I have rebooted my computer over 20X and performed the soft reset and the option command p.r. my iMac still gives me the gray screen with the file and question mark.
I have been having issues with starting up my computer for the last 5 weeks it started with a loud clicking sound when starting up and it use to only take turning the computer off and on a few times to get it running. This week it has taken almost a day of me turning off the computer and turning it back on. Last night I did the soft reset and it did come on. I did not shut down the computer and when I returned to it this evening I had to force it to shut down because it was stuck.I have did the soft reset and sad to say it did not work.I decided to try the option command and pr to reset it it did not work do any one have any other suggestions?
You can get a decent new hard drive for $100, plus labor to install it if you're not comfortable doing it on your own. In contrast, a new computer will cost quite a bit more than that. Of course, if that iMac is very old at this point - like, say 6 or 7 years old - the new drive may be worth more than the computer, and you could use this as an excuse to buy a new one!
Similar Messages
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Why do I have to reboot my computer in order to install the most recent version of adobe reader??
Why do I have to reboot my computer in order to install the most recent version of adobe reader??
After installing the most recent version of adobe reader, a prompt popped up, asking me to reboot my computer to complete installation. Why is it asking me to do this? Is it safe? And (if so,) how should I go about doing this??I don't know why - I never had to restart my computer after installing any Adobe updates.
[topic moved to Adobe Reader forum] -
I have an old version Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium. I uninstalled it from my old computer and was trying to install it on my new computer. It copied all the files but I cant open them and it doesn't ask me for my registration info, which I have. What shall I do to get Adobe up and running?
when you were install your cs3 you should have been prompted for you serial number. were you?
if not, you probably didn't properly install cs3. copying/migrating/moving etc is problematic.
if yes, did you see any error messages during installation?
if yes, attach a screenshot of the error message.
if not, check you install logs, Troubleshoot with install logs | CS5, CS5.5, CS6, CC -
i can't change the brightness on my macbook pro. i tried the buttons on the keyboard, went to settings and tried to do it from there, didn't work. i have restarted my computer as well and that didn't make a difference. please help.
Reset the PRAM and SMC.
Barry -
i recebtly bought an app (FIFA 12) now every time i play a match after the match it does not save an just goes to the home page without warning and i have to start all over again and no i did not press the home button. plz help
You can't gift it, gifting can only be done from within the store, not from within your library.
Puchases are considered final but you can try the 'report a problem' link to contact iTunes Support and see if they will refund or credit you : http://reportaproblem.apple.com
If the 'report a problem' link doesn't work then you can try contacting iTunes Support via this page : http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact/ - click on Contact iTunes Store Support on the right-hand side of the page, then Purchases, Billing & Redemption -
I downloaded 12 songs and am now "waiting" for them. How long does it take. I have been waiting for over 15min. and only got 2songs.
It should be almost immediate.
Is iTunes currently running on both computers? -
My computer I Mac is 10.6.5 I think but the issue was when I update it ask me for version 10.8.5 that was mountain lion wich I bought it for 19.99 Iand know is not working it had a gray screen with spinning wheel I have snow leopard on my iMac I bought mountin lion know the screen I grey I can't do nothing I reboots don't work I inserted the cd for my I Mac don't work can't do nothing I can't remove the cd can someone help me .
To get the CD to eject, hold down the mouse, or if you use it, trackpad, button while you reboot ... keep holding the button down until it ejects. If that doesn't work, this Apple note has some other steps.
See this Apple note on steps to take to deal with the grey screen.
Your iMac needs to be mid-2007 or newer with 2GB minimum memory (4GB+ is recommended) and 8GB or more of available disk space. You also should be at OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard to access the App store and install OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. -
I have an early 2009 17 inch MacBook Pro that just went on the fritz. When turning on the power it will go into boot up mode to the gray screen with the apple logo, then the disc icon will be running and will continue running, not allowing to proceed to my desk top screen. It's pretty much locked up at this point where I have to do a forced shut down by holding down the power button. I've tried everything that I know of such as taking battery out and pressing power button for 5 seconds and then reinstalling battery. I've cleaned inside of computer with compressed air duster in can as well as other key commands for resets. I've read that this is a common problem with the earlier MacBook Pros. Is this a problem that I can fix or does it have to be taken in for service? Any solutions to the problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
This could be a software/state problem or a hardware problem. Here are steps to resolve the former.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5282 -
I get either a grey screen or a flashing folder question mark. IT at my university said it wouldn't be till after the weekend and than still a few days to get it fixed so she told me to try to back it up myself because that's the only sure fire way to ensure I get all my Info. So any hints or help? They did a hardware test and they think it's my hard drive. I did a r+command restart
And it won't let me verify the disk.... Or download mountain lion.. Okay I know I sound clueless but can anyone help me?Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
In most cases the problems may be caused by:
Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
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.
The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD:
Boot From 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.
Reinstall Snow Leopard 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.
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing The Drive
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 the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless. -
When turning on my imac, it loads to a blue screen with a spinning wheel. It never gets passed that screen. I have tried power up to safe mode and it still doesn't work. I have music files saved on the computer and I don't want to lose any of my files. Can someone help me?
Zap the PRAM and Reset the SMC, and see if that fixes it. BTW. detailed computer and OS info goes a long way to solving problems.
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I have an iMac from 2008. When I start I get gray screen with apple and turning gear. Next blue screen. Then light blue screen with turning gear. Back to blue screen. Now just back and forth blue to light blur
Reinstall OS X:
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
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 the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.
Reinstalling Lion Without Erasing the Drive
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 the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer. -
yesterday for the first time i turned on my macpro 2011 model and i got a crazy gray screen with lines all over it ,so i held down the power button and turn off then restarted and all was ok could someone help me with this,what caused this shut down. werd
Are the lines like psychedelic herringbone? If yes, I had that happen once, it was something serious, like the
Logic board. The good news is that it was fixed without any loss of data on the hard drive. Take it in to have Apple look at it ASAP. I took it to TekServe at the time, they are very nice about preserving your data and user library when possible.
Good luck and don't panic. -
i have been waiting for over an hour for the iOS8 update (from 6) to complete. something wrong? disconnect or continue waiting
Do a reset hold down the home/sleep button together until you see the apple logo and then release.
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I have a grey screen with folder and question mark-why?
When I turn my computer on I see a grey screen with a folder and question mark over it. The folder and question mark are blinking then a couple minutes later the screen turns black. Help please!
Kfrost5792,
if your MacBook Pro didn’t originally come with grey installation discs in the box, then you can substitute “booting from Recovery mode” for “booting from your grey Mac OS X Install disc”, and from the OS X Utilities menu that appears on the desktop in Recovery mode, you can select Disk Utility there to erase your internal disk, which will allow you to perform an OS X Internet Recovery the next time that your MacBook Pro is powered up. -
My MacBook Pro stated that it needed to be updated. I clicked yes to restart the computer and update but when it restarted it stays on the gray screen with the apple logo and then pops up, stating "unable to find driver for this platform." What do I do?
Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with networks that require any kind of authentication other than a WPA or WPA2 Personal password.
When the Mac OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to reinstall the Mac OS. You don't need to erase the boot volume, and you won't need your backup unless something goes wrong. If your Mac didn’t ship with Lion, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade, so make a note of those before you begin.
Don't install the Thunderbolt update -- it's defective.
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