MacBook pro won't start up, and quits during safe boot

The machine in question is my MacBook pro mid 2009.  I never upgraded to Mavericks, so its on the previous OS to that (can't remember now I'm afraid!). It froze the other day while I was on Safari and playing football manager on steam.  I couldn't access anything, just constantly welcomed by the beachball and couldn't even force quit or restart.  I held the power button to shut it down, and haven't been able to restart since.  I was first facing the grey screen with spinning wheel for a long time, and then found apple's advice.  I now (no matter what I try) end up with the grey screen, Apple logo and status bar underneath.  It adds about 3mm on the bar and the switches off automatically.
It has enough power, I have tried pressing the shift key, command, option, p and r keys together, and also the c key, but I end up with the same result of status bar, then Shut down - any ideas?  assistance appreciated!

WHen Disk Utility isn't able to repair a drive you need to turn to third party utilities like Disk Warrior and hope for the best http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/
DIsk Warrior isn't cheap but it's saved my bacon a couple times over the years. If you have an Apple Store or AASP nearby you might consider taking it in for service. Hopefully you have a backup.

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    Look at these articles for possible assistance:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TA43884
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
    Ciao.

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  • I've updated to yosemite from Mavericks, but since i can't connect to the internet I used my time machine back up which was march 2013. Now my macbook pro won't start and ends with a prohibited ted sign. Any suggestions pls.

    I've updated to yosemite from Mavericks, but since i can't connect to the internet I used my time machine back up which was march 2013. Now my macbook pro won't start and ends with a prohibted sign. Any suggestions pls.

    Install or Reinstall Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or 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.
    How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
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    OS X Mountain Lion- Erase and reinstall OS X
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  • HT1379 Guys please help? My MacBook Pro won't start up. I have tried the resetting Mac's PRAM and NVRAM procedure with no success. All I see is just the black or grey screen although I hear the drive running.

    Guys please help? My MacBook Pro won't start up. I have tried the resetting Mac's PRAM and NVRAM procedure with no success. All I see is just the black or grey screen although I hear the drive running.

    Hold shift key down while booting should get you in
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    Step by Step to fix your Mac

  • 17" Macbook Pro won't start at all.  I shut it down last night at 80% and now there is only black screen, no light, no sound.  What to do?

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    I had the exact same issue...  Macbook Pro late 2008 with Core2Duo.  Went to all the steps suggested in the knowledge base, tried to reset the SMC, but to no avail.   Took it to the Macstore in Mexico, the wanted to replace logic board for $800....  Finally, I sent it to a logic board repair service, where they "fixed"  the logic board for $200.  It worked perfectly for 4 months, then happened again   
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  • My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

    My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

    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 a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
    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 in OS X 10.9 or earlier, 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.
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    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.
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    Step 12
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    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.

  • `my macBook Pro won't start up. Just get that gray blueshy kind of screen and don't go nowhere.

    My MacBook Pro won't start up. Just get that gray, blueishy screen and don't go on.

    Try a safe boot.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
    This boot takes longer than a normal boot, be patient. If it boots login, and see if it seems normal. If so, logout and reboot normal.

  • Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! HELP !!!

    Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! I have tried everything I can think of like Safe Mode (doesn't work), Recovery (does not find Recovery Drive), Booting with OS Snow Leopard Cd (doesn't work)...
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    Has anyone had this same problem? 
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    Please make a Genius Appointment and take it in for service.

  • My MacBook pro won't start. It is frozen on the gray screen with the apple. Please help?

    My MacBook pro won't start. It's stuck on the gray screen with the apple logo.

    Reinstall OS X:
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    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/.
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    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.
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    My MacBook Pro won't start up.  What do I do?

    Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
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         Reinstall the 10.9.3 update: OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Update (Combo).
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  • Spilled liquid on MacBook Pro - won't start - any suggestions?

    spilled liquid on MacBook Pro - won't start - any suggestions?

    Thank you both for your responses! I watched a video on how to remove the hard drive - special tork(?) screwdriver and too many steps for me to feel confident about doing it myself, so I took the computer to an Apple Store - and thank God, the hard drive appeared undamaged - they are transferring the data to a new Macbook Pro. The loss of data was the scariest part, so I am breathing again!
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    Systematically run through this list of fixes.
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