IMac g5 iSight 24" boots for 2 seconds then restarts over and over

Hello,
I have only recently switched from pc to mac and now have the wonderful surprise of my iMac not working...
The whole story of what happened is this: I was sitting on it one night and noticed it was making clicking noises (sounded like it was the hard drive, was coming from top right of the imac). I usually have other things going in my room so can't hear subtle noises like that so thought it was normal. So a few hours later as I'm going to bed suddenly the imac shuts down. I go to turn it on and it gets to the login window but shuts down again, about 5 minutes later and many tries it finally boots up and by this point I'm worried about my dad so quickly starting backing it up to external hard drive... I get almost all of it over when the imac turns off again and from this point onward when I press the power button it turns on for 2-3 seconds then shuts off. I hear the normal fan wirring quickly noise on startup but then it shuts down. The screen is black the whole time. I left it on for awhile to do this constant shutting down and after awhile it seemed to be getting just slightly farther to the point where I could hear the start of the noise it makes from it's speakers when it's turned on. So anyway, I've tried everything that can be tried with an imac, every single combination of keys and power button presses and unplugging etc, nothing worked. I have taken it to apple to repair but just curious whether anyone else has this problem and whether it can be related to my hard drive? It doesn't seem like a hard drive problem since the imac would just boot up and display some kind of error if that was the case.. so I'm hoping it's power supply or motherboard or something like that. Any ideas?
Cheers,
willo

Sounds like hardware. You did the right thing by taking it in for service. Could be any number of things. I am sure the technician can figure it out.

Similar Messages

  • ISight powers up for 3 seconds then dies on plug-in.  Help!

    My iSight worked great for several months on my G4 Dual processor. Unfortunately, my G4 was problematic from day one and the firewire ports were always hit and miss (i.e. my Epson 2450 scanner would not be recognized on Firewire... and eventually my DV camera would no longer be recognized as well as external hard drives). Recently the last straw was when my iSight stopped working.
    What would happen is I plug it into a firewire port, the green LED on top of the camera lights, the camera makes that "buzz" sound like it is initializing... and then the light goes off after about 4 seconds. A look at INFO shows nothing connected to the firewire bus and iChat video options say no camera connected.
    So.... deciding to put the G4 to rest after 4 years, I go to the Apple store and buy a Mac Mini Duo. The Genius guy reset the firewire firmware and was then able to get the ports to work again on my G4.
    Took the G4 home and migrated everything over to my new Mac Mini via the Firewire port.
    Plug in my iSight to the Mac Mini and the problem STILL exists with the camera. ***?!?
    Anyone have any thoughts on this? is the iSight just dead??
    TIA!
    Paul

    Hi John,
    Mostly I am out of direct ideas.
    EZ Jim has created this FAQ which is now on my web site.
    It links to several Apple Docs that maybe of some help.
    It does, of course, point out the basics that I have already suggested.
    11:21 PM Wednesday; May 24, 2006

  • P55-GD65 boots for 1 second then stops

    My P55-GD65 worked lovely for over 2 years but now suddenly it does the following:
    It boots for 1sec and then stops. During the boot led6 (of the CPU phases) flashes on and the fans start spinning. This process repeats itself every 3 seconds.
    I did the following:
    checked the PSU by disconnecting the 24pin molex, shorting pins 15 and 16, and verifying all voltages.
    Disconnected the supply to all devices, except for the mobo, still the 1second boot behavior.
    Removed the 4 memory strips and placed only 1 in the 1st black bank
    Maybe worth nothing is that I never switch my comp off, but keep it in standby. Does this wear out some parts?
    Somebody an idea what this could be? Or how to debug this?

    Quote from: JoopBanaan on 16-March-13, 05:44:18
    I did:
    --clear cmos
    --took another memory strip
    --took another but old power supply with 20pins molex
    --removed video card
    all did not change the 1second boot behavior.
    I fear I have to give up the mobo. Is repair a viable way to go?
    No, probably best to replace the mainboard. If you buy the board from a computer shop, see if they will test the cpu and PSU for you if you buy the mainboard. Just to make sure.

  • Z77A-G45 i5 3570K- Boots for a second then shuts

    Basically all of the fans come on for 1/2 a second then shutoff and same thing over and over I made sure EVERYTHING is plugged in so thats not it....My understanding is that I have to update the bios? but how do I do that if I cannot get the computer running?

    I actually had the same problem... I did a complete test of all my parts... but came to nothing... i dropped my rig a a friend's place and it booted without any problem...
    When i got home it started doing the same thing again...
    Turned out the problem was with my power outlet... though i cant understand why cos i've always been using that sam one..

  • T60 boots for 3 seconds then dies

    Problem: 
    When I try to boot my T60 it shows the usual stuff on the screen for about 3 seconds after I press the power button, then it dies.  This situation came out of nowhere, overnight.
    The behavior is exactly the same if I try WITHOUT the battery inserted. Should the T60 not be able to boot without battery inserted?
    Led indicators:
    When it is off WITH the battery inserted, it shows battery led green and AC power led green. All other leds off.
    When it is off WITHOUT the battery insterted, it shows the AC power led green only.
    ... based on the User Manual, I am not really sure what to make of this. 
    What? 
    Could this be my battery?  Could it be the AC adaptor?  Any ideas?
    (My battery is not affected by the recall)
    Mads

    Welcome to the forum!
    Can you borrow a different AC adapter and test with it? 
    If you leave the machine plugged in, and off, is the battery light on? 
    I'm smelling a motherboard problem here. If your machine is still under warranty, send it in for service.
    BTW, your machine should boot with no battery installed, no questions asked. 
    Good luck and let us know. 
    Cheers,
    George
    In daily use: R60F, R500F, T61, T410
    Collecting dust: T60
    Enjoying retirement: A31p, T42p,
    Non-ThinkPads: Panasonic CF-31 & CF-52, HP 8760W
    Starting Thursday, 08/14/2014 I'll be away from the forums until further notice. Please do NOT send private messages since I won't be able to read them. Thank you.

  • My imac (intel core i5, OS 10.10.1) shuts down every night and will not "wake up" next morning -- it never used to do that -- if I hold down the start button more than twice for many seconds, then it will finally boot up and works fine all day – I've

    my imac (intel core i5, OS 10.10.1) shuts down every night and will not "wake up" next morning -- it never used to do that -- if I hold down the start button more than twice for many seconds, then it will finally boot up and works fine all day – I’ve tried shutting it down and unplugging it, and that does not work -- I’ve run disk utilities checked permissions, and run anti-virus and get no adverse results – I cannot figure out what is different that causes this problem

    From previous experience 3 indicates a shutdown initiated by the SMC (System Management Controller) — hardware responsible for many low-level functions including power, sleep, lights, and fan activity.
    Try resetting it:
    Power or other problems related to unexpected system sleep, shutdown, lights or fans call for an SMC reset. Read all the steps.
    Before Resetting the SMC
    Try each of the following steps in this order before you reset the SMC. Test the issue after completing each troubleshooting step to determine if the issue still occurs.
    Press Command + Option + Escape to force quit any application that is not responding.
    Put your Mac to sleep by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Sleep. Wake the computer after it has gone to sleep.
    Restart your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Restart.
    Shut down your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Shut Down.
    Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve
    Shut down the computer.
    Unplug the computer's power cord.
    Wait fifteen seconds.
    Attach the computer's power cord.
    Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

  • Msi big bang xpower2 - only boots for 10 seconds, displays error b7

    Hey guys,
    As the title states. I am getting 'b7' on the error display which i read somewhere means 'no input devices detected', can someone confirm this? I have tried turning on the PC with 1 GPU, 2 GPU, and no GPU in different configurations but I get the same error each time. It just boots for 10 seconds, displays 'b7' and then restarts and does it all over again. Help would be massively appreciated as I need this PC for work :(
    Thanks

     More than likely it's  67 - Late CPU Initialization
     Just providing the name of your MB is not enough info. Please supply information for rest of your system, not knowing what kind of RAM, model CPU and other components mates it very difficult to help track down cause your problem.
     See my signature below for example of info to provide.
                   >> Posting Guide <<

  • My laptop (dv6910us) will not boot up. Blue lites come on for 1 second, then turn off.

    My two year old Pavillion laptop DV6910us model will not boot.  I push the start button, the top line of blue lite glow for about a second, then all the lites turn off.  If I push the button again, the same thing happens;  blue lites for a second, then dark.
    I've tried this with or without the battery; same result.  With or without AC power supply
    ; same.
    Anybody got a clue?

    Here are some options:
    Option 1
    Option 2
    Option 3
    If you can remove the motherboard yourself you save money. You can search around on eBay and call some of these providers until you find someone you are comfortable with. Look for their feedback and ask for references. 

  • Blue screen on start up.  The wheel spin and the blue screen gets brighter for a second, then the blue screen dims and it repeats with the wheel.

    When I start up my imac, I get a blue screen.  The wheel spin and the screen gets brighter for a second, then the blue screen dims and it repeats with the wheel.

    Are you referring to the startup screen which is normally gray with the dark gray Apple logo or are you referring the login screen which is typically blue? If it's the latter you might give this a try:
    Clearing Caches to Fix Login Problem
    You will need to type some Unix commands. If you are not comfortable with this, I don't know of anything other than a re-install. But if you are careful, you should be OK. I recommend you print this out in a largish mono-spaced font so you don't miss any spaces (or add extra ones). Note that case is important.
    Be careful. Some of these commands are dangerous, since you are going to be root.
    Start up in Single-user Mode. When this has finished you will see a prompt ending in '#', although there may be other messages. Enter the following commands after the prompt:
    /sbin/fsck -fy
    Press RETURN. Wait a few seconds for 8-10 lines of output. If the last line says repairs were carried out, repeat this command until you get a message 'The volume <yourdiskname> appears to be OK'. Then continue with:
    /sbin/mount -uw /
    cd /Library/Preferences
    rm com.apple.loginwindow.plist
    rm com.apple.windowserver.plist
    cd /Library/Caches
    rm -r *
    cd /System/Library
    cd /System/Library/Caches
    rm -r *
    reboot
    Press RETURN after each command.
    This should now take you to a proper login screen after the normal boot sequence. You should then Repair Permissions by using Disk Utility (in your /Applications/Utilities folder).
    If it's the former then reinstall OS X. For Snow Leopard:
    Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
    Do the following:
    1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
    Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
    If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
    2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
    If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer.  Proceed with reinstalling OS X.  Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files.  After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
    Download and install the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

  • Why does my macbook pro turn on for two seconds then off?

    my mcabook pro only turns on for couple seconds then off. How do I get it to work ? i have important files on there.

    Boot to Recovery and try repairing the startup disk via disk utility
    OS X: About OS X Recovery
    an you start in Safe Mode?
    OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? - Apple Support
    Try reinstalling the OS. This will not delete anything. The following works for Yosemite too
    OS X Mavericks: Reinstall OS X
    Also,
    This is the Mac Pro desktop forum. I requested your post be moved to the MacBook Pro laptop forum.

  • B757e powers up for 2 seconds, then shuts down.

    I don't know if I am in the right section, but l have a B575e .
    I left it  on sleep for about 4 days, when I opened it today, it was Off.
    I tried to power it up, but it only comes on for a second, then shuts off.
    I tried charging the battery, and tried to power it up with the charger connected.
    Also tried removing the Battery and using just the charger.
    Still same thing. I brought it used, so I don't think it is still under warranty.
    The PO said it was only a year old or so, and had only used it a few times.
    It was working fine up till this point.
    Any Ideas?
    Thanks,
    Tony
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    OMG it worked, what is that some kind of re set?
    What happened? Should I not leave it on sleep for 4 days or so?
    Booted up, seemed to take a little longer, IDN if it's related?
    Seemed to hang on the sign in screen after entering password.
    It wants me to up grade Free to windows *.1 should I do it. It already has windows 8 in it. 8.0 I guess, l am not sure.
    Thank you for the help, I take treatments mon and tues, and I like to have the lap top there.

  • When I record with my iSight camera, after a few seconds it stops recording and tell me there is "Dropfame" images. What do I have to make?

    When I record with my iSight camera, after a few seconds it stops recording and tell me there is "Dropfame" images. What do I have to make?
    A few weeks ago, my camera doesn't do that, but since 1-2 weeks it becomes impossible to record with it.

    Hi mstearns59,
    If you are having issues with the audio in a movie in iTunes and video playback issues I would suggest that you troubleshoot using the steps in this article - 
    Troubleshooting iTunes for Windows Vista or Windows 7 video playback performance issues
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
    Best,
    Brett L 

  • Mac with latest updates: installation window appears, shows message "Retrieving install" for 3 seconds then installation window goes blank. Why?

    Mac with latest updates: installation window appears, shows message "Retrieving install" for 3 seconds then installation window goes blank. Why?

    Hold down the option key during start up - you will be given the choice of which partition to use (Macintosh HD or Windows). I am having the same problem - Windows 7 seems to have installed but it goes to a blank black screen and there is nothing to do but force a reboot. I too have an i3 iMac... Windows 7 32-bit from original disc.

  • Imac 21inch 2010 on boot vertical green lines then white screen ,will not load can anyone help please

    imac 21inch 2010 on boot vertical green lines then white screen ,will not load can anyone help please

    Howdy carliosa,
    If your iMac is not starting up normally you may need to do some checking to make sure things are working correctly. I would suggest starting with the steps in this article -
    Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck - Apple Support
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
    Best,
    Brett L 

  • Some pictures in I-Photo seem to be corrupted. When I click on them, the photo comes up for a second, then the picture turns black with a white fuzzy circle inside it and what looks like an explanation mark. Some older, some newer,  no common thread.

    Some pictures in I-Photo seem to be corrupted. When I click on them, they come up for a second, then turn black with a white circle in the middle and what looks like an explanation mark. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the photos that are a problem, some older ones, some newer, some albums have none, some albums have a lot.
    Thanks,
    Mark

    time to time (when I have a chance), I will go to Finder, bring up ALL Images and start going through them to label them (before I put a label on them, they are simply listed as 123 jpg, 124 jpg etc.).
    You're damaging the Library doing that, and that's the cause of your problem.
    Never, ever, ever use the  All Images search and work on items in yoyr iPhoto Library. They must only be accessed via the iPhoto window.
    Restroe from abck up or try rebuild the Library:
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
    Next: You need to learn how to use iPhoto. There's no need to be dragging things to the desktop:
    For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491

Maybe you are looking for