[kennedy]

I have an iMac that is making a horrible rattling sound and won't boot... I think the hard drive died... can it be easily replaced without risking deadly electric shock from the CRT? Good set of directions on the web?

[macaddict0001]

How far does it get when it won't boot?
does it make the startup sound?
Does the screen come on?
Do you see a flashing folder on the screen?
Do you see a flashing hard drive on the screen?

[Detrius]

Tray load or slot load iMac?

And both are safe to replace the hard drive.

[kennedy]

Its a slot-load iMac... a DV 400 if I remember right.

To answer exactly the behavior, I just pulled it out of the corner I stuck it in...
turned it on... didn't make the horrible clanking sound... just the normal drive burble...

Is it possible the ride across town in my car (from work to home) would have fixed whatever was clanking? Maybe the parked heads got stuck and the drive home shook them enough to un-stick them?

Anyway, I get the Apple logo and the little spinner... it spins for 3-4 seconds and then freezes. I tried again 3 more times... same thing twice and a kernel panic one time.

Since the drive appears to be functioning, for the moment, I'll try to re-initialize it and do a full OS install and see if it works.


Glad to know I can replace the drive though. Thanks!

[vinster]

Originally posted by kennedy:
<snip...>

Anyway, I get the Apple logo and the little spinner... it spins for 3-4 seconds and then freezes. I tried again 3 more times... same thing twice and a kernel panic one time.

Since the drive appears to be functioning, for the moment, I'll try to re-initialize it and do a full OS install and see if it works.


Glad to know I can replace the drive though. Thanks!

You'd know it if the HD's gone. I've had one die on me and the only thing that happened when I hit the power button was a grey screen, no startup chime or anything.

[typoon]

If it's the Hard Drive you can replace them safely on those iMacs. I've done one before and it wasn't too difficult once I figured out how to pull it apart.

[P]

I think it's more likely that there is a loose cable inside somewhere, and it happened to get back into place by accident. Crack it open and check for that.

A broken HD is either entirely silent or a clicking noise. I doubt there'd be a rattle.

Here's a couple of reports on how to replace the drive, in case you need to do that.:

http://www.macworld.com/2001/10/publ.../bc/howtoimac/
http://www.nelsonbc.ca/mactech_suppr...ard_drive.html

[Detrius]

Sometimes a clanking hard drive is intermittent. Moving it or changing the temperature can affect whether or not it works... for a little while. Then it just dies for good.