Fixing an iMac

[Stlerfn]

I know that it’s a waste of time trying to fix a 2011 iMac, but I got this for free because it was broken and noticed it’s only a OS issue. I believe the issue is that a non-compatible version of Mac OS is on the iMac. I unfortunately don’t have an Apple keyboard and I tried to plug in a normal keyboard to try and fix it, but it doesn’t seem to get power (the numlock/caps lock lights won’t turn on). The keyboard I used was the one that comes with Dell pre-builts. I just need to get into Recovery mode, but I need a keyboard to do it. Any suggestions as to why the keyboard doesn’t get power?

[Bombastinator]

A 2011 mac will use a “normal” keyboard.  If it’s not it implies there is a lot kore wrong than you think.  As does use of the term “normal keyboard”. A 2011 mac should be intel so it’s basically like any other intel machine.  Almost no difference.   The t2 chips and other weirdness came later.

 

I think you’ve got a problem with a port either on the keyboard or on the Mac.  Try testing the keyboard on something else to make sure it actually works, and failing that try a different USB port

[Stlerfn]

7 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

A 2011 mac will use a “normal” keyboard.  If it’s not it implies there is a lot kore wrong than you think.  As does use of the term “normal keyboard”. A 2011 mac should be intel so it’s basically like any other intel machine.  Almost no difference.   The t2 chips and other weirdness came later.

 

I think you’ve got a problem with a port either on the keyboard or on the Mac.  Try testing the keyboard on something else to make sure it actually works, and failing that try a different USB port

It does work and I did try another port. I would have assumed that too but the original owner said that their keyboard an mouse were working fine.

[Bombastinator]

3 minutes ago, Stlerfn said:

It does work and I did try another port. I would have assumed that too but the original owner said that their keyboard an mouse were working fine.

Usb is a standard and apple followed it after it was introduced.  Really really old macs used a connector called “adb” but that was pre 2000.  “PS2” connectors were sort of a rip of adb as adb worked a lot better than what PCs were using when it came out long before ps2.  Macs went from adb to usb though. 

[Stlerfn]

47 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

A 2011 mac will use a “normal” keyboard.  If it’s not it implies there is a lot kore wrong than you think.  As does use of the term “normal keyboard”. A 2011 mac should be intel so it’s basically like any other intel machine.  Almost no difference.   The t2 chips and other weirdness came later.

 

I think you’ve got a problem with a port either on the keyboard or on the Mac.  Try testing the keyboard on something else to make sure it actually works, and failing that try a different USB port

Just an update, apparently the lights don’t turn on, I have fixed my issue, thanks for any help.