IMac won't start up in safe mode

Thanks to those that have helped getting my so far. Really appreciated.
When attempting to startup in safe mode the grey progress bar runs to about 1/3 of the way then drops out & am stuck on the grey screen again.
Tried starting up in safe mode with report Shift-Cmd-V
Lots of tech jargon so am not sure what to look for or how to rectify it (short of reinstalling system discs)
the last 3 lines are as follows (if that's any help)...
fsck_hfs: Volume is journaled. No checking performed.
fsck_hfs: Use the -f option to force checking.
launchctl: Please convert the following to launchd: /etc/mach_init.d/dashboardadvisory.plist

Yes, I have backed up and deleted old files using target disk mode with an old macbook. It's just the larger files I didn't have enough space and disks for. I really appreciate your help on this as I've never had any mac issues before this so am not really sure what to look for.

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Won't start up from Safe Mode

Powerbook G4 goes to blue screen during regular start-up. Tried starting it in Safe Mode and it stops on the Apple blue background and won't got any further. I was on Safari earlier and it froze, so I did a hard restart. Now it just stops on one of the blue screens mentioned above. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Donna

Simon, I had a similar problem after restarting (after a software update), resulting in the dreaded blue screen:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=450601&tstart=0
I've since 'zero-ed' the disk and am now back to square -1 on Jaguar until I find my Panther disk!
Although my problem was a drive error, you can still try some of the fixes that should work, e.g try repairing disk permissions using disk utility, i.e before taking the drastic measures I finally had to take.
Good luck
G3 iBook 800mhz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Won't start up in safe mode

Mac pro Quad Core... 2 NEC 24" monitors
Working away got a kernal panic like wild blinking flickering... Command save, hard shut down
2 Super duper clone boot drives in machine
Now,
1st boot drive, safe start, get boot progress bar runs through to the end, apple logo, spinning wagon wheel,wagon wheel freezes then black and it restarts on its own and this starts again in an endless loop...
2nd boot drive (via option,select boot drive) same thing...
Methinks it is not the drives?
Anything to reset in the machine?
Have already reset the PRam, reset the SMC
Ross

The Mac Pro early 2008 requires 10.5.2 or later to boot.
Pull out all the Hard drives and try booting from your 10.6 DVD. That will tell you whether the basic Hardware is working.

My MacBook Pro won't start up in safe mode

It'll just start up get half way and then stop.Please I really need help!

Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT4718
If you can't do anything, there is nothing anyone here can do for you. Your only other alternative is to take the computer to an Apple store or an AASP. Whichever is more convenient for you.

My iMac won't start normally it will start on safe boot unless I start in verbus mode single user mode or reset the pram but if I start this way it won't sleep

help mi imac won't start normally

Hello!
Can you tell us what happens?
I’ve offered the steps below to similar posts in the past and they helped out getting to the solution (or at least find the cause). I suggest them to you too in this case. It will take you about 30 minutes or less to do these, depending on how bad the problem on your Mac is.
The goal here is to boot your Mac to the so-called Recovery partition where you’ll have a chance to repair the disk and the disk permissions using the Disk Utility and Password Utility. This might solve your issue and even if it doesn’t- it’s still a decent maintenance step to perform. These steps won’t erase your data or reinstall your Mac in any way if you follow instructions carefully.
Here’s how:
1/ Make sure your computer is completely shut down.
2/ You’ll have to be quick next: Press the Mac’s power button. As soon as you either hear the loud chime, or see the display light up - usually after a second or 2 - on your keyboard press [cmd] + [r] Keep these keys on your keyboard pressed until you either see an Apple Logo with a loading bar or a spinning gear.
After a few minutes, you’ll be presented with a Utilities screen. This is the Recovery partition. If this step is already giving you problems, try using a USB-keyboard. It doesn’t have to be an Apple-keyboard. If you have a Windows-tailored keyboard laying around, use the “Windows-flag” key in stead of the [cmd]-key and it should also work.
3/ Choose Disk Utility and click [continue]
Disk Utility will display your computer’s harddrive in the left column. The default name for it is “Macintosh HD” and is usually the second one from the top. Click on it and click on the [verify disk] button. This will check your “Macintosh HD” harddrive partition for errors. If found, click [repair disk] unless you have a Fusion drive in your Mac and it says [fix] instead of [repair disk] please tell us before you continue! For a screenshot of what I mean, check this article from Apple: http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202574
4/ Once done with the verifying or repairing of your “Macintosh HD” click [repair disk permissions]
This will check your partition for permissions errors. A common myth about this feature is that it will fix all permissions issues on your Mac, which is not true, but it will fix most systemwide issues. Also, here is a list of error messages that you can safely ignore if they pop up:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203172
5/ Lastly we shall do a permissions/Access Control List repair on specifically your user’s home folder with a somewhat hidden tool in the Recovery partition. Close Disk Utility and find the menu called “utilities” in the top left corner of your computer’s display. It’s in between the menus “edit” and “window” Don’t be confused with the menu called “os x utilities”
Choose Terminal. A somewhat old-fashioned looking window will pop up, waiting for a text command from you. This is the Terminal.
After the # type: resetpassword and press return. Note that there is no space between ‘reset’ and ‘password’
What you’ll see next is an rectangular window that gives you the option to reset passwords. We are not going to that, however. Instead, click on “Macintosh HD” at the top. In the pull-down menu below that, choose your user's accountname. Skip all the rest and at the very bottom click the [reset]-button.
A spinning gear will appear and may stay on for a second or several minutes. It’s hard to predict exactly how long.
If you have multiple users on your Mac, I advise you to repeat this step for all your users.
We’re ready to reboot your Mac now. Click on the Apple Menu and choose “startup disk” Choose to boot from “Macintosh HD” Please let us know if this solved your issue, or if the steps above did not work, or could not be performed for some reason.

Imac won't start up n issues in single user mode

Imac won't start up after long time 'frazing' of Firefox. Manual start up ended up in the grey screen forever'processing' icon.
Had a look at other solutions, unable to enter safe mode. Someone mentioned to try single user mode and it went through half way with error messages on the screen which has no command line available for me to key in any letter.
My Imac has been out of warranty coverage for a while, how do I know if it's hard ware problems before paying for service?
Any help would be appreciated!
Alice

Yes, I have backed up and deleted old files using target disk mode with an old macbook. It's just the larger files I didn't have enough space and disks for. I really appreciate your help on this as I've never had any mac issues before this so am not really sure what to look for.

Why does my imac start up in safe mode

hi, imac starts up in safe mode. not every time, only when progress bar appears at startup.
I have had the Logic board replaced under warranty but it still started in safe mode.
sometimes when it has started the wifi symbol is missing and no wifi, other times the sound is not there and the symbol is missing on the top bar.
I then have to restart and it comes up good. sometimes the desktop top bar is not there until I press the mouse and then it appears.
don't know what to do, any Ideas anybody?

How often does this happen? Do you have automatic updating enabled in Software Update? If so, then it's possible those were firmware updates being installed, not startup in safe mode. In a safe mode startup you are initially prompted for your password before proceeding past login.
If a firmware update was happening then the computer will restart on its own. If you interrupt the process then the update isn't installed, so it will try again on the next restart.
Safe mode is initiated by holding down the SHIFT key at restart. It should not occur without user intercession.

IMac won't start up passed the grey screen

Last friday my iMac (late 2006, 24", 2.33 duo core Intel, OS 10.6.8) gave me the spinning beach ball.
Restarting resulted in: first the apple screen with the progress indicator, followed by grey screen..
That was it. It hangs at the grey screen.
I've been busy this weekend testing all kinds of ideas to get my imac to fully start up again.
I checked the RAM, it's fine.
I flushed NVRAM, wild guess, but nothing changed.
Starting up in safe mode doesn't work.
Starting up in recovery mode doesn't work.
On the upside, I was able to start my imac up in Target mode. Using the host computer and Disk Utlity I can see there's nothing wrong with the HD. All the data is still there!, so later today I'll make a copy of the complete HD, hoping/thinking that I won't copy whatever is wrong.
I had Disk Utility repair all the permissions.
I've used the host computer to reinstall the OS on my imac.
But on start up my beloved iMac still won't get passed the grey screen.
I'm thinking something goes wrong before my Mac even gets to the HD. Maybe it's the firmware, but I'm not really sure that firmware matters in this case. And I wouldn't know how to reinstall the latest version of firmware because my imac won't start up from it's disk drive
I'm thinking maybe something could be wrong with the graphic card's RAM, though on start up I can see the apple logo just fine.
I'm not able to start up from CD, I've tried that because I wanted to reinstall my OS (before I figured out how to do that in Target Mode) by putting the OS disk in my imac's own disk drive. Staring up with the C key still gets me the grey screen. Staring up with Option key shows no other option but the HD.
So is there anybody out there who has an idea that could help me further along?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Frank

Hi Jan,
If you have another firewire Mac you can check if the HD of your Mac is OK by connecting them with a firewire cable and use target-mode. That way I found out my HD was just fine.
It also offers you the chance to run a diagnostic program to check if anything else is fine. I used TechTool to do that. But everything checked out fine.
In the end I decided the problem is probably hardware. Some electronic part that broke. Very frustrating that some small transistor or so is keeping me from using my otherwise fine iMac.
I contacted a repairshop that also works for the local Mac retailer. They told me my iMac was concidered 'classic' and therefor it wasn't economically not worth the trouble trying to repair it.
I gave up, took two weeks to mourn the loss of my beloved iMac, and bought a Mac mini.
FrankV
Judging by your name I'm guessing I could've anwered this in Dutch.

HT1767 iMac won't start up.

My iMac won't start. When you turn it on the apple logo comes on but it keeps trying but never turns on. I tried unplugging it and plugging it into a new power source didn't work. I tried starting it up in safe mode didn't work. Any ideas out there?

There are some good Apple Support articles about startup issues, but which one to read depends on your operating system and model.
For example, if you are running 10.1-10.4, this one is good: Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
Here's one for 10.4-10.6: Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup (I know the apple logo is showing up for you, but good things to try anyway).
If you decide to run fsck as mentioned in the first article, be sure you read this article first: Mac OS X: How to start up in single-user or verbose mode
Regardless, are you in fact running a late 2009 iMac? If so, it's an Intel mac, and you're in the wrong room. You'll want to move your post to the Intel iMac community which has more active users. Remember to post your OS.

G3 imac won't start up

Hello. I am a not particulaly technical mac user and my G3 won't start up. When turned on it gets to the grey screen with the apple and the progress thing and thats it. This has occured after i carried out an apple download for OS X to repair security issues etc... i think it was download 8/08? There was an error doing this and it said the download was canceled and was now in the ? folder and to shut down or restart as per usual. I shut down the computer and when i went to restsrt it the next day got to the grey screen and apple and that's it.
I have unplugged all other hardware.
I have unplugged the computer, turned it off and on etc...
I cannot start up in safe mode
I can start up in single user mode and have done a fsck which said all ok, but when rebooting stopped at the grey screen again
not sure what to do next.
Help!

Suit,
To determine which iMac you have, this is the forum for this machine:
http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/15in-imac-g4-700-800-mhz.html
Does yours look like that or this:
http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/imac-g5-isight-oct-2005.html
If the former you're in the right place. If the latter move up to the G5 or Intel forum.
Here's the overview site:
http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/index.shtml
Your computer info will be on the bottom in the former and under the"foot" in the latter.
The next time I turned on the iMac was when this issue began.
So the next time you started up your iMac it probably tried to install the updates you already downloaded. Did it take a long time with the gray screen and cranking gear on that first startup? Did you let it go on and on like iphone says? When I'm doing these updates I will often just walk away from the computer and do something else and let it do it's thing.
If you force shutdown while the machine is writing the update it well mess things up.
Richard
Richard

Can't Start Up in Safe Mode

I've followed the directions here 8 times now:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107393
I've tried it with various timing alterations, and I just can't seem to get started up in safe mode.
Any clue what I might be doing wrong?
Thanks.

Okay, I solved my own problem. Figured I'd post it here, just in case it might help someone else. Though, it probably won't. My set-up is pretty rare.
My keyboard isn't plugged into my computer. It's plugged into my monitor, which has 4 USB ports. Evidently, those USB ports don't get loaded until too late in the start-up process, for me to take advantage of start-up commands.
When I plugged the keyboard directly into the computer, it worked fine.

Always starts up on safe mode!

Everytime I start up my iMac (2011, 27 inch, OS X 10.7.4 Lion) it starts on what seems to be safe mode. After starting up on safe mode, I restart (not shut down, just restart) again, then it comes back normally. What's that?! How to solve it??

Well, after a few tries, I figured out the problem is with the keyboard, as sais in one of the threads!! Amazing hoe Apple leaves this unsolved!!! Btw, zapped the p-ram just in case. Anyway, if I don't turb on the wireless keyboard when booting, it works fine!
Thanks! I couldn't stand my 5-minute boot process anymore!
--JP

Help: Can't start up in Safe Mode!

I'm trying to fire up in Safe Mode to do a few Spotlight housekeeping tasks but my Mac won't have it. When I try start up Safe it gets no further than the Grey Apple Logo and spinning wheel. After a short while the fans spin up to full speed and nothing else happens. I have to force the Mac to shut down and I can then start up again normally.
Any help on this would be much appreciated as there may come a time when I NEED to start up in Safe Mode.
Thanks in advance. Derek.

Hi-
Might want to try a Single User mode boot (command +s) and run fsck.
-Startup in Single User mode.
-At the command-line prompt, type */sbin/fsck -fy*. Press Return.
fsck will go through five "phases" and then return information about your disk's use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it'll display this message if no issue is found:
The volume (nameofvolume) appears to be OK
-If fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message:
FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED
Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command again, until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
-When fsck reports that your volume is OK, type reboot at the prompt and then press Return.
-Your computer should start up normally and allow you to log in.
After this, try a Safe mode boot, again.
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

IMac won't start up, can't get past the white screen

I have an older iMac, I believe it's the g5, the white one, got it about 6 years ago or so. It was acting up recently, crashing programs, taking a long time to respond etc. I figured I just had too much stuff on my hard drive so I went out and bought an external hard drive. After I copied over a bunch of files (not everything, my music and my photos aren't backed up!) I then deleted the files I transferred from the iMac to make room. It took a very long time for the trash to empty, and then I tried to restart. It shut down but never rebooted. When I press the power button it will only get to the white screen with the gray apple and gray progress wheel. It stays like that for a minute or two with the wheel turning but barely any progress on the progress bar and then it turns off. I tried unplugging everything including the power cord but nothing works. Any ideas? Thanks.

will it start in Single User Mode ? (Hold Command + S after hearing the chime)
If so, follow the fsck section at http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1417
and when/if you (finally) get a 'volume appears to be OK' message
don't restart afterwards.
then, still in single user, type the command df/ followed by enter
making sure that the result shows Capacity at some reasonable level, like 90% or less.
df means 'display free disk space', you're checking that the drive isn't so horribly full that attemoting to start might further risk your data
if Capacity is ok- reboot as per the article; if not, post back.
If you can boot in Single User & have done the above, but still can't start normally - try
Safe Mode to see if you can copy your files off.
If Single works, but nothing else, it's probably possible to copy your files in that mode, using typed commands.
if you can't start at all -
Checking your exact model at http://www.ifixit.com/ will show how hard it is to remove the HD yourself... some are pretty easy with the right-sized screwdrivers, and the drive can then be taken to anywhere with a computer & the right cable/adaptor to copy your files.
or
Target Disk Mode : http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
if it works for you, would let someone with a computer & firewire port access any of your files that are intact. Apple may, as mentioned, say it's too old for them to look at.
finding the dvd's/getting replacements would be best.

Start Up in Safe Mode: Help Please

Hi,
Have a late 2012 iMac and would like to start it up in safe mode. I have heard that you press the shift key after the chime when you start it up, but have
not had any luck. Can someone advise me as to how to get the computer to start up in safe mode please.
Thanks very much.
Alf

Okay. This all makes sense now. And why the OP originally thought after chimes. He is right. San Lewy, I always thought you couldn't do it through bluetooth as well. From CNET:
If any inputs are being sent via the Bluetooth keyboard before the controllers are active, then they will not be recognized by the system. However, if these inputs are performed after the controllers are activated, then they will be properly read. Therefore, for Bluetooth keyboards, be sure to press the desired key sequences after you hear the boot chimes and not before.
How to manage OS X boot options with wireless keyboards ...

IMac won't start up in safe mode

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