IMac is rebooting itself after kernel error - Help!

Question

I have no idea what happened. Today, for some reason, I received a kernel error that looks similar to this:
Darwin: Kernel Version 9.2.2
root: xnu-1228.4.31~1/Release _i386
System model name iMac 7.1
I noticed this happened right around the time that I was trying to install a firmware update.
When I start my computer, I hear a sound, the screen is white, and after a few seconds, I hear the sound again (sounds like chimes when you try to start your computer) and it tries to reboot again. It just keeps doing this over and over. I've put the Mac OS X disc in the iMac thinking that it would boot off of it but it doesn't and now I can't get the disc out. When I hold the mouse button down to do a force eject, nothing happens. It's as if the computer doesn't even recognize the keyboard or mouse.
I've tried zapping the pram and nvram earlier before all of this. It did let me to the desktop once but then it started updating and the firmware started updating and my computer got that kernel error again.
This is my first Mac product and I feel helpless and stuck. At least with a PC, I could format and start over. I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Hello alestian
Live and learn, over the past couple of years I've read many post were folks have failed to correctly follow the instructions installing a firmware update!
Have a look at: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303364-en and read down to where it say's:
+In the unlikely case that your computer displays a black screen after starting up, you can restore your computer's firmware back to factory condition. Follow the directions here: to restore your firmware.+
here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303469
And then if you still can't get it going, take it to the nearest Apple Store or Apple Service Provider and explain someone fudged up the firmware update.
Dennis