Disk stuck and churning

[Soundhound]

I couldn't eject it, it wasn't showing up on the desktop and didn't respond to the eject button on the keyboard or anything else. So I restarted my 27 iMac (2.9ghz) 2011 model I believe? Now the Mac won't start up properly. I either wind up with a blue screen, or I get to accounts login page, and it doesn't respond to the mouse or keyboard, and the disk is churning.

I thought there was a way to eject a disk with a paperclip. On older macs there was a little hole next to the drive that you stuck the end of a paperclip in. There isn't one on this newer iMac, but someone had said that the reset button was in the drive slot itself, at one end or the other? I tried that but have been able to find it.

Anything to be done here, or does it have to go to the repair shop?

Thanks!

 

[Yester5]

Did you try launching Disk Utility and ejecting from there? Always works for me.

 

[Soundhound]

I didn't, if I get back to the desktop I'll give that a shot, thanks.

Right now though, I can't get it to boot up all the way, the churning disk seems to be keeping it from doing that. I get a blue screen or the accounts login screen and no mouse control....

Did you try launching Disk Utility and ejecting from there? Always works for me.

 

[Yester5]

Try booting while holding down "option+R" to go into recovery mode, then choose "disk utility" and try ejecting from there.