27" iMac Randomly Shuts Down, Sometimes Won't Reboot

[blackwoodfx]

Problem ongoing for a few months now. I do not have AppleCare on this machine. I've got a 27" iMac that will randomly shut down, be it in the middle of playing music on iTunes, while I'm typing a document or while the machine is simply in screensaver mode doing nothing. Usually the machine tries to instantly reboot itself. All too often, it cannot be rebooted and I have to let sit for quite sometime before it will even power back on. Lately the problem has gotten worse -- almost never reboots by itself. Finally, in the last few days, it just won't turn back on. Nothing. Dead, apparently.

My biggest concern is that I have an unreleased music album from an instantly recognizable major client on the iMac's hard drive, not due out for many more months and still unannounced. I can't simply take the computer into an Apple store for troubleshooting as those files are worth and could cost me exponentially more than even a new iMac outright ever would.

So, (1) anyone know what the problem might be and suggest home remedies? (2) If I still need to bring the machine into Apple, what do you recommend doing with the HD inside? If I remove it, can Apple still troubleshoot the problem? Is it possible for me to remove it? Should I get a new drive replacement?

 

[zer0---]

My biggest concern is that I have an unreleased music album from an instantly recognizable major client on the iMac's hard drive, not due out for many more months and still unannounced. I can't simply take the computer into an Apple store for troubleshooting as those files are worth and could cost me exponentially more than even a new iMac outright ever would.

Can you not copy the album onto an external hard drive temporarily while you take into the store and then copy back onto your iMac once it returns fixed? I guess I just don't understand why the album cannot be moved from it's location on the hard drive, since copying the files to an external/backup drive is certainly easier than removing the hard drive from the computer? Surely if this album is as important as you say then the only copy in the world is residing on more hard drives than just the one in your troublesome iMac?

 

[Cave Man]

First thing I'd do is to boot from the Installer DVD and run Disk Utilities to repair the hard drive. If it persists, then I'd remove one of the ram sticks. If it still occurs, replace the one you removed and take out the other and see if that works. You may have a bad ram stick.

 

[blackwoodfx]

Can you not copy the album onto an external hard drive temporarily while you take into the store and then copy back onto your iMac once it returns fixed? I guess I just don't understand why the album cannot be moved from it's location on the hard drive, since copying the files to an external/backup drive is certainly easier than removing the hard drive from the computer? Surely if this album is as important as you say then the only copy in the world is residing on more hard drives than just the one in your troublesome iMac?

Thanks for the reply and sorry unclear. The iMac will no longer power on. If I could access the files, I'd have no problem deleting or copying off the album. But since the machine won't boot, I'm nervous about bringing it in for repair and risking that record getting into the wild and the responsibility falling back on us.

I don't mind going in to an Apple store with a removable drive and requesting I copy the files off in front of a repair tech when/if they get it booted up, then letting them have the machine to run wild with. But I wonder if they even do upfront repairs like that?

I'd hate to shove the thing in storage for another 7 months...

 

[Cave Man]

If it won't power up, you probably have a dead power supply. Does it chime? What happens if you press and hold the power button for 5 seconds, release for 5 seconds, then press it again to turn it on?

 

[zer0---]

Yeah, based on the symptoms, it doesn't sound like it would be hard drive related, so to your earlier question, you probably could remove your hard drive before bringing it to Apple and asking them to repair the power supply. If you can get them to repair the iMac so that it will at least POST, then you can get it back and pop in your HD to see if it will boot.