Can't get past grey apple screen

All of a sudden I can't boot up my Mac. The power light comes on, the grey apple screen comes up and the widget starts spinning... and that's it. Tried 'safe boot'- also no luck. Suggestions appreciated.
Thanks, Mike

Can you boot using the Tiger installer DVD or the discs that came with your Mac? Do you have DiskWarrior that you can boot?
 Cheers, Tom

Similar Messages

Help! Can't get past grey apple screen after Time Machine restore

Today I did a complete restoration of my HD using Time Machine. It seemed to successfully complete, prompting me to his <RESTART>, which I did. After the grey screen with the apple, I get this black and white pattern, almost like patchwork. Anyway, I've rebooted a zillion times, each time with the same result. I haven't had any luck starting in safe mode, but I'm wondering if the wireless keyboard is even being recognized. I've got a phone call request into Applecare, but I am really freaking out. Anyone ever heard of this before?

navyshrink wrote:
Today I did a complete restoration of my HD using Time Machine.
Did you use a Leopard disc for that? If so, that's your problem: you must use a Snow Leopard disc to restore a Snow Leopard backup.

Start Up won't get past grey Apple screen

Trying to start my computer for first time in 6 days. When turning on it gets to Grey Apple logo screen and then a bar appears underneath, the bar doesn't fill and then the computer powers down. Please help.

Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.
Select your language.
Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.
Select Disk Utility.
Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.
Click Repair Disk.
Restart your computer when done.
If you make it to the desktop, repair permissions-http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751

Macbook won't get past grey apple screen

So my computer was being stupid so I had to manually shut it down. When I went to restart, it would never get past the grey screen with the apple logo. It didn't even get the spinning wheel thing. I don't have the discs for it, but I do have them for a white macbook (early 2008). I tried clearing the PRAM etc but to no avail, and instead of booting from the disc it seems to just do the exact same thing, only sometimes it turns off, back on, and does the same thing. When I started it holding cmd v it gave me stuff saying it couldn't find file (insert many file names here)
Help!

I went to the mac store and they told me it could be two things 1. need an archive update or 2. need a new hard drive. It ended up being the hard drive is shot. It seems many people are having this problem even though it hasn't been out for long, so if you are having trouble restarting it (error reading 0x7 or any error reading driver messages) you should take it to the mac store.

Can't get past the Apple screen

Hi. My Powerbook froze - its memory is nearly full. But when I restarted, the grey screen comes up, with the Apple logo, and nothing else happens. It's critical that I get this working, and I really appreciate any help.
Thanks, Ol

Hi, olparker. You're probably confusing memory (RAM), which is emptied whenever you restart the computer, with hard drive storage space, which isn't, and which is almost certainly what you have too little of. If your PB and the data on it are important to you, then presumably you've backed up all your data on other media. If that's the case, what you need to do now is get access to the files on the Powerbook's hard drive and delete some of them. If your data isn't backed up anywhere else, you may have to decide to give some of it up permanently.
The operating system on the hard drive needs a certain amount of free space on the drive for its own use. Without that amount of free space, it can't run, and that's probably why your Powerbook doesn't start up now. You'll need to start up from some other suitable disk or volume that gives you access to the Finder.
If you have a bootable clone of your internal drive on an external FireWire drive (the most convenient and useful form of backup), simply start the Powerbook from that drive, and use the Finder to trash files from the internal drive and empty the Trash. If you don't have a bootable clone, but you do have access to another Mac with a Firewire port, connect the Powerbook to it in Target Disk Mode and use the host Mac's Finder to delete files from the Powerbook's drive.
Throw away 2-5GB of files, but start out by trashing just a few items at a time and emptying the trash after every few files. Paradoxically, it takes free space even to empty the Trash, and loading the Trash up with too many files before emptying it may make it impossible to empty.
Choose large files to remove. Movies, music, and photos are often the largest files stored on a computer, apart from a few very large applications (notably iDVD). If there are large applications on your hard drive that you could easily reinstall from original source discs, those are good candidates for removal too.
If you can't comfortably reduce the amount of stuff on your drive to create 5GB of free space and maintain it indefinitely, you need a larger internal hard drive in the Powerbook ASAP. 5GB of free space is the smallest amount you should plan to maintain at all times. You can make do with a smaller amount (2-3GB) as a very short-term expedient, say for a week or two, but doing something as simple as burning a CD (never mind a DVD) under those conditions could easily put you right back where you are now, with a nonfunctional PB. With any drive of 60GB or larger, aim to maintain 10% of it as free space at all times.

Can not get past grey apple logo and spinning spokes ?

I've tried holding down keys (command-s,option,c ...etc) but it just stays on the spinning and there are no sounds ie chimes.
I've tried booting into osx disk holding the c key and it takes a little longer for the apple logo and spinning wheel to come up but eventually it goes right back into the spinning and I've waited out the spinning for ten to fifteen minutes with no luck.
The harddrive looks healthy when plugged in externally to my Win7 machine, I've tried moving the memory sticks around with no luck.
I'm trying to fix this for a friend , there are two actual keys missing the f5 and the #6 key (broke off I guess).

Ptown wrote:
Thanks for replying , I'm pretty sure my friend does not have the hardware test disc that came with his macbook pro 06 anymore but I'll ask.
Yes.
Is there anything else I could do to solidify that the logic board is toast ?
If no AHT, make an appt with the "genius" bar at an Apple Store.
I would think that I wouldn't get anything (black screen) if it was the logic board.
The LB basically "controls" everything, so depending on what circuits have issues, a bad LB could account for (almost?) any symptom.
RAM is also a suspect here. It sounds like you did some troubleshooting, but if both modules are third-party (not the original Apple-supplied) RAM, see if the original RAM can be found and tried.

Powerbook will turn on but won't get past grey apple screen

My powerbook will turn on but it will never get to the operating system screen where you enter a password. I don't know what to do and sometimes it will get to the all blue screen but not past that... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, is there anyway to get my files off of the laptop regardless? There are 3 weeks until my final exams and I have all my notes on my laptop. Any help is greatly appreciated.

If you can boot off the installation DVD, then your computer's fine, and there is something broken with the system software.
You could try re-installing Mac OS X (not a clean install, or an erase-and-install, but just an upgrade of the existing OS), but that may lead to having your apps broken, which may be more work for you.
Another thing to try is to hold the Shift key down whilst you are booting into the login screen. Doing this will disable the startup of some system extensions and daemons (StartupItems), which may get you going. However, if you can go to the login screen without too much trouble, try logging in with the Shift key down. That will stop Mac OS X from starting up items in your "Login Items" list in the Accounts system preferences.
This is the most useful tips I can offer short of re-installing Mac OS X on your computer.
Cheers!
--tonza

Safe Boot OK -- but can't get past grey/blue screen

Hello,
Macbook Pro - early 2010. HAs been working flawlessly but today, screen turned "static" and then on re-start Macbook hangs on a gray or blue screen after the spinning startup wheel. I can boot int safe mode fine. I get the same results trying to boot from two different external bootable backups (hangs at blue screen in full mode - boots fine in safe mode).
Have tried: SMC reset, NVRAM reset, permission repair, disk repair (via disk utility in safe mode). No joy. I have a commercial version of Snow Leopard which lets me perform a hardware test on the Macbook: "no apparent hardware problems found".
Unfortunately, I cannot locate the original OS disks, so I have not been able to test whether it would boot from those.
Any suggestions as to what I could try next? I could do an erase and re-install from one of the backup disks (but not the original system disk). Is that likely to succeed if those backups don't work externally?
Any help appreciated!

Clinton,
you say:
"You can call Apple and, with your serial number handy, order a set of the machine-specific discs that shipped with your model. Cost is about $20 + shipping & taxes."
Do you know a phone number for this? I have called Apple tech support and the first tech claimed that Apple does not sell disks - his supervisor told me that he will sell me a disk but I have to pay $150 charge for consierge service first becasue the Macbook is out of warranty! Seems ridiculous to pay $170+ for a disk when I don;t even know it will solve my problem!
Is there any other way to get my hands on a disk?

I am unable to get past the apple login screens on my iPad to access my settings menu for a new home network. My password is not recognized so I cannot even get into the settings mode to make a chance. How can I get past the Apple logins?

I am unable to get past the apple login screens on my iPad to access my settings menu for a new home network. My Apple password is not recognized so I cannot even get into the settings mode to make a chance. How can I get past the Apple logins?

Hey Dpcupcake,
If you can not get past the sign in screen on your iPad, you will need to use the steps in this article to recover use of your iPad -
Forgot passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Happy computing,
Brett L

My MacBook Air can't get past the gray screen with the apple logo. What's the fix?

My MacBook Air can't get past the gray screen with the Apple logo, so I can't login. Does anyone know the fix for this?

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
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.
Before reconnecting 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.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
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 damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, 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 above for instructions.) 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 produces. Look for the line "Permissions repaired successfully" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
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 proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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 backup.
Step 8
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.

Please help.. I have just tried to install lion on my iMac and it can't complete because of 'disk error'.. can i delete lion and go back to leopard as there was no problem there?? can't get past grey screen

Please help.. I have just tried to install lion on my iMac and it can't complete because of 'disk error'.. can i delete lion and go back to leopard as there was no problem there?? can't get past grey screen

Just restore your bootable backup/clone or Time Machine backup.

Ipad screen is white. Restored it on iTunes. Press home and on switch goes black then back to white with no logo at all. Can't get past the white screen. This happened after running app updates. 16GB OS 7.1.1

The ipad screen is white. Holding buttons didn't work so I restored it on iTunes. When I press home and on switch, the screen is white, goes black then back to white with no logo at all. Can't get past the white screen. This happened after running app updates. Is there any fix besides going to Apple store? In iTunes on computer can see what is on there. 16GB OS 7.1.1

FORCE IPAD INTO RECOVERY MODE
1. Turn off iPad
2. Turn on computer and launch iTunes (make sure you have the latest version of iTune)
3. Plug USB cable into computer's USB port
4. Hold Home button down and plug the other end of cable into docking port.
DO NOT RELEASE BUTTON until you see picture of iTunes and plug
5. Release Home button.
ON COMPUTER
6. iTunes has detected iPad in recovery mode. You must restore this iPad before it can be used with iTunes.
7. Select "Restore iPad"...
Note:
1. Data will be lost if you do not have backup
2. You must follow step 1 to step 4 VERY CLOSELY.
3. Repeat the process if necessary.

MacBook Pro 2011- Allowed updates to install for iTunes software and Microsoft office (I think). After rebooting, computer wouldn't progress past grey apple screen with loading circle.

I have a MacBook Pro 2011. I allowed updates to install for iTunes software and Microsoft office (I think). After rebooting, computer wouldn't progress past grey apple screen with loading circle. No progression bar ever appeared. It just sits and spins. I tried rebooting with Command + Option + R + P and hearing the chime twice....this did not work.
I also tried Command +Option+R which took me to internet recovery. From there, I chose reinstall Mac OS X Lion 10.7 but it says my hard drive is locked so I wasnt able to select it. What do I do???? Help! I don't want to lose my files and it doesnt appear that I've used Time Machine Back Up.

macbookpro2011ISU wrote:
I also tried Command +Option+R which took me to internet recovery. From there, I chose reinstall Mac OS X Lion 10.7 but it says my hard drive is locked so I wasnt able to select it.
I you upgraded to OS X 10.8, then use RecoveryHD by holding Command R at boot time (no option) and reinstall OS X over itself that way so your installing Mountain Lion.
Also Disk Uility can be used to Repair the Macintosh HD parttion.
Also you can use that RecoveryHD to format and install OS X onto a external drive, then option/alt key boot from it and access your files on the non-booting internal drive before erasing, reformatting and reinstalling OS X fresh.
Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
Most commonly used backup methods
..Step by Step to fix your Mac

I installed Lion OS, after restart it gives the startup screen with my user id but no window for password entry, no matter what I do I can't get past the opening screen.

I installed Lion OS, after restart it gives the startup screen with my user id but no window for password entry, no matter what I do I can't get past the opening screen.

MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro Apple Support
Apple Support Lion
Lion Mac OS X Communities

Can't get past the white screen at start up

I can not get past the white screen when it starts up. It will chime and then stay at the white screen. I have replaced the hard drive, memory, battery. I have reset the PRAM and the SMC.

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/.

Can't get past grey apple screen

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for