Hi Matt.

   If it were me, I would open the Mac, pull out the HD and break it up.

   On 17 Apr 2024, at 11:20 am, Matt Falvey via WAMUG
   <[email protected]> wrote:

     Hi Daniel, thanks for the reply.
     I have a recent Super Duper Back up and I hardly used the iMac so I
     don’t think there will be too much missed.
     Just concerned now about how to erase the HD on the iMac before
   getting
     rid of it.
     I will be contacting off list in a while re a replacement.
     Take care.
     Matt
     On 16 Apr 2024, at 8:00 pm, [1][email protected]
   wrote:
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     Today's Topics:
       1. Beeping iMac and a question mark (Matt Falvey)
       2. Re: Beeping iMac and a question mark (Daniel Kerr)
     ---------------------------------------------------------------------
   -
     Message: 1
     Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:51:44 +0800
     From: Matt Falvey <[email protected]>
     To: Wamug List <[email protected]>
     Subject: [WAMUG] Beeping iMac and a question mark
     Message-ID: <[email protected]>
     Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
     Hi, I have an iMac 27? 2.8Ghz Corei7, (Late 2009).
     This morning when I woke it from sleep it started emitting a
   continuous
     beep sound, it was still showing screen pages and images, but with a
     black background.
     I was unable to control anything. so I pressed the button to shut it
     down and restarted it. When I restarted it all I had was a white
   screen
     and a continuous beeping sound.
     I again turned it off and did an SMC reset, unplugging the power cord
     and all the peripherals, turned it back on white screen and beeping.
     I did a PRAM reset, turned it back on and had the same result. (There
     was no grey screen and no start up sound).
     As I was searching the internet to see what more I could possibly do,
   I
     let it continue to beep in the background, after about 5 minutes, the
     beeping stopped and now I have a flashing grey folder with a white
     question mark inside it.
     Does anyone have any idea as to what else I may be able to do to fix
     the problem?
     Take care.
     Matt
     -------------- next part --------------
       Hi, I have an iMac 27? 2.8Ghz Corei7, (Late 2009).
       This morning when I woke it from sleep it started emitting a
     continuous
       beep sound, it was still showing screen pages and images, but with
   a
       black background.
       I was unable to control anything. so I pressed the button to shut
   it
       down and restarted it. When I restarted it all I had was a white
     screen
       and a continuous beeping sound.
       I again turned it off and did an SMC reset, unplugging the power
   cord
       and all the peripherals, turned it back on white screen and
   beeping.
       I did a PRAM reset, turned it back on and had the same result.
   (There
       was no grey screen and no start up sound).
       As I was searching the internet to see what more I could possibly
   do,
     I
       let it continue to beep in the background, after about 5 minutes,
   the
       beeping stopped and now I have a flashing grey folder with a white
       question mark inside it.
       Does anyone have any idea as to what else I may be able to do to
   fix
       the problem?
       Take care.
       Matt
     ------------------------------
     Message: 2
     Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:40:12 +0800
     From: Daniel Kerr <[email protected]>
     To: WAMUG <[email protected]>
     Subject: Re: [WAMUG] Beeping iMac and a question mark
     Message-ID: <[email protected]>
     Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
     Hi Matt
     If it?s doing 3 beeps, then a pause, then 3 more beeps that?s an
   issue
     with the RAM.
     But if it?s doing one long continuous beep than unfortunately that?s
   a
     bit more servere - it generally means there is an issue with graphics
     card, firmware issue or logic board/motherboard. And given it?s not
     booting off a drive (which is what the folder icon means with a
     flashing question mark - it can?t find the boot drive), then I?d say
     unfortunately that iMac has most likely ?died?.
     Given the age of it, you?d be hard pressed to get any parts or get it
     fixed unfortunately. So only thing you could really do is take the
   hard
     drive out (and hopefully it?s still ok with data on it), then either
     transfer that to another iMac or put it into an external case to
   access
     the data.
     But generally if an SMC, PRAM reset won?t start it, it?s not a great
     sign.
     You can sometimes a) boot off an external boot drive with a system on
     it or b) try starting it in Target Mode into another computer to see
   if
     can access the drive still. But if it doesn?t work in either then I?d
     say it?s gone I?m afraid.
     Kind regards
     Daniel
     ---
     Daniel Kerr
     MacWizardry
     p : 0414 795 960
     e : <daniel AT macwizardry.com.au>
     w : <http://www.macwizardry.com.au>
     **For everything Apple**
     NOTE: Any information provided in this email may be my personal
   opinion
     and as such should be taken accordingly, and may not be the views of
     MacWizardry. Any information provided does not offer or warrant any
     form of warranty or accept liability. It would be appreciated that if
     any information in this email is to be disseminated, distributed or
     copied, that permission by the author be requested.
       On 16 Apr 2024, at 2:51?PM, Matt Falvey via WAMUG
       <[email protected]> wrote:
        Hi, I have an iMac 27? 2.8Ghz Corei7, (Late 2009).
        This morning when I woke it from sleep it started emitting a
       continuous
        beep sound, it was still showing screen pages and images, but with
       a
        black background.
        I was unable to control anything. so I pressed the button to shut
       it
        down and restarted it. When I restarted it all I had was a white
       screen
        and a continuous beeping sound.
        I again turned it off and did an SMC reset, unplugging the power
       cord
        and all the peripherals, turned it back on white screen and
       beeping.
        I did a PRAM reset, turned it back on and had the same result.
       (There
        was no grey screen and no start up sound).
        As I was searching the internet to see what more I could possibly
       do, I
        let it continue to beep in the background, after about 5 minutes,
       the
        beeping stopped and now I have a flashing grey folder with a white
        question mark inside it.
        Does anyone have any idea as to what else I may be able to do to
       fix
        the problem?
        Take care.
        Matt
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     End of WAMUG Digest, Vol 21, Issue 1
     ************************************
   References
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   Regards
   Stephen Chape
   Mac by choice
   Windows because my employer knew no better
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