MAC Desktop will not startup - apple sound, then gray screen and series of 3 beeps repeatedly

[Bob Hurley]

Problem started with my magic mouse not scrolling vertically. Went into settings and for some reason this was unchecked. I checked the box, but mouse still didn't work. Then I attempted to restart the MAC. On startup, I hear the apple sound, but then just get a gray screen and a series of 3 beeps repeating. I've tried multiple times, but no luck. Also tried holding down the option key, but still get the same thing. - Need Help! Thanks.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Usually the repeating three beep sound is faulty RAM. Did you add RAM recently or at the time of purchase?

If you have more than one stick (DIMM) installed, you can try powering down, removing one, then trying to power on. If issue persists, try the other stick. If you only have one, you will need to take it in to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for diagnosis.

You can tell how much RAM and how many sticks are installed using the following:

-Hold Option key while clicking Apple (in the menu bar)
-Choose System Information...
-Click on Memory

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

Thanks. No, I've never added RAM to this machine. I have an external hard drive though. I did try disconnecting the external hard drive and all peripherals, but get the same sound on startup with a solid gray screen.

 

[Cory Cooper]

It's almost definitely the RAM.

-What model Mac? iMac?
-What Mac OS X version?
-Did you look to see what is installed and try the steps I outlined?

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

Sorry, wasn't able to answer right away because had to leave for business to Orlando. I won't be able to try it again until Monday when I get back home to my MAC. It was the iMAC with the 27" screen (I think) and was purchased in January 2009. I've never added any RAM or opened the machine (or even know how).
You mentioned in your initial post to hold down the option key while clicking the apple logo on the top left of the screen, but I can't get that far. The apple logo never comes up on the screen. The entire screen just stays solid gray with the series of 3 beeps after the apple startup sound.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Ooops...guess that part wouldn't work since it isn't booting properly!

Upon your return home, we can help you verify how many sticks are installed and how to proceed.

Safe travels,

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

I'm back in town now with my MAC, which still doesn't work, still series of 3 beeps. What advice can you give me to determine if it is the RAM? I've never opened the MAC before. I suppose it could have simply come unseated in the slots, but I'm not sure where to start. Would I be better to take into the Apple store?

 

[Cory Cooper]

You can tell how much RAM and how many sticks are installed using the following:

-Hold Option key while clicking Apple (in the menu bar)
-Choose System Information...
-Click on Memory

If there are two installed, I can direct you how to remove one at a time to test. If there is only one, you will need to take it in to an Apple Store.

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

But I don't get the menu bar or the apple, only a gray screen and 3 beeps repeatedly, so I can't click on anything. I've never opened the machine or installed anything, so there may only be one. Is it easy for me to open it up?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Man, I am really not with it lately! Sorry...I made the same mistake again!

Yes, it is easy to see what is installed. If you bought it in Jan 2009, then it is probably a 24" 2008 model. There is a small removable panel on the bottom of the display bezel. You just need a philips screwdriver to loosen the screw(s) and remove the panel. You can then see whether there are one or two sticks installed.

iMac: How to remove or install memory

If there is only one, you can remove it and reseat it to see of it corrects the issue. If not, it's off to the repair shop.

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

OK, I opened it and there are two sticks installed. I disconnected the power and removed one at a time to look at contacts. They both seem to have been properly seated. I put both back, connected power, and same thing, just gray screen and 3 beeps. Did you mention that I should try it with one stick only? next advice?

 

[Bob Hurley]

Next steps... facing the screen, I removed the stick on the right. The screen came on with a picture of a file folder in the center with a question mark, but still wouldn't boot up. Then I powered off again, reinserted, and get 3 beeps with gray screen again. Powered off again, and removed stick on the left. This time I get gray screen and 3 beeps. Powered off, reinserted stick and still 3 beeps and gray screen. Since it only seems to beep when the right stick is inserted, does it make sense to remove the stick on the right and place the left stick on the right side? Does that mean that my RAM stick on the right is the problem?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Sounds like the stick on the right is the bad one. Yes, you can keep the "good" stick on the left where it is. The left slot when facing the screen is the default slot for one stick of RAM. The right stick will have to be replaced.

Since the beeping issue is resolved (three beeps is always bad RAM), the reason your are getting the flashing ? folder is because the OS was corrupted with the failed startup attempts and it can't "find" the System folder on startup.

Try the following with the bad right stick removed:

1. Press the power button and immediately hold Option-Command-P-R keys simultaneously until you hear the second startup chime.
2. After the second chime let go of those keys and immediately hold down the Option key alone.
3. You should get an icon of the Macintosh HD in the center of the screen.
4. If so, click on it to continue the startup process.

If you still cannot startup normally, we may have to reinstall the OS with the installer disc. Do you have a Time Machine or other backup of your data just in case?

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

OK, tried what you said, but I don't get the icon of the Macintosh HD in the center of the screen, it still comes up as a folder with a question mark on it. When I first hold down the Option-Command-P-R it does produce the chime and then restarts with a second chime. I tried several times holding down the option key after that, and only get the folder with the question mark flashing in the middle of the screen. I'm using the wireless keyboard, that will still work, correct?
I have time machine, but I'm not sure when the last backup occurred. I have a MAC friend that installed a second hard drive for me and had set it up to back up each day to the 2nd hard drive. At some point, I started getting a message that the Time Machine backup failed. This seemed to pop up every morning, but then suddenly stopped, so I don't know if I have a recent backup on Time Machine or not.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK

-Did your "MAC friend" replace the optical drive with the second hard drive?
-If the Time Machine backup was failing, one of the hard drives was probably starting to fail.
-Do you have a way to startup from the install disc that came with the iMac? Internal or external optical drive?

It's looking like you may have to take it in for service at this point, but that depends on the optical drive issue I am asking about.

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

I'm not sure how he installed the 2nd hard drive. I know that it is a 2TB drive that I picked up at Costco. My understanding was that it was just a second drive. I think he partitioned it, and I believe he moved my files for movies, music and pictures to the external hard drive so that I wouldn't be using up so much room on the MAC hard drive. He doesn't live in the area. I could drop him an email, but knowing him, I'm not sure if/when I will hear back. I did find my MAC OSX startup discs (there are two). I have snow leopard installed over what was originally on the MAC and I think I was on version 10.2 or something like that. I don't know anything about an optical drive, sorry, not a techie. I can do basic stuff, but not that knowledgeable about computers.

 

[Bob Hurley]

OK, I have a start screen! I realized that I had disconnected the external hard drive from the computer. I powered down, reconnected everything and powered up. My wallpaper is up as well as all my icons, but I now have an error message on the screen which says "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer" With three buttons which say Initialize, Ignore or Eject. There is no disk inserted in the DVD Drive though

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, sounds like he replaced the original hard drive in the iMac with the 2 TB you bought. He then partitioned it into two parts, which show on your desktop as two different drives.

The optical drive is simply the drive on the see for CDs/DVDs. If you can still insert them, then he definitely did what I outlined above.

If you connected an external hard drive and the iMac booted normally to your desktop, then the iMac was running from the OS on the external, and the internal may have been used for storage of your data and/or another installation of Mac OS X. The error message you are getting is showing an issue with the internal hard drive, which may have failed or have other issues. DO NOT choose Initialize, or you will lose all the data on that drive. Choose Ignore for now until we figure out what is going on.

Are all of your files there...and does it seem to running OK when booted from the external drive?

We'll have to do some investigative work to determine where everything sits at this point, since we have at least a partially functional system.

C

 

[Bob Hurley]

Yes. I chose ignore, and everything seems to be working fine and all my files seem to be present. Computer seems to be working fine now, without the RAM stick on the right. How important is it that I replace that stick? Do I need to purchase from Apple? What suggestions do you have for how to diagnose internal hard drive?

 

[Cory Cooper]

You don't have to replace the RAM stick, but you may notice a slow down using the computer with multiple applications running at the same time. If you do the steps I outlined above to find out how much RAM is recognized, let me know and I can recommend from there.

As far as diagnosing the internal hard drive, you can go to Macintosh HD > Utilities > Disk Utility to see if the internal hard drive is recognized. Don't do any repairs or format/initialization until we make sure your data is safe.

I would spent some time verifying that all your data is safe and accessible. Make sure your email, photos in iPhoto, music in iTunes, etc. are all accounted for.

C