Apple iMac (Early 2009) User Manual
Page 42
42
Chapter 4
Problem, Meet Solution
If your iMac freezes during startup or you see a flashing question mark
 Wait a few seconds. If your iMac doesn’t start up after a delay, shut down your iMac
by pressing and holding the power (®) button for about 5 seconds, until it shuts
down. Then hold down the Option key and press the power (®) button again to start
up your computer. Keep holding down the Option key until your iMac starts up, then
click the arrow under the icon of the hard disk you want to use as your startup disk.
 After your iMac starts up, open System Preferences and click Startup Disk. Select a
local Mac OS X System folder.
 If the problem occurs frequently, you may need to reinstall your system software
(see “Reinstalling the Software That Came with Your iMac” on page 48).
If your iMac won’t turn on or start up
 Make sure the power cord is plugged into your iMac and into a functioning
power outlet.
 Press the power (®) button and immediately hold down the Command (x), Option,
P, and R keys until you hear the startup sound a second time. This resets the
parameter RAM (PRAM).
 If you recently installed memory, and your iMac sounds tones every five seconds,
make sure that the memory is correctly installed and that it is compatible with your
iMac. Check whether removing the memory you installed allows your iMac to start
 Unplug the power cord and wait at least 30 seconds. Plug the power cord back in
and press the power (®) button again to start up your iMac.
 If you still can’t start up your iMac, see “Learning More, Service, and Support” on
page 51 for information about contacting Apple for service.