I dont know if it's recoverable or not.

I'm a bit annoyed, because I was trying to back it up this week, and couldnt get Time Machine to work with my external hard drive.

If it's not recoverable...my birthday is next monday, and my dad was asking me today what I wanted for my birthday. Hmmm...let me think...

Mac Mini, or a new iMac???

There's only about a $10 difference between the nicest Mac Mini, and the most basic iMac....and with the Mac Mini, you have to buy a separate monitor. (which could be cheap or a lot of money, depending on what kind of screen you want)

I could probably get a Windows computer for a lot less...but I really like my iMac and would like to stick with Apple. (plus, I have 3 Windows computers of various ages right now...had four...gave one to my brother-in-law for school) I'd still have to buy a new monitor if I got a Windows computer...

I'm getting the dead iMac checked to see if it's fixable first.

It's not dead, it needs some housekeeping. Get it in for a look at the Apple store, they'll have you back in action in no time.

Did you get a freaky startup chime? A sad Mac on startup?

I agree! take it to the mac hospital and have it checked out. Macs CAN get virus' just like Windows computers. Days gone by, mac wasnt picked on, but those days have changed, and there are several Mac style virus' out there.

I hope it can be revived.

It wouldnt boot at all after it crashed.

So, I turned off the power strip it's plugged into and went to bed. Decided to just let it sit for awhile.

I turned it on a little bit ago, and it's booted up, and I'm actually using it right now to type this, but it's acting squirrley. So, I'm going to get an appointment at the Genius Bar to find out what's wrong with it.

Right now I'm using a pin drive to save a few things like my crochet patterns and some of my pictures. Not exactly sure how to save the music, but my iTouch has the music saved on it too, so I'm going to ask the b-in-law how to do that part.

When it booted up this morning, the mouse wouldnt work. It also keeps opening up folders that I dont normally access. It's weird, I've rebooted it a couple of times this morning, and each time it's rebooted, I've discovered a folder open that wasnt open when I rebooted. (like the applications folder...and a disk utility folder of some sort. Weird)

The mouse is working now, and once I got the Firefox program to stop "unexpectedly closing", it seems to be working for me.

Still, my dad did say something about giving me his current iMac (the 24in silver iMac he got in 2009) to me, and he'd just use his Macbook. That's how I inherited my current iMac. He'd gotten a new computer in 2009. So it was a hand-me-down.

He just got the Macbook a couple of months ago. So, he was saying he wouldnt mind handing down his iMac.

That's tempting.

Either that, or if I wait awhile for him to have the money, he'd get me a new computer for my birthday (which is next monday) I'd have to wait a few months, but he'd get me my own brand new computer (either the nicest Mac Mini, or the most basic iMac...they're not much different in price)

I think I'm going to take my current iMac up to Apple Store and have the Genius Bar check it for problems. See what's wrong with it. I may still go for a new computer. If this one's problems are fixable (which is likely...Apple computers are pretty cool for being fixable) I might hand this computer down to my sister and either take my dad's old iMac or get a brand new one.

I know my brother-in-law would like to get a hand-me-down iMac. (I just gave him my 8yr old Compaq laptop for him to use for school too)

I like this iMac, it's been the best computer I've ever had, but I wouldnt mind my dad's hand-me-down or a brand new one. (more likely that I'd do the hand-me-down...cheaper that way) I think my dad just wants to be able to go out and get the brand new iMac later this summer for himself. He's been looking at them every time we go to the Apple Store.

I better go get an appointment with the Genius Bar so I can find out what's wrong with this one.