Computer won't get past the first boot screen after install

Hullo,
I've been meaning to try Linux for a good two years now, and finally got to the point where I will install it, and stick with it, and nothing else but it, for a month.
I decided to go with Arch, because I'm a minimalistic kind of guy, don't mind getting my hands dirty, and a few other reasons. So, I got a copy of the "release" version, arch-0.7.2-base.iso, I believe the same as the most recent stable edition from the nethat FTP.
I burned it as an image onto a CD-R, popped it into my CD-ROM drive and rebooted my computer. It came up, I hit enter to boot, it was successful so far. Then I got to the menu screens, where I did the easy part, and just erased my harddrive. Then I selected the base installation from the CD, installed it, seemed fine. I then installed the kernel and boot loader (GRUB) and everything seemed ok.
I type in reboot as it says, it reboots, the first screen pops up, where it says Gateway, Intel Inside, and press F10 for this, and F2 for that. It stayed like that for 5 or so minutes, so I restart. Same thing, restart again. Try to press F10 and F2, nothing. Restart again, same thing. Kept it like that, thinking it was a little laggy and had to do something. It's been on that screen for a good hour and a half now.

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.
But like I've said before, I CAN'T get there. It stops at the first boot screen.

Similar Messages

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.

Turning on and the apple chime is heard but won't get past the first grey screen

Turning on the Mac and hearing the chime but not able to get past the initial grey screen.

Hello Daryl,
Also let us know what Operating System you have on your Mac.

My Macbook won't get past the start up screen

Hey everyone
I have a Macbook that's about 3 years old. I did an software update yesterday and since doing it the computer won't get past the start up screen. There's just the Apple logo and the rolling ball thing. It's been stuck there for around 30mins and nothing changes. I'm not really sure what has happened but I was wondering if there is any way I can fix it.
Thanks for your time.
Bevan

Hey Lyssa
I don't have a back up but I'm not to worried about that as it's my traveling computer and I only use it for the web and some word processing.
I don't have the disks with me right now as I'm away from home. I'm not sure what I had updated, I think there was a lot because I hadn't don't it in a long time.
If I can start it in safe mode what should I do?
Thanks.
Bevan

Computer won't get past the blue screen...

During class today I decide to install new updates to my computer, but class ended before everything had downloaded so I just closed the screen thinking nothing of it. Now my computer won't get past the blue screen and it just keeps reloading and reloading. Help?

You must have damaged your OS installation by putting the machine to sleep at the wrong moment. To fix that, you need to reinstall, but first you need to back up your data, if you haven't already done so. Have you?

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.

Built my first PC, won't get past the first screen :(

Took me 12 hours to do my first build (I know, took too long) and I was so happy at first once everything was done but that didn't last long unfortunately. :( I'm stuck at the first screen where it lists my PC components and it tells me to either press DEL or F11. Nothing works. It's as if my keyboard is not being recognized... which it does because it says "1 KBDs, 1 MICE etc." in that same screen.
Parts are:
* MSI Computer Corp. Motherboard North Bridge AMD 970 & South Bridge AMD SB950 Chipset ATX DDR3 800 AMD AM3+ Motherboards (970A-G46)
* AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
* PNY 8GB Kit (2 x 4GB) 8 Dual Channel Kit DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM MD8192KD3-1866-X9
* ASUS HD7790-DC2OC-1GD5 Radeon HD7790 1GB GDDR5 128-bit, DVI-I/DVI-D/ HDMI/DP PCI-Express 3.0 CrossFire ready Graphic Card OC-selected 1075MHz core
* WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache - WD10EZEX
Every single one of these parts is listed in that first screen where I'm stuck at so that means everything is working, right (i.e., not dead on arrival or I didn't damage anything)? I did a Google search and this guy here (can't post links so the URL is not formatted) ->overclock.net/t/1426196/all-new-custom-pc-wont-get-past-the-bios-setup-screen<- had the same problem as I was and he pretty much has the same parts as me and he fixed the problem by using a pair of RAM with a lower voltage.
On MSI's page, it says there that the motherboard that I'm using supports 1.5V of RAM and I just checked the manufacturer's page for the RAM that I'm using and my RAM is listed as using 1.65V... could this really be the problem? Should I go ahead and get new RAM or is there maybe something else?
I also removed the CMOS battery for 1 hour and then moved the jumper to positions 2 and 3 to short the pins and I still can't get past the first screen. I'm going to try using just one stick of RAM next and should I insert it in DIMM1 or DIMM2?
Thanks in advance!

Quote from: XFM on 11-November-13, 06:25:55
Get a stick of cheap 1.5V RAM and give it a try. Plenty of good quality cheap RAM out there. In this instance my meaning of cheap is "low price" not low quality.
To be honest I would suggest to just go ahead and get some Corsair RAM such as what you see in my signature below. That is one brand that seems to work good in just about any system built using MSI MB whether it be AMD or Intel.
Thanks! I just ordered these - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N8GVUY/
Cheapest Corsairs I could find with 1.5V
Quote from: XFM on 11-November-13, 06:25:55
Another question I forgot to ask is what is the brand and model of your power supply?
I'm using one from an old PC... this one - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121037

Mac Mini won't get past the apple startup screen

Hi,
Just returned from the long weekend and tried to boot up my mac mini. It seems it doesn't want to get past the apple startup screen and the icon on the bottom just keeps spinning.
Any ideas?
Thanks

can you boot into _*safe mode*_ ?
( *click on image to enlarge* )
JGG

Curve 8900 won't get past the T-Mobile screen on start-up

I am hoping that someone out there can help. My T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 does not make it past the T-Mobile screen on start-up. The battery was fully charged when this happened. Personally, I think it has to do with iHeart Radio crashing, but I could be wrong. I have tried to plug the USB cord into a rear port on my laptop and launch the Blackberry Desktop Manager to see if I could do anything, but nothing happens. The BB Desktop Manager does not connect to the phone, because it is not getting past the T-Mobile screen on start-up. Not sure what to try.

Hey VTX1300R,
Do you have a recent backup of you device? If so the you may want to try to do a reset to factory on the device. Have a look at this article to see how to do it. http://bit.ly/98bCNO
-SR
Come follow your BlackBerry Technical Team on twitter! @BlackBerryHelp
Be sure to click Kudos! for those who have helped you.Click Solution? for posts that have solved your issue(s)!

My Mac Mini won't get past the initial startup screen with the Apple logo. What can I do?

After a long distance move, my Mac Mini won't startup past the logo screen. What can I do?

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, boot 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 Fusion Drive or 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 10. 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.

HT4623 Can't get past the software licence screen after updating iPhone

How do I get past the Software licence agreement screen? I updated my iPhone and although I have hit "I agree" repeatedly, the screen remains! If I press the Home button, I get the options Emergency Call and Cancel.

Contact Apple Support:
http://www.apple.com/uk/contact/

Just reset tiger but can't get past the first welcome screen

I'm loading up my MacBook Pro after resetting it to factory settings without a disk. It loads up to a welcome screen after a little animation of languages and it says 'to begin select the country or region you're in, then click continue'
But there are no languages to select. The box is empty and obviously I can't continue until I click on something.
Anyone had this issue or is it just me?

Possibly, make sure it's the Retail version though.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mac+os+x+tiger+retail+10.4
See Tom's, (Texas Mac Man), great info on where/how to find/get Tiger...
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15305521#15305521
Or Ali Brown's great info on where/how to find/get Tiger...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10381710#10381710
Would be cheaper to get a 10.6 Install Disc...
Snow Leopard/10.6.x Requirements...
General requirements
   * Mac computer with an Intel processor
    * 1GB of memory (I say 4GB at least, more if you can afford it)
    * 5GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)
    * DVD drive for installation
    * Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
    * Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.
Which apps work with Mac OS X 10.6?...
http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/
Buy Snow Leopard > http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Call Apple Sales...in the US: 1-800-MY-APPLE. Or Support... 1-800-275-2273
Other countries...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57

It won't get past the grey start screen.

I had a new logic board put in last year. Now it seems like it running hot fan spinning and just sits on start screen before you see the logo. Any ideas on what to do. I cooled it off. Unplugged it. Removed the battery and still same result.

I'm having the same problem everynow and then... I'm running mac osx lion. I have reinstalled lion to see if that will work. now it is starting again but not sure for how long. The problem is that I'm getting small interruptions while running itunes or a movie... it's a like a second cut every minute or so... strange. Never had any problems before.
If it keeps on behaving weird I'll do a clean install.
I suggest you run disk utility and AHT (apple hardware test) before you do anything, AHT should be in the CD you got when you purchased your machine and the disk utility should be initiated by holding option while booting (chose recovery HD if you're running lion). Hope that helps.

A1226 won't get past the grey loading screen

I just purchased a macbook pro model A1226 from a friend who said it wont load up OSX. I figured it was just a hard drive replacement and wouldnt be a big deal, but I swapped the hard drive out for another and it still wont load. I went to put his back in. He said it had Lion on it, but when I held the option key down to go to the recovery drive, the regular startup drive says leopard.... so, not sure what i'm working with. I've tried to look on here and find different options to use at startup. I have my old snow leopard family pack install disks, but everytime I try to boot to the disk it trys to then gives me a "you need to restart your mac" prompt. I've tried resetting the pram , I've tried to get to this ever so elusive apple hardware test by pressing d prior to startup etc. and i'm at a loss. Please help. Thanks.
-Chase

Boot holding down the OPT key. That will start the boot manager and you can see what your options are.
Edit: sorry, missed the part where you'd already tried that.

My serial number is not recognized and I cant get past the first setup screen. What do I do?

I cant get the installer to recoognize my serial no. What do I do

As well as the new download you will need the new serial number. You cannot use your original serial number.
(Don't expect it to work on modern versions of Windows or Mac OS though!)

Computer won't get past the first boot screen after install

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for