Need Help...

[Ski52]

Haven't been here in a looong time. I need some help. Got an iMac27 - 2015. Been OK until 2 days ago. Now the boot bar runs about 90% and freezes. I've tried most of the key combos to force a boot, or for that matter anything. I can't get any response out of it. Just now after about 45 min stuck, it told me 'your computer has a problem - press any key...' It's back ion the boot bar. If it is the drive, no problem, I will replace it. I have 2 500G laptop drives that were supposed to be backups, but I can't seem to get to them. Am I right in assuming it's a drive failure or ???

TIA for any suggestions
Ski

 

[TonyAguila]

Haven't been here in a looong time. I need some help. Got an iMac27 - 2015. Been OK until 2 days ago. Now the boot bar runs about 90% and freezes. I've tried most of the key combos to force a boot, or for that matter anything. I can't get any response out of it. Just now after about 45 min stuck, it told me 'your computer has a problem - press any key...' It's back ion the boot bar. If it is the drive, no problem, I will replace it. I have 2 500G laptop drives that were supposed to be backups, but I can't seem to get to them. Am I right in assuming it's a drive failure or ???

TIA for any suggestions
Ski

From your description, that’s an iMac17,1. What version of macOS are you running? Your model should be upgradeable to macOS 12 Monterey. First thing to try is to restart in Safe Mode. For that model, as long as you have a working keyboard attached, just reboot and hold down the Shift key until you got to the login screen. See if that gets you through the startup, even if things might seem slow—normal for Safe Boot.

If that works, next thing to try is to reinstall your macOS. If you are connected to the internet, you can boot into Recovery. Shut down and restart, immediately holding down ⌘-R until you get into the Recovery screen. You can run Disk Utility and/or proceed with reinstalling macOS. I suspect Recovery will offer to install Monterey for you. Do you have a Time Machine backup? That will help if you have to reinstall your data back into the system.

 

[Ski52]

Thanx for the response. The OS is the latest available, can't remember, I upgraded every time it offered. I have tried all recommended key presses - command-r, option-command-r, shift-command-option-r. Tried the disk utility, safe mode, 2 keyboards - the original, and an aftermarket... All I get is the Apple logo and the boot bar that after 18 - 20 min of freeze at ~90% comes back and says your machine has a problem, press any key which just starts the failure sequence again. I have Time Machine backups, as I said I can't get to them. I'm not at a great loss, I have 4 Winbloz based machines 2 desktops and 2 laps in my toy room. The mac just needs to be fixed. I will find or order a repair kit with the stickies tomorrow and try maybe another drive...

 

[Ski52]

Well, I'm back!! With the same problem - no boot. I have tried, again, every key press combo I have come across. All do exactly the same thing - Apple logo - boot bar to ~90%, very slowly and stop. I have an empty 1TB drive, and the 'sticky' kit to put the case back together, but I want to try every other 'fix' before I split the case. I have doubts of it being a drive. I can't access any on-board utilities at all. There are two 500G external drives that were supposed to back up everything - I can't access them.
Again, any help greatly appreciated...
Ski

 

[TonyAguila]

Well, I'm back!! With the same problem - no boot. I have tried, again, every key press combo I have come across. All do exactly the same thing - Apple logo - boot bar to ~90%, very slowly and stop. I have an empty 1TB drive, and the 'sticky' kit to put the case back together, but I want to try every other 'fix' before I split the case. I have doubts of it being a drive. I can't access any on-board utilities at all. There are two 500G external drives that were supposed to back up everything - I can't access them.
Again, any help greatly appreciated...
Ski

Okay, assuming that the maximum macOS you can run is macOS Monterey, go into your /Applications/Utilities folder and launch Terminal.app. Assuming you are connected to the internet, at the prompt, enter this command:

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.7.5

Enter your password and the download should start. When it finishes, quit Terminal, open your Applications folder and you should see the file Install macOS Monterey.app. Make a copy to another location for future use when needed. Reboot into Safe Mode and launch the installer file from your Applications folder. If the installation still fails, I can only surmise that you don’t have enough free space on your drive, in which case you will need to move files to external storage to make room. At worst, you might need to reformat your drive to do a clean installation. When you reformat your drive (an SSD, right?) choose APFS and enter the drive name (“Macintosh HD” by default).

It’s important that you have a reliable full backup in order to restore/migrate your data from.

 

[Ski52]

I keep telling folks - I can't go to any folder or drive - I can't do anything... I have a black screen with an Apple logo in the center and a white bar frozen across the bottom of the logo - period. That is all I have. No combination of key presses/hold downs at any time do anything. After 15 - 20 min it tells me in 4 languages my computer has a problem, press any key. Press a key, or leave it alone it will restart the black screen sequence. I have 2 viable (I think) full backups on 2 external drives that I can't get to no matter what keys I press. I can't even get to the BIOS with Cmd Opt O & F. All Key presses are duplicated - one with the original keyboard and repeated with an after market KB that was working fine.

 

[TonyAguila]

In case you haven’t tried it yet, reset your SMC. With you model, simply unplug the power cord, wait 15 seconds, plug it back in, wait 5 seconds, then press the power button. Resetting the parameter RAM needs for your keyboard to be attached. From shutdown, press the power button and immediately hold down command-option-P-R and wait for the startup chime to sound twice before releasing.

A PRAM reset will disable TRIM and will need to be re-enabled.

 

[Ski52]

Well, I have tried with 5 different keyboards. All the same result - 2 'chords' not beeps and back to the logo with the white bar. And, I can't 'attach' the original MAC KB to anything - it has no wires, ports or switches. I will try almost any suggestions, but later this week when I get time, I guess I will bite the bullet and take it to a MAC repair service. That irks me because I've been into computers since the mid 70's. My last job before I retired for the second time was with a company that designed, build & repaired 'electronically secure' computers & peripherals for NATO governments - and I can't figure this damn MAC out - gettin' old I guess...

 

[TonyAguila]

Well, I have tried with 5 different keyboards. All the same result - 2 'chords' not beeps and back to the logo with the white bar. And, I can't 'attach' the original MAC KB to anything - it has no wires, ports or switches. I will try almost any suggestions, but later this week when I get time, I guess I will bite the bullet and take it to a MAC repair service. That irks me because I've been into computers since the mid 70's. My last job before I retired for the second time was with a company that designed, build & repaired 'electronically secure' computers & peripherals for NATO governments - and I can't figure this damn MAC out - gettin' old I guess...

I’m assuming your original Apple keyboard is Bluetooth, so try cold booting with it turned on and no other keyboard connected. Hope that it will connect through Bluetooth. It might prompt you to turn it off and on. I noticed, at least with the newest Apple Magic Keyboard, it sometimes takes time to connect from a restart, but is always connected immediately from a cold start. For all you know, the source of all your troubles could be from a third-party keyboard whose firmware has not been updated to work with the newest version of macOS. And check to make sure that the batteries in your original keyboard are fresh.

 

[Ski52]

Again I tell you - my KB has no switches - off, on or otherwise. Is it Bluetooth? Who knows. Was Bluetooth available 10-11 years ago? I have tried another USB wireless, and at least 3 more standard USB KBs plugged directly into the computer. Everything worked just fine the day before it quit. Nothing new was added to cause a failure.

You keep saying 'prompts' or instructions on the screen. I have nothing but what the picture shows

That is it. What you see on the screen is all I have gotten for the last 7 months regardless of any key presses. No prompts, no notes, no nothing. After ~20 min or so, it will come up with, in 4 languages 'Your computer has a problem. Press any key' and it will reboot to the same sequence. And at this point, the KB must be connected because it understands the key press.

Whatever the OS level was in Nov, the machine and attached peripherals all worked fine.

 

[TonyAguila]

If you have access to another Mac, you can try

How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support

Rarely, a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip might stop responding and need its firmware to be revived or restored by another Mac.

support.apple.com

I was going to suggest booting into DFU mode but I think DFU only works in Silicon and intel T2 Macs. By the way, you can “turn off/on” your type of keyboard by opening the access door to the batteries. You can try to install a fresh set—maybe the batteries were simply spent.