So, yesterday I was downloading some photos from my camera to my iMac (4 years old). I pressed the download button, walked into the kitchen, and when I came back the screen was black. No amount of power button pushing, power cord unplugging and replugging, or 30 minute waits could get it going.
This morning I plugged it in and it started right up, as if nothing had happened.
What do you think - on its last legs, time for a new computer, or small hiccup, not to worry? I’ve been running time machine, so I am hopefully fully backed up, but I’m still nervous about the thousands of photos and music albums I’ve got on there.
This is a classic symptom of the effects of the great Capacitor Plague.
If you are somewhat handy, do the following:
Unplug all the cords from the machine.
Put it face-down on a soft surface (a desk with a towel on it).
Unscrew the three small phillips screws on the bottom
Tilt the back up and away.
Look for any bulging or ruptured capacitors - they are the cylindrical parts with a silver top with a cross or a “k” stamped into the top. They all should be perfectly flat. If any are bulging, you need to have them replaced. I do this repair for $150, there are probably local repair shops who have similar prices.
Even if all the visible caps are OK, the ones in the power supply (the grey box that has the power cord connection) can be bad. These are much harder to check. If your motherboard has bad caps, the power supply probably does, too. A new power supply is around $150, and is user-replaceable.
Unplug everything from the computer, including the power cord from the back.
Let sit for 20 seconds.
Plug it back in and turn it on.
Trick 2: Reset the PRAM (hardware memory)
Good for resolving peripheral issues, some power issues.
Turn off the computer.
Hit the power button to turn back on.
Immediately press Command, Option, P and R (all 4 at once) and hold.
Release after the third startup chime.