FCPX project turned grey. Timeline duration reads 00:00

When I play the project from the project library, despite the timeline reading the duration is 00:00 I see all of the footage and the cuts, but I hear no audio. I tried trashing my layouts, my prefernces,repairing my disks, and copying the project but nothing is working. I know the project still has to be there, otherwise it wouldn't play. I am using Fincal Cut 10.0.4 Any advice?

When I open the project in the timeline, there are no files and the whole box is gray.
Maybe there are some spceific preferneces I have to trash that I haven't? The only way I can ever see any part of the project is if I hit play from the project library.
Thanks!

Similar Messages

  • FCPX project turned red overnight. "Modified Files".

    I spent three hours editing a talent show video for my school on my iMac. We used two Canon HFM41 cameras shooting in HD. I imported the clips and created a multicam clip and edited the clip with no problems. I stsrted uploading the project to YouTube before going to bed and woke up to a disaster. One of the camera angle clips and the multicam clip in the Event Browser had turned red with "Modified File". I have done this before many times successfully but not since upgrading to Mavericks. Please help me. Thank you.

    OK, I do NOT mind rerendering to save a fifth of my hard drive.
    Do you you have any idea why one is a fourth the size of the other?

  • From FCP timeline...send to soundtrack pro audio file project is greyed out

    The send to multi track is not greyed out but that's not what I need.
    The stereo audio file is 48KHz and I have 7 tracks of audio in the sequence all of which are stereo except the VO track.
    If I use "open in editor" to open a stereo file from the timeline soundtrack only imports one channel.
    I'm trying to run these stero audio clips through STP using the waveform editor to quickly analyze and fix the "clicks and pops" also adding a low cut off filter to some of the clips to help eliminate some wind noise.
    Seems the only way I can get it to work is to export each clip as an aiff file and then import it to STP, edit non destructively, save as a .stap file and then reimport that .stap file back into FCP........
    Any ideas why the "send to STP audio file project" is greyed out? perhaps I have forgotten a preference setting somewhere?
    All help appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Dave
    G5 dual 2.0, 3.0 GB ram, 2x250 internal   Mac OS X (10.3.9)   FCP 5.0.4 DVDSP 4.0.3 Motion 2.0.1 Soundtrack pro 1.0.3 QT 7.0.4

    Hey, Dave. That can happen if you captured your files with two audio tracks instead of a single stereo track. The two channels will show up on two tracks, but they're not actually stereo in the quicktime file.
    When you captured, did you click the "OO" button next to the audio channels to link them to stereo? You can look at the contents of the quicktime file with Quicktime Player and see if you've got one audio track with two channels assigned to "left" and "right". If you have some other configuration in the file, check out these old threads for workarounds, or recapture if that's an option.
    http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1456638
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=259929

  • ADVICE needed - FCPX projects -- FCP7 workflow (not X27)

    Hey all,
    I need some sage advice.
    I have been working on a huge project for over a year now on location in Bosnia.
    All footage has been shot on the 5D mrk3 and c300 cameras.
    My FCPX Workflow
    While on location I was importing / organizing / syncing / labeling and adding subtitles into FCPX.
    - I have each camera in it's own event and project.
    - I have the video synced (using Plural Eyes) with the Zoom audio files.
    - I have added subtitles from my translator using Annotation edit.
    - I have then used the TimeCode generator to give the entire sync'ed, subbed "master timeline" a consistent reference throughout and so I always know exactly where that clip lives in the "master timeline" once I start editing.
    - Lastly I have added the "file name" using the Text "right" generator in FCPX so I always know what day it is.
    I would then create a separate compound clip for all the video from that day, the external audio, and the subtitles. (so that is 3 Compound clips. (see pics below)
    Add the TimeCode and right text generators...
    Select all and make it all a C. Clip... I did this so nothing would shift.. the Subs would be in sync and the timecode would always be the same no matter how and where the footage was used....
    My Question / Challenge
    OK so now my producers have found an editor and this editor needs to edit this project in FCP 7.
    I am in Chicago they are in Berlin... I will join them in Berlin but want to do as much prep work in the 1.5 months leading up to my travel date here in Chicago.
    They have all the footage and FCPX projects and events and now need to get them into FCP 7
    the app X to 7 does not import FCPX generators and has some quirks importing text (I am not sure how it will handle my subs as we are just beginning the import / converting process)
    What I don't want is to loose all the good work that I have done on my end to be organized and I absolutely NEED the subtitles included with the sync'd footage.
    Does anyone have any advice and / or know where I can turn to figure out what to do in this situation?
    the viewer with subs, timecode, and file stamp
    the timeline broken apart
    the timeline as compound clips

    @ Russ H
    Yeah I thought of that too...
    Just using the flatened verssion as a reference file that can be enabled and disapbled as necessary hoever like you pointed out that is "not ideal" AND would actually be pretty time consuming as I am dealing with
    45 Days of footage totalling 200+ hours...
    So it actually takes about an hour to render and export each 3-4 hour days of flattened footage.
    But that may be the best soltuion of the not so great options I have in front of me...
    @Meg The Dog
    Thanks, and yes I will be doing all of that sans the assistant editor.
    One of the largest issues is that I am not a FCPX expert so I can't do that...
    AND the budget is a bit tight to hire a second editor for this job PLUS it is in Berlin (I am in Chicago)
    So while I will be there for the editing process the lead / post time is going to be pretty tight and I need to make sure that all the footage is online, sync'd, subbed and ready to go once I step off the plane.
    I agree that in an ideal situation your suggestion would be best if the budget allowed for it...
    Message was edited by: sConvey

  • Unable to open older versions of FCPX projects

    I am trying to teach myself FCPX from the book 'Final Cut Pro X Advanced Editing'. The book comes with three DVDs with projects and problems to solve on them... I could open the projects a few months ago with the trial version of FCPX but since purchasing the full program (and subsequently leaving it for almost a year before reopening it) my mac has updated the software and I now cant open any of the preprepared projects... Annoying!
    It's most likely something that I'm doing wrong but when I try and import a project from the sparse image of FCP disc 1 I have all of the folders (and the events are all there) but the project icon is greyed out and won't allow me to open it.
    I could create a project and import all of the events but they all then require renaming etc plus some of the project are already edited together and just need finessing as is the point of some of the project tutorials.
    Any thoughts?
    Cheers,
    Gareth

    Hi Tom,
    It is the Michael Wohl book yes. It's title is: Final Cut Pro X Advanced Editing, so I expected it to work with FCPX...
    Thanks for the link, I'll have a read through now.
    The events are all there load but projects are greyed out so I had to create a project and rename the clips to start with but it's getting a little trickier to follow using this method now so loading the pre-prepared test projects would be far easier... I've also noticed that a couple of functions mentioned in the book aren't there like the clip stabilization in the analyze and fix window (not such an issue as it appears in the info screen when you select a clip so presumably does it automatically if you select the radio button to the left?).
    I'll keep trying.
    Cheers,
    Gareth

  • Clips thumbnails lose audio then turn grey

    I have read several of you having similar problems and have not yet found a fix. I have an iMac that came with Tiger and ILife 08 which I bought at the end of Sep. Upgraded to Leopard. Video clips imported into event library don't last long before: 1. the audio goes 2. the thumbnails turn grey. They can be put into project, but will not render so that iDVD will work. I would rather not spend the $ on Final Cut Express and have to learn new software, but iMovie 08 isn't cutting it unless I can get a fix. Thanks.

    I was also having this issue. I had the latest version of iMovie from iLife 08. I took the iMovie application and trashed it. I then reinstalled the iLife 08 suite to get back to the 7.0 (471) version. When I did this and reopened iMovie the sound for all of my clips had returned and the grey thumbnails were gone. Good luck.

  • Clips turn grey when i drag

    i have clips in i movie6 clips window...when i try to use them and i start dragging them onto the timeline or over to FCP, the clip turns grey and i cannot do anything with it..why is that?

    im having the same problem. cant copy/paste either with those clips because they gray out!

  • Can anybody help? My Safari browser keeps crashing. The whole window just turns grey.

    Can anybody help? My Safari browser keeps crashing on iMac 10.7.5. The whole window just turns grey. It started happening around the time of the new bookmarks menu upgrade recently which changed the bookmarks to be only on the side and makes it so you can see all your bookmarks while browsing.  I know I have a lot of bookmarks, so I tried hiding them, but it still happens. I ALREADY TRIED CLEARING MY HISTORY, AND THAT DID NOT HELP, AND I HAVE NO EXTENSIONS FOR THIS BROWSER.
    Does the fact that I am in Brasil have anything to do with it?
    Thank you to anyone who can help. In case no one can come up with an answer, is there an easy way to transfer my bookmarks from safari to either firefox or chrome?
    Much appreciated.

    1. This is a comment on what you should and should not do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
    If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
    OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
    2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
    The following caveats apply to XProtect:
    It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
    It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
    As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
       3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
    Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
    It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
    A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
    An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
    For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. OS X security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
    4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
    5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
    That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know what is safe?
    Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is unsafe.
    A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
    Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
    Software that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are outside the safe harbor, though not all are necessarily harmful.
    Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe. For instance, if a web page warns you that Flash is out of date, do not follow an offered link to an update. Go to the Adobe website to download it, if you need it at all.
    Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
    "FREE WI-FI !!!" networks in public places are unsafe unless you can verify that the network is not a trap (which you probably can't.) Even then, do not download any software or transmit any private information while connected to such a network, regardless of where it seems to come from or go to.
    6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
    Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
    Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers.
    Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
    Follow the above guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself from malware.
    7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free anti-virus products in the Mac App Store — nothing else.
    Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
    Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
    In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
    To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. Most of the real-world danger of malware attack comes from highly targeted "zero-day" exploits that are not yet recognized.
    By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
    8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
    An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
    A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
    Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless a network administrator requires you to do it.
    The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
    9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
    10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

  • How can you tell FCPX project files in a deleted trash recovery program

    Hello All
    Did the unthinkable and trashed a FCPX project folder I need.....and emptied the trash.
    I immediatly went into recovery with program ''Stellar Phoenix...'' and was able to recover loads of files.
    Since they are now ''generic'' labeled, I can't decifer which one is the FCPX project file.
    Does anyone have a method to determine which is which in a recovery situation.
    Some further info....
         recovered files are organized in folders by types:
                   OSX 10.6
                   graphics
                   documents
                   apps......sub folders to include: ''c source...plist....apple scripts....etc
                   video
                   audio
                   archive
                   and a few more..
    It seems apparent that it's not going to be video,audio. graphics...etc
    but I was thinking ''apple scripts'' as a project is just instructions for the timeline movie, right?
    anyway, have a lot of searching to do and no real map on what I'm looking at here.
    Anyone had an experience like this and can shed some light?
    ...greatly appreciate it
    Thanks!

    Monty,
    Within FCP, there is a menu item called "Media Manager" (depending on what version you are in). This would be worth your while to look into. It basically organizes your project by moving/archiving any used assets of a project and leaving out un-used assets. It saves a ton of disk space.
    For example, say you have a 5 minute clip with an in/out point that is just 30 seconds. Media Manager will "archive" just that 30 seconds, not the entire clip. There is even a setting that you can add additional "handles" time to the front andd back of the clip if you think you may need to add or change transition.
    Do a google search. I was just watching a few Youtube videos on this myself.
    Jonathan

  • I would like to use GarageBand to remaster downloaded music files that are in iTunes.  Poorly mastered files keep clipping and damaging my speakers.  When I try to use an iTunes file as a new project, it greys out the iTunes songs so I can't select them.

    I would like to use GarageBand to remaster downloaded music files that are in iTunes.  Poorly mastered files keep clipping and damaging my speakers.  When I try to use an iTunes file as a new project, it greys out the iTunes songs so I can't select them.  Any ideas?

    As I said - look whether your original file is damaged or not. If not, I wouldn't change it and find out what in your system makes it sound like it's clipping.
    Good sound file, with volume maxed out. No need to change anything.
    The same song clipped - no chance to repair.

  • I have noticed recently that deleted e mail messages do not disappear from the screen.  Instead they turn grey until I switch to another mailbox.  When I return, they are gone.  Any idea why this has started to happen?

    I have noticed recently that deleted e mail messages do not disappear from the screen.  Instead they turn grey until I switch to another mailbox.  When I return, they are gone.  Any idea why this has started to happen?

    I have noticed recently that deleted e mail messages do not disappear from the screen.  Instead they turn grey until I switch to another mailbox.  When I return, they are gone.  Any idea why this has started to happen?

  • HT1529 why my MacBook Air screen turns grey & hang

    why my McaBook Air screen turns grey &hang

    If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.
    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.
    Step 1
    Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
    View ▹ Show Log List
    from the menu bar.
    Enter "BOOT_TIME" (without the quotes) in the search box. Note the timestamps of those log messages, which refer to the times when the system was booted. Now clear the search box and scroll back in the log to the last boot time after  you had the problem. Select the messages logged before the boot, while the system was unresponsive or was failing to shut down. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message (command-V). Please include the BOOT_TIME message at the end of the log extract.
    If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Don’t post many repetitions of the same message.
    When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.
    Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
    Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.
    Step 2
    Still in Console, look under System Diagnostic Reports for crash or panic logs, and post the entire contents of the most recent one, if any. In the interest of privacy, I suggest you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if present (it may not be.) Please don’t post any other kind of report — it will be very long and not helpful.

  • Screen turning grey and demanding restart

    This may have been covered already, and my apologies if so, but I'm in the middle of a project and a google search turned up nothing. Every so often - and it seems to only happen when I'm using Safari - the screen will turn grey (from top to bottom) and a multi-language box will tell me I need to restart by holding down the power button and then starting up again. There is no way out of this, and it destroys whatever I'm working on. This may only happen once every few weeks, but I'd like to change that to never. What is the reason for this, and how can I fix it? It's a newer MacBookPro, 10.6. Thanks for your time and attention.

    That's a *kernel panic.*
    They are usually caused by hardware problems, but can be software, especially kernel extensions.
    Start with this Apple article: [If “You need to restart your computer” appears|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/8965.html].
    More kernel panic info:
    Apple Support - About kernel panic messages
    Mac OS X Kernel Panic FAQ
    The X Lab - Resolving Kernel Panics
    Apple Developer - Technical Note TN2063: Understanding and Debugging Kernel Panics
    Tutorial: Avoiding and eliminating Kernel panics

  • Project pane greys out after adding either HD movie footage or a photo'

    Project pane greys out after adding either HD movie footage or a photo' into iMovie '08. Since using a HD camcorder, quite often, after adding either HD movie footage or a photo', the project pane greys out. I have to exit the project and re-enter to continue viewing the project; this is tiresome. Any thoughts or is this yet another iMovie '08 bug?

    blackcomb greens wrote:
    PS ~ what is the plist?
    every app as a preference list, which can get corrupted.
    quit iM
    look in user/Library/Preferences for a file called com.apple.iMovie(x).plist (x stands for any number) ....
    trash that.
    restart iMovie..
    it doesn't hurt your projects nor does it touch any files.. it just 'resets' an app.. => slapp on backhead.. as I like to call it..
    yes, hardware is nice, as long as you don't dare to handle AVCHD .. that is on Intel Mac only..
    all Folders (Project/Events) is on local harddrive?
    no plug-ins installed (DivX etc)?

  • Help! My mac turns grey and i cannot sign in. It said "your start up disc is full".

    My child incidently put her itumes to my macbook air. It seems it the macbook is very full. When we turn it on, it stated " your start up disc is full". We cannot delete files / programs to make more spaces because i cannot even sign in. The monitor turns grey and freeze after I click "sign in". Help me, please.... Thank you very much for your kind attention and help.

    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
    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.

Maybe you are looking for