View original (French)

IMac crash early 2009 - 24 inches after startup! HELP!

Fred -  
fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member -
Hello, my 24-inch iMac from early 2009 has recently been crashing during the Apple logo loading screen on startup. I tried booting it in verbose mode, the loading goes further, but it still quits in the same way... I finally tried to install Mac OS X Mountain Lion on an external drive, but when I configure OS X for the first time, it just quits at the end of the Mac configuration, right when I click Continue... So I deduce that the problem does not come from the hard drive. I'm desperately looking for a solution, please help me! Thank you.

Configuration: iPad / Safari 1.0

14 answers

  1. Anonymous user
     
    Hello,

    What version of Mac OS is this Mac normally running?

    Probably Mountain Lion since you have what it takes to install it on an external drive?

    If this Mac is running Mac OS 10.8 or 10.7, try repairing it by booting from its recovery partition. See here how:

    https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/36405-entretenir-et-reparer-mac-os-x-10-7-os-x-10-8-os-x-10-9-os-x-10-10-lion-mountain-lion-mavericks-et-yosemite

    If this Mac is on an earlier version, perform a repair by booting from its original DVD:

    https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/15279-entretenir-et-reparer-mac-os-x-10-6-et-versions-anterieures

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      My Mac runs on Mountain Lion 10.8.2, and the problem is that I have the impression that it is a hardware issue, which is why I prefer to ask you first.
      0
  2. Anonymous user
     
    If the Mac is running Mountain Lion, there's nothing preventing you from starting the repair by booting from its recovery partition.

    You can also perform an Apple Hardware Test. For a 2009 Mac, simply insert the original DVD and start the Mac while holding down the D key.

    See more info here:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11342?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      I have tried everything except booting from the original DVD; I will try that right away, but if it is indeed a hardware issue, I fear it may be pointless.
      0
  3. Fred
     
    I already started from the recovery partition, deleting the system with Disk Utility, after making a complete backup of my Mac on an external drive. For the disk erasure, I even performed a secure erase to really format it completely! Then I reinstalled Mountain Lion, but still the same problem; it shuts down suddenly, just after finishing setting up the Mac when clicking Continue! In my opinion, I have no choice but to sell it for parts or have it repaired, but if it's the motherboard that's the issue, I might as well leave it as it is...
    0
  4. Anonymous user
     
    If reformatting the standard partition went smoothly, the hard drive seems fine for now. However, a memory stick issue can sometimes cause a crash, especially when the Mac has a high memory demand and therefore heavily utilizes it.

    Memory sticks can be defective, improperly seated in their slots, or not compatible in terms of specifications. Alternatively, they may have different speeds compared to each other. An Apple Hardware Test should be able to indicate any issues on that side.

    If you made a change to the RAM configuration, try reverting it.

    --
    Have a nice day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      I just put the original RAM back, but I still have the same problem; I've gone through all the possible procedures...
      0
  6. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
     
    Hello,

    I note that your Mac starts correctly from the recovery partition and that you are able to launch at least one application (Disk Utility).
    In normal startup mode, everything stops abruptly: can you confirm that it's not just the screen going black; the Mac is completely shut down.

    During this normal startup, one cause could have been a faulty software element being called upon during the startup, but a complete reinstall of Mountain Lion should have eliminated that, and the issue persists despite this reinstallation.

    Therefore, we need to consider a faulty hardware element that is called upon during the normal startup: graphics card or graphics RAM, as a higher screen resolution is being requested? network card, Bluetooth, or wifi? ...
    There are many possibilities, and at Apple Support, the diagnosis will likely point to a motherboard issue, as many of the elements mentioned, if not all, are on it.

    Ritchi
    0
  7. Fred
     
    Indeed, on the recovery partition, I can do everything, use everything without any problems; it's only in normal boot that this issue appears. It's not just the screen that turns off, but the entire computer...

    That's indeed what I thought; after trying every possible and imaginable software manipulation, I really think the problem is hardware-related...

    So I will not be replacing my motherboard; I prefer to sell it as is, aimed at a tinkerer! If you are interested, let me know! ;)

    I thank you all for your help; it’s really kind!
    0
  8. Anonymous user
     
    Hello,

    I don't understand why you still haven't launched that famous AHT that I mentioned earlier... ???

    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
  9. Fred
     
    Sorry for not responding sooner, this not working, when I press D at startup, it doesn't launch, only the Apple logo with the loading wheel shows up, then it starts normally, and of course it shuts down after 2 minutes...
    0
    1. Fred
       
      I found out how to launch the Apple Hardware Test. Since I reverted my Mac to Snow Leopard to see if the problem was coming from Mountain Lion, the test is located on the Application Install disk, so I was able to start it by holding down the D key. I'm currently running the test, and I will share the results with you!
      0
    2. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
       
      AHT launched in the middle of the morning
      it's almost 4:30 PM: the suspense is becoming unbearable, better than Hitchcock!!
      0
    3. Fred
       
      Sorry, I forgot to reply :) The result shows no issues, and it's the same bug again! I'm really losing hope!
      0
  10. Anonymous user
     
    You mention several times that you reinstalled Mountain Lion, so the hard drive is fine.

    That said, I’m not sure how you performed these installations and reinstallations (how, and from what...), but there might be an anomaly in that regard.

    My suggestion then: go to an Apple service center for a diagnosis.
    Use this page to find a nearby center:
    https://locate.apple.com/fr/fr/#

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      I can simply reinstall my system thanks to the recovery partition!
      And I don't think it's a good idea to go to a center for diagnostics, because I'm already going to be charged relatively high for a simple diagnosis, and they will likely suggest repairing the Mac by changing the motherboard, which is very expensive, even the price of the computer as it is...
      0
    2. Anonymous user
       
      A diagnosis does not cost the price of the motherboard. It is just a diagnosis. That's all.

      If a reinstallation of ML works, it means that the hard drive is not dead. Simply because the recovery partition is on the same hard drive as the normal working partition. There is only one hard drive, which includes both the recovery partition and the standard partition.

      If you performed this reinstallation from that partition, it means you did it online from the Apple website. This rules out a motherboard failure.

      Indeed, if the motherboard were dead, the installation of ML could not have taken place. Let alone via the internet. Even starting from the recovery partition would not have been possible.

      Finally, if the AHT indicates that everything is OK, it means that the hard drive is OK and also that the motherboard is OK.

      Therefore, the problem lies elsewhere. There may be details or information that you have not provided.
      0
    3. Fred
       
      I said everything I knew about what I've done on my iMac! Someone suggested that the problem might be with the fan! Under the risk of overheating, it could shut down!
      0
    4. Anonymous user
       
      -All said...., not really, you didn't specify from the start that you had reinstalled Mac 10.8 from the Apple site, so online

      If the Mac is overheating, there is a reason. If the fans are faulty, the AHT would have indicated it? Besides, during this AHT, there is a phase where the fans run at full speed, you could have noticed it

      Try resetting the management unit this way:

      Unplug the Mac, that is, unplug the power cord from the back.
      Press the power button for about twenty seconds
      Plug the cord back in and test the startup
      0
    5. Fred
       
      I haven't reinstalled it from the Apple site; it's in the "Reinstall OS X" mode in the recovery partition that asks for my Apple ID because I had done the update earlier.

      Yes, I'm going to try to do this, but I don't think it's going to work...
      I just disassembled it to check the fan's operation while cleaning it with a vacuum, and after reassembling it, the problem persists!
      0
  11. Anonymous user
     
    When you start from the recovery partition under Mountain Lion, and if you choose to reinstall OS 10.8 from the utilities selection window that appears, it can only be done from the Apple website.

    There are no other options after booting from the recovery partition.

    Here is this window:



    If you haven't done it from the Apple website, it means you haven't done it after booting from the recovery partition. In that case, you need to explain to us from which medium you did it.

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      For me, this procedure was not from the Apple site, but that's indeed how I proceeded, so from the Apple site ;) I just reset the SMC, but it doesn't change anything; however, the fact that the Mac shuts down unexpectedly is one of the symptoms where the SMC reset can fix the issue.
      0
  12. Anonymous user
     
    A connection problem, then?

    This iMac from early 2009 originally came with Mac OS 10.5.6. To upgrade to 10.8, you had to first install Mac OS 10.6 from a Mac OS 10.6 installation DVD.

    Then, to obtain OS 10.8, you had to purchase it through the App Store application available in the Applications of Mac OS 10.6 - this application does not exist in Mac OS 10.5 and earlier versions.

    To make this purchase, you had to enter your Apple ID in the App Store.

    So my suggestion is:

    Find another Mac running at least Mac OS 10.6.8 (with Mac OS 10.6.8 being the most recent version of 10.6), from that other Mac, log into your account through the App Store application. From there, go to the "Purchases" tab (the button available in the top bar of the App Store).
    You will see the list of all your purchases made on the App Store.

    OS X 10.8 should be in that list with the option to download the complete installation package again. So download that complete installer.



    Once that's done, first create a USB installation drive using this method:

    https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/35988-creer-une-cle-usb-d-installation-d-os-x-10-8-alias-mountain-lion#topedit

    Then, restart the troubled Mac from that drive. (hold down the alt key while starting up with the drive inserted)

    Then perform a complete repartitioning of the hard drive, selecting a GUID scheme, followed by formatting in Mac OS Extended from Disk Utility available from the drive, and then reinstall 10.8.

    For disk formatting, the procedure is as follows:

    In the left section of the Disk Utility window:
    - Select the icon of the physical hard drive - not its existing partition located slightly below it to the right, but the physical hard drive itself.
    This icon bears the manufacturer's name and indicates its capacity.
    - In the right section of the window, click on the "Partition" tab.
    - Above the area where it says "Current", replace the word "Current" (dropdown menu) with 1 partition.
    - At the bottom of the area, click on "Options...".
    - Choose "GUID Partition Table", and click OK to validate the choice.
    - Then back in the main window, select the "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" format.
    - Give a title to this volume if you wish, but you can do this later.
    - At the bottom of the window, click on Apply.

    Now, launch the installation of OS X 10.8 from the USB drive.

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. Fred
       
      Thank you for suggesting new solutions after trying quite a few of them! I hope this leads me to something!
      As for installing the OS from another Mac on mine, if I understood correctly, I'll take care of it tomorrow, but I reinstalled OS X Snow Leopard from the installation CD to give it a try, but that obviously didn't work...
      0
    2. Anonymous user
       
      You should not install the OS from another Mac onto yours. You simply need to use another Mac that is running at least Mac OS 10.6 to re-download the installation package of Mountain Lion OS 10.8. This raw package will then be used to create a USB installation drive. This operation also needs to be done on the other Mac, since yours is not operational. Once this drive is created, it will ultimately be used to reinstall OS X 10.8 from scratch on the malfunctioning Mac.
      This process aims to avoid potential installation errors via the internet in the case of an unreliable connection or the inability of the malfunctioning Mac to communicate reliably with the Apple site.
      0
    3. Fred
       
      I created this installation key, everything worked, but I'm still facing the same problem. I even tried to start the Mac with a different socket from another Mac, with no conclusive results.
      0
  13. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
     
    Hello,

    Here is what the Apple documentation used in service centers suggests. It requires opening the Mac.

    Retrieve the system file /var/log/system.log, edit it and search for "shutdown cause" with a null or negative value associated.
    Are there any occurrences?
    No:
    Yes: Use a power cord that you are sure of.

    With this new cord, does the Mac continue to shut down on startup?
    No: the cord is your problem
    Yes: Disconnect the power cable from the hard drive and start the Mac from the installation DVD or start the Mac in target disk mode or start the Mac from a bootable external hard drive that you are sure of.

    Does the Mac continue to shut down on startup?
    No: you have a problem with the hard drive.
    Yes: check the power supply by disconnecting and reconnecting the cables on the power side and motherboard side. Check the connectors.

    Has any damage been observed?
    Yes: replace the damaged cable and repeat the tests
    No: install a new power supply.

    Does the Mac boot up correctly with this new power supply?
    Yes: you have a power supply issue
    No: revert to the original power supply and change the motherboard

    Does the Mac boot correctly with this new motherboard?
    Yes: you have a motherboard issue
    No: you need to use a minimal configuration for troubleshooting, in other words, disconnect one of the following components to determine which one is preventing the Mac from starting: the hard drive, the optical drive, the Airport card, the Bluetooth module, the video card, the sound card, the camera, the microphone, the RAM

    If you are interested in this document and you are not deterred by English, then contact me.

    Ritchi
    0
  14. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
     
    I tried to start it without extensions (Shift at startup) and everything works fine, no crashes! Now I just need to find out what's wrong!
    0
    1. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
       
      Take the opportunity to search in the file /var/log/system.log for the pattern "shutdown cause" and the associated numeric value.
      0
    2. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
       
      I searched, but it doesn't find "shutdown cause".. it only finds "shutdown" listing all the times it crashed... "improper shutdown"!
      0
    3. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
       
      I looked in the "kernel.log" file out of curiosity, and it finds "Previous Shutdown Cause: -128" several times (with each crash).
      0
    4. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
       
      I looked into the origin of this number, and -128 corresponds to: "-128 userCanceledErr User canceled an operation"

      http://www.macwizard.com/errors.html

      But I still don't understand where the problem comes from, because I'm not canceling any operation, I don't even touch it and it turns off!
      0
    5. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
       
      Could it be an application or a plugin launched at startup that is causing this shutdown?
      This would be consistent with the fact that your Mac doesn't crash on a safe startup (only the bare minimum is launched).
      0
  15. Anonymous user
     
    Good evening,

    If I am to believe this long discussion, the error: 
    [-128] userCanceledErr-User canceled an operation Error

    may be due to a RAM stick failure...

    --
    Have a good day, or good night..:).
    Francis
    0
    1. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
       
      When I bought it, it had 4GB of RAM (2GB + 2GB), then I upgraded to 6GB (2GB + 4GB)
      then finally I replaced the 2GB stick with a 4GB one, so I currently have 8GB. I put the 2GB stick back in place of one of the 4GB ones to see if it still crashes, and yes, it still does... I can no longer put back the two original 2GB sticks because I'm missing one...
      0
    2. Anonymous user
       
      You need to try with one stick at a time, and test them all. (all that you have left).

      Of course, each stick must comply with the manufacturer's specifications.

      And above all, do not mix sticks with different frequencies.

      So start by testing the original 2 GB stick in isolation...

      The recommended type of stick is:

      204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

      https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT201191

      Note: a poorly installed stick, not securely clipped in its slot, can also be the cause.
      0
    3. fredericdinand Posted messages 74 Status Member 5
       
      I'll follow your advice and test each RAM stick; if that's all it is, dismantling my Mac will have been for nothing... But at the same time, I hope that's all it is ;)
      0