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HELP Grey screen or Blue screen on startup!!

BJMRamage

BJMRamage

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Oct 2, 2007
2,810
1,346
:(

I have a 2008 iMac 24" C2D (can't remember other details now)

So recently I've installed new ram (from 2GB to 4GB Crucial brand). It seemed faster for a week or so. Then things started to seem slow again. I have 100k+ songs in iTunes and 30k+ photos in iPhoto. I installed the shutterfly plugin to load photos from iPhoto to shutterfly. on the third transfer it froze the whole computer. after 20-30 minutes I pushed the power off button (nothing else worked at all) restarted things seemed "fine" and uploaded a group of photos and then tried again and froze. did the same thing. last time it froze when i restarted the iMac it stayed on a blue screen.

I tried several times figuring it out and searching for help on Google. I put in the Leopard install disc I could find (crap just realized that was Leopard and I actually have Snow Leopard disc somewhere-no idea at the moment). Tried running Disk Utility but was given an error message each time. Decided as a LAST resort to RESTORE from my Time Machine. the previous day. After 48 hours I check on it and it says done I need to RESTART. I click RESTART and it is frozen again!! after waiting 20 minutes I powered down and tried to restart and it brought me right back to the new Leopard Screen. I can RESTORE again but that will be another 2 days down the drain.


ANY HELP AT ALL!!!!!
please. this isn't that old (typing on a super cheap PC craptop)
:(:mad:
 
Have you tried replacing the new RAM you installed with the old 2GB?

You could also try resetting SMC by shutting down and removing the power cable, then press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. Reconnect and power up again.

Blue screen lockup might be incompatible login items. If all else fails and you can boot to the Leopard DVD I'd try a completely fresh install as a last resort. You could then selectively restore items from Time Machine later if it works.
 
thank you for the quick reply.

i will give the memory a swap and see.

and try the SMS trick.

as for the fresh install.
I am STUPID here....can i pull programs and itunes/photos/fonts over easily from time machine or will they not pull over easily and need to be totally reinstalled?

yikes!!

----------

also I got this error when i booted to SAFE mode with status update: "Applektc.kext error" pretty sure that was it.
 
But what about apps.? software

It would be "simple" to just select some apps and restore rather than have to install all again.

Thanks. And think it was an error of. Applertc.kext.

Will try again tomorrow evening after it cools down.
 
any other thoughts?

thanks
I will try and replace the RAM with the original 2GB.

:(
 
swapped out memory to the old stuff and CANNOT move past the GREY screen.
i cannot boot to SAFE MODE or to DISC. I have tried other key strokes to watch the SAFE MODE BOOT and nothing works.
Actually when i tried to boot into SAFE mode it showed the Apple Logo but nothing else, no Spinning Gear or anything else.
I might try swapping out the memory back to the newer ones but thinking this might not end good either. less than 3 years old.
 
If you can't even boot to an OS DVD it's increasingly starting to sound like something more serious, like a bad logic board.

You didn't mention but I assume you don't have Applecare, do you?
 
You are correct...no applecare.


it was running just fine up until now. so figured i didn't need it. (I know, I know)
 
Well you have to buy Applecare within one year of purchase of the Mac anyway. I didn't buy it for my first iMac in 2006 and the logic board went bad 6 weeks after the one year warranty ended. That set me back about $550.

I've bought it for all my Macs since and it's saved my bacon on more than a few occasions.

Since you can't boot to a DVD I don't know if you'll be able to run the Apple Hardware Test or not but you might give it a try.
 
Yeah shoulda shoulda.
Taking it to an Apple repair shop tomorrow. May just have them drop a new LARGER hard drive. Not sure if I want to do a 1TB or 2TB.
 
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