemite, Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion using Restore Option of Disk Utility

Boot to the Recovery HD:

Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.

1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue

button.

2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.

3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.

4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it

to the Destination entry field.

5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to

the Source entry field.

6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Clone El Capitan using Restore Option of Disk Utility

Boot to the Recovery HD:

Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears.

1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue

button.

2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.

3. Select the Restore option in the Edit menu. A panel will drop down.

4. Select the Source volume from the drop down menu.

5. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive. Remember that a volume is an indented entry under the physical out-dented drive entry.

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Answer 6

Paul Craig2 Author

Level 1

7 points

Feb 15, 2016 11:07 AM in response to Kappy

Hi Kappy,

Thanks for the info, looking for the disk.

This is how I was able to install OS 10.11 onto the drive, via target mode.

I assume you are saying that I should install 10.6 and see if the computer will start using that OS, correct. If so, then run the upgrades from the sick iMac.

P

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Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Feb 15, 2016 11:40 AM in response to Paul Craig2

Your model like my 27" model of the same year needed a firmware update in order to do Internet Recovery which meant reinstalling Snow Leopard and then upgrading to OS X.

But if you have El Capitan on the other computer then you can clone it to the the other iMac in TDM as I outlined above.

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