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Model A1418 / Late 2012 / 2.7 & 2.9 GHz Core i5 or 3.1 GHz Core i7 Processor

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Start up chime every 3 seconds - Cannot boot

I tried re-installing High Sierra but forgot to wipe the HDD.

After rebooting and trying to re-install with a wipe, the imac turns on, plays the start up chime, then every 3 seconds later it will play the chime again. The screen is white/grey (hard to tell as the brightness seems to be all the way down)

It is not chiming every 5 seconds .

No keyboard commands work. It is like its stuck in a loop.

Tested other keyboards.

Any ideas on how to fix this issue?

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Do you have a bootable external drive? If you do you'll need to use it to get your system to boot up. You'll also need a USB wired keyboard to get the bootup commands to work as I suspect you aren't even getting to the point in the boot process for the Bluetooth services to be functional.

Use the Option Key to gain access to the startup manager so you can select the other drive using the arror keys of the keyboard.

Let us know if you can get this far so we can walk you through the rest.

Reference: Mac startup key combinations

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Hi Dan,

I have tried booting from USB but it is like the imac doesn't register that any keys have been pressed. It seems to busy rebooting /chiming. The screen doesnt actually change or refresh though, just constant chimes every 3 seconds. I have tried various wired keyboards as well just in case they were faulty.

Thanks

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Just so I get this right you used a USB keyboard?

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Yes, wired USB keyboard. Mac version and PC version.

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Why were you reinstalling? What did you change? What was it doing that you felt you need to do a reinstall?

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Umm... You probably wiped more than you had to. It sounds as though you have wiped the MacOS proprietary systems (or at least some of them) This has effectively killed your Mac as it has no idea what to do or how to do anything. You could A. download a pirated file of Mac Proprietary systems (VERY rare to find as it is the same file that will turn a windows computer into a Macintosh [hackintosh]) or B. spend a little money and have it fixed by Apple.

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A drive which is missing its OS files or has a damaged drive would not do this. You would be getting the flashing question mark in a folder icon on the screen.

A loop condition like this would more likely be a EFI issue (as we've removed the drive aspect in the first part of the diagnosis process). This gets into the system is trying to get to the internet to gain access to the EFI updated on Apples servers or the local OS installer drive.

There is absolutely no reason for this series iMac to need a pirated copy of the OS. If it was an old 2001 - 2010 then you would need a Mac OS CD/DVD to boot the system (supplied Grey disks or retail version).

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Is there anything i can do myself or do i have to go to apple?

Any ideas on cost of this sort of repair?

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Going to Apple is the best option I suppose. They will diagnose it and try to give you a price on fixing it. Dont take the price come back here and tell us what the issue was. If we cant figure it out call Apple. Dont tell them anything you did, tell them you want a flate rate repair, then send it in.

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Gerard Hampton will be eternally grateful.
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