April 2008 iMac 24" causes my house lights to flicker

I have an April 2008 version 24" iMac with 2.8 GHz processor. When the computer goes into what I call "display sleep" mode, any lights on the same circuit as the computer start flickering. By "display sleep," I mean that the computer is running but the display has shut off. If the computer goes into full sleep mode, no flicker. If the computer is on and running, my lights don't flicker either. This problem occurs with both incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
I had a program called "Shades" running to dim the display below its lowest setting, but the problem occurs with or without that program.
Has anyone else encountered this problem? Is it a bad power supply, or something else? The temperature levels, including the measurement for the power supply, seem normal. Many thanks.

I don't know where you are so don't know about your house wiring
regulations but I would not expect anything plugged into a powerpoint
to have an effect on the lights. They should be on totally different
circuits.
Dave

Similar Messages

April 2008 iMac won't boot

When I try to start the iMac, it loads the apple icon, gets the spinning wheel and starts a progress bar at the bottom of the screen. After the progress bar get maybe 1/10th the iMac shuts down. I can get to the screen to load an external drive by holding down the option key, but it will not load or boot from an external drive. The Recovery drive is also of no use, it says no drives can be validated or repaired. Any suggestions are welcome. Also will not restore from Time Machine backups.

Sorry, should have included.
Only upgrade is more memory to 4GB.
Up to date on OS X.
Has Maverick installed.
Use only Apple productivity software (e.g. Pages / Numbers / Keynote).
On Comcast for internet (? Forced to, somewhat faster than DSL) via AirPort Extreme.
Hard wired keyboard
Bluetooth mouse
HP hard wired printer
Canon Bluetooth printer
   20-inch, Early 2008 iMac
   OS X 10.9.3
   2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
   4 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
   AirPort Extreme

W510 causing my room lights to flicker

New w510. When I plug the powerpack into an outlet which is on the same circuit with a bunch of compact florescents that I have in this room, the lights start flickering at regular intervals.
Apparently the power pack is putting a surge on the line or drawing lots of power at certain intervals. The interval is around a second or two.
Is this a defect?
Fire hazard?
Damaging to other electrical equipment?
Any ideas what might be going on? We have lots of computers here, an older Lenovo T61. I've never seen anything cause the lights to flicker.
The power pack does not seem unusually warm or having any indication of being defective.

The draw should not be very great. If you were complaining about a high-draw appliance, like a refrigerator, I would suggest a loose ground somewhere in the circuit. I think you may have a shielding problem in the adapter. I have seen problems like this in a couple of instances, but only when using a cheap knock-off adapter. In that case, it also caused static if a radio was plugged into the same circuit. If it is under warranty, I would call support and tell them I was afraid it would cause a fire, even though I know that isn't going to happen. It might make it more likely they would send a replacement.

Early 2008 iMac (8,1) randomly goes into sleep mode

Hey,
My early 2008 iMac (8,1) on 10.8.2 goes into sleep mode by itself. I've played around in Energy Saver, tried resetting SMC, NVRAM, replaced HDD, reformatted HDD, installed smcFanControl, reinstalled Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion. None of that worked. Took it to the Genius bar, performed some diagnostics tests and they said everything worked properly. Does anybody have the same problem? I can still use the computer for general computer use (light web surfing and e-mailing), but it seems to go into sleep mode when I have a lot of applications open and especially when watching videos. I've tried researching this problem, but I've haven't found a definitive answer. Right now, the Genius that I've been talking to thinks it may be the RAM. I'm waiting on new shipments of test RAM to arrive at the Apple Store for him to properly diagnose.
Thanks,
Jason
iMac (8,1)
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2x2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB
1TB 7200 RPM SATA ST1000DM003-1CH162
If you want to read the whole time line, I've included it here. I apologize for it being so long.
At first I was running Lion (10.7.5) and the computer would enter sleep mode whenever I was doing anything with video. For example, watching YouTube videos and chatting on FaceTime. And funny enough, I distinctly remember watching a bunch of movies with VLC and the computer did not go to sleep (Although, this is not true anymore). I could wake the computer up and use it, however within a few minutes the computer would re-enter sleep mode. The computer seemed fine and I could access all of my files. Tried resetting SMC and it did not resolve the issue.
I made a Genius appointment to see if they were familiar with the issue. The iMac passed the in-store diagnostics test; it said all the components were functioning properly. He told me to bring it home to do a fresh re-install of my OS and then run my computer to see if the problem persisted. I took it home and reformatted my HDD with a 35-pass erase, re-installed Snow Leopard (10.6.8) and declined to transfer any backups from Time Machine. I was using a fresh system and sure enough, the problem persited. Tried doing the same thing again but with Lion (10.7.5) and still no luck. So I made another appointment and it passed the in-store diagnostics test again. I let them keep the computer for a 24-hour diagnostics test. They told me they would diagnose my computer with the OS on my HDD as well as a copy of OS that the Apple store deemed 'good' on an external HDD. The Genius called me and told me that my HDD failed their 24-hour diagnostics test and recommended I replace it. I initially had a 750 GB HDD, and the Apple Store could only offer me a 500 GB HDD ($200). I opted to take my computer to Carbon Computing, an authorized dealer in Toronto, to have a 1 TB Seagate HDD ($170) installed with no OS on it. I brought it home, performed another 35-pass erase and installed Snow Leopard. Problem still persisted. Repeated with Lion, still unsuccessful. Looking back, I was so excited that I just had to replace the HDD to fix the problem, I forgot to ask the guy if he could recreate the issue.
I began to suspect that it was a heating issue. So I installed Temperature Monitor and smcFanControl, and cleaned the fans as much as I could without taking the computer apart. Without smcFC on I tried to recreate the problem and I noticed that the Power Supply Position 1 reached 95 degrees Celsius, and Graphics Processor Temperature Diode reached 97 degrees Celsius before entering sleep mode. I don't know much about temperature sensors and what they monitor specifically, and so I couldn't draw any conclusions from that data. I turned on smcFC and cranked the optical drive speed to 2000 RPM, HDD to 3000, and CPU to 3000. The computer still went to sleep but the temperatures were below 90 degrees Celsius before entering sleep mode. I've tried researching here and on the internet about normal operating temperature ranges of iMacs and generally found that most do reached that temperature but they do not go to sleep mode.
Then I thought it may be a problem with Lion so I upgraded to Mountain Lion. The issue still persisted. Tried resetting SMC and NVRAM, did not resolve issue.
I called the same Apple Store explaining to them that their recommendation of replacing the HDD did not resolve the issue. They told me to bring it in and have them check it out again. I went through the same process I did before; the iMac passed all of their diagnostic tests. The Genius told me this time he will test out the RAM. He called me and told me that he could replicate the problem and so he proceeded to put in a stick of 'good' Apple RAM, but the computer would not work. He said the 'good' Apple RAM was damaged, either before or in the process of putting it in. He plugged in my old stick of RAM and the computer worked. He tried to recreate the problem and claimed that the computer ran for over 24 hours with an existing movie on my HDD playing and it did not go to sleep mode. However, once I brought it home I played the same movie right away and it turned off 17 minutes into the movie. Tried resetting SMC and NVRAM again, ran the movie again, still went to sleep.
And that's the story for now...

Now to find out WHY it does it at home only. How hot is it at home? Have you checked the AC current/voltage at home?
Well they were able to replicate the issue at the Apple Store the second time I left my computer there. Anyway, we don't have any heating on at my house at the moment. It's usually from around 20-23 degrees Celsius (72-75 F). Temperature Monitor says ambient temperature is 30 degree C though...
I'm not really sure how to check the AC current/voltage at home, but my computer worked before I moved it. So I'm not sure if that is the issue.
I normally only have speakers set up to my computer and a wired keyboard. The speakers are powered separately. I would assume that at the Apple Store only the power cord and wired keyboard are connected.
What is the Power Supply Position? And what does it do?
Thanks for your help!

2008 iMac won't turn on after Mountain Lion installation

I have a 2008 iMac with 6GB of RAM that was running on OS X 10.6.8 perfectly. Tonight I upgraded it to Mountain Lion. After the installation, my machine was running slower and a little choppy, especially when first opening programs, even though it meets all the requirements for Mountain Lion. After about an hour or two of running like this, I was standing away from the computer for a minute when I saw a flash come from the monitor. I went to it and the screen was black. I thought maybe it had went to sleep, but nope! It was completely off and would not turn back on. No lights or sounds come on at all. There was no power outage or anything, and all other devices plugged into the same surge protector were working fine. I tried plugging it into another outlet and still had no luck.
Any insight onto what caused this? Is it most likely a power supply failure, and could this have been caused by the Mountain Lion installation? Considering I've had this computer for almost 5 years and this has never happened before, it seems obvious that this contributed somehow.
Any advice would be appreciated. I'm going to try to take it to an Apple store soon, but the earliest appointment is a few days away.
Thank you!

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
It's quite possible that the power supply failed. The failure is difficult to be related with OS X Mountain Lion, so I would discard that. In some cases, it's normal that you experience slowness after installing a new OS X version because Spotlight indexes the hard drive.
The best you can do is to take it to an Apple Store or reseller so you can get your Mac diagnosed. Now we can't do anything else apart from thinking that is a power supply issue

Speeding up my Early 2008 iMac

Hello everyone!
I'm a big apple nut and have more apple devices in my house than I'd care to say
My main computer right now is my 2011 Macbook Pro 8g ram quad core 64bit and it runs
without a hiccup. Same goes for my iPad and my favorite the new 6 plus!
In August 2008 as I prepared to go to college I wanted to build my own PC because I was into that
sort of thing and my parents told me they would get me any mac they just would prefer I have something
reliable at school. So needless to say I picked the 24inch iMac with the largest HD and the fastest processor apple offered and the
computer ran great and was very powerful when it came to handling processor intensive things. Now
sadly its on a desk in a room that gets used very little and I always think what a shame that such a nice computer
is already outdated. The maximum RAM the motherboard supposedly will support is 4GB so I am very limited there.
I want to speed this computer up like new I'm just not sure how? Is a 6 year old machine dated? I thought thats why
we buy apple for the quality and we know it will last. I will copy the specs down and post them. I'm always fixing peoples
windows machines and I don't really know how to rejuvenate a mac.
Here are my specs:
Please help me restore this beautiful mac to 2008 condition !
Introduced
April 2008
Current OS
OS X 10.9.2 (13C64)
Model Number
A1225
Processor
IntelCore2Duo (E8235,E8435)"Penryn"
Processor Speed
3.06 GHz
Architecture
64-bit
Number of Cores
2
Cache
6 MB shared L2 cache at full cpu speed
System Bus
1066 MHz
Storage
1 TB 7200-rpm
Maximum Memory
6.0 GB (Actual)
4.0 GB (Apple) Maximum Memory
Installed Memory
4 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Memory Slots
2 - 200-pin PC2-6400 (800MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS
Graphics Memory
512 MB (GeForce 8800 GS) GDDR3

Hi ..
Not enough free storage space can slow your Mac down.
Click the Apple  top left in your screen. From the drop down menu click About This Mac > More Info > Storage. Make sure there's at least 15% free disk space.
Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk
Repair permissions.
Launch Disk Utility located in your Applications > Utilities folder.
Select the startup disk on the left then select the First Aid tab.
Click:   Repair Disk Permissions
This can take awhile so don't be alarmed.
Restart your Mac after Disk Utility is finished.
Reindex Spotlight > Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes
Check to see if the startup disk needs repairing.
Launch Disk Utility located in HD > Applications > Utillities
Select the startup disk on the left then select the First Aid tab.
Click: Verify Disk (not Verify Disk Permissions)
If Disk Utility reports errors, restart your Mac while holding down the Command + R keys. From there you should be able to access the built in utilities in OS X Recovery to repair the startup disk.
Make sure to back up all important data first before using OS X Recovery.
Anti virus software, as well as third party Mac cleaning utilities such as MacKeeper and CleanMyMac can also slow your Mac down.
v10.9.2 is outdated. Keep OS X software up to date for security.
Click the Apple  top left in your screen.
From the drop down menu click: Software Update

My 2008 iMac will get to the white boot up screen and has the loading circle and then it will freeze. And will freeze when attempting to boot recovery or bootable disc of Mavericks

Hi there, I have a 2008 iMac 24' 3.06 Intel Duo with 4gb ram. And yesterday it was working totally fine and jolly with no issues. Then I noticed there was an OS X update for Mavericks, so I finally decided to do it, and once it was rebooted it went to like the grey screen and I could move my mouse, just nothing else was there. So I tried to restart it, and then it booted up, but was really laggy, and so I decided to restart it and try again, this time the iMac froze at the login. So I decided to take it apart, pull the 500gb hard drive, connect it to my MacBook Pro, and then formatted it in Disc Utility. From there, I opened the Mavericks installer on my MacBook and then installed it to the iMac's hard drive via usb hard drive enclosement. And once the install of Mavericks was completed, I put the hard drive back into the iMac and tried to boot it. It now boots up to the white screen with the Apple and the loading circle underneath the Apple and then it freezes and doesn't go any further. So then once that happened, I turned it off and tried to boot it into recovery mode. Then it freezes on the screen with the Apple and loading circle below it. Then out of desperation, tried to use a bootable disc of Mavericks to see if i can at least get the iMac to boot up again, with no success. It froze at the same point again. So now I reach out to the Apple Community to see if anyone else has an idea on what I can do or if anyone had this issue and what they did to resolve it. Any help would be great. Thanks.

mddcfilms and Pat75, I'm having precisely this same issue -- no booting but spinning and freezing gear under the Apple logo. Have either of you come to a resolution? Here are my details:
iMac, Early 2008, 24”, 3.06 GHz, 4GB
September 2013: Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS GPU repaired, HDD replaced with Western Digital 2TB
21 April 2014: Erased HDD with Disk Utility on Mavericks USB; clean installation of Mavericks from the USB. Process completed without issue, including registration process. After a minute or two of poking around, machine shut down immediately (not through the shut-down process).
Since then it will not boot up. Grey screen and Apple logo appear, with gear spinning; the gear freezes, then the machine tries to boot up again. Occasionally I’ll hear “To use English for the main language, press the return key.”
I’ve tried booting into Safe Mode; same gear freeze and restart.
I’ve tried booting to the 10.9 Recovery disk; same gear freeze and restart.
Tried booting from Mavericks USB; same freeze and restart.
Tried booting from 10.6.3 DVD; same freeze and restart.
Ran Apple Service Toolkit (at Stormfront in the UK), which turned up nothing in error.
Started in single-user mode to test HDD and RAM, which are fine.
Started in verbose mode to check logs; some error messages but nothing seems crucial. After the log screen, the grey screen and Apple logo appear, gear spins, and then freeze.
Cannot get to Apple Hardware Test (vintage machine too old?)
Cannot get to Target Disk Mode with my MacBook Pro
Ideas: Potential booting flaw in Mavericks installation. Firmware incompatibility with Mavericks. Hardware issue in Nvidia GPU (known for problems). At the moment I'm hoping that it's a Mavericks installation or firmware issue, though I suspect the Nvidia GPU has blown up on me. These graphics cards are known for being pieces of junk, so I may try installing the lower spec ATI Radeon 2600 GPU if I can find one at a reasonable price.
Anybody else have precisely these problems or have any advice?

Problem installing Win7 64 bit on early 2008 iMac 2.66 GHz

I have read posts elsewhere that, contrary to what Apple says, it is possible to install 64 bit Windows 7 on an early 2008 iMac 8,1. The problem I'm having is that I can't get the iMac to boot from the 64 bit Windows 7 install disc. The error I'm getting is "Bootmgr is missing". I can view files on the disc just fine when I'm in OS X, so I know the bootmgr file is on the disc. But it refuses to boot from it. I know this hardware can support 64 bit cause I can boot OS X 10.6.2 into 64 bit mode.
Anyone else run in to this? Thx for any help.

Thanks Hatter. That did the trick. Actually, the link you sent me lead me to this site:
http://blog.andersonshatch.com/2009/01/11/windows-7-x64-on-a-macbook-pro-guide/
That site links to this:
http://test.andersonshatch.com/2009/11/08/select-cd-rom-boot-type-prompt-during- vista-server-2008-r2-windows-7-x64-boot-on-macbook/
and that's what I used to create a DVD that was bootable by my early 2008 iMac.

I have Garageband version 4.1.2 (248.7) installed on my early 2008 IMAC Version 10.5.8. I have never upgraded but have a LOT of projects. If I upgrade my operating system to the next level (10.6?), will my GB version still work? Do I need to upgrade GB?

I have Garageband version 4.1.2 (248.7) installed on my early 2008 IMAC 10.5.8. I have never upgraded. If I upgrade my operating system to the next level (10.6?) will my GB version still work? I have a LOT of projects involved and hope they will transfer. Can I (and should I) upgrade GB at the same time and how far should I go with that without causing a problem with my projects? What would I gain if I upgrade GB? Thanks!

Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
I have Garageband version 4.1.2 (248.7) [...] If I upgrade my operating system to the next level (10.6?) will my GB version still work?
my copy of 4.1.2 appears to work under 10.6.8, though i have not done extensive tests
Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
I have a LOT of projects involved and hope they will transfer.
they should
Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
Can I (and should I) upgrade GB at the same time
sure
Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
(and should I) upgrade GB at the same time
v4 is pretty lonh in the tooth now, and GB only costs $15, so I'd think it's a good idea
Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
how far should I go with that without causing a problem with my projects?
the only version you can buy new is v6,a nd it should open older projects without issue ... however you could keep 4 around:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#installnewkeepold
(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)
Nancyfromeasttexas wrote:
What would I gain if I upgrade GB?
v5:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#whatsnew09
(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)
v6:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#whatsnew11
(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)

How do I transfer data from an old Powerbook G4 w/non working screen to my 2008 iMac. I want to save my photo collection.

I have an old G4 Powerbook that has suddenly lost it's screen. It just flickers at times. I want to get the iPhoto data with lots of pictures out of the G4 and onto my 2008 iMac. I have no idea how to network these two and it is complicated by the loss of screen on the laptop. I know the laptop is up and running after I TURN IT ON BECAUSE WHEN THE SCREEN DOES IT'S FLICKER ON AND OFF BIT I CAN SEE THE DESK TOP. HOWEVER, THESE FLICKERS ARE SO BRIEF I CANNOT PERFORM any TASKS (woops) on the laptop. Help???

I will post my experience just in case someone else has this problem. John was right about the Firewire cable being the 800 9 pin job for both my PB G4 (2003 version) and my iMac (2008 version). Even though there was no screen to look at on the PB I was able to get into the target disk mode by first hooking up the firewire cable to my iMac and then the PB, then, holding down the "T" key on the PB I started it up. The iMac was already up and running.
It took several seconds but eventually a target disc icon for my PB showed up on the desktop of my iMac. Double clicking on the icon let me have access to all that was in the PB.
Sort of and here is where it got dicey. My PB and iMac do not run the same OSX versions, the PB being pretty old. Additionaly the cause of my concern was my wife's photos stored in some obscure location on the PB and using an old version of iPhoto which did not mesh at all with my iMac version.
After a bit of poking about and trying different work arounds I got lucky and a info box poped up saying that the data needed to be upgraded to be read by my newer version of iPhoto. Long storey short I went down this path and got everything transfered to the iMac. Just not sure how I got on that path, but I did.

My imac screen wont display very light tints of colours or show the banding in file windows

My imac screen wont display very light tints of colours, but the same file is showing the tints on another imac. I have calibrated my screen, but no change any ideas what is causing this? it also happens on open windows where you should be able to see str

Thanks for posting this. I've been having the same issues myself for a long time and I couldn't suss it out. Like your mac, my contrast setting had been increased too - must have accidently hit the keyboard shortcut. It was also affecting my vision too. The difference is massive.... thanks

I upgraded to Mavericks and my 2008 iMac is slower than slow.

I have a 2008 IMac with 2GB Ram and 320GB HD. I have been upgrading through out and up to Mountain Lion never had any issues with the new OS systems. I upgraded to Mavericks about 2 months ago and the system continues to get slower and slower to where I really do not want to use it any longer. I spoke to someone at apple and they said from all of the upgrades there are programs taking up overhead that no longer are needed. If I bring the computer in they can help resolve the issue. The Apple store is about an hour drive from where I live. Seems to me that there must be an easy fix. I am not that computer literater and switched from Windows to Apple because of the reputation. Now all I do is watch that colored pinwheel on my screen more than anything else. Does anyone have a simple suggestion or do I need to take it to Apple and have to pay them to fix what they have caused.

RAM is pretty cheap these days. It will depend on the exact model of iMac you have. Just for a rough idea I took a look here Computer memory upgrades for Apple iMac (Early 2008) Desktop/PC from Crucial.com and found a 2 x 2GB upgrade kit for $72.
Most of the sites that sell RAM have instructional videos you can watch so you can get an idea of how difficult the installation might be for you. I've installed RAM on my MacBook Pro and it was not very difficult, and the iMac installation looks easier than that. But that would depend on your own comfort level with doing it. I've done a lot of this sort of installation over the years on my Macs so I'm very comfortable. But you do have to be careful, as the innards of a Mac can be very sensitive to static electricity, and it is possible to damage components if you don't follow directions carefully. But I would see if there are software issues that can be addressed first before you go investing in more RAM.

Downgrade or reinstall yosemite update on 2008 iMac?

My wife enjoyed her Early 2008 iMac until she needed to use a Windows only accounting program, so we got her a windows machine - which she wanted to throw out the windows. So, I thought I would try VMWare with windows which lead to updating her iMac from (I think) 10.4 and upgrading the ram from 1g to 4g. Had to purchase a 10.6 disk, then upgrade to yosemite which can run the current VM. Well, as many have mentioned, the system now runs very slow - even without the VM. It is no longer a nice machine to use. So i'm trying to figure out what would be best:
1: Do a clean re-install of yosemite - sometimes a clean install can work much better.
2: Erase the disk and have it install from backup - this would only fix fragmentation issues but not require re-install of applications or setup.
3: Do a clean re-install of 10.6 and don't upgrade any further, either forget the VM thing or use virtualbox or an older VM.
Unfortunately, any version between 10.6 and 10.10 isn't an option because Apple prevents me from getting those versions unless I got them previously, which I find quite annoying!
So, since each of these options takes some time - what would be the thoughts on most likely option to fix the yosemite update speed problems?
Thanks!

Nothing obvious in activity monitor.
No cleanup or anti-virus ever installed
Ram maxed out at 4g.
So I think the suggestion is to try Yosemite clean install?
By the way, I got the "can't do it" about the older versions from apple on this forum.
Here is the Etrecheck:
Problem description:
Slow after update to yosemite
EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated April 6, 2015 at 3:02:12 PM EDT
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck
Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.
Hardware Information: ℹ️
    iMac (20-inch, Early 2008) (Verified)
    iMac - model: iMac8,1
    1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core
    4 GB RAM Upgradeable
        BANK 0/DIMM0
            2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok
        BANK 1/DIMM1
            2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok
    Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
    Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
    ATI Radeon HD 2400 - VRAM: 128 MB
        iMac 1680 x 1050
System Software: ℹ️
    OS X 10.10.2 (14C1514) - Time since boot: one day 20:12:26
Disk Information: ℹ️
    WDC WD2500AAJS-40VWA1 disk0 : (250.06 GB)
        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Cheryl's iMac Drive (disk0s2) / : 249.20 GB (59.37 GB free)
        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
USB Information: ℹ️
    Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
    Generic External 1 TB
        EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        MACBACK (disk1s2) /Volumes/MACBACK : 900.00 GB (547.96 GB free)
        OSImage (disk1s3) /Volumes/OSImage : 99.73 GB (51.18 GB free)
    Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub
        Apple, Inc Apple Keyboard
    Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
    Mitsumi Electric Apple Optical USB Mouse
    Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Configuration files: ℹ️
    /etc/hosts - Count: 1
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
    Anywhere
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
        /Applications/VMware Fusion.app
    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmci (90.6.3) [Click for support]
    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmioplug.14.1.3 (14.1.3) [Click for support]
    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmnet (0249.89.30) [Click for support]
    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmx86 (0249.89.30) [Click for support]
    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vsockets (90.6.0) [Click for support]
        /System/Library/Extensions
    [not loaded]    com.flipvideo.IOUSBCameraMassStorage (1.0.1) [Click for support]
Startup Items: ℹ️
    comapcpcpestart: Path: /Library/StartupItems/comapcpcpestart
    Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [running]    com.flipvideo.FlipShare.AutoRun.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.kodak.BonjourAgent.plist [Click for support]
    [failed]    com.trusteer.rapport.rapportd.plist [Click for support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.flipvideo.FlipShareServer.launchd.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.microsoft.macutils.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.trusteer.rooks.rooksd.plist [Click for support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.kodak.KODAK AiO Firmware Updater.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.kodak.KODAK AiO Software Updater.plist [Click for support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
    Garmin Lifetime Map Updater    Application (/Applications/Garmin Lifetime Map Updater.app)
    iTunesHelper    UNKNOWN Hidden (missing value)
    Skype    UNKNOWN Hidden (missing value)
    EEventManager    Application (/Applications/Epson Software/Event Manager.app/Contents/Resources/Assistants/Event Manager/EEventManager.app)
    Launchpad    UNKNOWN (missing value)
    VMware Fusion Start Menu    Application (/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/VMware Fusion Start Menu.app)
    LivedriveCore    Application Hidden (/Applications/Livedrive.app/Contents/Resources/LivedriveCore.app)
    EEventManager    Application (/Applications/Epson Software/Event Manager.app/Contents/Resources/Assistants/Event Manager/EEventManager.app)
    Director Docker    Application (/Users/[redacted]/.Trash/Hewlett-Packard/HP Photo and Imaging Software/HP Photo and Imaging Director/Director Docker.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
    AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update
    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
    OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.3.6 [Click for support]
    Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 6.1 [Click for support]
    GarminGpsControl: Version: 4.0.2.6 Beta - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.2.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.94 [Click for support]
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
    APC PowerChute Personal Edition [Click for support]
    Flash Player [Click for support]
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Time Machine: ℹ️
    Skip System Files: NO
    Auto backup: YES
    Volumes being backed up:
        Cheryl's iMac Drive: Disk size: 249.20 GB Disk used: 189.83 GB
    Destinations:
        MACBACK [Local]
        Total size: 900.00 GB
        Total number of backups: 29
        Oldest backup: 2015-03-13 00:50:47 +0000
        Last backup: 2015-04-06 18:58:01 +0000
        Size of backup disk: Excellent
            Backup size 900.00 GB > (Disk size 249.20 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
         6%    Microsoft Outlook
         4%    WindowServer
         2%    mdworker32
         1%    Microsoft Database Daemon
         1%    sysmond
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
    503 MB    softwareupdated
    258 MB    Image Capture Extension
    155 MB    Microsoft Outlook
    125 MB    Safari
    99 MB    AdobeReader
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
    116 MB    Free RAM
    1.88 GB    Active RAM
    1.78 GB    Inactive RAM
    519 MB    Wired RAM
    2.18 GB    Page-ins
    57 KB    Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
    Apr 4, 2015, 06:47:31 PM    Self test - passed
    Apr 4, 2015, 10:59:32 AM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Disk Utility_2015-04-04-105932_[redacted].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

2008 imac..............dead?

Last week I got back from holiday, switched on my trusty ancient 2008 imac and....................nothing happened. No start up chime. No whirring sounds fron the fan or hard drive. Nothing. It doesn't seem to have any power, the power cord is OK (a friend tried it on their imac and it worked no problem). I can't even try the various keyboard tricks to boot of an external back up as the keyboard draws its power from the imac. I can't load a recovery CD either.
What is the likely cause of this? Motherboard or logicboard failure? Is this easy to diagnose and fix?
The only other mac I have is an even more ancient 2004 G4 model running OSX Tiger. Is it possible to connect the 2 via target disc mode to get at my data?
Any opinions/advice gratefullyy received.

It could be any number of things; power supply, AC filter, even a failed hard drive (which the system could detect as a short and fail to power up). It's not easy to diagnose and not easy to fix.
As to target disk mode, no, if the iMac won't power up, there's no way to get it into TDM. The only way to get data off of it would be to disassemble the iMac, pull the hard drive, and connect it to your G4 and hope that the drive is working.
Regards.

Early 2008 iMac crashing-possibly overheating

Hi,
Please bear with me on the slightly lengthy post here. I want to provide as much info as seems relevant.
I have an early 2008 iMac that recently started crashing. It just locks up and the screen get a lot of screwy stuff on it. After turning it off for a while it works OK for a time. I've noticed it seems to happen when I'm editing video (with iMovie), which is my primary use for this machine.
Here are the system specs:
Model Name:iMac
Model Identifier:iMac8,1
Processor Name:Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:3.06 GHz
Number Of Processors:1
Total Number Of Cores:2
L2 Cache:6 MB
Memory:4 GB
Bus Speed:1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:IM81.00C1.B00
SMC Version (system):1.30f
OS 10.8
I took it to my local authorized reseller/service provider to have them check it out. They did some diagnostics and said there was some sort of hardware problem, but the machine is considered obsolete and parts were not available for them to repair it so there was no point in my paying the diagnostic fee for them to pinpoint the problem.
I took it back home, plugged it back in and it worked fine for a few minutes and then locked up again. I noticed the back of the screen felt pretty hot to the touch, especially the rear upper left quadrant.
I started searching and found a fan controller program (I can't remember the name but it's the one everyone was recommending), I installed it and set the fan speeds all to around 3200 rpms or so. That seems to help lower the temps but I didn't log the temps. The temp showing at the top right or the screen was hovering around 115 F.
I tried to figure out how to run a hardware diagnostic but apparently I need the original start up disc and I don't have it.
So (now my questions)...
1- How, if possible, can I try to determine the underlying issue that could be causing the machine to get too hot?
2- What is too hot?
3- Does anything jump out at you based on the above info?
4- Any good recommendations on repair options?
I am saving for a new machine but not quite there yet. This was my first Mac, I bought it used last year from a friend who was moving. I am completely sold on Apple now but I need to get at least a few more months out of this one if possible.
Thanks fro any help and advice. I appreciate it!
Bryan

The first thing to do when you suspect overheating is to clean the air intake vents on the bottom edge of the case. While there, remove the RAM dorr and check the RAM bay. Some really big dust bunnies can take up residence in the RAM bay.
Make sure the exhaust slot at the top of the case back is clear and at least six inches (~150mm) for any part of your deks r the wall behind.
Also look at stuff on your desk directly under the computer. The only iMac overheating episode I've encountered was when someone left me a ziplock bag of CD sleeves. They shoved the bag directly under the computer case and the bag was within millimeters of the air intakes. Even though only about 7 inches of the roughly 25 inches of air vents were occluded, the temp monitor in my menubar and an independent thermometer with which I monitor exhaust air temperature both showed the computer running a little hotter than normal. I removed the bag and hte temps quickly fell back to norma.
Some utility software that seems innocent enough can run up your temps. Anti-virus and internet security programs can do it. So can so-called "cleaning" and "optimization" software. Third-party backup software such as that which comes with many "name-brand" external hard drives can affect running temps.
Can you give us and idea of what third-aparty utilities cae installed?
Did the tech at Apple say anything specific about what kind of hardware problem you have?

April 2008 iMac 24" causes my house lights to flicker

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