iMac won't power up

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Discussion

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
My old (2007) iMac that now sits in the kitchen for the kids to destroy doesn't seem to want to power up after a few days switched off (been away).

Did the obvious and checked the fuse, which is fine - anything else I can try?

mattley

3,024 posts

221 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
When you say 'won't power up' do you just get nothing or does it at least get to the sad folder icon?

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
mattley said:
When you say 'won't power up' do you just get nothing or does it at least get to the sad folder icon?
Nothing, nada, not a bean. It's one of the old while polycarbonate ones and there is usually a white light in the lower bottom right hand side when you press the button at the back but I'm not even getting that or the disk spinning or fans whirring frown

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
That looks like it is for Macs that are already on and unresponsive, no?

Bikerjon

2,202 posts

160 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Have you noticed the on/off button to be a bit dodgy recently? i.e sometimes you press it and the iMac comes on straight away and yet other times it might take a few presses?

Sounds like a power supply fault to me.

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
To be honest, it's rarely turned off as it is the family workhorse browser/homework/iTunes machine a it got powered down for the first time in a couple of months last week and now refuses to get going again.

Haven't had any other clues that something was amiss frown

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
pincher said:
That looks like it is for Macs that are already on and unresponsive, no?
link said:
Indicators

...
Power

The computer doesn't respond to the power button when pressed....
link said:
- Shut down the computer.
- Unplug the computer's power cord.
- Wait fifteen seconds.
- Attach the computer's power cord.
- Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Just tried that - no joy.

Think it might be borked frown

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Actually, I can hear a very faint clicking if I put my ear to the back of it - probably about 2 or 3 clicks per second.


Edit - clicking starts as soon as I plus the power cord back in - don't have to press the power button to be able to hear it.

Edited by pincher on Thursday 17th April 09:38

maffski

1,866 posts

158 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Could be hard disk failure. Although I think getting to the hard disk on these iMacs is a bit of a mare? So not easy to test.

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Tried resetting the NVRAM as well but still no joy.

This could get expensive........

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Clicking shouldn't happen without the power being pressed if it was the HDD.

Have you tried booting from a DVD?

Things are either cheap to fix on these (if it's a replaceable part like memory/HDD) or fiercely expensive if not as everything gets crammed onto large boards. You can't even use them as an external screen. I ended up binning an old G5 iMac as the repair costs were excessive. Quality of the iMac line up has been very mixed IMO.

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
I'll try from a DVD but have also booked a Genius Bar appointment for Saturday afternoon

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Can't even get the install DVD to be accepted frown

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

164 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
pincher said:
This could get expensive........
Umm, no.

It's only an old bit of kit.

pincher

Original Poster:

8,497 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
That's as maybe but it either needs to be repaired or replaced - not necessarily with another iMac I grant you but it's an expense I could do without right now.

Unless you are offering to sell me one on the cheap?? tongue out

eatcustard

1,003 posts

126 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Have you kept the power button presses in for about 10 seconds.
This resets something inside.

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
essayer said:
I think OP's might be an Intel based one and am not sure that the capacitor issue blights those as much (it did for my old G5 iMac though it wasn't ultimately as straightforward as just capacitors...hence a trip to the tip).

They're lovely machines when they work, but I do think Apple cut corners on some of the parts and also suspect their attempts at using no/small fans don't always pay off. Their desktop oriented kit ceased being ultra robust around 2007 IMO (laptops are still pretty good though).