iMac not booting up, but I can firewire the hard drive on another Mac...

[1800collect]

I have the first model iMac that went with the glass screen and silver and black modeling. Last night I left my computer on like usual and this morning I wake it up and everything is frozen. I couldn't do anything so I rebooted the computer.

The computer starts to boot with the gray screen but for a long time. The Apple logo finally appears and then after a while disappears again and it just sits at the gray screen.

I've hooked up my iMac to another iMac and can connect to the hard drive through firewire. I am backing up necessary files now. So I assume it is not hard drive issue, but possibly the mother board or graphics card?

It is currently running the latest OS X 10.5.6(?). Whichever is the latest.

Anyone know what the problem might be before I take it into a Mac store? Any possible solutions to get it to finally boot up?

 

[jmann]

Just insert the gray install discs that came with the computer and boot the computer up while holding the "c" key, and reinstall the operating system once the back up is done.

 

[1800collect]

Just insert the gray install discs that came with the computer and boot the computer up while holding the "c" key, and reinstall the operating system once the back up is done.

Will that erase my hard drive and will that actually fix the problem? If it's a hardware issue I see no reason to erase the drive. Well I guess if I can boot to the CD it isn't a hardware issue right?

 

[ljstudios]

Hey..

How did you connect it through fire wire? did you have to hold a button down or anything?

Did the HD on the failed mac just show up on the other imac automatically?

It fails when trying to create a disk image, so i have to manually drag and drop files to the other imac's external HD.

Let me know if you have any quick pin point instructions please!

Thank you so much!

 

[Meathead]

IMac not booting, now bad desktop

I had the same problem...My imac shut down and would not reboot. Had to unplug everything and replug..finally got it started.
Now I am not able to use the "save" option, and the desktop screen is moving with the with the movement of the icon. The whole screen display moves...will not display everything on the desktop. Any ideas?