My G5 iMac won't start.I can't get it to boot from the install disc.It gets to the blue screen and stalls there.The only unusual behavior has been an occasional POP! from the speakers when starting a radio stream in iTunes.When I turn it on it chimes,goes from the gray screen to blue screen.The cursor appears in the top left corner and stays there.If I move it around it moves but leaves a stationary image of the cursor where it started from.When I try to start from the disc it goes through the normal routine and stalls at the blue screen as well.It's upstairs in that mode right now seeing if I just don't have enough patience but I've never seen it take this long before.I hear the CD drive doing something occasionally but no progress.This is bad because I cannot afford repairs let alone a new computer.And I hate this POS windoz thing I'm using now.HELP!

Top 10 Troubleshooting Tips for Macs

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1149#trouble1

Yeah I've done all that.Can't even get it to boot in safe mode.I have noticed some oddball stuff going on with the screen.The apple on the gray screen has red lines through it and when I leaned back in the chair I could see lines running up the screen like old black and white tv did in the 60's.This came outta nowhere too.I put it to sleep earlier and when I tried to wake it up this happened.

You can always take the machine to Apple and ask them to diagnose the problem. I would have a very hard time justifying repairs on an iMac this old. It may be time for a new one. You can pull the hard drive yourself to save the data.

It sounds like you have a problem in your graphics circuit. Boot from the install disc and let the unit run. See if the screen still acts odd.

A problem with electronics repair in general these days is that "repair" consists of replacing various modules. And in a Mac the modules tend to be very expensive. They'll never go and replace the $1 part that actually failed. Last November I upgraded my 3 year old iMac to the latest version and retired the old one to be an entertainment server by our treadmill. Well, it just quit one day and wouldn't boot up. No chime, no picture. The Apple store said it was probably the logic board which would cost about $800. So I gave it to an electronics technician at work that likes to tinker with things, thinking he might want to take it apart to see how it is designed. Well he blew out the dust and reseated all the connectors and it worked. So he's got himself a free iMac. FYI, he likes it so much he says he could become a Mac person.

I also have a MacBook that was destroyed when barely over a year old by water ($1200 repair estimate, more than the cost of a new one). I got the logic board fixed for $200 and replaced the keyboard for an additional $100.

Basically what I'm saying here is there are alternatives to Apple for repair. It's worth seeking them out if you are out of warranty.

That's why Apple does not supply any schematics for any of their products. They just want techs to replace the modular parts. Back when I repaired televisions, I had to get inside the chassis (this was even before printed circuit boards when I started at age 17) and find the defective component causing the problem. Techs have it SO easy now days. They just look at a flow chart and substitute parts. It's what we used to call "shotgunning." I would like to see them use a volt-ohm meter and actually find the component(s) causing the problem. I bet the majority of techs don't know what a volt-ohm meter actually is, and/or how to even use one!

I have not drawn a real paycheck in over a year.As stated in the original post I cannot afford a new computer.I have no savings left and am barely getting by.Thanks.

Well I had the guys at the shop diagnose it.Logic board.Is this something I could do myself?The shop wants $450 for the board (new) and $100 to install and I spent all I have on this "new" to me iMac.I'm not complaining just am very short on cash.I've seen logic boards used for $2-300 and I could scrape that up sooner or later.Or is it best to sell it for parts?Oh one question can I install a superdrive in this iMac that has a combodrive?I've noticed they seem to have different logic boards.

You could probably change that board yourself. Check eBay for parts. Even the so called "new" boards from Apple are mostly rebuilt one.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid ... Categories