IMac crt dark

The screen of my G3 400mhz iMac DV SE is now very dark, all settings are at their brightest in sys pref. It is viewable for text on white background and for most applications, it is unviewable for photos and dark background websites with low contrast text. It has been like this for sometime and once or twice after a restart it has been fully bright. I upgraded to the latest OSX in 12/05 but I don't remember if the problem started then or was prior to it. I have been upgrading since I got the machine and my firmware should be good. Other than this the computer works great. As peripherals I have a fire wire external hard drive,cd burner and voip modem and cable modem attached. My question, is this how crt's burnout or could it be a software/video card issue?
Appreciate any suggestions!

Hmm,
After some searching all I can find is this document. You've already done all the steps apart from taking it in to Apple.
I'd be tempted to hit the reset button on the side of the iMac.
I can only find this image right now - it's the "Bouton de réinitialisation".
Given the thousands of volts involved with CRTs I would not advise cracking open the iMac; unless you feel very confident.
kind regards
mrtotes

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Fixing iMac(CRT) firmware/OS X problems

b I didnt update the firmware on my iMac before trying to install OS X 10.2 or higher on a slot-loading iMac. How do I fix resultant bootup or screen problems?
b Introduction
This topic is a summary of a fuller article which can be found here. It does not apply to tray-loaders but only to slot-loaders. How to differentiate between models
The latest firmware for slot-loading iMacs is 4.1.9. If OS X goes anywhere near an iMac with an earlier version then often peculiar screen problems are caused, or the iMac wont start properly. In most cases it is possible to fix these problems. This topic explains how to do so.
All users who have installed OS X on a slot-loading iMac should make sure that their firmware is at version 4.1.9. Even if the iMac is working at the moment, problems may arise at any time.
If you are having problems then
b do not reset the PRAM
until the firmware is updated, as doing so can make the problems much worse.
To fix the problem you simply need to update the firmware. If your iMac is not behaving properly this can be a little tiresome, but usually not impossible.
b Symptoms
The symptoms are well known and many users have experienced and overcome them:
*     S0: OS X installation attempt fails; there may be a message you need to update the firmware; the iMac freezes (often with a grey screen); the CD is stuck in the drive
*     S1: the iMac starts up but the screen is blank
*     S2: the iMac starts up but the screen is dark and a strange colour
*     S3: on power on or a restart, the green light comes on but nothing else happens
*     S4: after the startup chime the iMac turns itself off after 7 10 seconds
b Overcoming the symptoms
i S0: To get the CD out,
find the emergency eject button inside the right-hand end of the CD slot. Hold it in with a paperclip during power-on. (NB this then disables the CD drive till next power-off.)
i To get round S3,
remove the power cord between reboots.
i To get round S1,
after the iMac has booted, briefly press the main power button to send the iMac to sleep. Wait for the button to pulse orange, then press any key on the keyboard. Usually you will now have symptom S2.
i If you have S2 or S1
and a 400 MHz iMac or later, there may be a VGA connector under a small panel close to the memory access panel on the back of the iMac. Many PC monitors will work if plugged in here.
i If you have S4
then check the suggestions in the full problem solver.
b Upgrading the firmware
The firmware resides on the logic board in non-volatile RAM. To install the latest version (4.1.9) and hence fix the iMacs problems, you first need to boot OS 9.1, or 9.2.x from a local HD. If you have 9.0.x then you can download the 9.1 update from the Apple site.
Make sure you follow all the installation instructions carefully.
Once the firmware is installed (but not before), it is often worth doing an additional PRAM reset: on startup, hold down Apl-Opt-P-R and wait for the second chime.
The most stable version of OS 9 is 9.2.2, so now download and install these updates: 9.2.1 and 9.2.2.
If you need further help then contact Apple Support, check out the full problem solver, or post a new topic in the Apple Discussions iMac(CRT) Usage forum.
Thanks to all contributors.

Giles,
If OS X goes anywhere near an iMac with an earlier version then often peculiar screen problems are caused, or the iMac wont start properly.
You may also want to mention that newer disk utilities such as DiskWarrior can make the iMac boot into Mac OS X, and cause this problem. There have also been a few instances where a user did not believe it was the firmware because they did not install Mac OS X, only boot from it.
(NB this then disables the CD drive till next power-off.)
Could you please fill me in - what does NB stand for?
You may also want to include some sort of disclaimer, that the problem can vary, and is not guaranteed to work for everyone, etc.
Its excellent overall. And, you're not even a full Mac user, which has to make things harder.
Kyle-

Using my iMac CRT as a display

Can I use my old iMac CRT 600 mHz computer as a display for my MacBook?

No. By design the video port on the computer is an output only port. It is not intended for input from another computer. What the software does is perform a little magic that enables you to use the screen as a monitor for another computer's video output.

IMac went dark

Last week my iMac went dark (the screen) but the Power light on front was still on. I tried rebooting and there was no start-up chime and it would not come up. I disconnected all peripherals and still no joy. I reset the PRAM...no joy. I tried starting up on another disk, including a TechTool repair disk...again no luck.
I took it in to an authorized repair shop...and they found a bad RAM module. I have 2, 1Gig ram chips and one of them went bad. They removed it and everything is great...I do not even notice a slow down so far. But I did order a new one from Crucial ($24).
Anyway, just thought I would share this since this issue might happen to someone else. This is a 2006 Intel iMac, 20". I had no problems at all, and my 3 year warranty was up last May (2009). I was so happy it wasn't something more.

First try iMac SMC and PRAM reset, please do each of them 2x. If that does not work then try restarting in Safe Mode, this will clear some caches. You did not mention the version of OS X running on the machine, if you are running Snow Leopard then install the Snow Leopard disc in the SuperDrive and restart, when you hear the start up tone hold down the Option key and start from the SL disc and run Disk Utility and Repair Disk Permissions & Repair Disk.

iMac (crt) forum is located ???

Where did iMac crt forum go? (prev. forum was a breeze to find it)
thx. tony

All The PowerPc iMacs Are All In The Same Spot Now iMac G5 G4 G3 (CRT). It Is Hard To Find A Certain Model In The New Forms.

IMAC CRT serious firmware issues dude . . .

I was attempting to update my old iMAC CRT to OS 9, and was given the standard "firmware needs to be updated message". In trying to update the firmware, my screen went grey with the following message:
"Bootr, unknown word
failed to boot
Apple iMAC firmware 3.0 f3"
I've tried rebooting with the startup OS9 disk. I've tried zapping the PRAM. I tried booting with the Techtool deluxe to no avail.
I'm thinking is that it's the PRAM battery that needs replacing? Any chance someone out in "MACLand" can provide some helpful advice. Thanks in advance for any assistance in advance!

Based on the firmware number, this iMac G3 sounds like a tray-loader. Here is some information about the firmware.
http://www.avnr55.dsl.pipex.com/dotcom/panthereatsimac/tray.htm
Resetting PRAM would be the first thing to try, but you said you already did that...
If you suspect the battery may be weak or dead, you can try removing it and starting up. Some people have reported that it did not work with bad battery in place, but it did start up with it removed; obviously, the PRAM settings will be lost when the iMac shuts down.
If that does not work, you can also try pressing the CUDA button on the motherboard. For tray-loaders, it is located here.
http://mrjcd.com/junk/CUDA.jpg
Note: ONLY PRESS IT ONE TIME between startup attempts.
The only time I needed to use the CUDA button was when the iMac was completely unresponsive to the power button. If you are getting power, pressing it may not help. But I cannot think of anything else.

IMac CRT dead, buy G4?

Dear all,
Now that my iMac CRT is dead, I'm thinking about getting a refurbished mac. Does anyone have any advice about G4s vs eMacs? I don't do anything more elaborate than surfing, AIM and iTunes. I'll be new to OS X.
Thanks
Irene

Hey iMac,
Does anyone have any advice about G4s vs eMacs? I don't do anything more elaborate than surfing, AIM and iTunes. I'll be new to OS X.
Well the eMac CRTs are VERY heavy but I always thought the picture was very good. I'd avoid the first one, 700, it had the IVAD problem. The 800s and above are nice machines. There was a power supply recall on the 1 and 1.25 GHz machines and this can work to your advantage. I picked up a 1.25 for $50 that was very slow and would freeze up all the time. Turns out it was in the serial # range and Apple fixed it for free.
As to the iMac G4s I like the 17" 800s I think that monitor is very nice and compared to the 15" they're way better. My wife has been using one for 5 months now.
They're a little hard to get since people love the way they look so they're really in high demand. I just got one for $100 that had a bad hard drive and the lady said she didn't believe the response she got on Craig's.
Richard

Networking iMac intel(OSX4.4), iMac CRT(OS9.2), printer, scanner, and cable

I am trying to set up a network with my new iMac Core Duo and my old iMac CRT and a printer and a scanner. I want the printer and scanner to work with both computers, and for the Core Duo to be the one connected with the internet via cable. (My ISP will only allow one computer to be connected.) I also want the two computers to be able to work with each other's files. The Core Duo has OSX 4.4 and the iMac CRT has OS 9.2. Previously, I had two iMac CRT's working on a network as just described. I was using a 5 port hub.
Now, my question is: Can this be done? I have tried everything I could think of, but have had no luck. I can get one or the other computer to work the internet, which is fine, but I can't get them to talk to one another. At one time I managed to get the iMac CRT's icon to appear of the Core Duo's desktop, and could pass stuff one direction, but I could not get the Core Duo's icon to appear on the CRT's desktop.
Another problem: Each computer has a single Ethernet port so I can't tie them together directly and still access the modem. Can I tie the stuff together using Ethernet cables? There are plenty of Ethernet ports available.
Is there some website I can go to to get educated about this?
This is the longest question I have seen on this discussion forum!
iMac iintel,iMac CRT Mac OS X (10.4.4) also, OS9.2

Sounds like you need a router. Connect the modem and the Macs to the router so both of your machines have internet access. The modem will assign a single IP to the router and then the router will assign IPs to the Macs. You can also connect the printer to the router so both machines have access. I'm not sure about the scanner though as I've never seen one with ethernet connections.

IMac CRT slot loader doesn't get past apple symbol at startup

I've got an old iMac CRT, 600mhz slot loader that I want to give away to a friend.
I've lent it to a couple of people in it's life (I now have a different computer), and I can't find the system disks.
The computer had Panther installed on it (can't find those disks either - can't remember how I even got Panther on to it) and was working fine. I deleted all the old users off it to just have my friend's user ID. So technically, there was nothing personal on the computer, just a bunch of applications. However, out of the 40 gigs of HD space, it was telling me that there was only 9 available, which I found strange.
Anyway, while I was installing Adobe CS on it, just before it was finished I tried to find out where all the HD space was being used. So I opened the Applications folder and did Apple-I to get info. When the dialogue window opened, it said it was calculating folder size.
As this was happening while I was also installing CS, I didn't worry about it, just thought it would complete after installation was finished. However, this didn't happen, and I found that not only did the folder size not get calculated, the whole computer had frozen. Not even a force quit would do anything, it was like an old fashioned system 9 crash.
So I forced shut down and tried to start up again. So now it won't get past the OS X grey apple screen. Not even the spinning dial appears and you just see the apple icon for eternity. Have tried zapping PRAM, holding down option key, shift key. Nothing works.
So I'm wondering: what do I need to do to get it to work? Do I need the system disks? Or is there some other way to fix this?
Thanks in advance,
Lachlan

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464
My guess is that you are going to need System disks available here.
Good luck. These things get really frustrating.
David

PB G4 15" Using FW direct won't clone to ext FW drive using iMac CRT (G3)

Info:
PB G4 15" 1.5, 512 mb ram, original 80gig internal HD having sleep issues (meainging it will go into sleep mode whenever it wants and will not stay "awake")
iMac CRT G3 as stable platform, still running strong after 6 years :^) !!
Both are still running (ugh, I know) 10.3.9
I recently purchased an IBM/Hitachi Deskstar 3.5" 80 gig HD and an no-name-brand 3rd party ext. FW/USB 2.0 drive enclosure to (hopefully) clone the G4 15" PB and wipe out it's drive and start from scratch to see if it's a OS issue rather than a hardware issue causing my sleep issues.
I originally partitioned the PB 15" HD to have 3 partitions and the cloning process SEEMED ok on the non opertating system partions, but carbon copy cloner is having problems with any folder larger than 4 gigs, e.g., a VPC drive image doesn't clone properly, CCC only cloned 1 gig whereas my VPC image is about 6 gigs, also, my applications folder, which is approximately 5 gigs on the PB G4 15", hangs when CCC tries to clone it to the Ext HD drive.
Did I shoot myself in the foot by buying a non-name-brand Ext Hd FW/USB enclosure? Are there jumper settings on the Ext HD that I should pay attention to? I currently have the Deskstar HD set to "Primary," Disk Utility partitions the ext HD ok and First Aid results in no ploblems. Is my iMac DV 500mhz too slow to keep up with the cloning process? I only have 256mb ram/original 20gig HD.
I've heard/read that 10.3.6 and up causes problems with ext HD FW/USB enclosures.
Any help would be greatfully appreciated!!
Greg
PB G4 15" 1.5 Mac OS X (10.3.9) iMac, Pismo, PB 1400cs, Apple ][+

Hi, mattn.
Here's a better idea. Erase the external drive. Clone your brother's internal hard drive to it as a backup. Test to see whether the Powerbook will boot normally to the clone. If it doesn't, stop right there and run a full battery of first aid and repair utilities on the internal drive, then clone it again and test again. If all tests on the internal drive are OK, your external drive enclosure(s) may just not be bootable — some aren't.
If the clone on the external drive boots the PB with no problems, upgrade the internal drive to Tiger so your brother can put it through its paces for a couple of weeks. If he likes it and decides to keep it installed, clone the internal drive again to the external drive, so Tiger and any work done in the interim is backed up. If he wants to stick with whatever older OS he was using, erase the internal drive and clone the external drive back to it. In the latter case, be sure to make a separate backup of any documents that have been created or modified during his trial period, before restoring the older clone to the internal drive.
Note that a Powerbook with Firewire 800 is Aluminum, not Titanium, and there's a separate set of forums for the Albooks:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=135
Any future questions related to the Powerbook's hardware should be directed there to reach the folks who are most knowledgeable about those models.

IMac CRT and VGA adapters

I would like to connect an iMac CRT to a SMARTBoard. The SMARTBoard has a VGA connection. Someone at the Apple Store told me that I didn't need an adapter b/c the CRTs had VGA connections. I have checked several iMac CRTs from various years, and I have only found USB, Firewire, ethernet, phone line, microphone, and speaker connections. Does anyone know of a way to connect these old iMacs to VGA cords?
Thanks

It's also possible with a tray loader but you'd need a "old Mac" to VGA adapter >and I've never done it. I have some set up on my workbench. I'll go try it right >now and see how it looks.
Yup that works fine. You pull the access panel by removing one screw and pull that hatch with the small handle. The video cable is the rectangular one with the two clamping screws.(be careful tightening those, it's easy to snap them at their shoulders) You pull that off and plug you adapter in there.
The problem will be finding the right adapter with the proper resolution and sync. I have some adjustable ones with mini dip switches that are very handy.
Richard

Images appear bright on my iMac but dark on CRT monitor

When I look at images on my early 2006 20" intel iMac they appear ok but when I view them on a mac with a CRT monitor they are really dark. I have lowered the brightness of the screen but it won't go dark enough. Is this a known problem or is it just mine?

Hi Andrew,
Welcome to Discussions
When you plug the CRT into the iMac, open system preferences. Go to the "displays" section. Make sure that 1. the brightness on the external monitor is high, and 2. that the refresh rate (because it's a CRT) is set high enough (at least 60 Hertz).
Also...
How old is the CRT? I've noticed that the older the CRT monitor, the dimmer it gets. At least that's just my experience.
Hope this Helps
Trevor

How Do I Transfer Files from an IMac CRT with a Broken Screen?

Hello,
I have an old I Mac DV (dark gray) CRT with all of my old files. When the screen stopped working I bought a new I Mac. The computer turns on but the screen is dark. How can I transfer my old files to the new computer. I also have a portable hard drive with a USB port if needed. Apple phone support does not know how to. They said that my old I Mac does not have firewire and I need to hire a professional. Any advice???
Thank you and happy holidays.

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
iMac DVs do have Firewire. (The DV stands for Digital Video and Firewire is the way of getting digital video into the iMac.)
You can use Firewire Target Disk Mode (link) to use the iMac DV's hard drive on any other Mac.
Did you install Panther (Mac OS 10.3) or Tiger (10.4) on this iMac without updating the firmware? (that's a common cause for a persistant dark screen).
cheers
mrtotes

Green Screen and Freezing on G3 iMac CRT

Hi - My son's Snow Slot Load 500mxh G3 iMac has recently developed some problems. It happened not long after updating to Tiger but seems not to be related to that. I installed the firmware upgrade before updating and the install went fine. It was working fine for a few weeks but started freezing up at random times requiring the power button to be held to restart. It would then restart and work fine but over the last couple weeks, the freeze ups have become so frequent that it's basically not worth bothering with. The freeze ups seem to have some sort of mechanical aspect to them - there is an actual flash or flicker or surge type thing as if the power was interupted. I have plugged the iMac into different power sources, etc. to be sure that it isn't somehow something in the houses wiring but that has not effect. In addition, in the last week or so, the screen has taken on a pronounced green cast. At first this problem was intermitent but now is pretty much permanent (it did come on once properly) It still works fine in terms of resolution, positioning, etc., no weird artifacts, just green. Both of the problems persist even if the iMac is started in OS9 or from a CD. I ran the Apple Hardware Diag CD and it gave a clean bill of health on everything....hmmm!
My guess is that it is a hardware problem and the obvious choice would be the video board. I don't want to put it out to pasture since it works great for my son but I also don't want to put bunches of time and $$$ into it swapping out different boards to try to figure the problem. Does anyone know any fairly definitive tests to determine if it is the Video board or, if not, what it is?
Thanks in advace for any help.
iMac G3 Mac OS X (10.4.9) Slot Load CRT 500mzh Snow

both the CRT and at least the High Voltage section of the PAV are likely bad. Right?<</div>
No only the PAV sounds like it's going bad. The fact that the CRT lights up means that it's good. The silver box on the back of the CRT that Apple refers to as the Video Board is part of the PAV. In fact when you replace the PAV you want to keep that same Video Board with the CRT so it involves cutting and splicing of 2 wires.
Let the HV on the PAV die and use an external Monitor<</div>
Most likely it's the flyback transformer on the PAV that is going and when that goes it's usually it's the Anode section that dies.
If I go with one of the options using an external Monitor, do I need to disconnect the internal CRT? I mean, I know that I don't have to disconnect the internal CRT to use an external Monitor but would it be better to?<</div>
Well if the Anode section dies then mute point because the HV will be gone anyway.
Replace the PAV, use an external Monitor<</div>
If you replace the PAV (deadly voltages involved! Also working PAVs are hard to come by) you wouldn't need an external monitor because the internal one would then work. My son has a 700 Snow that I dropped a DVD-ROM from a 500 Graphite into. Had to use Pacifist to get it to work. Hooked up an external LCD. Now he's watching Pirates II in stereo. He also uses it for Garage Band.
R

IMac CRT discolored

Hello from sunny middle Tennessee. I have an iMac 400 DV SE 10-99 build, slot loader with an upgrade 60Gb hard drive and one gig of memory. I love my baby and have lots of USB and Firewire toys for her to play with. However she has lately been turning pink towards the right side of the screen. I have the harmon kardon sound sticks nearby but I don't think they are close enough to cause this distortion. any ideas?
Thanks

Hi PlumpCrazy, and Welcome to Discussions!
It could be an environmental thing - try moving everything a little farther away from her. It could be electrical, too - try a different power outlet, or a different electrical circuit in your residence. Small motors (pencil sharpener, paper shredder), fluorescent lights, and magnets and speakers can interfere.
It is possible also that your iMac is experiencing other problems - CRTs and the HIGH VOLTAGE components that go along with them tend to degrade with age and heat. This could also be causing your problem, in which case repair or replacement may be in order. Repair, however, is most likely not cost-effective, and you would be better off getting a new or used machine to replace this one.
Kyle-

IMac crt dark

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