IMac will not run OS X

This is so weird. I have an iMac DV Special Edition model that cannot boot into OS X 10.4. It has 512MB of ram and a 10GB HD. It will show the Apple logo but before the spinning wheel appears, a black box appears over the apple and it shuts off. I can run Mac OS 9.2.1 no problem. I have updated the firmware to 4.1.9 and it still doesn't want to boot. I even put the Hard Drive in another iMac and it booted no problem.Any help would be great. Thanks!

Where did that particular Tiger (10.4) installation come from, because it sounds like it was already installed (by another Mac) on the drive before you put it into the G3 iMac?
If the Mac that performed the installation was an Intel Mac, it will not work. Tiger is not universal, so the Intel and PowerPC installations are different. If the installation was done on a PowerPC Mac, that should not be a problem.
The startup disk setting is stored in PRAM, so you should try resetting PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
If it is booting 9.2.1 from the same drive, the following master/slave advice is probably not relevant, but... Make sure the jumpers on the drive are set to Master. Some drives have more than one Master setting. If that is the case, it needs to be set for +Master with slave drive+ and NOT +Master single+. The optical drive shares the IDE bus and is usually the slave drive.
However, there may be cases where the optical drive is set to Master for some reason. Some of those OEM drives have a switch on the back end for the master/slave setting. If the optical drive is a third-party replacement, they are often hardwired to the Master setting. So you may want to try setting the hard drive to Slave to see if that makes a difference. As long as one drive is master and the other drive is slave, it should work fine.

Similar Messages

I recently purchased the iPhone 5 and my itunes account on my iMac 7,1 will not recognize it as a device. My imac has stopped downloading new updates, it says it is up to date with iTunes 9.2.1. My imac will not run the newest 10.7 itunes either. HELP!!

I recently purchased the iPhone 5 and my itunes account on my iMac 7,1 will not recognize it as a device. My imac has stopped downloading new updates, it says it is up to date with iTunes 9.2.1. My imac will not run the newest 10.7 itunes either. All I want to do is put my music from itunes on my computer to my new phone. HELP please!!

i called apple and they are sending me snow leopard so i should, *fingers crossed, be able to run the newer version of itunes. we'll find out for sure in a few days when it arrives

G5 iMac will not run programs

Hello again Guys, I'm back...... Just a quick note, Thanks to all who have offered me advice over my past issues. I have a new one for you. I recently picked up a G5 20 inch iMac 1.8 PPC 1.5 ram (gonna go pick up another gig today. Nothing out of the ordinary. I actually really like this thing. Anyways, when I picked it up, it was supposed to have 10.5.8 on it and it only has 10.4.11 No real biggie just need to get a hold of a 10.5 disc. Anyways, here is the issue. Programs will not open. If it is a preinstalled program, it runs fine. If it is a program that I have downloaded, it will not run. Case in point, I use FILEZILLA ALOT. I downloaded the PPC version, go to open it, and the icon pops up in the dock, then closes with nothing else. No crash report, no bug no nothing. Pops up in the dock then disappears. Does this with any program that I download. I already repaired permissions to no avail..... any ideas?
Thanks far in advance

You can first try running Disk Utility and using Repair Disk Permissions (on the First Aid tab).
Since that iMac came with the system already installed and an existing user account, I would create a new admin user account (in System Preferences Accounts pane). Make sure it is administrator, not standard. Log out and log in to the new account. Try the same thing in that account to see if the problem recurs.
When you get your Leopard installation disc, I would erase the internal drive and install a clean system. Whether the above helps or not (with the current system), a brand new system should resolve the problem.

IMac will not run Pro Tools 9 - Some will not run CS5.5 Production Premium and some will?

So i have 6 imacs in my computer lab at this time - I recently created a new image for all of our lab computers using snow leopard OS, Pro Tools 9.0, and Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium - this image works fine on our MacPro's and Pro Tools has no problems opening or CS5.5, but when I imaged the same image onto the imacs - CS5.5 only works on two of the machines and Pro Tools 9.0 will not open on any imac ( i keep getting the message "Can not find playback device: I thought you didnt need one for Pro Tools 9?) and i cant figure out why. The imacs that have problems with CS5.5 and Pro Tools are the 20" early 2006 versions, and the imacs that run CS5.5 but not Pro Tools are 20" late 2006 versions. Are they just too old? Why would it let me image on the late 2006 version of imac but not the early 2006? Do i need to create an image on the imac itself and then farm it out to the others?
Thanks for your comments,
Kyle

I know this is a very late answer for you, but it may help others out.
Try holding down the "N" key on your keyboard while loading the Pro Tools application.
This will eventually open up a dialog box with a drop down menu for selecting your interface.
In the case where you're not using an interface (like the lab), within this dialog box, just select Built-in Output and plug in your headphones in the back of the iMac.
I'm running several rooms with iMacs and PTLE 9.0.6 on Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and this is the only hiccup I've run into. Hopefully, holding down the "N" key works for you.

Imac 13,2 with 3 RAM chips instead of 4 RAM Chips. Is there any hard data supporting the fact that the iMac will not run optimally with only 3 chips versus 4?

I have a imac 13,2 with 3 of the 4 memory(RAM) slots filled. Two with 4gb chips and one with an 8gb chip. Is there any reports or statistics to support using matching pairs(4 chips) of ram versus running 3 chips? Is the machine running optimally w/3 chips? Or does it not matter with these newer imacs as each RAM slot is fully iundependent of each other therefore getting the most out of each chip no matter if 3 slots are filled or 4 slots are filled?
Thanks for any reponses.

There were some models which would not boot at all if a certain slot was not occuplied:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1423?viewlocale=en_US#4

TS1587 I tried everything, except for reinstalling the SO-DIMM memory modules. Still, my iMac will not wake up. Turning it on you can hear the fan run, but the display stays dark. Any ideas what to do? Thanks Maja

My iMac won't start up, or wake from sleep. I've tried everything, except for reinstalling the SO-DIMM memory modules. Still, my iMac will not wake up. Turning it on, you can hear the fan run, but the display stays dark. Any ideas what to do? Thanks!

Mac doesn't boot
Can you hear the fans and hard drive and see the white boot screen? Flashing question mark? The circle just runs and nothing happens? Only black screen and nothing else? These can be very helpful to diagnose the source of the problem. [1]
Flashing question mark [2]: This is usually a sign of a failed hard drive. This indicates that boot up volume can not be found.
Black screen: This is usually a sign of a failed logic board. There is no single reason for this and this may be caused by failed GPU, screen, CPU or RAM.
Circle of death/no circle/blue screen: This is usually a sign of a hard drive failure. This may NOT be a dead hard drive, just broken permissions or something
Gray screen/Apple logo/spinning gear or globe/prohibitory sign/folder with flashing question mark [3]: This could be a sign of faulty hardware but more likely a software issue, i.e. broken permissions, failed software update, etc.
[edit]
What to do
First, hold down the option key (also known as the alt key) just after you've pressed the power button. This should show all the available options to boot from, so if you have Windows installed through Bootcamp or a disk in your SuperDrive, you should be able to see them along with your OS X drive/partition. Select the OS X partition with arrow keys and press enter. Startup key combinations
If that doesn't help continue doing the steps from below:
1. SMC reset [4]. Shut down and unplug all cables including power cord for at least 30 seconds and then plug in power cord and keyboard/mouse.
2. PRAM reset [5]. Hold down option, command, P and R while booting. Start it when you hear the sound and don't let go before it reboots.
3. Safe boot [6]. Hold down shift while booting to boot into safe mode. If this works, open Disk Utility from Utilities and repair your permissions and verify the disk
4. Hardware test [7]. Insert the install disk (disk 1 in Mac which shipped with OS X 10.5.4 or earlier, disk 2 if shipped with OS X 10.5.5 or newer) and hold down "D" before the grey boot screen opens. Follow on screen instructions
5. Boot from install disk. Boot from the disk that came with your Mac. Hold C while booting. Select Disk Utility from top bar and repair permissions and verify the disk. Reboot normally and see if it works now.
6. Boot from another Mac (Firewire target disk mode). Connect the machines with a Firewire cable. Power on your Mac and press T. Select the other Mac's hard drive. Download the current OS X combo update. Run the combo update installer and select the drive that won't boot as the destination.
7. "Repair" OS X. Boot from the install disk as in point 5. and reinstall OS X. This should NOT erase any data, just replaces the system files which may have caused your booting problem. Now install the latest combo update for OS X and repair permissions on your drive with Disk Utility.
7.1. Install OS X into an external hard drive and then boot from it [8] and try to copy your data from the hard drive before proceeding. If you have done a backup recently, you don't have to do this.
8. Restore OS X from Time Machine backup. Boot from the disk that came with your Mac and choose the Time Machine restore option. This step will lose any changes made since your last backup but the system and your data will be put back to exactly as it was on that date.
8.1 Reinstall OS X. Boot from the install disk as in point 5. and select Disk Utility again. Now erase the whole hard drive and install OS X again. If you had a Time Machine backup and step 7 worked you don't have to do this.

12-month old iMac running Mavericks will not run Yosemite

I have an iMac 21.5", bought new in September 2013 and currently running Mavericks with no problem. The OS is on the internal Mac HDD while Time Machine is on an external HDD. Previous OS updates have installed OK.
Yosemite however will not run. After installation I can log in with no problem and all seems well -- the first time. All attempts to log in after the first produce the Apple logo and progress bar, but the bar advances only about one third of the way and hangs up, even when left for an hour or more. Nothing at all can move it -- all I can do is reboot by powering off/on. No login appears, just -- the logo and progress bar, which starts to run then stops as before.
If I reinstall Yosemite then I get one login as before, followed by the same failure -- I have now re-installed three times.
I have tried rolling back to earlier (pre-Mavericks) OS versions on Time Machine before installing Yosemite -- same result.
Right now I am back on the previous Mavericks. All is OK and I can live without Yosemite, but I am becoming concerned for future-proofing my apps. Newer versions, for Yosemite, are not going to run.
Any help would be appreciated please.
Best wishes to all.

Sadly it did not last. Yesterday it again froze on login and this time Safe Boot got me nowhere.
No doubt if I carry on experimenting I can sort it out, but I can longer justify the long breaks from my work. I have rolled back via Time Machine to my last Mavericks-based save, and there it stays until someone at Apple gets to grips with Yosemite. Or replaces it, which I expect won't be long . . .
It just is not good enough to tell the consumer that they must accept bugs with a new release, or that it's all their own, or their system's fault or that they should get help from a support forum -- any clerk should be able to sit down and just use it. If a machine was running OK with an existing OS, then it should seamlessly switch to the new without calling for a Masters in IT to figure it out. No ifs or buts. We pay a premium price for a Mac and deserve better than this from Apple.
From my standpoint, Yosemite is without doubt the worst beast of an OS -- from any source -- that it has ever been my misfortune to encounter. This is my third Mac over the years, and at this rate it's my last -- for all Microsoft's failings, I have never encountered anything like this with Windows.

After an upgrade from Power mac G5 to iMac and PS will not run... Error - 150:30. Seems to be a Licensing issue. Any ideas? Works fine on the old Powermac...

Delighted with the new iMac but I have had an old version of CS4 for years now and it will not run on the new machine. I have tried Adobe customer care chat but it seems that nobody is available right now. Can anyone help?

I cannot locate the Flexnet folder by the way.... and the License recovery tool tells me that ....
You can’t open the application “LicenseRecoveryLauncher” because PowerPC applications are no longer supported.
Where do I go from here please?

Lsince update to lion osx my imac will not mount windows created video dvds my othe imac running snow leopard will

since update to lion osx my imac will not mount windows created video dvds my other imac running snow leopard will

You could've backed up your iPad prior to the "forced" upgrade which, by the way, you could have cancelled. iTunes doesn't upgrade your iPad, automatically, on its own. You had to click the Upgrade button to initiate the upgrade. You didn't have to do anything with that button. You can just leave it be.
iOS 8 is garbage on iPad 2 and 3 and even though iTunes keeps giving me the Update button option, I continually choose to ignore it.
Ignoring the Upgrade/Update button doesn't affect the normal iTunes/iDevice syncing/backing up operations.
You could've just left that button alone.
When was the last time you backed up your iPad?
While there is no way way to revert to a previous iOS version once you upgrade your iDevices iOS, iTunes saves multiple backups of your iDevice and if you backed up your iPad previously to this latest activity, you should be able to restore your iPad from an older backup that should appear by date when you plug your iDevice into your Mac, was for iTunes to launch and sync your iPad, then cancel the backup in progress and use the Restore function in iTunes to restore your iDevice from another previous backup version date.
If your current version of iTunes doesn't recognize your iPad2 under iOS 8, you need to check the iTunes update feature, in iTunes or in OS X Software Update feature in OS X Preferences panel to see if there is a iTunes update available for OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.

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 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/

My iMac will not boot through Snow Leopard but will boot through Windows OS

My 2010 iMac will not boot in Snow Leopard, only Windows. Have tried reinstalling Snow leopard a few times and works only for a couple of minutes before freezing and doesnt reboot. Windows works perfect. Snow leopard just doesnt want to boot up past the Apple Logo. It was working fine one day and the next day it froze up and was able to reboot back into Snow Leopard but kept freezing. Now it doesnt load at all into Mac OS.
Brian

Possible scenarios:
1: The 10.6.3 SL retail disk is bad, it happens.
2: Your not using the 10.6.3 SL retail disk but one from another machine which doesn't have the drivers for that machine.
3: Your optical drive is funky or some other hardware issues.
4: Your trying to install 10.6 onto a PowerPC based Mac, no can do.
5: Your not using a wired keyboard for boot key commands, have some other hardware conflicts.
Possible solutions.
1: Copy the SL 10.6.3 disk using Disk Utility to another DVD, the error checking may resolve the original disk's issue.
http://www.brokenhomeboy.co.uk/pierow/blog/2011/10/make-a-bootable-backup-snow-l eopard-install-disc/
2: Make a SL bootable USB
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
3: Call Apple for a new 10.6.3 disk (and make copies for backup before Apple discontinues selling it)
If your upgrading to 10.6 to get to 10.6.8 to upgrade to 10.7, be warned of this:
1: Your 10.5 software will not work in 10.7, no more Rosetta or PPC based code.
2: Your hardware will not qualify if it's a 32 bit Intel Core Duo, also you may experience slowdowns in performance over 10.6 (10.6 is the fastest OS X version for Intel Macs) in older Intel hardware (I suggest Early 2011 Mac's and later only for Lion)
3: Mountain Lion 10.8 is reportingly coming out this summer and will not run on a lot of older Intel based Mac's because of heftier graphics requirements.
4: 10.6 has the widest range of current avaialble software and drivers for third party hardware.
My advice, stick with 10.6.8 and stay there, buy a new Mountain Lion machine after this summer. Skip Lion completely.

IMac will not boot from Snow Leopard DVD or original Leopard disc!

Hey,
I am going mad! I am trying to update my iMac (with original Leopard installed) to Snow Leopard. Here is what I have tried:
Using the Snow Leopard DVD:
- A standard install: the disc ejects after about 15 minutes.
- Put another working DVD in and verified it in Disk Utility, all ok.
- Verified the internal hard drive in Disk Utility, all ok.
- Verfied the SL DVD, all ok.
- Decided to try a clean install, so backed up everything.
- Tried to boot from SL DVD by using the Utilities option, it ejects the disc at restart.
- Tried to force it to boot to the DVD by restarting and holding the C key, it ejects.
- Restart holding the Option key, it ejects.
- Restart holding the Ctrl, Alt and Option keys, ejects.
- Everytime it ejects and starts up normally.
- So I cleaned the disc, updated all the firmware, reset the NVRAM/PRAM via holding keys when restarting, and repaired disc permissions.
- Tried to force it to boot again, ejects.
- Tried to put the disc back in straight after it ejects with all the steps, still starts up normally.
- Changed the start up disc in System Preferences to the SL DVD, restart, it ejects.
By now I am readying the noose...
- Dug out the original Leopard installation CDs.
- Repeated all the forced boot restarts (C key, Option key, Ctrl, Alt, Option keys), same story.
- Repeated changing the start up disc in System Prefs, same story again.
- Call Apple Support, they told me to try everything I have tried and that the DVD drive is dodgy, well it works with everyhting else! Burning and reading! I really don't want to have to go to an Apple Store- it's miles away (a costly journey) and I just do not have the time for all of this.
RAWR! Does anyone know what to do? Please? S.O.S.?

Possible scenarios:
1: The 10.6.3 SL retail disk is bad, it happens.
2: Your not using the 10.6.3 SL retail disk but one from another machine which doesn't have the drivers for that machine.
3: Your optical drive is funky or some other hardware issues.
4: Your trying to install 10.6 onto a PowerPC based Mac, no can do.
5: Your not using a wired keyboard for boot key commands, have some other hardware conflicts.
Possible solutions.
1: Copy the SL 10.6.3 disk using Disk Utility to another DVD, the error checking may resolve the original disk's issue.
http://www.brokenhomeboy.co.uk/pierow/blog/2011/10/make-a-bootable-backup-snow-l eopard-install-disc/
2: Make a SL bootable USB
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
3: Call Apple for a new 10.6.3 disk (and make copies for backup before Apple discontinues selling it)
If your upgrading to 10.6 to get to 10.6.8 to upgrade to 10.7, be warned of this:
1: Your 10.5 software will not work in 10.7, no more Rosetta or PPC based code.
2: Your hardware will not qualify if it's a 32 bit Intel Core Duo, also you may experience slowdowns in performance over 10.6 (10.6 is the fastest OS X version for Intel Macs) in older Intel hardware (I suggest Early 2011 Mac's and later only for Lion)
3: Mountain Lion 10.8 is reportingly coming out this summer and will not run on a lot of older Intel based Mac's because of heftier graphics requirements.
4: 10.6 has the widest range of current avaialble software and drivers for third party hardware.
My advice, stick with 10.6.8 and stay there, buy a new Mountain Lion machine after this summer. Skip Lion completely.

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.

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.

IMac will not run OS X

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for