Computer won't get past grey start up screen after install

Okay - I made a stupid mistake. I started the installation process - it was taking a very long time so I decided to quit and free up some more space before trying again. When I quit it wouldn't let me go back to my old version - I think I was on 10.3.9. So I installed 10.5 - and it said it installed successfully. I restarted and the computer won't get past the gray screen. I let it go for 30 minute the first time, 15 the second time, and about an hour the third time. Won't go any futher. Any ideas?
Thanks,
-Brad

same thing happened to me (you need to read all the posts as someone will have had the exact problem as you).
any way,
1. re-installl 10.5 from your leopard disk. (put disk in restart holding c key down etc). do not install OS just yet.
2. run disk utility (it does not hurt-click on options button)- repair both disk and permissions
3. run 10.5 installer (archive)
4. download 10.5.2 combo from apple (that is if you can easily find it!)
5. run that install
6 it will restart two or so times
7. total time is 20 mins or so. most of that is in repairs form #2.

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tomk wrote:That's why I directed you to that particular wiki page, which suggests rebooting with the install CD. You did that to install, so you should be able to do it again.
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Hey Lyssa
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Uh-oh. I think I'm in trouble now.
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Kristen Stanton wrote:
I tried to backup my iBook HD using target disc mode, but it wouldn't work. The target computer (G4 running 10.4) would come up to the blue screen with the FireWire logo bouncing around, and would go no further.
I think the problem there is that you need to boot the iBook with the T key held down, not the G4(10.4). What this does is mounts your iBook's drive on the G4. The bouncing FireWire logo should be on your iBook, not your G4. This means that you connect the two machines, hold down the T key on the problem computer to mount the volumes onto the working computer.
There shouldn't be a compatibility problem because it mounts it as an external hard drive (not necessarily a boot volume.)
Will the disc come out of the iBook when there is no longer a FireWire cable connecting to both computers?
Let me know...
D.

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Hi ANaomi,
If you are having issues with your MacBook Pro not booting past a grey screen, and/or shutting down during the boot process, you may find the troubleshooting steps outlined in the following articles helpful:
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
OS X: When your computer spontaneously restarts or displays "Your computer restarted because of a problem."
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT200553
Regards,
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HI Anamusic,
Many thanks for the link I will save it, but unfortunately I have a wireless keyboard and tracker pad, so I don't think the keyboard is active when I need to use it, I have tried but it seems to be exactly the same.
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Welcome to the Apple discussions.
You'll need the original OS X discs that came with your system. Insert the first one, and boot holding the C key down, which will boot from the OS X disc. From the menu bar, choose disk utility and repair permissions and repair disk. Any messages on repair disk? If it concludes successfully, reboot. Working now?
If not, you should run the Apple hardware test. Insert the OS X disc that has 'AHT Version x.x' in small print on the label. Reboot holding the option key down, choose Apple hardware test, click the arrow pointing to the right, and follow directions. If prompted, choose the extended test. Does this give you any messages? Note, if you have either of the TechTool programs, they can do the same testing.
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you need to provide more vcore to the cpu
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My macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

my macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

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 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.

I am experiencing some major problems with my MacBook Pro. I have had some issues with it turning on/off at random times, but today, when starting, I get the grey start-up screen and a recovery bar. After filling in approx 1/4 of the way, the machine dies

I am experiencing some major problems with my MacBook Pro. I have had some issues with it turning on/off at random times, but today, when starting, I get the grey start-up screen and a recovery bar. After filling in approx 1/4 of the way, the machine dies. After starting it in recovery mode, it will not allow me to download OS X Mavericks- it says the disk is locked. Any ideas? I do not have a back-up and do not want to erase everything before I have explored my options. Help?

try forcing internet recover, hold 3 keys - command, option, r - you should see a spinning globe
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Start Up won't get past grey Apple screen

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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.
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How to get past the grey start up screen after mavericks update

I have recently installed a free update of Mavericks on the App store. However after installing this, the Macbook Pro that i've installed on will not boot beyond the Grey start up screen. I was running Snow Leopard on a machine with intel core 2 duo processors 4 Gb of RAM and over 100Gb of free memory.
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Any Suggestions would be mucho appreciated.

I have recently installed a free update of Mavericks on the App store. However after installing this, the Macbook Pro that i've installed on will not boot beyond the Grey start up screen. I was running Snow Leopard on a machine with intel core 2 duo processors 4 Gb of RAM and over 100Gb of free memory.
I have attempted a safe boot (holding down shift while while holding the power button down), and Reseting the NVRAM by pressing 'command', 'option', 'P' and 'R' at the same time.
I do not have an installation disk or a time machine back up.
Does anyone know how to get passed the Grey start up Screen?
Any Suggestions would be mucho appreciated.

Computer won't get past grey start up screen after install

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