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Question

White screen start-up/ Disk stuck

by Apr 26, 2013 8:15AM PDT

Mac OS 10.4 iMac desktop.

Recently got a new printer and was using the install disk to install the drivers. I put the disk in and I just had a loading mouse icon for several minutes. Couldn't click anything, couldn't eject and the printer icon did not show up. Shut down the computer and when I turned it back on I get the white screen.

I've tried many things to eject the disk:
- Held the mouse down during start-up.
- Held eject during start-up.
- Unplugged the power and used the two credit card trick. There seems to be some lock in the middle of the cd slot as I can't seem to find the CD.

As for trying to get to the login screen:
- Restarted holding command+shift+p+r and was able to get it to restart again but nothing happened after that.
- Restarted trying to get to safe mode by holding shift.
- Unplugged the usb keyboard and power, waited a minute, plugged back in and nothing when I turned it on.
- Switched to many different outlets, no results.
- Unplugging everything, holding the power button for 10 seconds and then plugging everything back in.
- Unplugging everything, waiting, plug everything back in and at the same time hold power button until loud beep noise came from computer.

None of those solutions have worked.

Sometimes my iMac will turn on by itself after plugging the power cords back in and without me hitting the power button.

Just about every solution I could find online has been tried to no avail. I feel like the CD is causing the problem and if I can just get that out it will start up fine because it's been working fine for some time.

Any suggestions?

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Answer
One wonders what a Mac OS 10.4 iMac desktop is!
by Forum moderator Apr 26, 2013 9:32AM PDT

Could it be an old G3 iMac,
OR
the iMac G4 with the screen on a stick,
OR
an iMac G5 with its capacitor problem?

Until you come up with an answer, you could try the following.
Shut down the machine.
Restart and immediately hold down the OPTION key
Choose the HD to boot from when the icons appear
Once booted, remove the CD in the normal way

If this was a new printer, there is a distinct possibility that the drivers on that disk will not work with such an old system.

P

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G5
by menji7 Apr 26, 2013 12:40PM PDT

G5

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Now take a phillips head screw driver,
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Apr 26, 2013 11:48PM PDT

place the machine face down on a table and undo (NOT remove) the three screws holding the back cover on.
These screws are along the bottom edge of the screen housing.

Once undone, lift off the back cover and look inside. You are looking for bulging or leaking capacitors.

This is a link to a picture to show what you are looking for: http://www.flickr.com/photos/willceau/5957374721/

P

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