iMac hardware issues... need help please!!

S

stro06

Registered
I'm having serious problems with my iMac and basically I think the hard drive is gone however I'm not convinced and perhaps some of you might be able to shed light on what can be done to fix the computer!

So a bit of background...
about 6 months ago iMac started having random Kernel Panics crashing the computer during this time i was also unable to use software update and the necessary files could not be copied to the hard drive.
After reformatting the HD I was unable to install the OS as once again the necessary support files could not be copied to the mac.
I then put the Snow Leopard install disk on an external disk thinking it might be a DVD drive issue however this didn't work either and I was getting the same problem where the necessary support files could bot be copied,
I then tried to install the OS on an external disk however I got the same message where the necessary support files could not be copied to the disk. This is the part that is troubling me, surely you should be able to install the OS to an external disk if the internal disk is not functioning properly? which is leading me to believe that there is something else wrong with the computer.

I managed to carbon copy my MacBook Pro Hard drive to the external disk and get the iMac to boot form that however this is also running into problems of random Kernel Panics I'm guessing its something to do with it being different hardware is there something I need to do to enable the iMac to function reliably under my MacBook Pro carbon copy on the external disk?


I did take the mac to the apple store where they quoted me around £240 to replace the hard-drive. Being a student unfortunately I wont be able to afford this for a another few months.

Is there any thing I can do in the meantime to get the external drive working reliably?

Any help much appreciated
 
If your iMac is kernel panicking even when booted from the external drive (which is a perfect clone of the internal drive), then I wouldn't suspect hardware failure -- I would suspect something amiss in software.

If you've cloned your internal drive to the external (and hence have a "backup" of all your important stuff), then try this:

1) Pop in your Mac OS X Install DVD.
2) Boot from this DVD.
3) Erase your internal hard drive
4) Intall a fresh, clean copy of OS X on the internal drive
5) Restart and boot from the newly installed Mac OS X installation on the internal drive.

Do you experience kernel panics while booted from this fresh installation? If so, then you have confirmed that the problem may be related to hardware. If not, then you have confirmed that the kernel panics are a result of something in software, and nothing is wrong with your hardware.
 
I have tried that however I always get a message after starting the OS installation "the necessary support files could not be copied to the hard drive"
This message always comes up if I try to do a fresh OS installation from the iMac to the internal drive or a bootable external drive.
I can install the OS to an external drive from my MacBook Pro however when I use that to boot the iMac from it will have random kernel panics and get corrupt after a while. the same happens if I make a carbon copy of my MacBook Pro HD and try to use it on the iMac.
Is this because its something to do with the the OS installation is coming from a MBP as supposed to an iMac?
Why am i not able to do the OS installation from the iMac to an external drive?
 
stro06 said:
I can install the OS to an external drive from my MacBook Pro however when I use that to boot the iMac from it will have random kernel panics and get corrupt after a while. the same happens if I make a carbon copy of my MacBook Pro HD and try to use it on the iMac.
Is this because its something to do with the the OS installation is coming from a MBP as supposed to an iMac?
Click to expand...

Yes, more than likely, the iMac is kernel panicking because it's using an installation from a portable Mac, which may include kernel extensions and software specific to the hardware of a portable, and not a desktop. Usually this type of thing works, but in some cases (like yours, from a portable to a desktop), it won't.

What type of OS X Install DVD are you using? Is it a retail version, or a gray-colored, system-specific version? If the latter, what specific Mac model is printed on the front of the DVD, and does that match your iMac? You cannot use a gray-colored OS X Install DVD from a different model of Mac to install OS X on your iMac.
 
Its a retail copy of 10.6
A failed hard drive should prevent the installation of the OS to the internal drive, but should this prevent the install to an external HD??
 
stro06 said:
Its a retail copy of 10.6
Click to expand...
What version of OS X did your iMac ship with? Have you tried installing Mac OS X from the DVD that was included with your iMac when you purchased it?

A failed hard drive should prevent the installation of the OS to the internal drive, but should this prevent the install to an external HD??
Click to expand...

No, it should not.
 
The iMac shipped with 10.6 and I get the same issues when trying to install from the original packaged OSX DVD.... "the necessary support files could not be copied to the hard disk"

Is there any way of finding out what is preventing the installation of the OS?
Are there any hardware tests that can be done?
 
Perhaps it's trouble with the optical drive, then?

Can you use another Mac to clone the Mac OS X Install DVD to a USB flash drive, then boot your iMac with the flash drive and try to install that way?

Here's how to run the Hardware Test with Intel-based Macs:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1509
 
Yes I tried to install from a flash drive and no luck just getting the same message.

Tried running the hardware test from the DVD but its frozen at 1sec running time
 
Hmmm... sounds like there may be some kind of hardware issue, then.

Reboot and try starting the test again -- does it consistently hang at that same point?
 
yea hanging at 1sec and cant move the mouse to even try to stop the test...
I have also tried to taking out the ram chips and trying them one by one to eliminate them but still the same issue...
 
I would have given it about 30 - 40 min... without a moving from 1sec I'll leave it overnight and see what happens.
 
I've run the test over night in expanded mode and once again this morning..... no Luck still stuck at 1sec. Is there any way of doing the test from an external HD??
 
I'm curious - is that 1 second "elapsed", or 1 second 'remaining'

Try reseating your RAM memory chips. Unplug power first :D

Be sure to disconnect ALL cables, and let your iMac sit with no connections for 15 seconds or so. Do not plug ANYTHING in, unless you need it for the test. Just power, keyboard and mouse. No network cable, printer, USB hub, etc - just to try to run the test.
 
DeltaMac said:
I'm curious - is that 1 second "elapsed", or 1 second 'remaining'

Try reseating your RAM memory chips. Unplug power first :D

Be sure to disconnect ALL cables, and let your iMac sit with no connections for 15 seconds or so. Do not plug ANYTHING in, unless you need it for the test. Just power, keyboard and mouse. No network cable, printer, USB hub, etc - just to try to run the test.
Click to expand...

1 sec elapsed...
I have tried reseating the ram, using one chip at a time and no luck.
I have been running the test as you suggest with nothing plugged In appart from the keyboard and mouse( these are from my old iMac with the floating screen as the Bluetooth keyboard are not being recognised)
 
Its 1 second elapsed time.

I have also tried reseating the ram and trying each 2gb stick individually and no luck.

I have also been running the hardware test as you suggested with nothing plugged in except the keyboard and mouse (they are at this stage vintage however from a 2002 iMac flat panel G4 as the bluetooth mouse and key board are not connecting.)
 
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