Mac Pro Stuck at Grey Screen, then will only boot into OS X Utilities.

My Mac Pro is stuck at Gray Screen. When I reset PRAM, it loads the OSX Utilities screen, prompting me Restore from Time Machine, Reinstall OS X, Get Help, or Disk Utility. I ran Disk Repair and Repair Premissions, same thing.... stuck at grey screen.
What will happen to the data on my HD if I choose to Reinstall the OS X? IS that the best choice? Thanks.

Off hand I think your drive may be bad. But to find out you need to erase the drive, so you will need to have a recent, bootable backup.
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard 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.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.
If this does not work, then you need to replace your hard drive.

Similar Messages

2006 Mac Pro + NEC 3090 - grey screen not displayed during boot

I have a September '06 Mac Pro 1,1 (Woodcrest variant) hooked up to an NEC 3090 30" LCD monitor, running OS X 10.5.7. Previously, I was using an Eizo S2110W 21" LCD; turning the monitor and computer on would cause the following to be displayed (in order):
1. Light grey background with dark grey Apple logo with spinning thing.
2. Solid blue background.
3. Leopard wallpaper.
4. Log-in dialogue.
Since using the NEC, the grey screen is not displayed at all: the display stays blank until the blue screen is displayed, and then the Leopard wallpaper and so on. This is using the 2560x1600 native resolution of the display, and has occurred using both 10.5.6 and 10.5.7.
If I change the resolution to 1280x960 and boot, the grey screen is displayed. If I change it to 1600x1200, I get weird corruption on-screen during the period when the grey screen should be displayed; for some reason, this includes part of the desktop wallpaper I was using before I rebooted.
Resetting the non-volatile RAM using Command-Option-P-R works for the very first time I boot the computer, though the grey screen is displayed at very low resolution. If I reboot from the log-in dialogue immediately afterwards, normal behaviour occurs - i.e. the blank screen.
The upshot of all of the above is that if I want to boot into Windows, or install OS X (e.g. when Snow Leopard comes out), I have to remember to boot into my existing OS X installation, change resolution, reboot whilst remembering also to hold down the ALT/Option key. It would be much easier if I could do away with having to change resolution.
I have tried connecting the monitor to a PPC Mac mini at 1600x1200 (it won't go any higher), using Tiger 10.4.11 (not sure of exact version - the latest). At this resolution, the grey screen is displayed.
Using a '08 MacBook Air (first generation) and the supplied DVI adapter, also at 1600x1200, nothing is displayed on the NEC until I get to the log-in screen. This occurs if the NEC is set to be the primary display or the secondary one - the only difference is where the log-in dialogue is displayed. I am not familiar with dual-screen behaviour, so I can't say whether anything is supposed to be displayed or not (i.e. does the grey appear on both displays?).
I have been in touch with NEC Europe support on this issue, who suggested it might have something to do with the 10.5.7 release. I know this not to be the case, as it was occurring prior to 10.5.7 being released.
Any ideas?

Put more of your hardware listed in your profile.
I looked and don't see you list your graphics card anywhere.
Graphic card it came with was either X1900 (watch for heat and dust bunnies and clogged vent);
OEM 7300GT (seems unlikely).
You could have replaced either with 8800GT or ATI 3870.
Require 10.5.2+ ideally 10.5.6+.
Some problems cropped up with 10.5.7. 10.5.7 doesn't work on some (many) 3rd party displays and stay with 10.5.6 if necessary until it is fixed or resolved.
But you say it happens with 10.5.6 also, and was doing so before 10.5.7? which makes your problem somewhat different or unique.
Zapping PRAM or NVRAM reset obviously shouldn't be needed repeatedly. And your graphics card probably needs to be replaced, or test with another card to rule it out.

TS2570 My Mac is stuck on grey screen what's wrong with it and am I going to lose everything

My Mac is stuck on grey screen what's wrong with it and am I going to lose everything

Hopefully you have a backup, but...
Could be many things, we should start with this...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

MacBook Pro stuck at grey screen after Yosemite upgrade

upgraded to yosemite yesterday. Reboot and stuck at grey screen(login in page) when i log in there is some codes thing at the left top corner of the screen. and then it reboots again. Which means I can never log onto the computer. what should I do

If you can't start up and log in in the usual way, try in safe mode.
During startup, you’ll see a progress bar, and then the login screen, which appears even if you normally 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.
Log in as an administrator to carry out these instructions. If you have only one account, you are the administrator.
☞ If you don't see any reports listed, but you know there was a panic, you may have chosen Diagnostic and Usage Messages from the log list. Choose DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION instead.
Safe mode is slower than normal, and some things won’t work at all.
Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t start in safe mode.
If you're able to log in, launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.
In the Console window, select
DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ System Diagnostic Reports
(not Diagnostic and Usage Messages) from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar.
There is a disclosure triangle to the left of the list item. If the triangle is pointing to the right, click it so that it points down. You'll see a list of reports. A panic report has a name that begins with "Kernel" and ends in ".panic". Select the most recent one. The contents of the report will appear on the right. Use copy and paste to post the entire contents—the text, not a screenshot.
I know the report is long, maybe several hundred lines. Please post all of it anyway.
In the interest of privacy, I suggest that, before posting, you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if it’s present (it may not be.)
Please don’t post other kinds of diagnostic report.

My 2014 MacBook Pro stuck on grey screen since trying to update software over an hour ago

My 2012 MacBook Pro has been stuck on the grey screen for more than hour since I tried updating the software.

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the 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 the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from 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.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start 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.
d. 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
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up 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.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start 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 the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up 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, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup 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 restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the 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 restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

After software update, my Mac Pro 13 has grey screen, spinning but won't re-boot

After update my Mac Pro 13 will not reboot. Grey screen, spinning icon but nothing I tried works.

If your computer is stuck restarting, hold the Power button to turn off your MacBook Pro and turn it on again. As the installation finished previously, nothing will get damaged

Macbook pro stuck on grey screen and making buzzing noise

hi,
Lately my mac has been playing up (1 year old), ever now and then it would make a funny buzzing noise, coming from the left side.. and i noticed it was running slower than usual. Im Running Mountain Lion and have 566GB of disk space left... after using it for about 5 minutes the buzzing noise would start and it would become unresposive with the spiral beach ball. So i would have to hard restart it. Now ever time i turn it on it gets to a grey screen and doesnt load further. eventually the sound starts again!! i have tried starting it in safe mode and verifying my disk in utilities where everything "seems to be ok" !! someone please help!!!

Ethan997,
define “an average disk”.
Your question regarding fault is akin to asking “is it my fault or the car maker’s fault that my spark plugs no longer work?” — disks, like spark plugs, don’t last forever, and fault doesn’t come into it. Similarly, the fact that your disk (or spark plugs) worked yesterday and doesn’t work today is not a sudden “breakage” — by their nature, they have a finite, variable amount of time in which they do work. This is why (in the case of disks) making regular backups is important; when the disk stops working, you’ll have an easy way to recover from such a situation.
That being said, if your MacBook Pro is still under warranty, you should be able to get a replacement disk from Apple. And even if it isn’t, you could still try reformatting your current disk, to see if you can squeeze some more use out of it — but if the reformatted volume keeps needing to be repaired (and you have the patience to deal with recovering from the same situation again and again), that’s a sure sign that a new disk would be your best option.

Macbook pro wont start. grey screen then shuts off

I have been having some problems with my macbook when my battery would die and i would plug it in and try to turn it back on it would take forever to start back up. Sometimes i woudl have to unplug, take out the battery then put them back in and zap the pram and it would start. Then today it just started taking forever to restart so i shut it down and tried to restart now it starts goes to the grey screen and the little thing starts spinning and then about 5 sedc later it shuts itself down.
PLEASE HELP

If the Apple Hardware test does not bring up any problems with the hardware, I would advise doing an archive and install before you zero out the drive and erase all of the data on it.
Some things to keep in mind:
If your computer shuts down while booted to the install disk (either the AHT or the installer) you're looking at a hardware problem.
If you need to erase and install or send it in for repair of a hardware problem, you will need to back up any data you do not want to lose before doing so. If you are unable to do backups, an apple store or authorized service provider can do data retrieval for you. Bear in mind this is an optional service and you would be charged a fee for data retrieval.

Mac Mini stuck on grey screen, what to do?

A friend of me has got a Mac Mini (Late 2005) with some problems. She was looking at a Powerpoint presentation, but in the end it froze (spinning wheel). Then he turned off the machine, rebooted it, but it would display nothing then the grey screen and nothing but that.
From a distance, I tried her to boot into the boot disk screen (the screen did appear, but with no disks inside). After inserting Install Disc 1, it did not appear either, the drive was making some noise though, but even after the noise stopped, no drive appeared).
After a reboot, the machine still wouldn't reboot, nor boot from the drive (with C), nor start the Hardware Test (with D), nor eject. After a very long wait it would only display the icon with the folder and the MacOS icon.
So... what are the options:
1. I could still try to get the data via Disk Mode, but if it fails, do I take a risk (there are no backups)?
2. Should I still try to zap the PRAM or any other clues?
3. Or should I directly take it to an AASP and what should I expect?
Thanks for your advice!

Get them to try and recover data*:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
Once that is done, ask them to sign on here so we can help them directly. It is hard to work via third parties as there is ample opportunity for misunderstanding.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

My mac pro stuck on startup screen after i update the itunes

please help me on my mac pro, after i update the itunes into a new version, i restart it and then it stucks into gray with the apple logo and some words/ letter about error appear in the screen

Hello jaydenmarcus,
The following article provides some useful information and troubleshooting steps that can help resolve recurring kernel panics.
OS X: About kernel panics
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3742
Cheers,
Allen

Macbook Pro stuck on grey screen with Apple logo

Macbook Pro was purchased in mid-late 2009 and is running on OS X 10.6. Today is suddenly stopped responding and so I turned it off. When I turned it back on it opend to the grey screen with the Apple logo and the loading icon and that is where it stayed. I have been searching for the answer on different forums but have yet to find a solution. My hard drive is appearing in the Disk Utility but not in the box when I try to reinstall OS X. Any suggestions on what to do?

Create a data recovery, undelete boot drive
dustysjuls wrote:
Will that erase all of the files on my hard drive? Or will it just erase and reinstall the operating system? I do not have my files backed up.
A #18 Reinstall Just OS X, details here:
Step by Step to fix your Mac

Mac Pro stuck on white screen

Firstly, some details to save questions later:
Mac Pro 2006
Snow Leopard (latest update)
After using my Mac Pro as normal last night (no issues whatsoever), I go to boot it up today to find it is stuck on the white screen just after the Apple logo.
My first thought was that my OS drive had kicked the bucket and I'd need to resintall the OS. No biggie. So I attempt to boot from disk, holding "C" whilst booting - the same issue. Goes from the Apple logo to blank white screen.
So I try to boot from disk by holding Alt whilst loading to select drive and boot from the disk there - this time we just get stuck on a blue screen.
Strangely enough, the original OS drive DOES show in the list of available drives.
I have also tried booting in safe mode to no avail.
I've heard talk of video cards failing and causing issues similar to this, which could make sense considering in the last 6 months or so, my mac has had an awful habit of "forgetting" it's resolution, forcing me to restart it.
Can anyone else offer any suggestions?
I'd much rather avoid having to get a new video card unless this is 100% the fault with the mac.

The simplest thing your Mac can do is Alt/Option boot, because all the code for that function is in ROM. In that case, there is no Apple logo that appears, and the screen only goes to the list of available possibly-bootable Volumes, arrayed across the screen. If you are seeing the Apple logo (which is loaded off a Drive) you have not succeeded in Alt/Option booting.
Sometimes having the keyboard plugged into a Display or other Hub can cause the "snag keys" to be missed at Startup, and be ineffective.
If something interferes with your ability to Alt/Option boot, it is most likely to be the contents of your Hard Drive. If desperate, pull out the Boot drive and see if you can Alt/Option boot with only the DVD in the drive.

Macbook pro stuck on grey screen

I recently got a version of mac that i thought i could use on my macbook from the internet and when i tried to run the installer it quit at the very end. after that none of my applications would open. i tried to reset but then it just goes directly to the apple logo on the grey screen with no loading bar or spinning circle at all. it just stays there now. is there any way i could do a reset of my laptop preferrably not using the disk to install mac again? im currently using 10.6.

skylar57 wrote:
I recently got a version of mac that i thought i could use on my macbook from the internet
Does not make sense. Please clarify
and when i tried to run the installer it quit at the very end. after that none of my applications would open. i tried to reset but then it just goes directly to the apple logo on the grey screen with no loading bar or spinning circle at all. it just stays there now. is there any way i could do a reset of my laptop preferrably not using the disk to install mac again? im currently using 10.6.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570 Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

Power Mac G5 stuck on grey screen after swapping machine

Greetings Friends,
I have changed my two HD out of one casing to another casing. Both HD worked fine, Both machines worked fine.
I have booted up the computer and now the computer sits on the Grey apple logo, with no loading wheel. After 2 mins, the fans kick into overdrive.
It does not boot.
I have tried alt + command + P + R, but it does not work
I have tried holding ALT down on start up of the machine, which directs me to a menu where I can select either one of my HD or the start up disc that is in the optical drive. I have tried selecting all of these with no success.
I then tried to swap all the internals back to the original machine to see if it still works, and now the same problem exists. Grey screen with APPLE logo, no boot.
Could any body give me any help or direction. I love these machines and would like to continue working with one of them as soon as possible.
They are a G5, 4 GB ram, OSX 10.5.8 & the other drive is 10.5.1.
Both have been working well until today.
Thanks.

Hello, first thing that comes to mind is a BAD HDD, does the other one boot with only the one original drive? Maybe I'm misunderstanding if it was added in the second slot or not!?

HELP!! powerbook stuck on grey screen, not able to boot safe or single user

hey, i need some help, ive searched the forums the best i could, im experianced at fixing pc's but this has been my first mac in awhile, a friend of mine brought his 12" powerbook g4 to me, he says whenever he turns is on its stays stuck on the first screen where you see a grey apple and it shows a spinning wheel loading, he said hes even left it on overnight and it still stays there, he said he might have gotten a virus, cause he said he was searching **** last time it worked =P (hey i dont judge, every man has to find someway to reveive the "pressure")
so anyway, i dont have alot of his specs, not even the exact o/s # i just know he told me it osx 10.4, so i did some research and found some ways to TRY and fix it, i tried safe mode (shift) and single user mode (cmd+s) and even verbose mode(cmd+v) when booting up the powerbook, but alas, none have worked, safe mode doesnt do anything, just the same grey screen, and single and verbose mode both halts after the cmd screen goes through a few lines.
he doesnt have any software for his powerbook, they are all at home, which is about 900 kms away (or 559.26 miles to the non-metric ppl out there) so im working with nothing but my brain and the net, which isnt much, does anybody have any suggestions, maybe some third party software that would help, just point me in the right direction, or better yet, explain it to me like i was an infant, im not used to macs, but they intrigue. at least for now, i dont want to be put off just from this one little incident.
thanks to anyone who offers help, its my first time EVER asking for it in any forum.

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
There's a couple of things I can think of that may be the problem. Based upon what you have described, the first is a hard drive failure.
A couple of ways to check for this is to use the PowerBook's original installer disc (which you don't currently have access to), or perhaps a Mac OS X Tiger installation disc, to restart from and then use Disk Utility to perform a Repair Disk. Restarting from CD or DVD is performed by pressing the 'C' key during startup with the disc in the PB.
Another way to check is to see if the drive can be accessed via FireWire Target Disk Mode.
A second possibility is that there may be a directory corruption on the drive. If so, then DiskWarrior is the best option.
Another possibility is to take the PB in to an Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider for them to diagnose.
15" 1.25GHz/12" 1GHz PBs, 2xPPC Mac minis, 12" iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.6) Cube, 2xTAMs, iPods 2G/4G, iPs, AEBS, AX

Mac Pro Stuck at Grey Screen, then will only boot into OS X Utilities.

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