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Imac not going past recovery mode

Hi There, I hope you guys are having a wonderful day,


I have a 2011 iMac that when i press the power button, Promptly spins the fan and will go to recovery mode. I have been on apple support countless times to no avail. Is there any way to bypass this and get to the OS? I replace the motherboard, lcd screen, and everything in this computer that could be replaces such and cables and stuff. Is there any way that I am able to just go to the normal mac home screen?


Thank you! :D

Posted on May 11, 2022 8:40 PM

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Posted on May 12, 2022 6:28 AM

A failing hard drive is a very likely possibility which was not explicitly mentioned. Plus if you installed a third party hard drive or SSD, then you also need to install a thermal sensor as well or the fans will run at high speed.


You need to run the Apple Diagnostics to see which sensor is reporting issues which may give you a clue to which component is at fault.


11 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 12, 2022 6:28 AM in response to JustYourNormalDude

A failing hard drive is a very likely possibility which was not explicitly mentioned. Plus if you installed a third party hard drive or SSD, then you also need to install a thermal sensor as well or the fans will run at high speed.


You need to run the Apple Diagnostics to see which sensor is reporting issues which may give you a clue to which component is at fault.


May 12, 2022 1:07 PM in response to JustYourNormalDude

Not knowing if you got genuine Apple parts, it will be hard to troubleshoot your Mac, especially if it can't even boot up in Recovery Mode. Unfortunately, Apple will not touch your Mac and wouldn't be able to help since a 2011 iMac is now considered "obsolete."


I assume that you have already tried running the Apple Hardware Test, or booting up in Safe Mode ... correct? ... or booted up with an external startup drive ... correct?


May 11, 2022 10:32 PM in response to JustYourNormalDude

JustYourNormalDude wrote:

I have a 2011 iMac that when i press the power button, Promptly spins the fan and will go to recovery mode. I have been on apple support countless times to no avail. Is there any way to bypass this and get to the OS?

Basically, no. When your Mac boots up in Recovery Mode, there is(are) issues that is preventing it from completing the boot up process. Most likely, it could be hardware related. Although, software could be a culprit, as well.


You mention that you have replaced a number of items already. Is this something that Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider perform ... or was this done by you or another third-party?

May 12, 2022 1:53 PM in response to Tesserax

Ive tried booting it off a Usb stick multiple times, tried re-installing the original Mac-Os that came with the computer with the disk, yet to no avail. I tried running the "Apple Diagnostics" and my mac refuses to go there. Now when i try putting it into recovery mode, All it shows is a black screen. I opened it up to check cables and everything is good it looks like the Hard Drive is completely dead. I can hear the computer chime with the power on sound, and I can hear the fans and everything inside working but nothing is showing up. I now want to buy one on eBay, and just use it as a second monitor. Do you guys think if I buy another 2012 Mac, that I can use the other mac as a second monitor via Mini-Display port ?


I hope I didn't take you guys time and have a wonderful day :D

May 12, 2022 4:49 PM in response to JustYourNormalDude

There is usually diagnostic LEDs on the Logic Board of the iMac Logic Boards which provides another method to determine where a fault lies (or at least where to look) especially if there is no video output. It is usually fairly easy to locate the Apple service guide for your iMac.


What does "the Apple Diagnostics and my mac refuses to go there" mean? Details are very important since we cannot see what happens including exact error messages.


Plus you have no idea if the parts you purchased are even any good. Even when purchasing parts from a vendor with a stellar reputation there is always a possibility of receiving a defective part. Plus once in a long while one bad part may damage a second part, so when you install a single new part the other bad part may sometimes damage the new good part. Luckily this situation is rare, but it is always something that must be considered. Normally a computer will only have one defective part when there is a problem unless accidental damage or a lightning storm or electrical surge were involved.


FYI, the 27" 2011 iMac has a known GPU failure so that just adds yet another complication to the mix. The diagnostic LEDs on the Logic Board will be crucial in trying to diagnose the problem.

May 13, 2022 4:50 PM in response to JustYourNormalDude

It means the video card and LCD Panel are not communicating. Assuming the LCD Panel cable and connectors are not damaged and are fully seated, then it is most likely a bad GPU and is the first thing to attempt to replace. If you have the 27" iMac, the GPU in it is known to have a high rate of failure (at one time Apple had a free repair program that is now expired).

Imac not going past recovery mode

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