It was shut down for 2 days, when I started up, the first gray screen had lots of static, but was fine after it fully booted.
I checked mail and shut down again for 2 days. Reboot gave the same scenario. I shut down again after that. When turned it on today, I got normal chimes, but no screen whatever. After 30-45 seconds it started making lots of noise but no light. My husband, being helpful, put Disc 1 into the machine which it accepted with no change.
Finally, I unplugged for 20 seconds, and pressed the start button while holding down the “C” key. It started up on the disk. I used DiskFirstAid and corrected permissions.
Everything seems back to normal now, after restart.
I had been playing some on-line games that seems a little gitchy. They were from the Comcast website, so I thought they’d be fairly safe.
I’ve deleted the game sites from my bookmarks and cleared my cache. I’m using Safari 1.2.4
Is there anything else I should do? I’m I thinking in the right direction, or is it something I’m not seeing?
(Aside) since playing those games I’ve been deluged with XXXspam. I’ve never gone to an x rated site in my life. Is my own carrier spamming me??!!
I’d be surprised if it had anything to do with the comcast games. Glad to hear it’s back up and running normal now.
Can you tell us what system version you’re using… obviously OS X, but do you have the latest installed? 10.3.8?
Also, it really isn’t that necessary to shut down everytime you stop using the computer. I usually put mine in sleep mode. The computer is virtually using no power at all, and it wakes up much faster than having to reboot. Really, I reboot maybe once a week, unless i’m having unusual computer behavior.
As far as your problem is concerned, it sounds like it was a fluke. Without more detailed information, it’s really hard to say what it might have been. Let us know if it acts up again… OS X is a very stable OS, so you shouldn’t be having those kinds of problems.
And one more thing, in case you were thinking it… OS X dosn’t have many viruses (relatively speaking), so it’s doubtful it’s anything like that.
Yes I’m using 10.3.8 I don’t usually shut down unless no one is going to be home. I guess I don’t trust electricity unless I’m here to supervise it (blush) ok, I know that’s silly, but… Well, I’m home again for a while…
Do you really think shutting down caused the problem?
No need to blush, completely understood. runs downstairs to turn off iron
Not at all, it’s just seems more efficient to leave it on, but in sleep mode when not in use. Not to mention how convenient it is when you can just move your mouse and BLINK, your computer is ready. Ahhhhhh. I wish everything was that easy. runs back downstairs to turn the iron back on, then goes to bed
Sorry for the hijack, but I habitually turn my computer off, and I hear that there’s no appreciable difference in wear and tear between turnoff and sleep - it’s just a matter of convenience and time, as folks have already said. Is that true?
Given the paucity of viruses written for the MacOS, I doubt you were the victim of anything malicious. The “static” seems to indicate a hardware issue.
If it was indeed a hardware issue, wouldn’t the unplug/plug have bee enough? It only recovered after disk FirstAid and repairing permissions.
That reminds me, when I did the permissions repair, there was a problem with the ID, it was 1 and should have been 0 or visa versa, sorry, I should have written it down, anyway, after that, it behaved.
I wasn’t thinking virus or the like, I understand the rarity and antiquity of Mac viruses, I was thinking more of a glitch in a game spiraling out of control. I remember the earlier Macs when earlier games could take you off at the knees. My first reinitialization was because of game cooties.
The static is very strange. It sounds like a bad connection from the computer to the monitor, if anything. May just be loose. I’d keep an eye on this and bring it to an Apple store for repairs if needed. If it’s a G5 iMac, it’s brand new, so won’t cost you anything to have it fixed.
PS - holding the power button down for several seconds will automatically shut down your machine. So you don’t have to pull the power cord.
It doen’t have a separate monitor. The whole thing is a 3" deep flat screen. everything is tucked neatly into a 15"X 17"X 3" box.
If it were strictly a hardware problem, I wouldn’t expect it to progress to a black screen then come back with disk FirstAid.
In my life, I’ve been wrong more times than right, so this could be one more of those times.
PS, I tried holding down the power button, it didn’t shut down, that when I pulled the power.
I didn’t open the back, but I did feel the cord, it doesn’t move at all.
So far, I’ve had no repeat performances, but, then I haven’t shut down or even restarted since it got well.
Damn! It just did it again. Now I’ve changed the power supply, reran disk FirstAid, I even repaired colorsync profiles… OK, I’m desperate.
If it continues, I’ll have no choice but to take it to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store.
Its 6 days out of the 90 day warranty. :dubious:
Any ideas?
It sounds like hardware, in which case it’s covered for one year.
I was initially inclined to think hardware, until you said DFA fixed the issue. It is possible that the games are auto changing your screen resolution to one that is not supported by the iMac. Stranger things have happened.
The next logical step, and the folks at the Genius bar will ask you if you did this, is to back up your home directory, and blow away your system. Wipe and reinstall. If the problem continues, then that pretty much points directly towards a hardware issue.
You need a new midplane assembly board. The video RAM is corrupt. If you run the Apple Hardware Test, I bet you’ll get an error message related to the video RAM. See this thread at the Apple Discussion Forums. The midplane is covered under warranty. You can take your iMac to any Apple Store or authorized Apple dealer for repair.
SanibelMan you’re absolutely right. I checked the apple site as well. I’m going to the Apple Store this morning.
I won’t be able to be here for long. I get a kernel panic ever 5 minutes now.
I haven’t even been able to back up files, its crashed in the middle of the CD burn 3 times.
I couldn’t do the hardware test it didn’tlike the disk.
Bye for now, Its starting its next seizure, right now
I’m back, but only through my husband’s kindness. My iMac has been in the Apple hospital since the 2/25. It was, indeed, the mid-plane, as well as the power supply assembly.
I called today, and was told the mid-plane is “unavailable” indefinitely, unless the can get one from another Apple Store.
They are denying that this is a common problem wit the G-5 iMac, while in the same sentence, saying they have a back log of repairs with the same problem.
When I asked about the Apple site decussion threads with so many people complaining of the same problem, they said those threads were deceptive.
it all sounds like cover-up to me.
Ok, I’m done complaining. I just hope I’ll get it back soon.
I’m only here today because my husband got tired of hearing me whine.
No comments on the rest of your problems (hope it gets fixed soon), but I wanted to clarify this. Apple computers come with 90 day support but with a 1 year warranty. If you can’t figure out how to use it, you’ve 90 days of calling up Apple and getting help. If it’s broken any time in the first year, they have to fix it.
