IMac Missing operating system screen

hi Gabrielle.
try this.
Press the Command and R keys at the same time when the grey screen appears and hold them until you see the Apple logo. A small loading bar will appear under the logo. Sit tight as your system boots into Recovery Mode. Click the Utilities tab in the top menu bar, select Terminal, type reset password and press Enter.
if this does not work go to this link and it should help you out some more.
How to bypass password on IMAC computer Google Search
or this one.
Bypass and reset the password on any Mac in no time
or this.
Five Ways to Reset Lost Administrator Password
or this.
How to bypass password on IMAC computer Google Search

Hold down the power button until the computer turns off. Then restart.

Are both of the RAM 1GB, and did you make sure you bought the type of RAM that works for your computer?

Thanks for asking your question with Fixya Support. I will be glad to assist you.

What I would recommend is that you try to acquire a USB keyboard, for this issue, because it will open the way for many troubleshooting options for such an issue like this.

If you can get temporary use of a USB keyboard, you can try any of these options:

Option 1:

Here are some steps you can try to resolve the issue:

• First, hold in your power button for approximately 10 seconds to do a hard shutdown, if it is not already shutdown (turned off)

•You will need to perform what is called a PRAM reset (Parameter RAM)

• Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously .

• Turn on the computer.
• Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

• Now, hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the start-up sound for the second time.

• Release the keys and allow your iMac to start up.

If that does not work and you still reach a blue screen when you reboot, try this option:

Option II

Here is a simple procedure that I recommend you try:

-SMC RESET-
The System Management Controller is an integrated circuit (computer chip) that is usually on the logic board of your Mac computer.

It is responsible for power management of the computer. It controls backlighting, hard disk spin down, sleep and wake, some charging aspects, and some input/output as it relates to the computer sleeping.

• Shut down the computer.
• Unplug the computer's power cord.
• Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds.
• Release the power button.
• Attach the computers power cable.
• Press the power button to turn on the computer

If you still reach a blue screen, now you will need to go to this alternative process:

Option III


Try taking your Mac into Safe Mode in order to remove a possible folder(s) which may be affecting your Mac's start up function.

Try these steps:


-SAFE BOOT MODE-
• Reboot your Mac
• Upon restarting your Mac, press the Shift key.
• Hold the Shift key until you see a White Screen with Gray Apple icon and eventually a spinning gear.
• When you see the Spinning gear, release the Shift key.
• Allow the Mac to continue booting up. Also this may take a little while
(NOTE: this may take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to load to the Safe mode screen depending on the performance of your Mac, but if it exceeds this time, shutdown your Mac and try just once more. It may have just frozen up the first time around for you.)
• You are going to enter the Safe Mode (which looks like your main desktop enviroment the only difference is certain startup items are disabled.)

• Once within the Desktop in Safe Mode
• From the Finder Menu, click Go> Go to Folder
• Type in this line: /System/Library/StartupItems
• This path, is going to take you to the System Library folder which has all of your Mac OS X Startupitems.
• Remove all of those folders to the Trash.

*Reboot your iMac normally and see if you can access your normal User desktop environment.

One of these three options should help return you back to your main desktop.

If it does not, please let me know.

Thanks!


-The MacTechTrainer

Try to force quit the Applications

1. Go to the top right part of the screen and click on the Apple logo.
2. Click "Force Quit"
3. Select the Application you are in or all of them and for each click "Force Quit"

If this doesn't work try to restart your iMac

1. On the back of your iMac locate the power button in the bottom left.
2. Hold down the button and then the iMac should turn off.
3. After a minute or so, try to turn the iMac back on again, it should be operating normally.

It is having difficulty with the system folder, try starting with the left hand shift key held down, if not boot from CD, select language as if you are going to do an install, on the next screen the top menu has a utilities folder, in this select disc utlility, select your hard drive and then select repair, let this work and if OK or repaired (if it says it cannot repair then you need a repair utlity like DiskWarrior) then repair permissions, this can take a while with a big HD, then in utilities select start up disk and select your HD and restart.

I think your system files are corrupt try to reinstall mac OS X

same thing happens to me - most of the time it will just randomly freeze; occasionally i get an unresponsive black screen. this 24' aluminum imac usually has startup problems also - sometimes it will "gong" and nothing else; sometimes the apple logo will come up and then nothing else; sometimes it will load the logo and then spin for a few seconds and then freeze - the only option is to manually shut down. there is no rhyme or reason to it

It may be stuck so what you can try are one of these options:

Option# 1
* Shutdown your iMac G4
* Before you turn on your iMac, hold down your mouse button(s).
* Turn your iMac on still holding the mouse button(s) down.
* You will need to keep holding, until your disc ejects as your iMac starts up. That should do it.

Option# 2
If it does not, try using the Terminal utility to attempt to eject the disc.

* Click anywhere on the blank space of your desktop
and then you should see Finder appear near the Apple menu icon located in the upper left corner of your screen.

* Now from the Finder menu, select Go > Utilities.
* Within the Utilities folder. locate the Terminal application and launch it.
* When the screen prompt appears, type:
drutil tray eject

Option# 3
If that does not work, you can also try ejecting the cd using Open Firmware:

* Restart your Mac and hold these keys:
* Hold Command, Option, O and F keys while booting up.

* Now type: eject cd

To exit the open firmware screen type: mac-boot

One of these 3 methods should eject your disc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If not, you may have a genuinely stuck CD in your drive and may need to take your iMac in to your local Apple retail store Genius bar or local Apple-authorized service center to have it safely and correctly removed.

Honestly, however, I have this same type of iMacG4- you will probably have the cd out by Option # 2 :)

Regards,

-Mactechtrainer

Try turning it on with the shift key down. This gives a safe boot. If it's going to turn on at all, it will turn on then. Also, boot it with Disc Warrior or Tech Tools and run some tests to see what is going on. I hope you find all is well, and that the repairs are just minor. Good luck.