Mac OSX version: not yet set

[jquandtx]

24" iMac mid 2007 6GB RAM 1TB HD El Capitan OS

When starting up this machine I get this message:
"Your computer restarted because of a problem. Touch any key..."
Then in the upper left corner of the screen I get a message (in monochrome, like at the root level):
"CPU (1caller) process 1 s/bin launch failed
Debugger called: C panic
Backtrace CPU Frame return address

pxff
(a series of alphanumerics show up, about a dozen or so)
BSD process name corresponding to current init
Boot args; rp=file com.apple.recoverybasesystem.dmg
mac os version:
not yet set"

There is more info but it is difficult to retrieve as this only stays on the screen for a second or two. It's a total kernel panic.
To complicate things even more the mouse and keyboard are not recognized so I cannot go to Recovery mode or Safe mode or any other startup mode.
Have I lost the drive completely?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

It may not be a hard drive failure, just a corrupted install of OS X El Capitan.

-Do you have a current Time Machine or other backup of your data on an external drive?
-Were you experiencing any other issues recently before this issue arose?
-Any forced power offs?
-Do you happen to know how much free space is available on the internal hard drive?
-Have you performed any OS updates recently?

V

 

[jquandtx]

Hello,
Thank you for your reply. El Capitan has been installed for ever a year, no problems before this current one. No back up, yes, I should have. A few forced pover offs: I have had those with any version OSX. Had about 1 TB out of a 2TB HD still available; partitioned approxmately 1 TB each. Any updates have been mainly iTunes, not sure if any OS updates other than that and mail.
I am looking for a wired keyboard and mouse I have stashed away somewhere in storage, that may help to get into Recovery Mode. Once there, hopefully, this can be corrected.