Yes, his system is not very old. Probably just needs a new HDD and macOS reinstall and it would be good to go. My understanding is that it is an iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) iMac14,1, but I’m not 100% certain of it. I asked him to go to About This Mac, but he doesn’t know how to do that… Plus, he’s across the country from me, so I can’t just take it under my wing. It would probably be simple to fix, but sometimes the best “fix” is no fix at all.
I didn’t know any Macs shipped today with an HDD. Thanks for pointing that out. I thought all current models were SSD-based. For Apple to be shipping a current iMac with what amounts to a 2.5” laptop HDD as the main/only drive is eyebrow-raising, to say the least. -Carl > On Dec 28, 2017, at 5:11 PM, David Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote: > > You never shared exactly what model of iMac was under discussion, but "4+ > years" suggests a "Late 2013", which wouldn't be particularly old in my mind. > I've got lots of Mid 2011 iMacs (with SSD upgrades) humming along quite > nicely w/High Sierra. And a 2013 model supports the newer AirDrop and wake > w/Apple Watch, both features I very much appreciate on my newer desktops. > > Restarting into Internet Recovery mode, erasing the drive and installing High > Sierra cleanly seems like a reasonable step to take before deciding there is > a hardware issue. > > But if the owner just needs an excuse to drop money on a new machine, please > make sure he/she doesn't buy an iMac with a single rotating magnetic drive. > If they're opting for a 21.5", either go full Flash or go Fusion, but don't > get stuck with the slow 5400 RPM 2.5" HD. It's a dog-slow machine and an > embarrassment that Apple still sells this configuration. > > > > > > > >> On Dec 28, 2017, at 12:33 PM, Carl Hoefs <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> I’ve tried the D-boot diagnostics thing, and it’s never worked for me. Maybe >> other people have more luck with it, but for me it just goes on forever and >> never reports anything. >> >> Seeing as how my friend is "not-so-very-computer-savvy", I think at this >> point he’ll be best served by going with a new machine as opposed to >> continually futzing with his current system. I can kinda read between the >> lines that he wants an excuse to get a new computer anyway, so I’ll just let >> it go at that... >> >> Thanks for all the hints and tips! It’s been quite educational. >> -Carl >> >> >>> On Dec 28, 2017, at 1:11 PM, Matt Penna <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> If there's a lingering and longstanding question about malware, you could >>> try backing the system up and then wiping it out totally—including deletion >>> of all the partitions—just to see if the problem persists after a totally >>> clean install with no files or other applications on the machine. That >>> could help nail down if it's a hardware problem. >>> >>> Has he run diagnostics on the machine, himself? Hold the D key at startup >>> and it should start the hardware test routine. >>> >>> On Thu, Dec 28, 2017 at 12:25 PM, Carl Hoefs >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Here’s the update: >>> >>> "OK, I have reset the System Management Controller and the PRAM. Just >>> changed the magic mouse batteries last Saturday. Still had the grey screen >>> and loss of mouse connection when the iMac woke up this morning. I've had >>> issues with this iMac ever since I got that secd security bug and Mac >>> Grabber virus over a year ago. Genius Bar doesn't know if the issue is >>> hardware or software, and say there’s a $100 part I could “try” swapping >>> out. No thanks. The Mac is 4+ years old. I've read 4-5 is average. Time >>> to get something new...” >>> >>> Any last suggestions? >>> -Carl > > _______________________________________________ > MacOSX-talk mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.omnigroup.com/mailman/listinfo/macosx-talk
_______________________________________________ MacOSX-talk mailing list [email protected] http://www.omnigroup.com/mailman/listinfo/macosx-talk
