My iMac is stuck at startup, showing the apple logo and the spinning wheel beneath it. I first encountered this when my iMac froze while I was using it, and I was forced to shut it down by holding down the power button. When I held it down again to start the iMac up, it got stuck at the startup screen as described above.
I have tried various methods, including holding down almost all the keyboard commands but to no avail. I have also tried booting up from the Mac installation disc and holding down the 'C' button, but nothing happened. I was only able to eject the disc by holding down the left mouse button on startup.
After all that, I wondered if it was my (wireless) keyboard that was not working, and bought an Apple USB keyboard. Even then, none of the keyboard commands worked. I also realized that the 'caps lock' button did not light up when I pressed it. But when I connected the Apple USB keyboard to another iMac, it worked perfectly.
I have tried using a firewire cable to transfer my data to another iMac, but the main account with all my data was apparently protected by FileVault, and could not be transferred.
Is there anyway I can fix my iMac without losing any data at all?
Please help! I'm on the verge of tears right now, as all the data in the iMac is really important to me.

Boot from your original OS install disk supplied with the computer and run the disk utility. Once in disk utility repair permissions and repair the drive. This usually fixes the problem. If not boot from the applications disk while holding down the "D" key and run the Apple hardware test.

But the problem is, I can't boot from the OS install disc. Nothing happens when I boot up with the disc and the 'C' key. The screen just gets stuck at the startup screen with the Apple logo and spinning wheel.

Have you tried booting from the applications install disk holding down the "d" key this launches the Apple Hardware test and may still boot. If so run the test. What model is the iMac size and year of manufacture? Try reseating the RAM it is accessible along the bottom edge of the enclosure in the centre.

If you are not able to boot from the Applications disk to run The hardware test you will have to go old school. If you hear nothing like drives or fans and get no lights it may be a power supply. Otherwise you could be looking at a motherboard. What model and year is the iMac there are some additional diagnostic tools like on board LEDs and test points, however these very from model to model

Cmeeks, I had a similar problem, and after trying everything else, I read your suggestion
To reseat my iMac's RAM. It's a 2010 27" Intel i7 iMac a year old; so I removed the extra 4Gb of memory
That I had added, reseated the original memory, and it booted
Right up! Thanks so much. I'm doing a full backup to an external disk
Before I try reinserting the additional RAM to see if they're the
Problem. (Apple memory, by the way.) You're suggestion
Has made my trip to Apple optional tomorrow, and I'll
Have them check the memory. I had taken the iMac on
A few car trips, so maybe the jostling had something to do
With unseating the memory.

I'm having the same problem as me_xp. But unlike Marty it isn't a hardware connection, since I did not made any major changes to my Mac recently. And now my iMac can't seem to respond my keyboards commands at start up. I don't know what to do...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rodstoulle

I'm having the same problem as me_xp. But unlike Marty it isn't a hardware connection, since I did not made any major changes to my Mac recently. And now my iMac can't seem to respond my keyboards commands at start up. I don't know what to do...

---

What model Mac? What type of keyboard wireless? If so check the batteriesy they always go out on my Mac Mini Server then try a boot for the orivinal media just to see if it is OS related

This is a Question

I have a Imac Duo, the first white model. So it's old. Never given me a prob since day one. My most recent system was 10.5.8 which I installed using a usb boot loader because my dvd has long not worked. So I can only use a usb.

Problem is that a while ago the network prefs simply disappeared. I have no clue. So I started looking for a "network prefs". Eventually I think I installed lion software onto the 10.5.8. So now I am sitting with a situation that the machine goes on, I see the Apple, the progress wheel spins for ever and ever.

I don't have acces to a different Mac, only this PC I am using as a temp.
My?? Is how can I create a 10.5.8 bootloader using windows.

Is this possible, I am behind a entire week so need some help from you guys.

I am not sure I mostly image off my server now a USB or firewire DVD drive should work.