iMac reboot problem

2blue4u · 3 Jun 2011 at 12:05

My iMac won't reboot - or boot shortly after shutting down. Any attempt to do this will result in the flashing ? in a folder symbol. I've tried all the suggestions to counter that error code but to no avail.

It performs flawlessly at all other times and boots normally under scheduling early in the morning. It doesn't appear to be running hot.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Ta.

John

J1234 · 3 Jun 2011 at 12:08

HDD failing? Exactly the same thing happened to my iMac (well known problem) and eventually wouldn't start at all after the HDD fully corrupted.

Try booting from the startup disk and see if the HDD shows up in Disk Utility, if it doesn't then it sounds like it may be on the way out.

If it is the HDD, Apple will repair it for you FOC if you are out of warranty due to it being a known fault.

2blue4u · 3 Jun 2011 at 12:42

That was my fear - but its a fairly new hdd just a few months old.

The startup Disk Utility doesn't see it

J1234 · 3 Jun 2011 at 12:59

What HDD is it?

Do you have everything backed up? I'd get it to Apple to be repaired.

2blue4u · 3 Jun 2011 at 13:12

It's one of these:

Capacity: 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)
Model: WDC WD5000AAKS-40YGA1

Everything is backed up every which way and then some

It started doing this before I went on hols. I was accessing the computer every day via RDM, closing it down late in the day or evening and it would always startup in the morn. I've been back a week now and today was the first time I had cause to reboot during the day.

Yup - a call to AppleCare is needed. I just didn't have the time to faff around with this before going on hols.

J1234 · 3 Jun 2011 at 19:10

Exactly the same drive as mine that failed!

They replaced it with a Seagate.