Apple Imac 21 5inch Late 2011 User Guide

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Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
An Ounce of Prevention
If	you	have	a	problem	with	your	computer	or	software, 	having	kept	up-to-date	Time	
Machine	backups	ensures	that	your	data	won’t	be	lost. 	If	you	make	regular	Time	
Machine	backups, 	you	can	restore	your	software	and	all	your	data	to	exactly	the	way	it	
was	at	the	time	of	backup. 	Even	serious	issues	are	of	less	concern	when	you	safeguard	
your	information	with	 Time	Machine.
Problems That Prevent You from Using Your iMac
If your iMac won’t...

42Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
For	information	about	the	software	that	came	with	your	iMac, 	go	to		
www.apple.com/downloads.
If	the	problem	occurs	frequently, 	try	repairing	your	disk,	restoring	your	software	from	
a	backup, 	or	reinstalling	your	system	software	using	the	Mac	OS	X	Utilities	application	
(see	 “Repairing, 	Restoring,	or	Reinstalling	Mac	OS	X	Software” 	on	page	44).
If your iMac freezes during startup or you see a flashing question mark
	
ÂWait	a	few	seconds. 	If	your	iMac...

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Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
	
ÂPress	the	power	button	(®)	and	immediately	hold	down	the	Command	(x), 	
Option, 	P,	and	R	keys	until	you	hear	the	startup	sound	a	second	time. 	This	resets	the	
parameter	RAM	(PRAM). 	
	
ÂIf	you	recently	installed	memory, 	and	your	iMac	sounds	tones	every	five	seconds, 	
make	sure	that	the	memory	is	correctly	installed	and	that	it	is	compatible	with	your	
iMac. 	Check	whether	removing	the	memory	you	installed	allows	your	iMac	to	start	
up	(see	page	38)....

44Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
	
ÂLog	out	from	your	user	account	by	choosing	Apple	()	>	Log	Out	 “User”	(your	
account	name	appears	in	the	menu), 	and	then	press	the	Media	Eject	key	(C)	on	
your	keyboard.
	
ÂRestart	your	iMac	while	holding	down	the	mouse	button.
If you have trouble scrolling with your mouse
	
ÂIf	you	have	a	mouse	with	a	scroll	ball	and	the	scrolling	feels	rough	or	the	scroll	ball	
isn’t	scrolling	up, 	down,	or	side-to-side, 	hold	the	mouse	upside-down	and	roll	the	ball...

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Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
Use	the	Mac	OS	X	Utilities	application	to:
	
ÂRestore	your	software	and	data	from	a	 Time	Machine	backup.
	
ÂReinstall	Mac	OS	X	and	Apple	applications.
	
ÂRestore	your	computer	to	its	factory	settings	by	erasing	its	disk	and	reinstalling	
Mac	OS	X	and	your	Apple	applications.
	
ÂRepair	your	computer’s	disk	using	Disk	Utility.
If	your	computer	detects	a	problem, 	it	opens	the	Mac	OS	X	Utilities	application	
automatically. 	You	can	also	open	the	application	manually...

46Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
To open the Mac OS X Utilities application:
	
mRestart	your	computer	while	holding	down	the	Command	(x)	and	R	keys.
Some	utilities	in	the	Mac	OS	X	Utilities	application	require	access	to	the	Internet	and	
the	Mac	App	Store. 	You	may	need	to	make	sure	your	computer	is	connected	to	the	
Internet	by	using	your	Ethernet	or	 Wi-Fi	network.	
To connect by using a Wi-Fi network:
1  Choose	a	network	from	the	 Wi-Fi	status	menu	in	the	upper-right	corner	of	the	screen.
2  If...

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Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
Restoring Information Using a Time Machine Backup
You	can	use	the	Restore	utility	to	restore	everything	on	your	computer	to	its	previous	
state	if	you	have	a	 Time	Machine	backup.
Use	your	 Time	Machine	backup	to	restore	information	only	to	the	computer	that	was	
the	source	of	the	backup. 	If	you	want	to	transfer	information	to	a	new	computer, 	use	
Migration	Assistant	(in	the	Utilities	folder	in	Launchpad).
1  If	your	backup	is	on	a	 Time	Capsule,	make	sure...

48Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
You	can	install	Mac	OS	X	without	erasing	the	disk, 	which	saves	your	existing	files	
and	settings, 	or	you	can	erase	the	disk	first, 	which	erases	all	your	data	and	leaves	the	
computer	ready	for	you	to	reinstall	Mac	OS	X	and	Apple	applications.
After	reinstalling	Mac	OS	X, 	you	can	re-download	the	Apple	applications	that	came	
with	your	iMac	and	other	apps	you	purchased	from	the	Mac	App	Store. 	You	can	restore	
your	other	data	and	applications	from	a	 Time	Machine...

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Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
After	reinstalling	Mac	OS	X, 	you	can	re-download	the	Apple	applications	that	came	
with	your	iMac	and	other	apps	you	purchased	from	the	Mac	App	Store. 	You	can	restore	
your	other	data	and	applications	from	a	 Time	Machine	or	other	backup.
Checking for a Hardware Problem
If	you	suspect	a	hardware	problem,	use	the	Apple	Hardware	Test	application	to	help	
determine	if	there’s	a	problem	with	one	of	the	iMac	components. 	
To use Apple Hardware Test:
1  Disconnect	all...

50Chapter 4      Problem, Meet Solution
Problems with Your Internet Connection
The	Network	Setup	Assistant	application	on	your	iMac	can	help	walk	you	through	
setting	up	an	Internet	connection. 	Open	System	Preferences	and	click	Network. 		
Click	the	 “Assist	me” 	button	to	open	Network	Setup	Assistant.
If	you	have	trouble	with	your	Internet	connection, 	you	can	try	the	steps	in	this	section	
for	your	type	of	connection	or	you	can	use	Network	Diagnostics .
To use Network Diagnostics:
1  Choose	Apple	()...