Problems That Prevent You from Using Your iMac

If your iMac won’t respond or the pointer won’t move

Make sure your Apple Wireless Keyboard or Apple Magic Mouse are turned on and
the batteries are charged. (See “Replacing the Batteries” on page 56.)
If you’re using a USB keyboard or mouse, make sure they’re connected. Unplug and
then plug in the connectors and make sure they are secure.

Try to force problem applications to quit. Hold down the Option and Command (x)
keys and press the Esc key. If a dialog appears, select the application and click
Force Quit. Then save your work in any open applications and restart your iMac to
be sure the problem is entirely cleared up.

If you’re unable to force the application to quit, hold down the power button (®)
on the back of your iMac for five seconds to shut down the computer. Unplug
the power cord from your iMac. Then plug the power cord back in and press the
power button (®) on your iMac to turn it on.

Chapter 4

Problem, Meet Solution

If the problem reoccurs when you use a particular application, check with the
application’s manufacturer to see if the application is compatible with your iMac.

For information about the software that came with your iMac, go to
www.apple.com/downloads.

If the problem occurs frequently, try repairing your disk, restoring your software from a
backup, or reinstalling your system software using the Mac OS X Utilities pane
(see “Repairing, Restoring, or Reinstalling Mac OS X Software” on page 50).

If your iMac freezes during startup or you see a flashing question mark

Wait a few seconds. If your iMac doesn’t start up after a delay, shut down your iMac
by pressing and holding the power button (®) for about 5 seconds, until it shuts
down. Then hold down the Option key and press the power button (®) again to start
up your iMac. Keep holding down the Option key until your iMac starts up, then click
the arrow under the icon of the startup disk you want to use.
After your iMac starts up, open System Preferences and click Startup Disk. Select a
local Mac OS X System folder.

If the problem occurs frequently, you may need to reinstall your system software
(see “Repairing, Restoring, or Reinstalling Mac OS X Software” on page 50).

Chapter 4

Problem, Meet Solution

If your iMac won’t turn on or start up

Make sure the power cord is plugged into your iMac and a functioning power outlet.

Restart your computer while holding down the Command (x) and R keys, until the
computer restarts. When the Mac OS X Utilities pane apears, select an option to repair
your disk, restore your software, or reinstall Mac OS X and Apple applications. For
more information, see “Repairing, Restoring, or Reinstalling Mac OS X Software” on
page 50.

Press the power button (®) and immediately hold down the Command (x),
Option, P, and R keys until you hear the startup sound a second time. This resets the
parameter RAM (PRAM).

If you recently installed memory, and your iMac sounds tones every five seconds,
make sure that the memory is correctly installed and that it is compatible with your
iMac. Check whether removing the memory you installed allows your iMac to start
up (see page 44).

Unplug the power cord and wait at least 30 seconds. Plug the power cord in again
and press the power button (®) to start up your iMac.

If you still can’t start up your iMac, see “Learning More, Service, and Support” on
page 62 for information about contacting Apple for service.

If you have trouble inserting a disc

Using a continuous motion, push the disc into the drive until your fingers touch the
edge of your iMac.

Use only a standard-size disc.

Chapter 4

Problem, Meet Solution

If you have trouble ejecting a disc

Quit any applications that may be using the disc, and then press the Media
Eject key (C) on your keyboard.

Open a Finder window and click the eject icon next to the disc icon in the
sidebar, or drag the disc icon from the desktop to the Trash.

Log out from your user account by choosing Apple () > Log Out “User” (your
account name appears in the menu), and then press the Media Eject key (C) on
your keyboard.

Restart your iMac while holding down the mouse button.

If you have trouble scrolling with your mouse

If you have a mouse with a scroll ball and the scrolling feels rough or the scroll ball
isn’t scrolling up, down, or side-to-side, hold the mouse upside-down and roll the ball
vigorously while cleaning.

For more information, see “Cleaning Your Mouse” on page 72.

If your date and time settings get lost repeatedly

You may need to have the internal backup battery replaced. For information about
contacting Apple for service, see “Learning More, Service, and Support” on page 62.

iMac - Problems That Prevent You from Using Your iMac

iMac - Problems That Prevent You from Using Your iMac

iMac > Problems That Prevent You from Using Your iMac

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