Apple imac 17 inch late 2006 User Manual

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 151
Display
When displaying a single color over the screen area, the LCD panel shows one or more pixels 
that are not properly lit
Active-matrix LCD technology uses rows and columns of addressable locations (pixels) that 
render text and images on screen. Each pixel location has three separate subpixels (red, green, 
and blue) that allow the image to be rendered in full color. Each subpixel has a corresponding 
transistor responsible for turning...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 2
Hard Drive
Flashing question mark, or an alternating question mark and Mac OS (face or a 
folder)
Note: When troubleshooting hard drive problems it is a good idea, if possible, to back up any 
important data. Some troubleshooting steps may require erasing the contents of the hard drive.Boot from the system CD that came with the computer, and open Disk Utility. Does the hard 
1.  
drive show in Disk Utility? 
Yes: Run Repair Disk and Repair...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 3
System hangs during normal startup process
Boot from the system CD that came with the computer. Use Disk Utility to verify the hard 
1.  
drive.
Using Disk Utility, reformat the hard drive.
2.  
Check all cable connections to and from the hard drive.
3. 
Replace the hard drive data cable.
4.  
Replace the hard drive.
5. 
Replace the logic board.
6.   

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 154
Optical Drive 
CDs or DVDs don’t show up on the Desktop.
Select Preferences from the Finder menu and make sure the option to show CDs, DVDs and 
1.  
iPods is checked: in the General window as shown below.  

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 5
Select System Preferences from the Apple menu and open the CDs & DVDs preferences 
2.  
window. Make sure that audio CDs are set to launch iTunes and movie DVDs set to launch 
DVD Player when those media are inserted, as shown below. 
Check that the drive can read discs normally. Insert an audio CD and check whether it shows 
3. 
up on your desktop or launches iTunes.  
Does the audio CD mount on the desktop or in iTunes? 
Yes: The drive...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 156
The computer won’t burn discs.
Check whether the drive can read CDs and DVDs normally. Perform the steps above for “CDs 
1.  
or DVDs don’t show up on the Desktop.”
Try a test burn by creating a Burn Folder, as follows. 
2.  
• In the Finder, choose “New Burn Folder” from the File menu.  
 
• Open the Burn Folder, drag an item inside for testing, and click “Burn” in the upper right 
corner of the window. 
  
• When prompted, insert a blank...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 7
No: Replace the optical drive. Does it burn correctly now? 
 Yes: Problem solved. 
  No: Replace the logic board.
Discs won’t insert.
Is there a disc already in the drive? 
1.  
Yes: Eject the disc before inserting another. Refer to Knowledge Base article 51008 - “iMac: If 
You Can’t Eject a CD or DVD, or Open the Drive Tray”. If none of these options will eject the 
disc, you may have to disassemble the drive to recover the disc. See...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 8
Optical disc constantly ejects
Disconnect all peripheral devices, especially the mouse in cases where the disc is constantly 
1.  
ejecting. Retest. If the issue is resolved, reconnect peripherals one-at-a-time until faulty 
peripheral is identified.
Try cleaning the disc. If the disc is dirty or scratched, it may not mount.  
2.  
Is the issue resolved? 
Yes: Problem solved. 
No: Try a different disc. If the issue persists, go on to the next...

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 15 9
Fan Sound
Fans running at full speed after the computer turns on
The customer may have entered a diagnostic mode that causes the fans to run at full speed.* 
Restarting the system will not restore normal fan operation. To solve the problem, the user or 
technician should do the following:Shut down the system.
1.  
Disconnect the power cord and wait 15 seconds.
2.  
Reconnect the power cord and wait 5 seconds.
3. 
Power on the system.
4....

iMac (17-inch Late 2006) Troubleshooting — Symptom Charts 160
The sound is always present: The normal functioning of the hard drive and optical drive will 
generate additional whirring and scratching noises that may be audible. Check whether this 
sound is related to one of the components. Go to step 4. 
 
The sound varies: Under normal conditions rotating blowers will make a slight hum that 
varies in relationship with their rotational speed and the amount of air that they are moving. 
Let’s see if this...