IMac will not boot with external monitor connected

Hi everyone,
I have a mid 2010, 27" iMAC. If I connect an external monitor to the Mac (using display port), everything works as it should. If I try to reboot or do a cold boot while the external monitor is connected the system boots to a white screen and no further. Sometimes I get 2 spinning colored wheels, but nothing more. If I let it sit at the white screen long enough the screen saver kicks in and everything goes black, move the mouse or hit a key and the white screens come back.
I've tried a few things (that I've found on-line) but I'm an old PC user (25+ years) so I'm not used to or know all the tricks or what I really should be trying.
I just upgraded to Mountain Lion thinking maybe that would help, but no change.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Sorry about my lack of details, I am using the Apple brand of display port to DVI adapter, a DVI cable that is plugged into an ACER 26" monitor (not sure of the model nuimber right now as I am at work). This monitor and DVI cable worked fine during reboots/shutdowns, etc while connect to 2 different Intel based PC's that I have that also run dual monitors. As I mentioned I've done PC work for many moons and would know how to check for drivers, etc, but now in the Apple environment I am lacking these same skills. So I've done all the standard stuff, switching known good cables etc, but I am unsure of how to uninstall drivers and those type of tasks if need be. I know it could be a monitor problem, but that same monitor works fine while connected to the PC's that I have.

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IMac will not boot with iPod connected

Hello everyone
I have a new iMac Core 2 Duo 17 inch 2.0 ghz and it seems to have a problem starting up when a 5th generation iPod is connected to the computer. When the computer is turned on with the iPod connected, the blank grey screen comes on, yet the apple logo or the spinning startup wheel does not appear. However, if the iPod is unplugged, it will startup as usual. Otherwise, there are no other problems with the computer or iPod.
I have attempted the following to resolve the issue, yet none of the aforementioned troubleshooting ideas have worked
- Reset the PRAM and the SMU
- Run Apple Hardware Test with no probems
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I know that I can simply let the iPod be disconnected at startup; however, I feel like this should not have to be done with a new Apple product. Please let me know any other advice or if anyone has experienced the same issue.
Thanks!
Dave
iMac Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Have you reset your Startup Disk preference? If not, do so to see if that resolves your issue. It sounds as if your iMac is looking to try and boot from the iPod's disk.
edit-
there have been other threads about this, one here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3832641&#3832641
Message was edited by: myhighway

Imac will not power an external monitor

My Imac G4 has a black screen on which I can see the apple desktop with a flashlight. I hooked up an external monitor to see if I could salvage the computer abut the new monitor says "no signal." Based on other posts I thought it might be the inverter, but any advice would be appreciated?
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Sorry about my lack of details, I am using the Apple brand of display port to DVI adapter, a DVI cable that is plugged into an ACER 26" monitor (not sure of the model nuimber right now as I am at work). This monitor and DVI cable worked fine during reboots/shutdowns, etc while connect to 2 different Intel based PC's that I have that also run dual monitors. As I mentioned I've done PC work for many moons and would know how to check for drivers, etc, but now in the Apple environment I am lacking these same skills. So I've done all the standard stuff, switching known good cables etc, but I am unsure of how to uninstall drivers and those type of tasks if need be. I know it could be a monitor problem, but that same monitor works fine while connected to the PC's that I have.

IMac will not boot with OS9 or OS8 Disk

Hello,
I have a bit of a problem. I am trying to upgrade a friends iMac to 10.3.9. He had 10.2.xx on it. This is a slot loading blue G3. I went to do the upgrade from the 10.3 disks and it told me I needed a firmware upgrade. I got that tried to run it, but was told OS 9 is not on the system. No problem, I thought I could install that without incident. I put in my factory CD and all I got was a flashing folder and after a short delay, it booted into OSX. I then went to the prefs and told it to startup from the disk. Restarted. Short delay and then the flashing icon came up. So I decided to boot from Disk Warrior and format the drive. Rebooted with OS 9 disk and problem persisted. I tried the usual stuff, PRAM, took apart set SMU. No luck. Saw on a forum, that my battery could be low or dead. I purchased a new one set PRAM and the same thing happened. I am all out of ideas and am hoping one of you out there has had this happen to them and found a solution.
Thanks
Quadra

Are you sure that Mac OS 9 CD is bootable. There are some similar looking discs (white with a big orange 9) that are for "upgrading" and cannot be used to boot. It should say something like "full installation" on it if it is bootable. If it's a disc that came with Macs, not the retail disc, it usually needs to be the one that came with model.
Also, depending on the specific iMac G3 slot-loader you have, it may not boot it if the iMac originally came with a later version of Mac OS 9. For example, if the original OS was Mac OS 9.0.4, an installation disc with 9.0 will probably not work (because it is earlier). However, a 9.1 installation disc will work.

P67A-GD65 (B3) will not boot with external USB DVD connected.

Damnedest thing... just put the build together last night and this was the biggest issue. If I connect my external Samsung USB DVD RW the system stops booting and only displays (B3) in the bottom right corner of my display. If I remove the USB plug the system boots and operates normally. If I connect it to the USB port after boot the system recognizes it and it works fine. The same issue occurs no matter which USB2/3 port I plug it into. I've banged around the BIOS and cannot see any issues in the boot sequence that would indicate an issue. Anyone else in das same boot?

Quote from: cadhopper on 24-March-11, 07:19:08
I just came to the forum for the same reason. I'm glad you had a thread already going. Mine is a Seagate 1.5T USB 2.0 hard drive and the screen reads 98 in the lower right corner. Hopefully MSI will get this fixed soon. Other than that the new system is running great.
They are working on it. They sent me a BETA BIOS to try out. The BIOS v1.10B3 was dated 3-17-2011 and it nearly bricked my system though. Here is the response I sent to them the other night after a few hours with a massive headache trying to bring my system back up:
Quote
Tried the new BIOS. While it did indeed fix the USB DVD boot issue and let me boot into windows it created a few new issues. After flashing the new BIOS would not recognize my old overclocking profiles from the v1.8 BIOS.. "hole" error. So I manually adjusted all the settings and saved the new settings. I copied them EXACTLY from my previous settings.. I had screenshots which I had printed out as a fool-proof guide. After rebooting I could no longer get into windows. BSOD. If I tried entering the BIOS by tapping the DEL button while booting the system would freeze at the "entering setup...." screen and never progress into the actual BIOS. I unplugged the power, waited a few minutes and held the clear CMOS button on the back panel down for a few seconds. After rebooting I no longer had video output. After much trial and error I ended up having to also unplug my LCD and cycle power on it as well to get video back. But could still bot get into the BIOS by tapping the DEL key during boot. Luckily I have a laptop with all the files on it and I was able to finally re-flash back to the v1.8 BIOS from a USB drive. I'm not sure what exactly you changed.. but I don't think this new BIOS version should leave BETA status.
To their credit they promptly responded the next AM:
Quote
There were some changes to the CPU voltage, so your overclock settings may not work properly. We are still working on a 1.A release version. It will be updated to our website soon. http://www.msi.com/product/mb/P67A-GD65--B3-.html#/?div=BIOS
I only wish they had informed me of the changes to the CPU voltage up front or included a change log so I could have made an informed decision as to whether or not I wanted to try the BETA BIOS. I was under the impression (mistakenly) that it simply addressed the USB DVD issue. I'll wait for the new release BIOS. I can live without the external USB DVD being plugged in at boot. Bricking my MOBO and having to RMA would be a far less desirable outcome. :p That said.. I'd still recommend this MOBO. It has relatively few issues and MSI support is responsive so far.

My 2011 IMac will not boot up past the White apple logo screen with the whirly circle

My 2011 IMac will not boot up past the White apple logo screen with the whirly circle. I have tried various commands but to no avail. does anybody have any advice?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

My iMac will not boot up. it brings up a black screen with a cursor

all of a sudden my imac will not boot up. it brings up the grey page with the apple, then instead of going to the login, it goes to a blank black page. The cursor moves with the mouse, but that is it

First carefully read and then methodically follow Apple's troubleshooting steps in Gray screen appears during startup

Imac will not boot up, chimes with apple logo and beach ball spin??

imac will not boot up, chimes with apple logo and beach ball spin?? after installing adobe flash and up graded apple softeware

If your iMac came with or is running Lion, startup holding either the Command-R keys or the Option key and select the recovery partition and then use Disk Utility to repair the Macintosh HD.
see > OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery
If your running Snow Leopard or earlier OS X, pop in your Install DVD and startup holding either the Option or C key, then open and use Disk Utility to repair the Macintosh HD.
see > Mac OS X - Using Disk Utility to Repair a Disk

My iMac will not boot past the logo and spinning gear

My iMac will not boot past the logo and spinning gear (After a Rogue Amoeba update). I can't access the recovery disk I made on a flash drive. (Am I doing it correctly? - Hold down option while switching on? It just stays on the logo). What (if anything) can I do please?

If you installed Lion onto your machine, it should have created a Recovery HD (hidden from view, but visible in Disk Utility with its Debug menu enabled, under Show all Partitions).
That article states:
Note: In order to create an external Lion Recovery using the Lion Recovery Assistant, the Mac must have an existing Recovery HD.
Would I see the recovery menu (by holding down option on power up)
Yes.
if there was no recovery disc connected do you think?
Shouldn't matter, since your int HD is always connected.

Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen

Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen
my system:
new (month old) 24" intel imac, 2.8 ghz, 4 gb ram.
running: leopard (upgraded from tiger, which was pre-installed at purchase), installed 10.5.1 update right before this huge problem occurred.
install discs on-hand: two-disc tiget set, single leopard upgrade disc.
what led to this:
i wanted to install windows using bootcamp on a 50 gb partition.
at this point i was running leopard 10.5
i followed all bootcamp instructions, printing out the guide, as well. once i got into the windows setup, i was prompted to choose a partition to install windows. unlike the bootcamp guide, which showed three partitions, one clearly labeled "bootcamp", i saw only one partition. not wanting to risk writing over my mac partition, i quit the setup and rebooted the mac os. after some googling around, i looked for firmware updates (didn't need any), and then software updates. i decided to try updating to 10.5.1.
i then ran through boot camp again, deleting my previous windows partition, creating a new one, and moving forward as before. once again, i was only shown one partition to choose from in the windows setup. i exited the setup again to reboot through the mac os, but this time, i was only given a blank gray screen.
here's what i have tried so far:
booting from a CD, holding down the C or D keys: no response (in fact, i have to restart the computer holding down the mouse button to be able to eject the CD)
booting with option key held down: gray screen
booting with option key held down with external bootable firewire drive attached: the firewire drive appears as a boot icon, and i can click on it within a five second window, but then the screen freezes after that time period, and nothing changes
booting into target mode while attached to another mac: gray screen (no firewire icon, and drive never shows up on other mac)
resetting NVRAM: i'm able to hear the boot chimes, but no difference in performance. gray screen every time
Safe boot: nothing but a gray screen
Verbose mode: gray screen
Single user mode: gray screen
Single user mode with firewire drive attached: occasionally (not every time), i am able to get the white on black terminal to show up. from here, i'm able to run fsck, but it appears to only be checking the firewire drive. i have tried several times to boot from here, and once it took me to a blue screen with movable arrow cursor, but it never went beyond this.
is there anything else left to try before taking it to apple?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
Casey Burns
Casey Burns Illustration and Design
http://CaseyBurns.com

I'd call Apple support at this point. You'll need
to put this issue on the record.
Call U.S. iPod and Mac technical support: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
The wait may be long for an agent to come on the line
so expect that and have some other stuff to do in the meantime.
If you have the applecare protection plan, I'd ask about "onsite"
service.
I like your work ! Good luck !
Slim
Message was edited by: slimpikkunz

IMac will not boot, hard drive file problem? Can't install OS in 2nd part.

The iMac will not boot. The Apple displays on the screen, the cursor spins for awhile, and then it loops into a reboot effort.
Last night, I was doing a lot of custom file sharing settings using the include enclosed folders option at the bottom of the Get Info window.
Question 1: Could that file sharing process have messed things up?
In an effort to get things going........ A few weeks back, I used Disk Utility to create a 2nd partition, with the intent of installing Ubuntu Linux there. I never attempted the install, as far as I can remember, while playing with the Ubuntu Live CD. So, I thought I would install 10.5.6 from the CD in the 2nd partition. But I get an error message that says "The installer could not create the folder "/Volumes/Ubuntu 9.10/BaseSystem.pkg.161nDNDdQ.""
Question 2: I also shared that partition, could that have caused the OS install failure?
Question 3: If I understand the book correctly, I can try to install the OS from the CD on the 1st partition, and not lose my data, correct? Unfortunately, I don't have any backup for the data, as I don't own any drives large enough yet to accommodate the data on the drive.
Question 4: Anyone have any other thoughts as to what ent wrong?

Hi, Grant.
Sometimes, it just pays to think on a problem. I awoke thinking, if it will boot the OS X install CD, it ought to boot my Ubuntu Live CD. And then, maybe I can change permissions on the first partition. As soon as I thought that, it occurred to me, if the problems are with the permissions, what if I used the OS X disk, and erased (formatted) the Ubuntu partition. That should set all the permissions on that partition back to default. Would OS X install then to the Ubuntu partition?
You better believe it did!! I'm typing this from the Mac after updating my 10.5.6 to 10.5.8 in the 2nd partition, and I'm booting from the 2nd partition.
I then did as you suggested, and from the Mac, I repaired the permissions to the first partition. But, the result was the same, there are a few permissions that do not match, and Disk Utility cannot, does not, or will not correct them.
I'm currently downloading the 10.5.8 combo update .dmg file. My thought is to burn that to a disk, and then install it over the version in partition 1. And trust that the current installation on partition 1 does not have any cross linked files that will destroy some data.
I do have some old ATA IDE drives I can hook externally to the Mac, and copy some of the information I have from the Mac to those drives before doing the 10.5.8 install.
Can you think of a better solution?

IMac will not boot up when printer is plugged in USB

After buying my new iMac (with Tiger) I successfully transfered everything from my old iMac (with Panther) and all was well.
The problem is that when my printer (Canon Pixma MP130) is plugged in on start up, the iMac will not boot up (no gears turning on the white/grey screen). When I unplug the printer from the USB and start it up, it works fine. Its not a super big deal because I can just plug the printer in when I need it. But why does it do this?
I foound on the internet someone else who had the same issues. It was suggested to him to search the printer manufacturers website for updated drivers. I did this, installed them etc..... still no luck.
I am without any mac guru's here in Yellowknife......help!
Angie

Hello there,
I hope it is OK to recycle this old thread.  I did not want to create a new one since I am experiencing the exact same issue as the original poster *flying girl* as well as other posters in the following threads:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4190807
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3950255
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4201169
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4490899&#4490899
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4470944
I have two Macs, a PowerBook G4 and an Intel iMac 20" (Aluminum)--please refer to my signature or profile for the specs of these machines.  Of course, I got the PowerBook before I got the iMac.  I am running the latest version of the Canon MP130 drivers, printer drivers version 4.8.3 and scanner drivers version 12.11.0, on both machines.
When I turn on my PowerBook with the Canon PIXMA MP130 multifunction turned ON and connected via USB to the PowerBook, the PowerBook boots up just fine.  I have even experimented with both a USB hub and a direct connection to the Canon MP130, and the PowerBook boots fine in both instances.
However, when I turn on my iMac with the Canon MP130 turned ON and connected via USB to the iMac, the startup tone plays, and then the iMac hangs at the blue/gray solid screen--it does not even show the Apple logo or the spokes--that is, until I turn the Canon MP130 OFF.  When I turn it off, the Apple logo appears, the spokes move, and my iMac boots up just fine.  And as long as the MP130 is OFF, I can boot the iMac fine from scratch too.
I tried starting in verbose mode (⌘V) and single-user mode (⌘S), and the gray/blue screen still appears after the startup tone plays; again, if I turn the Canon MP130 OFF, the rest of the boot sequence resumes as normal, and only then do I get to see the descriptive text for those startup modes.  But the text goes by so fast that I miss most of it--I did manage to catch something that said something like "get full config descriptor = NULL," but I am not sure if that was the exact wording.  I would need a good camcorder or even just a digital camera or another device to capture exactly what the screen says in verbose mode.  If I had those options, I would post pictures here.
I was thinking about contacting Canon, but since the issue happens on one Mac only, I figured they would tell me that it is a problem with my Mac.  So hopefully posting the information here is OK.
Another key feature is that the Canon MP130 has a built-in card reader.  I made sure that my Startup Disk preferences were set to boot from the system drive, and they still are.  And I have reset the SMC and PRAM on the iMac.
I would like to mention the following link:
http://www.ehmac.ca/anything-mac/50389-intel-imac-wont-boot-when-canon-printer-p lugged.html
If you go to page 2 on that above thread, it shows one user who allegedly physically disconnected the card reader connection from the inside of the Canon MP130 (I would NOT recommend that myself).  I just wonder if there is a more feasible resolution to this issue.
Does anyone else experience the same issue with other printers or multifunctions?  Also, why does the issue occur only on my Intel iMac 20" (aluminum), and NOT on my PowerBook G4?
Please let us know about your experience as it seems many of us are at a loss for a solution.
Thank you very much for your help; we await!  :)
Cya!
\m/ Mad Metal Mage \m/

IMac will not boot up. Need to transfer data iMac (2006) iMac (2009)

I have an iMac (built/sold late 2006 -400 Firewire) and an iMac (built/sold late 2009 - 800 Firewire).
I have connected computers with a 400 to 800 Firewire cable.
The old iMac will not boot to desktop. It was suggested to hold down the "T" key and then power up the iMac. This was done and the old iMac shows a "Y" shaped icon that appears to be a Firewire icon. The old iMac does not show up on the desktop of the new iMac.
I would like to transfer data from the old iMac to the newer one. Suggestions ?
Thanks.
old iMac OS 10.4.xx
new iMac OS 10.9.2

She's holding T down on the old computer.
Which is the way it has to be done. The old computer's hard drive will mount on the new computer.
To use FireWire target disk mode
Make sure that the target computer is turned off.
If you are using an Apple portable computer such as a PowerBook or MacBook as the target computer, plug in its AC power adapter.
Use a FireWire cable to connect the target computer to a host computer. The host computer can be powered on.
Start up the target computer and immediately press and hold down the T key until the FireWire icon appears. The hard disk of the target computer should become available to the host computer and will likely appear on desktop. (If the target computer is running Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, you can also open System Preferences, choose Startup Disk, and click Target Disk Mode. Restart the computer and it will start up in Target Disk Mode.)
When you are finished copying files, locate the target computer's hard disk icon on the desktop of the host computer and drag it to the Trash or choose Eject (or Put Away) from the File menu.
Press the target computer's power button to turn it off.
Unplug the FireWire cable.
(my emphasis).
Excerpt from: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
The terms are Target and Host. The old iMac is the Target, the new one is the Host.

Imac will not boot past Apple Logo

My imac will not boot after the good chime and apple logo (i don't even get a spinning wheel). I have held the option key down and selected the OS 10.6 disk with the same result. I was able to erase the drive and reinstall OS 10.6 using target mode and another computer. In target mode I can boot the other computer from the IMac HD but not the IMac. Have also tried holding the shift key and booting into safe mode with the same result. Additional note: I reset the PRAM and the SMU. At first on PRAM reset it would take 45 seconds for the machine to chime again, after OS reinstall and SMU reset, PRAM reset chimes within 10 seconds.... any help would be appreciated...

Kind of late but your solution helped me remember what once worked for me, a few years back.
Started iMAC in Target mode Used a firewire cable to a MacBook Pro
Started the Macbook Pro using the option Key and then restarted with the iMac as the Hard drive
Then I updated to 10.6.8 and allof the other updates.
shut down and rebooted and everything was fine.
But first I did quite a few other things before the update such as
It all started with a DiskWarrior finding overlapped files, I have been around the block a time or two so after it found three overlapped files, I shut down diskwarrior started up disk utility did a restore of the messed up drive to another external drive,
of course this copied overlapped files and all to the new external drive It took 24 huors or so, to back up the drive once it was done, I also tried a few times to correct the overlapped files to no avail,
so then I started the iMac up in target mode used the MacBook to format and erase the original drive, used the 10.6.3 DVD installer to install onto the hard drive, using the macBook DVD. After I was finished with the install to the iMAC,,,,,,,,,,this is where I got the three beeps like bad ram So idid the PRAM and SMC to no avail.
The operating system was evidently not new enough so once I did what i said at the begining of this post all went well.
Sometimes It is tough to remember some of the stuff that you learned several years ago.
and tired hard to forget.
I hoped this post does not scare away to many people, I was just about done with this computer until I read your post, one of several dozen, and it all came back to me.
Thanks a Bunch
I hope this can help others
themacprofessor

Sometimes iMac will not boot up

hey guys i have been having this on going problem for about a week now. Ok so here's what's happening, this usually happens at night. It seems that my iMac will not boot up, I have my computer put to sleep when I go to sleep and I can wake it up again in the morning. Now when I go out in the evening today for example, I just got home, woke my computer up and everything seemed fine. After a little bit my computer froze so, I restarted it and it will not boot up it would get stuck on the gray screen, sometimes the apple and the spinning thing under it (not the beach ball one) would show up and sometimes I would have just a grey screen. Over the past week I've tried the following:
Reset the Pram
Booted up from the installation cd.
Removed all the cords waited for a couple min. then tried again
Eventually I can boot up, However I am very concerned to what the problem might be.
O yea I also ran a permission repair
One final thing if knows how to protect macs with an anti virus or something similar, it would really help me out.
Thanks

Hi Karim
The symptoms you describe could be caused by bad RAM.
Follow this link to learn about testing memory.
With your iMac you should have received an Apple Hardware Test CD, if not it's included on the Installation DVD (it would state that written somewhere on the DVD). There's also a RAM test included, but it isn't as dependable as memtest (mentioned in the link above) in my experience.
Follow this link to learn how to start the Apple Hardware Test.
Kind regards
--greg

IMac will not boot with external monitor connected

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