I just bought a used iMac (core duo 17"). It had been reformatted so the startup process was from the original welcome screen. However...
When I turned on the iMac, the screen was a beige/gray funky grid with no other detail. I could hear the Mac bootup chime and the welcome sequence, but I couldn't see anything. I shut off the iMac and rebooted. It started up fine.
After updating software and setting up my profile, I allowed it to go to sleep. A few hours later, I came back and the screen was black (to be expected) and I clicked the mouse. The screen lights up and there's the garbled beige grid again. I press the space bar (I don't know why) and the iMac reboots. Boots up fine. This happened again later.
Anybody have any ideas about this? Is this a symptom that could get worse? Is it hardware or software related? Could shipping damage be the culprit?
I got the iMac for my mother and am concerned for her use of the machine. I won't be around to troubleshoot.
Thanks for your help.
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