I did an auto software update on my iMac, which included a restart. When the machine restarted it's stuck with an Apple logo and spinning wheel. I've tried all of the key strokes that are supposed to work, but nothing has. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I did an auto software update on my iMac, which included a restart. When the machine restarted it's stuck with an Apple logo and spinning wheel. I've tried all of the key strokes that are supposed to work, but nothing has. Any suggestions?
Gray screen could be any number of things, bad third party at boot kext file, a bad Apple one, a bad install/upgrade of OS X, drive corruption etc.
Run through this list of fixes
Step by Step to fix your Mac
Similar Messages
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Hi my serial number on bottom of my mac is W8******66E when l try to turn the computer on it is just going to grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel i have tried starting in safe mode and a few other suggested solutions and they have not worked?
<Edited by Host>What other solutions have you tried?
This may help you:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
Ciao. -
My macbook wont reboot apple logo and spinning wheel thats it.
I watched youtube videos and tried command r and now it keeps popping up you need to restart your computer. Everytime I restart it, it pops back up! HELP!!
Apple logo and spinning wheel is different than the need to restart your computer message.
See this Apple note on the spinning wheel at boot. If you are running OS X 10.7 or later, then rebooting with the command and r keys will get you into recovery mode, where you can use Disk Utility to repair the hard drive.
FYI, the need to restart your computer message in multiple languages is called a kernel panic, which is usually, but not always, caused by a hardware issue. If you have OS X 10.7 or later, you should be able to run the Apple hardware test. Prior to that, you need the disks that came with the system to run it. If you can run it, run the extended test when prompted, which can take over an hour to run. -
Macbook Pro (2011) froze while working, forced shut down, now won't turn on. Grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel for hours. Help?
Unfortunately do not know the operating system since I never updated anything and I can't get in to it.
Thanks for your assistance.If you want to preserve the data on the boot drive, and it's not already backed up, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is not fully functional. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
1. Boot from the Recovery partition or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
2. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
3. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data. -
I cannot start my mac book. Apple logo and spinning wheel on gray screen. Tried pressing shift key on start up nothing happen. Tried shift+command+V screen is still stuck
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
=======================================
Reinstall - Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported then click on the Repair Permissions button. When the process is completed, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
Reinstall Mountain Lion or Mavericks
OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is
three times faster than wireless. -
Macbook stuck at the apple logo and spinning wheel.
I have an macbook pro 13inch (2009) and when the laptop starts it gets stuck at the apple logo and the spinning wheel.
I have tried resetting the SMC and the NVRam or PRam, but this didn't help. The recovery mode doesn't start either.
The only thing that does work is safe mode. I can boot my laptop normally in safe mode, but when i restart it, it's the same thing. Stuck at the spinning wheel.
In safe mode i did a hdd controll but it didn't show any errors.
Please help!NickRb wrote:
The only thing that does work is safe mode. I can boot my laptop normally in safe mode, but when i restart it, it's the same thing.
That suggests that there is a third party application that is the problem. Look for same.
Ciao. -
nephew had mutliple tabs open and shut down the iMac by hitting the button on the back instead of closing everything corectly. Now the only screen i get is the white with apple logo and the loading circle icon. i have attempted restart and c key with disk in but cant even get a menu to come up. What can I attempt from home before having to haul this into the store?
wireless keyboard and mouse were working prior to safe mode attempt, i was able to eject disk. still waiting on the safe mode restart. I'm not sure what I should be looking for to confirm safe mode and what the screen should look like if successfully processing. it seems to be putting off a lot of heat. BRB
Message was edited by: FeydakeeeeenHelpMePlease -
Any help!!!
Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat Step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. If you can't get to an Apple Store, go to another authorized service provider. -
My iMac (intel based early 2008) turns itself off after the gray apple logo and spinning wheel
The other day was using my mac normally. Later on I noticed a pixilated horizontal black stripe on the desktop screen so I restarted. The screen ended up stalling at the gray apple logo with the spinning gray wheel. After a minute or two the Mac just turned off and I can never get beyong this point after restarting a bunch of times. I tried plugging in the power cord at another outlet with same result. Boot up disc did give me option to reinstall Mac OS X but then I'd lose my data (which is stupidly not backed up). Is this a power issue, or something else?
Hello
try use apple hardware test if is possible , 2 ways to launch AHT ( depend on your mac and system version )
1- hold on just after start up sound "D" key on key bord
2- boot from AHT dvd com from your mac , hold on "D" key on keyboord
see if aht report any error
HTH
Pierre -
I copied this
May 12 20:58:59 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
May 12 20:59:07 localhost com.apple.kextd[10]: Can't create kext cache under / - owner not root.
May 12 20:59:08 localhost bootlog[39]: BOOT_TIME: 1336852733 0
May 12 20:59:11 localhost DirectoryService[36]: Improper shutdown detected
there is more but does this give anyone an idea
Regards JimLinc has suggested you use Disk Utility "Repair Permissions". This is one of the few obscure cases where "Repair Permissions" should be exactly the right solution.
For almost every other routine problem, the Disk Utility function "Repair Disk" is the right choice, and "Repair Permissions" is just a distraction. -
Macbook pro will not boot. I get the gray screen, an apple icon and spinning wheel. I tried to start in safe mode, but get this same screen. The only thing different is that I added the zedge update app to do a sync for adding ringtones to my apple cell phone. How can I get a good boot. I am fairly new to apple computer.
Reset PRAM: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405 and then try a normal boot.
Run the Startup Manager to select Startup disk: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310
If those did not work your disk may be sick or dying. The top priority at this point is to make a backup copy of your data.
Check the health of the disk. Boot in Recovery Mode (Boot, Command-R). Run Disk Utility. Click on the upper left disk icon. Does the S.M.A.R.T. status say “Verified”? If not the disk/SSD is unhealthy and needs to be replaced. Even if it does not show “Verified” you can still attempt a backup.
Click on the icon indented below, usually called “Macintosh HD” and Verify Disk. If it finishes with a green “OK” message then all is well with the disk. If it shows errors in red then you have found a problem to address once the system is backed up. Do not attempt software repairs until you have secured the data.
If the disk will not show up at all in Disk Utility as your ran the tests above then it may be dead or it may have a bad internal SATA cable. A trip to an Apple store for confirmation would be in order.
If you have an external disk drive you can use as a backup drive then do so. If not Google “Hitachi USB 3.0 external hard drive 1TB” to purchase one or go to a brick-and-mortar store (including an Apple store) to pickup one. Any 1 TB external drive will do.
Assuming it is still breathing you can try to recover the data without booting from the sick disk.
Reformat the external disk. (This will erase all data on the external disk.)
Boot in Recovery Mode. Start Disk Utility. Plug in the new disk. Select it’s disk Icon (the second one down, left justified). Select the Partition tab.
Partition Layout > Single Partition
Name: Emergency Recovery 1 (or whatever name you wish to use)
Format: Mac OS Extended (journaled)
Options… > GUID Partition Table > OK
Apply
Select the Restore tab.
Drag the old system volume (Macintosh HD) to Source.
Drag the new disk volume (Emergency Recovery 1) to Destination.
Click on Restore.
It may take a long time for the backup.
If that will not complete post back for other emergency data recovery methods, including those from a brody.
If the backup succeeds, use the First Aid tab in Disk Utility to select the old volume (Macintosh HD) and Repair Disk. If it does not finish with a green OK message try to repair it once or twice more. If it repairs with a green OK message, will it boot normally? If not, boot from the Recovery Partition and reinstall OS X.
If it is still not healthy, post back for further instructions. -
After Software Update Only Logo and Spinning Wheel Appear
After downloading latest versions of Safari, OSX, and iTunes suggested via software update, a message stating that not all software (iTunes) instatlled. Restart resulted in the Apple logo and spinning wheel and never continued to completion. A hardware test using supplied disc resulted in a pass for tests run. I cannot boot the software restore disc when restarting and holding down C key. Anyone experience something similar? Any guidance would be appreciated.
Hi-
Welcome to Discussions!
Try a Safe mode boot (hold Shift while booting).
Safe mode boots take longer, so be patient.
If successful, at the login window, click Restart, and allow a normal boot. -
While updating my MacBook Pro to the newest software, it froze with a grayish screen with a Apple logo and a frozen pinwheel right below it. What can I do to finish updating or to fix this problem?
We can't help you if you don't even know what you are installing. Never install anything if you do not know what it is. Installings through Software Update always have explanations which you should be reading to see if you actually need and/or want them.
That being said, it appears you attempted to upgrade to Mavarick. Although I am not positive.
Sorry, I am going to back out of this because I nor you know what it was you installed. Hopefully, someone else will chime in here.
GOOD LUCK! -
I updated safari to 7.0.3 and pages to 5.2 and can no longer attached files in gmail that are pages or exported to word. Any suggestions?
I have a similar issue.
After updating Pages to 5.2, all Word export documents are 10 times the size they'd normally be.
A normal exported .DOC file that would have been under 200K, is now 1.7MB once exported. !!! ???
This is a major issue with Pages. -
"My ipod is displaying apple logo and wont start up, hard reset leaves it the same, disc mode works but iTunes doesn't "see" it even if the computer does."
It worked two days ago fine, for two years, until I installed this newest iTunes update, then for one day it kept on freezing and going to apple logo screen mode, then today it only goes to that screen and wont start up at all.
I've tried the hold down two buttons hard reset, that doesn't help. I've tried disc mode... but iTunes doesn't "see" it even if the computer does.
This is a pristine ipod, never exposed to adverse conditions, never dropped, never wet, and it worked perfectly two days ago.
Can I factory reset it somehow? (considering itunes can't "see" it)
[Ipod classic 160gb less than two years old.]Looks like I might have found the solution on a youtube comment:
R.O:
"Plug into you laptop first, whichever set up you use that has iTunes, i know it won't read it, don't even open iTunes as of yet. Do the typical reboot "Menu +Center button at the same time" and hold it, DONT LET IT GO like we were told, when the apple pops up.. KEEP HOLDING IT it will make a new ding sound I've never heard before. and since its hooked to you laptop already an error message pops up and says apple will need to download something to repair your iPod. I when u see that that when i let reboot buttons go. hit ok on the laptop something downloads for like 20 seconds then the iTunes icon hops around when you open it it has a screen with an iPod classic on it and says "Software version blah blah, iTunes will check for an update on such n such date" AND FINALLY there's a "Restore" button. click that and you will be back to square one with your iPod. Renaming , adding all the music on it, but it will work again, finally. "
I had to do it twice, because my mac froze the first time, but its recognized it now and is downloading the software as we speak...
Now I've clicked the restore button and it's restoring... I'll post again if its a success, otherwise assume failure.
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