Welcome to the iMac firmware/video problem
solver page
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The most important
thing here is the OS X video/firmware problem solver that helps you fix the
problems that are caused when inserting any CD with OS X on it in a slot-loading
iMac which has out-of-date firmware.
There are also
other useful iMac resources - follow the links below.
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If
you find the information on this page valuable, you may like to
make a donation to the CAFOD Sudan Emergency
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iMac
OS X video/firmware problem solver v2.1 (23 Oct 2004) 99K HTML format, Rev A
(3 Jan 2007 - fixed link for printing)
(You may also need
these additional instructions, originally added here 21 July 2004) If your slot-loading
Mac has reached the stage where it shuts itself down about 10s after the startup
chime (symptom S4 in the problem solver) then there is a fix by Bart Denoo and
Frederik Vande Rievere at http://frderi.spymac.net/imacresurrected.
Thanks to Bart and Frederik for their effort and lateral thinking in coming
up with this workaround and making it available. It has probably saved many
more iMacs!
Please be patient
accessing this page as the server is a bit flaky (in fact I wonder if it is
still there). You may have to try again tomorrow.
Alternatively here
is an unofficial mirror of the page,
taken on 18 September 2004, which may not be completely up-to-date.
If you don't have
to hand the requisite floppy cable and bits of wire that this fix needs then
check out the original problem solver for further suggestions. Alternatively,
any electronics store should be able supply the necessary.
Two final notes:
- This fix involves
working inside the iMac around the CRT and is therefore potentially DANGEROUS
since the transformer capacitors can retain high levels of charge even when
the computer has been left unplugged for extended periods.
- If you have
an iMac 350MHz things aren't quite so simple since this model lacks the VGA
mirror port. However, in principle it is possible to make up your own custom
cable to enable the iMac to startup and display the screen image on an external
VGA display. In order to do this it will be necessary to do some hunting around
on the internet to find the necessary pinouts.
Some
useful iMac links at mrjcd.com
Tray-loading
iMac stuff! - click here
Original versions
of the problem solver, which contain some additional tips and information (including
information about symptom S4 on slot-loaders and about the monitor flyback transformer
problems on tray-loading iMacs), and useful links, but also erroneously imply
that tray-loading iMacs can suffer from the same firmware problems, are here:
iMac
firmware problem solver v1.2a 27 Feb 2004 (MS Word 79 KB)
HTML
version of v1.2 23 Feb 2004 (thanks Donna)
PDF
version of v1.2 23 Feb 2004 (plus a couple of links fixed) 152 KB (thanks
jcd)