# iMAC does not boot, only beeps. Video attached



## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

*iMAC does not boot, only chimes. Video attached*

Hello:

I am trying to figure out why an iMAC does not boot properly.

Memory:1GB (only 1 module in one of the 2 available slots).

Everytime I push the power button I only hear a sound and that's it.

You can hear the HDD spinning but the screen is always black.

Please find the sound that the iMAC makes everytime I turn it on:

YouTube - iMAC sound.avi

I am not very familiar with MAC's so excuse me if I'm not doing something right.

Thanks


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## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

Ok I just reset the SMU and now the iMAC is working but it's making a lot of noise.

Keyboard is still unresponsive and the screen is black. Mouse light is responsive.

Any ideas?


I pluged the keyboard on another computer and it works fine.
Thanks


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

That's the normal startup sound, that means that everything passed the initial hardware self test. Was the iMac having any problems leading up to the blank screen start? Was it locking up at all when you did get a picture? Also, once it starts, can you see anything is you shine a bright flashlight right at the screen? If so, then the brightness is turned all the way off, or the backlighting has died. If you can't see anything, then it could be that the GPU has died. Either case requires sending it back to Apple for repairs, or scraping it and getting a new Mac. Another thing to test, as soon as you turn it on, hold down the T key for a minute or so, then plug a firewire cable into it, and the other end into another PC. If the other PC is a Mac, the hard drive of the blank iMac should mount like a external hard drive. on Windows, you should get a message asking to format the drive (Don't let it of course.). If that is the case, then there is something wrong with the LCD. If the hard drive doesn't show up, then the motherboard is bad, again, either case, it needs to goto Apple to be fixed.


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## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

According to the owner the MAC was behaving strangely. He says it sometimes went to sleep mode and the keyboard did not respond, sometimes the OS clock was stuck and now there is this problem where nothing seems to respond.

I did the flashlight test and I can't see a thing, just the blank screen.

Unfortunately I don't have a firewire cable and as I said the keyboard is unresponsive so I cannot try any tests that require holding several keys at the same time (as in the SMU test).

The mouse light does responds to movements but the keyboard doesn't, like when I press the caps lock button.

I assume that because the MAC passed the initial hardware test the RAM shouldn't be a problem?

When I picked up the MAC I was told that another person disassembled it trying to figure out what is wrong with it.

I checked the warranty and it has ended unfortunately.

Thanks


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Sounds like it's time for an Apple repair, and it will cost. Even with the keyboard not responding, I'd still try resetting the PRAM, booting from the OS restore disk or the hardware test disk that came with the Mac, as well as the target disk mode. If they all fail, then the motherboard is bad and needs replacing. If it's a G5 or early Intel, it's not worth it. If it's only just out of warranty or less then 3 years old, I'd pay to have it fixed, unless Apple want only a couple hundred less then a new.


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