iMac broken? Straw-clutching?

[CommanderJameson]

I've got a 24" Intel iMac (late 2006 vintage, so just out of AppleCare ffs) which went to sleep yesterday afternoon, and when I woke it up, the display was off. Not sleeping, off. Did a bit of fecking about - reset NVRAM, reset SMC - and it's still off.

Let the thing boot up and hop in via Screen Sharing and have a look at System Profiler, which says "No Display Detected" (although it can see the graphics card just fine).

Before I send this off to be repaired at no doubt vast expense, are there any Mac hardware experts in the house who could proffer an opinion? I'm hopeful of the "loose connector" theory, because an awful lot of a computer has to be working properly before it will boot up, including the system board and graphics card.

[Junior Bianno]

Are you close to a Mac store? If so take it into the genius bar. Good chance it is a "loose connector" thing - in my experience they'll fix something like FOC regardless of it being out of warranty. I've got a studio full of macs and I take them in there all the time and they fix all sorts of stuff gratis - even 6 or 7 year old machines that haven't seen a warranty for years...

[TVR Tommy]

It's not unheard of that apple may still fix it if it's just out of apple care. Just give them some hell.

If that doesn't work. I don't mind having a look over it at work. I work in High Wycombe bucks if your local.

[CommanderJameson]

TVR Tommy said:

It's not unheard of that apple may still fix it if it's just out of apple care. Just give them some hell.

If that doesn't work. I don't mind having a look over it at work. I work in High Wycombe bucks if your local.

You're a gent. I'm in Teesside.

Even by American "100 miles is just around the corner" standards, that's unfortunately not local.

The offer is appreciated, though.

>adds to notional Xmas card list<

[TVR Tommy]

Oh well.

Well if you fancy getting you hands dirty. There's how you take the Imac apart http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iMac... One bit there wrong on is the use of a credit card to remove the front. What you want to is use a good magnet on the front top corners. You'll know if the catches release as you'll hear metal touch the inside of the case. Then the front will come off easily and you can unplug the isight.

But try Apple first.

[agric]

Mac mini's come apart best with a pizza wheel best


(Append notional list)

[TVR Tommy]

Oh and just saw that on the 24 inch model, there are no latches. Instead the front bezel has four tabs which slot into the rear case. It's very easy to remove. So no need for a magnet.

Edited by TVR Tommy on Friday 2nd April 09:47

[agric]

Not sure Waitrose sell magnetic pizza wheels :shrug:


try betterware....

[CommanderJameson]

agric said:

Mac mini's come apart best with a pizza wheel best


(Append notional list)

iMac, not a Mini.

[timlongs]

CommanderJameson said:

agric said:

Mac mini's come apart best with a pizza wheel best


(Append notional list)

iMac, not a Mini.

Newcastle has an Apple store if you can be bothered to trek up.

[agric]

Did you have a go at it yourself?

[CommanderJameson]

agric said:

Did you have a go at it yourself?

Not yet. I might pop the lid off and a have a look, though.

[CooperS]

Yes tell us how it goes.

I've got a 07 Imac and want to upgrade the innards but the process of getting the screen off looks at best scary!

Really fancy putting some money into it but tbh there isn't a whole lot of sites that have a good source of info on what works.

[agric]

Is there another national source of repair/upgrade for older machines.
I have Mac mini on the desk and a G4 and I'd like to get some memory upgrades done
but can't seem to find anyone I could either post them off to, or get a home visit from

anyone have any experience of repairers?

[CommanderJameson]

Bloody thing.

It's working now. I didn't do anything, either.

I was looking in the wrong bit of System Profiler. Here's what it says when it's working:

NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT:

  Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
  Type: GPU
  Bus: PCIe
  PCIe Lane Width: x16
  VRAM (Total): 256 MB
  Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
  Device ID: 0x0391
  Revision ID: 0x00a1
  ROM Revision: 3022
  Displays:
iMac:
  Resolution: 1920 x 1200
  Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Main Display: Yes
  Mirror: Off
  Online: Yes
  Built-In: Yes
Display Connector:
  Status: No Display Connected

I was homing in on that "Status: No Display Connected" bit which, of course you idiot Jameson, doesn't refer to the built-in LCD at all.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Monday 5th April 08:58

[agric]

Good,
glad you got it sorted without resorting to the kitchens knife drawer

[CommanderJameson]

agric said:

Good,
glad you got it sorted without resorting to the kitchens knife drawer

The more I looked into the disassembly process, the less I liked it.

[CommanderJameson]

AHA! I Know what the problem is.

The backlight's gone - or, rather, the high-voltage inverter.

It did it again today, and this time I got a torch and shone it at the screen. I could just see the display.

This is good. It means several very expensive and awkward components are working, to wit: the screen itself, the graphics card and the system board. And the backlights themselves (I believe there are two - top and bottom).

I might see if my local Apple reseller/servicer will fix this without giving me a vigorous rogering.

[agric]

Can you fix mine afterwards?

[CommanderJameson]

Well, I've just stopped caring, and I'll get it fixed in my own sweet time.

Order has been placed for 27-inch i5 iMac.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Wednesday 7th April 12:11