That Old iMac Problem

There's a definate pattern emerging with my iMac. After a few years, it won't go to sleep. Then it starts to act strangely. Then, the hard drive seems to format itself, and I get the question mark. NOT GOOD!
After I had upgraded to OS X, I hoped that it would stop this cycle. But alas, it has been refusing to eject CDs. And just now, I put it to sleep, and went off. I was in a nearby room, and I heard Adium quack. So it's happening again.
At least this time I will have backed up all my important files. But this will be the THIRD time it's happened (and it will happen- I'm sure many other users can confirm that). The first time, we had to get a new hard drive, the second time I was really clever and started it up from the CD, reformating the disk.
So, I want to know- how can I stop it from happening? Is it at all possible? It's not the hard drive, it's not a funky RAM card. So I think the mother board or the firmware is messed up. But I'm just guessing.

Here's a link about how to determine firmware:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=971813&#971813
Since you said you have an "iMac 5 Flavors," I am assuming that your processor speed is 333MHz, making your computer one of the original iMacs. I don't know how you got the system to install; with your iMac the system needs to be installed on a partition within the first 8GB of the hard drive, so with formatting that means that one of the partitions needs to be 7.5GB maximum. That is the only partition on which you can install the system. However, I don't know how your computer allowed you to install the system, because it should have told you that it couldn't install the system on that HD because you can't start up your computer from that HD.

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Will old iMac problems transfer to the new one?

My present Intel iMac is having firewire issues and past its warranty, so I'm going for a new iMac. In an effort to try and salvage the old one I wiped everything clean, reinstalled the the OS and restored from a Time Machine backup. Now I'm having problems that weren't there before, like not being able to open Mail, iTunes, or Safari.
The new iMac arrives on Monday, but I'm worried that whatever is wrong with the old computer will transfer into the new one. Any ideas on how to avoid this?

That's a good thought on the 3rd party apps. I'm taking inventory of all my disks and downloadable Apps now, and removing them so I can individually reinstall them on the new machine.
I checked out the permissions and everything seems to be OK. But still no luck on the those three apps. Mail opens, but crashes as soon as I try to read a message. And iTunes and Safari can't stay open at all. Interestingly enough, I'm trying other Mac apps like iCal, Garage Band and iPhoto and they're all still good.

Just bought a new iMac, with Lion, for my wife. When is was wifi with her old iMac on line with it's printer, HP C6200, no problems printing. Now that it is by itself it does not recognize the C6200...It recognizes my laser hp 1012 and laser hp 6300

Just bought a new iMac, with Lion, for my wife. When is was wifi with her old iMac on line with it's printer, HP C6200, no problems printing. Now that it is by itself it does not recognize the C6200...It recognizes my laser hp 1012 and laser hp 6300 but will not print to them wanting an autenication

How is the C6200 connected to the iMac, is it via USB or Wi-Fi? If it's via Wi-Fi please make sure it's connected to the router using the printer's Network Wizard. Then click System Preferences - Print & Scan and assuming the iMac is on the same network as the printer, if it is the printer should be seen. If it's not then click the + sign and add the printer. Apple provides instructions in Printing Overview OS X Lion

I have a problelm- I am planning on buying a new iMac in March. I would like to everything in my old iMac. The problem is that I believe I have malware in my old iMac. Is there a way to transfer the material to the new iMac without the malware?

How can I transfer material from my old imac to a new imac without ransferring malware or viruses?

Download and run Etrecheck. Copy and paste the results into your reply. It's a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC to help identify the more obvious culprits.

I have an old imac that won't upgrade to itunes ios5. Now i can't log my iphone 4s into it or access/ transfer anything from my previous iphone 3gs. Please advise

I have been told that my iMac jjust can not be upgraded to the software that supports ios5. Normally this is not a problem since its working just as well as the day I got it. However since it holds my itunes, now i have a problem of 1) can not access it with my ipad or my iphone 4s 2) i can not retrieve any of the pictures, songs etc that i had on my previous iphone 3gs and consequently 3) i can not use icloud. I have considered transferring my itunes to a pc but i hate the pc experience and if i would plug in my 3gs into that itunes it would format the phone and erase all content on it. So far i have been told that the only option is to buy a new mac. This is very frustrating because i don't really need one and i should not be excluded from apple services for my new products simply because macs become somehow "un-upgradeable" after a while. Not to mention, that i do not have the funds atm. I really hope the is another way out there for people like me and that i don't have to worry about my mac simply being inoperable (causing all my other apple devices to be crippled as well) after a few years.
Thank you,
Tina

Glenn,
I tried upgrading to leopard, even bought the software and brought it home but it wouldn't let me. So i went back to apple, gave them the specifications of the machine and been told my machine is simply too old for leopard. This is incredible to me because it really isn't THAT old (i think just a little over 6 years maybe) and yet i'm left out on the curb when it comes to using newer apple products. I understand technology moves on but the mindset that i am supposed to dump a perfectly working machine after a couple of years or face not being able to use any other apple product is counter to what thought apple was about.

How can I wipe a drive on an old iMac that won't stay on long enough to complete the task?

How can I wipe a drive on an old iMac that won't stay on long enough to complete the task?

Do you have access to another Mac? If so contact the two via a Firewire cable, boot your problem Mac into Target Disk Mode, Transferring files between two computers using FireWire,, and try to use Disk Utiltiy from the second Mac to reformat and erase your hard drive.

My less than 5 month old imac 21.5 desktop is causing me some concern,it is slow to start, problems with bluetooth.problems with wi fi.whe its turned off i notice a graying in the four corners of the screen,this is i think the effects of overheating.

my imac is less than 5 months. old tommorow it goes to murcia for ¿repair?.a 25.1 1mac desktop is a formidable piece of workmanship but thatdoes not stop anything going wrong,as ive found out.in the last month it has begun to heat rapidly thus i think causing a graying in the 4 corners of the screen,this is ugly.as i keep my mac in pertfect grace ie free of dust and prints,also it freezes frequently and downright frustrating.has anyone else had similar problems.on a footnote i beleive apple care will come thru shining,but an answer to my question,wich is why in only 5 months has my imac gone wrong.

Sorry to hear you're having issues with your Mac, but just like pretty much everything else, things can go wrong.
The key is what Apple will do about it now that it has gone wrong. Because you are under warranty, contact AppleCare and explain the issues you are experiencing. There is a chance that your iMac may have to be sent in for repair.
My iMac has had issues since first bought in late 2009, in one form or another and has been repaired three times. AppleCare are going to replace the item sometime in the future, I have no idea when, but I have been without a working Mac for over three weeks now, actually it might be over four weeks.
As you said, AppleCare will sort the problem out for you, let's hope it's not a lengthy repair and they get you up and running quickly.

Problems opening Firefox or Netscape after migrating from old iMac to new

When I set up my new iMac I migrated my internet settings and other preferences and apps from my old iMac.
Now, I can't get Firefox, Netscape or even Internet Explorer to open unless I have my old iMac on and connected via Firewire and router to my new one.
I get a dialog box telling me that: Connection Failed in bold letters and then the following: This file server is running on your machine. Please access the volumes and files locally.
I had a wireless connection on my old iMac cause I needed to connect a windows pc laptop to get on-line in order to work. I have a wireless router which is now connected to my new iMac as the main computer.
Before I turned off and unpluged the old mac whenever I opened Firefox or Netscape my old iMac drive would pop up on my desktop and my browsers would open up instantaneously without a hitch. All other apps open without a problem.
Any suggestions will be welcomed.
iMac 17" Flat Panel Mac OS X (10.4.4) 160 GB, 1.83 GHZ Intel Core Duo, 512 MB DDR2
iMac 17" Flat Panel Mac OS X (10.4.4) 160 GB, 1.83 GHZ Intel Core Duo, 512 MB DDR2

Thanks but that did not work. Under the new user I tried all browsers and the only one that opens is Safari.
I even tried deleting the preference files and still nothing.
I disconnected the old mac but I still keep getting a dialog box titled AFP Connection Status and Looking up "name computer" and now I get the Connection Failed - The server may not exist or it is not operational at this time. Check the server name or IP address and try again.
Neither Firefox, Netscape, Mozilla or Internet Explorer open.

After using "migration assistant" from my old iMac to my new iMac, some tools stick while using Photoshop CS 6 Extended. My current operation system is 10.10 Yosemite. I was wondering if UN installing then RE installing CS 6 might solve the problem. If th

After using "migration assistant" from my old iMac to my new iMac, some tools stick while using Photoshop CS 6 Extended. My current operation system is 10.10 Yosemite. I was wondering if UN installing then RE installing CS 6 might solve the problem. If this is recommended, I would need complete instructions on doing this. I have there serial number for the product.

using migration assistant is problematic.
at this point yes, you should uninstall everything migrated, clean and then reinstall properly using the installation files.
cleaner: Use the CC Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems | CC, CS3-CS6
installation files:
Downloads available:
Suites and Programs: CC 2014 | CC | CS6 | CS5.5 | CS5 | CS4 | CS3
Acrobat: XI, X | 9,8 | 9 standard
Premiere Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9, 8, 7
Photoshop Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9,8,7
Lightroom: 5.7| 5 | 4 | 3
Captivate: 8 | 7 | 6 | 5
Contribute: CS5 | CS4, CS3
Download and installation help for Adobe links
Download and installation help for Prodesigntools links are listed on most linked pages. They are critical; especially steps 1, 2 and 3. If you click a link that does not have those steps listed, open a second window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'.
window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'.

Files transferred from old iMac to new iMac, permission/editing problems

I recently purchased a new iMac this month because my old one was no longer working, I can't keep it on for more than 2 minutes.
I always used Time Machine to back up my files, when I transferred all my files to my new iMac I was given alot of trouble with the permissions problem. I got the files to open by copying the folders to the desktop but, for example, all my iTunes music cannot be edited. I get alot of error messages about not being able to save iTunes library because I don't have write permissions.
How do I authenticate the files/folders so I don't have this problem?
Old iMac was purchased in Dec 2007, it has Leopard OS.
Message was edited by: Mark Rowan

If you want your new computer to be very much like your old, during the startup you would choose to migrate before choosing to create a new user. Then, the migration assistant creates the same user on the new computer. Did you do that?
Or did you do this:
If you first create a new user with the same name as the old one you want to migrate, Migration Assistant won't let you migrate as that username since it already exists.
You could create a new user that you will later use as an admin/test account. Then, while logged into the new account, delete the old account and use the Migration Assistant in the Utilities folder to Migrate from your Time Machine backup--it should create a new user with the old user info.
However, if you didn't get any errors from Migration Assistant, I'm not sure why the file permissions are askew.

I don't know of there is anyone than can fix this age old Apple problem. Does anyone know how to retrieve things under an old Apple ID when the email used for that account no longer exists? I am trying to update a number of apps that was bought under an

I don't know of there is anyone than can fix this age old Apple problem. Does anyone know how to retrieve apps under an old Apple ID when the email used for that account no longer exists & I can't remember the password? After speaking with Apple Acct. Security, I got the security Q right but my birthday was wrong! They wanted the serial number from my phone that was 3 iPhones ago! Seriously??!!
Any updated way to work around this? No Apple people can correct it.
Thanks,
Joe

You need to ask Apple to reset your security questions. To do this, click here and pick a method; if that page doesn't list one for your country or you're unable to call, fill out and submit this form.
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I had a data migration done from old iMac to new iMac, how do I use that file to find my old email contacts, Safari bookmarks, etc ?

I recently had a data migration from old iMac to new iMac 11.2
How do I use that data file to get old email contacts, Safari bookmarks, etc ?

FireWire cables are dirt cheap and that's how you should be doing the migration. You might have to start over, wiping the new machine's HD, and restoring the software as described in the Everything Mac manual that came with it. See Best Practices and Setup new Mac for more details.

I recently purchased a new iMac with an external drive. I want to transfer my files from my old iMac to the external drive, but I'm afraid that doing that will compromise the use of the external drive on my new iMac. Comments? Help?

I recently purchased a new iMac with an 1 Terrabyte external drive. I want to transfer my files from my old iMac to the external drive, but I'm afraid that doing that will compromise the use of the external drive on my new iMac. I have not downloaded the external drive's software onto my old Mac because of this concern. May I simply "drag and drop" the contents I want transferred to the external drive, then set up my new Mac with the drive and download there? or is there a better procedure? Comments? Help?

If your intention is to copy a just documents and data (word processing files and music for example) then yes, you can use drag and drop. If you want to transfer data and applications and permissions, it would actually be easiest to connect the drive to your old computer and turn on TimeMachine. Once TM is finished, connect the drive to your new computer and restart it holding the option key to get into Recovery mode. Then you can use the restore from TM option to transfer your data and programs to the new computer.

We have a 4 year old iMac 24 inch. My hard drive died and we have a new hard drive now, but all that the fixit shop put on it was the Snow Leopard OS; can I ask Apple for a download of our other many software programs to reload them? Does it cost to do

We have a 4 year old iMac 24 inch. The hard drive died and we had a new hard drive installed. They only installed the Snow Leopard OS on it, and there were many software programs that came with the iMac originally.. now missing. Does anyone know whether Apple will resupply these? I do have an Apple installation disc but have upgraded from the original Leopard to Snow Leopard... so the OS is not quite the same. Ideas? Thanks!

No bootable bakup/clone or Time Machine backup? No initial install discs? If no to both of those, call 1-800-MY-APPLE and request replacement discs for that machine. They're available for a nominal S&H charge.

I ran out of space on my time machine because I bought a new I MAC to replace the old one. So I copied the old one on the new one and in addition to that I own a macbook. So what should I do erase the old IMAC on my Time capsule ? Shall I reset it?

I ran out of space on my time machine because I bought a new I MAC to replace the old one. So I copied the old one on the new one and in addition to that I own a macbook. So what should I do erase the old IMAC on my Time capsule ? Shall I reset it?

Go to the airport utility and erase the TC disk.. a quick erase is fine and takes less than 1min usually.
A one pass erase takes several hours depending on how big the hard disk is.. but is somewhat safer in that it tests the drive condition. I normally don't bother for a TM backup.
When you start over you should be able to fit both backups on the TC.. assuming the disk is 2x larger at least than the space used on both the MB and the iMac.
If not you can also add a USB drive to the TC, and use that for one of the computers.
The slowest one is best.. as USB is slow.. but fast enough for wireless you won't notice much.

That Old iMac Problem

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