tosta1
Level 1 (4 points)
Desktops

Q: white screen at startup and dotted lines around mouse cursor

Hi,

I wonder if you could help me. I have 20" iMac early 2008. Few days ago when using iMac as normal I noticed that the mouse cursor got 8 columns of dotted lines around it and the computer froze. When I started it up again when progress line came to about 2/3 of its distance the screen went white and it stayed that way. I booted my iMac in a safe mode and it opened however the mouse cursor had these columns of dotted lines. I went through Apple Discussions to see if similar issues were signalled and I found few. I tried all the solutions suggested there including deleting library from cache, and other suggested files, reinstalling El Capitan, erasing the whole disc and reinstalling the disc from Time Machine (with the date set before the problem happened) and nothing. After all the effort iMac won't boot and when it is in safe mode the mouse cursor has these columns of dotted lines. Finding that some folks pointed the problem to the graphic card (ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB) I checked my iMac hardware with Disc Warrior and TechTool Pro and the report from the these checks are clean i.e. apparently nothing is wrong with my iMac graphics. So what can be the reason for these problems? Please advise. Tommy 

Posted on May 28, 2016 12:00 PM

by Baby Boomer (USofA),Apple recommended
Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA)
Level 9 (57,660 points)
A:
I checked my iMac hardware with Disc Warrior and TechTool Pro

Did you use the utility discs to check?

Did you also run Apple Hardware Test?


Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ezgif.com-resize.gif

Posted on May 28, 2016 2:05 PM

Close
tosta1

Q: white screen at startup and dotted lines around mouse cursor

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),Apple recommended

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) May 28, 2016 2:05 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    May 28, 2016 2:05 PM in response to tosta1
    I checked my iMac hardware with Disc Warrior and TechTool Pro

    Did you use the utility discs to check?

    Did you also run Apple Hardware Test?


    Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 May 29, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    May 29, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    I run Disc Utility and everything went fine. No issues signalled. I reset NVRAM but this did not help either. For some reason I cannot run AHT. I tried with pressing D, D option (left and right) and D command and nothing seems to work on my iMac. While pressing these keys (I start pressing before I switch the power on but also I tried to press the keys right after I switched the power on but when the screen is still black). I wonder why. Also when I tried to reboot my iMac to Windows 10 through bootcamp after having black screen for a while my iMac reboots to Apple logo and to Mac OS. 

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),Apple recommended

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) May 29, 2016 12:51 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    May 29, 2016 12:51 PM in response to tosta1
    iMac early 2008
    I cannot run AHT

     

    Did you use the CD that originally came w/your iMac to run AHT?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 May 29, 2016 3:27 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    May 29, 2016 3:27 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    No I did not. Should I try with this disc? It is 8 years old. Will it work with El Capitan on my iMac? Apple instructions for AHT do not mention using original CD as part of AHT instruction.

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),Apple recommended

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) May 29, 2016 5:14 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    May 29, 2016 5:14 PM in response to tosta1

    tosta1 wrote:

     

    Apple instructions for AHT do not mention using original CD as part of AHT instruction.

    Yes it does:


    "Using Apple Hardware Test on computers with OS X v10.7 and earlier


    AHT is located on the Applications Install Disc 2 and should be included with your computer or the MacBook Air Software Reinstall Drive on a MacBook Air (Late 2010). To start AHT on these computers make sure the Applications Install Disc 2 is inserted into the built-in optical drive, external Apple Superdrive, or for the MacBook Air (Late 2010) be sure the MacBook Air Software Reinstall Drive is inserted into a USB port. Then, follow steps 1-6 outlined in the previous section of this article."

     

    The system CDs are machine specific.  Reason why it will only work on the Macs they come with.


    FWIW, My AHT was on CD #1.  AHT is written right on the CD label.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 Jun 1, 2016 6:05 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 1, 2016 6:05 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    I run AHT test out of my iMac Disc 1. I did both tests quick and long one and the result is everything is in order. So what is wrong with my iMac?

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 Jun 1, 2016 6:36 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 1, 2016 6:36 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    Interesting thing just happened when I booted in normal mode. My iMac went white after initial Apple logo and 2/3 of progress bar which I would recently expect. it said like that for some time maybe 30 minutes. I then pressed TAB and entered my password. At that moment the screen went black and a little white square in the upper left corner and mouse cursor appeared on the black screen. That's what happened but I am not sure where this leads me. Graphic card malfunction? After AHT clean bill?

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Jun 1, 2016 12:24 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    Jun 1, 2016 12:24 PM in response to tosta1

    Take your iMac to your local APSP.  Diagnostic testing is FREE!

     

    APSP (Apple Premium Service Provider)

    International APSP’s & Other Services

    APSP's Outside of the USA

    How to find your nearest Apple Premium Service Provider (APSP)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 Jun 2, 2016 1:36 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 2, 2016 1:36 AM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    i did as you said. I contacted APSP and they said diagnostic will cost me about USD 35.00. Also they said they are not sure if they can do this diagnostic of my iMac as it is early 2008 version i.e. do called vintage model not supported  anymore by Apple. This is quite strange as I asked only for diagnostic and not full service. Can you explain that?

  • by sl1dew4yzz,

    sl1dew4yzz sl1dew4yzz Jun 3, 2016 10:28 AM in response to tosta1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jun 3, 2016 10:28 AM in response to tosta1

    We have the same issue with a 27" Late 2009 iMac.

     

    We have replaced the graphics card as well as the logic board (motherboard), and the LCD and have not been able to resolve the issue.

    Lines are also still present when the display is output to an external monitor AND iMac is booted to an OSX El Capitan installer.

     

    So we have ruled out;

    logic board

    LCD panel

    graphics card

    OS software

     

    Has anyone found any resolution to this issue?mouse1.jpgmouse2.jpg

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Jun 3, 2016 12:26 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    Jun 3, 2016 12:26 PM in response to tosta1

    No I cannot explain it as I am not an Apple employee.  Just a regular user like yourself.

     

    Perhaps you should have reminded the shop that diagnostic testing is free.  I called my local APSP & they informed me that diagnostic testing is free for vintage Macs also.  Maybe each APSP has their own rules?  Check w/Apple Customer Relations - 1-800-275-2273.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by tosta1,

    tosta1 tosta1 Jun 3, 2016 12:35 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 3, 2016 12:35 PM in response to Baby Boomer (USofA)

    Probably that's what it is. Anyway I was thinking that maybe Console messages could tell anything about this issue? I could boot in normal mode until iMac is stuck with white screen and see what Console is saying. What do you think?

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Jun 3, 2016 1:07 PM in response to tosta1
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    Jun 3, 2016 1:07 PM in response to tosta1

    You have nothing to lose by doing so.  :)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif

  • by Baby Boomer (USofA),

    Baby Boomer (USofA) Baby Boomer (USofA) Jun 3, 2016 1:11 PM in response to sl1dew4yzz
    Level 9 (57,660 points)
    Jun 3, 2016 1:11 PM in response to sl1dew4yzz

    @ sl1dew4yzz

     

     

    Have you tried all of the suggestions mentioned in this thread?  If so, then take your iMac to your local APSP.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ezgif.com-resize.gif