I've found out that my late 09 iMac has a bad graphics card and logic board and the cost of repairs would exceed the cost of buying a new one. The computer works, but only in safe mode. Now I'm debating what to do with my old mac. I'd like to sell it and I know you can use an iMac as just a monitor but I'm not sure if that's an option if the graphics card and logic board are messed up. I'm also wondering how I can delete all my personal info and reinstall the OS if I can only boot up the iMac in safe mode. Any advice?
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What to do with a broken iMac
- Thread starter Mac1986
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Have you tried booting from the System Restore DVDs that came with your computer? If that works you could wipe the disk that way.
Another suggestion if you're running 10.7 or later you could enable FileVault so the disk gets encrypted. This should work in Safe Mode. You could also delete as much as you can under /User
As for what to do with it, try and sell it as a broken unit.
Another suggestion if you're running 10.7 or later you could enable FileVault so the disk gets encrypted. This should work in Safe Mode. You could also delete as much as you can under /User
As for what to do with it, try and sell it as a broken unit.
It started with weird lines that follow the mouse pointer. Then I found I couldn't restart the computer unless it was in safe mode. I took it up to an authorized mac repair place nearby and was told it was a combination of a bad graphics card (which I'm now seeing artifacts all over the screen) and something with the logic board where the ram is connected. I'm now trying to reinstall the OS to give the computer a clean slate before I try and sell it.
if the graphics card is bad there's no way you can use it as a display - to use an iMac as a display osx has to be running and the video working.
