Grey screen on startup even after removing stuck disc!

Thanks for helping me to remove stuck disc from IMac slot (can't remember its proper name but it is a beautiful turquoise). However, it hasn't solved the other problem. On starting up I get the usual "DONG" sound and whirring and a bright screen which then becomes dead and grey and nothing happens. Could someone please give me a suggestion of keys to hold down etc., as I have no idea which are appropriate in my case. Luckily I just did a backup so all is not lost! Thanks in advance, Sheila Jones
IMac Reg No. M5521
IMac Reg No. M5521

am replying myself to say what else I have tried. I have inserted the software restore disc as a startup but it will not show hard disc so cannot restore software. I then inserted software install disc as startup but the same thing happened. So the machine is capable of working, it just won't open the hard disc. Hope someone can help me. Sheila Jones
IMac Mac OS 9.0.x Reg No. M5521

Similar Messages

TS2570 Grey screen on startup...

I am using 2008 White Macbook with OSX lion running on it. Recently I tried to update the OS and then I started getting a folder with question mark on startup. After that I started getting a continuous grey screen on startup. I tried various options like command + option + P + Q, then Command + R, etc. but did not get any response. After that I pressed option key on startup then there was a response. A lock icon appeared on screen asking for a password. I tried the MacBook password and it is not taking that password as well. I tired all the passwords I remembered but nothing worked. My cd drive is not working and also I do not have original OS disks with me now. The apple service centre told that they can resolbe it as it is a vintage model. I called apple care but they are asking 29 $ for a call Which is ridiculou. Pl. help me

Does the lock screen look like the one on this page…
http://osxdaily.com/2014/01/06/set-firmware-password-mac/
That is an EFI password - it stops the firmware accepting ANY startup commands so you cannot boot from other media or use the startup keys to get into recovery mode, single user mode, target disk mode etc.
If you can't remember the password you will need to remove the battery & leave it unpowered for a few days. If you are lucky it will reset. If it doesn't reset you need to open the case & remove the internal clock battery. Not something anyone should do without the skills to work on electronics - take it to an Apple Store or an Apple approved service centre would be my advice.
It is also possible that you have Filevault password instead of an EFI password - did you need to enter a password after every reboot before the OS failed. This shouldn't be confused with a normal user account password.
If you have Filevault enabled you can still try booting into recovery mode, but you must enter the password to repair the boot disk.
The 'question mark folder' means it cannot find an OS that is bootable - it need to be repaired but you can't get to recovery mode without the EFI password - a catch 22 situation.
Since you have no install disks or other ways to boot it seems you are probably not going to be able to fix this. If you have another Mac you could try to download 10.7 & create a USB install disk & use that to try to repair the Mac, but it seems unlikely since it appears to have a firmware password.

Can't delete a file displayed in ListView ("File in use") even after removing it from window.

I have a ListView displaying a collection of icons. The user can then select different icons (checkboxes) to do things like Copy or Delete.
Problem is, when I try to delete the actual file from the disk, I get an error telling me the file is "in use" ("vshost.exe", the VS runtime during testing).
I thought maybe it was because it still appeared in the window and was still in the ImageList, but even after removing it from both locations, I still get the error. My code:
Dim intCnt As Integer = 0
Do
ImageList2.Images.RemoveAt(intIconsChecked(intCnt)) ' Remove from collection.
lsvCollection.Items.RemoveAt(intIconsChecked(intCnt)) ' Remove from ListView window.
FileIO.FileSystem.DeleteFile(strIconPath & "\Icon" & Format(intCnt + 1, "00") & ".rsc") ' "+1" b/c Icons start with "01".
FileIO.FileSystem.DeleteFile(strIconPath & "\Icon" & Format(intCnt + 1, "00") & ".png") ' "In use" Error here.
".rsc" deletes just fine, so I know I'm deleting the correct file. Why does VS still think the file is still "in use"?
Thx

Mugsy,
Consider this as food for thought, even if you don't use it.
If you set it up right then you can control how it works. A reference is a reference and any left behind will cause you grief down the road when you try to delete things.
As an example, a simple class follows. It does *not* implement IDispose, although it does have a private shared Dispose method in it:
Public Class MyImages
Private _bmp As Bitmap
Private _name As String
Private _sourceFilePath As String
Private Sub New(ByVal bmp As Bitmap, _
ByVal name As String, _
ByVal filePath As String)
_bmp = bmp
_sourceFilePath = filePath.Trim
_name = name.Trim
End Sub
Public ReadOnly Property Bmp As Bitmap
Get
Return _bmp
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property Name As String
Get
Return _name
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property SourceFilePath As String
Get
Return _sourceFilePath
End Get
End Property
Public Shared Sub AddNew(ByRef miList As List(Of MyImages), _
ByVal imageFilePath As String)
Try
If miList Is Nothing Then
Throw New ArgumentNullException("The collection of MyImages cannot be null.")
ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(imageFilePath) OrElse imageFilePath.Trim = "" Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The file path of the image cannot be null or empty.")
ElseIf Not My.Computer.FileSystem.FileExists(imageFilePath) Then
Throw New IO.FileNotFoundException("The file path of the image could not be located.")
Else
' Should do validation here that the file
' is actually an image but I'll not do this
' here...
Dim thisBMP As Bitmap = New Bitmap(imageFilePath)
miList.Add(New MyImages(thisBMP, GetFileNameWithoutExtension(imageFilePath), imageFilePath))
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
End Sub
Public Shared Sub AddNew(ByRef miList As List(Of MyImages), _
ByVal imageFilePath As String, _
ByVal imageName As String)
Try
If miList Is Nothing Then
Throw New ArgumentNullException("The collection of MyImages cannot be null.")
ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(imageFilePath) OrElse imageFilePath.Trim = "" Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The file path of the image cannot be null or empty.")
ElseIf Not My.Computer.FileSystem.FileExists(imageFilePath) Then
Throw New IO.FileNotFoundException("The file path of the image could not be located.")
ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(imageName) OrElse imageName.Trim = "" Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The name of this image cannot be null or empty.")
Else
' Should do validation here that the file
' is actually an image but I'll not do this
' here...
Dim thisBMP As Bitmap = New Bitmap(imageFilePath)
miList.Add(New MyImages(thisBMP, imageName, imageFilePath))
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
End Sub
Public Shared Sub Remove(ByRef miList As List(Of MyImages), _
ByVal imageFilePath As String, _
Optional ByVal removeFilePathAlso As Boolean = False)
Try
If miList Is Nothing Then
Throw New ArgumentNullException("The collection of MyImages cannot be null.")
ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(imageFilePath) OrElse imageFilePath.Trim = "" Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The file path of the image cannot be null or empty.")
ElseIf Not My.Computer.FileSystem.FileExists(imageFilePath) Then
Throw New IO.FileNotFoundException("The file path of the image could not be located.")
Else
Dim findInstance As System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable(Of MyImages) = _
From mi As MyImages In miList _
Where mi.SourceFilePath = imageFilePath
If findInstance.Count <> 1 Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The instance of MyImages specified by the" & vbCrLf & _
"image file path is not in the collection.")
Else
Dispose(findInstance.First)
If removeFilePathAlso Then
My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile(findInstance.First.SourceFilePath)
End If
miList.Remove(findInstance.First)
End If
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
End Sub
Private Shared Sub Dispose(ByVal instance As MyImages)
If instance IsNot Nothing AndAlso instance._bmp IsNot Nothing Then
instance._bmp.Dispose()
instance._bmp = Nothing
End If
End Sub
End Class
When you look through that, look specifically at the "Remove" method and in particular, look at the order in which things are done. That's the critical part in this.
I tested it with a simple form:
Two buttons, a checkbox, and a picturebox. I also copied a small folder full of image files to my desktop since I'll be deleting a file from it. Following is the code for Form1:
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Option Infer Off
Imports System.IO.Path
Public Class Form1
Private miList As New List(Of MyImages)
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles MyBase.Load
Dim desktop As String = _
My.Computer.FileSystem.SpecialDirectories.Desktop
Dim imgFolder As String = _
Combine(desktop, "Images")
PictureBox1.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle
For Each imgFilePath As String In My.Computer.FileSystem.GetFiles(imgFolder)
MyImages.AddNew(miList, imgFilePath)
Next
btn_RemoveFirstImage.Enabled = False
CheckBox_RemoveSourcePath.Enabled = False
End Sub
Private Sub btn_ShowFirstImage_Click(sender As System.Object, _
e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles btn_ShowFirstImage.Click
Try
If miList.Count >= 1 Then
With PictureBox1
.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.Zoom
.Image = miList(0).Bmp
End With
btn_RemoveFirstImage.Enabled = True
CheckBox_RemoveSourcePath.Enabled = True
End If
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(String.Format("An exception was thrown:{0}{0}{1}", vbCrLf, ex.Message), _
"Exception", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning)
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub btn_RemoveFirstImage_Click(sender As System.Object, _
e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles btn_RemoveFirstImage.Click
Try
If miList.Count >= 1 Then
MyImages.Remove(miList, miList(0).SourceFilePath, CheckBox_RemoveSourcePath.Checked)
End If
PictureBox1.Image = Nothing
btn_RemoveFirstImage.Enabled = True
CheckBox_RemoveSourcePath.Enabled = True
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(String.Format("An exception was thrown:{0}{0}{1}", vbCrLf, ex.Message), _
"Exception", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning)
End Try
End Sub
End Class
Running it is straightforward:
Now when I click to show the first one:
A different image is shown because that first one no longer exists - either in the collection or in the folder.
Closing/disposing all references is the key and the order matters.
Something to consider the next time around. :)
Still lost in code, just at a little higher level.

Ipod touch screen not working even after resetting to factory specs

ipod touch screen not working even after resetting to factory spec. lock symbol appears at top

That indicates you have a hardware problem. An appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store is in order.

Firefox crashes for only one user on startup, even after reset; safe mode OK.

Current crashes do not even produce crash reports, but two crashes from earlier today did yield:
bp-7013aded-0644-47d8-9967-b48a12141013
bp-cb495f8f-7ae2-4b48-86ff-63b6f2141013
Starting in safe mode shows the same installed plugins and two extensions that are enabled in profiles for other users on this system. It is only this user's Firefox that crashes on startup, even after a reset.
Have also uninstalled and re-installed Firefox. Again, it crashes on startup only for this user.
Windows event viewer does have several entries for an Application Error:
Faulting application name: plugin-container.exe, version: 32.0.3.5379, time stamp: 0x54224e6b
Faulting module name: mozalloc.dll, version: 32.0.3.5379, time stamp: 0x54221b67
Exception code: 0x80000003
but it's not clear that these entries sync up with the crashes.
This crashing on startup began this morning; no new software or any other system modifications (that I'm aware of) for several weeks now.

The hardware acceleration setting appears to be the culprit. After unchecking the Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available" setting, Firefox no longer crashes on startup.
Initially I'd glossed over this setting since it isn't an issue for any of the other users on this system. I'm still puzzled as to why this would be an issue only for this user, and what had changed as of this morning that set it off, but obviously there's something about their configuration which triggers this situation, even for the default plain vanilla Firefox profile!
Thanks, cor-el!

I cannot log in my account but can as a guest even after removing the password

i cannot log in my account but can as a guest even after removing the password

Hi Kabiru,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
You may want to use the steps in this article to reset your user account password:
OS X: Changing or resetting an account password
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1274
Best,
Jeremy

Presentation catalog are listing on subject area even after removal

Presentation catalog are listing on subject area even after removal of catalog on RPD.
I have restarted oc4J server too

Please make sure that you have saved the repository or not.
And then restart both the services i.e Presentation server & OBI Server
Regards
Visweswar
Edited by: Mopur on May 26, 2011 10:44 PM

Stuck on grey screen with apple logo after failed iTunes update

I tried to install an update for iTunes 9.2 on my MacBook. During installation a box appeared telling me the update had failed. I clicked the 'Restart' button. Now it won't go past the grey screen with the apple logo and the rotating wheel; it just loads indefinitely. I have a very important document saved on the Mac which I've added to without backing it up. I'm worried that I will lose (or have already lost) a great deal of writing. Is there a way to get my computer running again without damaging my files? Because this computer was a gift, I don't have the software installation CDs that came with it (or Disk Utility). I'm also not very familiar with computers in general, so if you explain your solutions in a really basic way, I'd appreciate it. Any kind of advice would be extremely welcomed...

This one?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
* Last Modified: June 25, 2009
* Article: TS1417
* Old Article: 106214
[Email this article]
[Print this page]
Symptoms
If your computer won't start up normally, you may need to use a disk repair utility to fix the issue. Mac OS X includes two utilities for this—Disk Utility and fsck (a command-line utility). You can also use these even when your computer starts just fine but you want to check the disk for possible file system issues. For Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, check out "About live verification in Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later," below.
Important: If you're using Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you should use Disk Utility instead of fsck, whenever possible.
In some situations, file system errors may prevent your computer from starting up. This can occur after an improper shutdown, forced restart, or power interruption. If your computer shows any of the following symptoms on startup, use a disk repair utility:
* Your computer partially starts but then displays a command line in a text-only environment. You may see the message, "file system dirty, run fsck." Below it, you'll see what's called a command-line prompt, indicated by a number sign (#), that allows you to type a command. If you see this, you'll need to run fsck from the command line (see "Use fsck if necessary," below).
* Your computer starts but either it won't reach the login screen, or it may reach the login screen but not load the Desktop after you log in. However, you can start up in single-user mode.
If your computer exhibits either of the above issues, here are some things to try to get your computer back to starting up properly again. If you can't find the system discs that came with your computer, see "Use fsck," below.
Products Affected
Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.2, Mac OS X 10.1
Resolution
Try a Safe Boot
If you're using Mac OS X 10.2 or later, you can start up your computer in Safe Mode, which includes an automatic disk check and repair. If you're using Mac OS X 10.1.5 or earlier, skip to the next section. A Safe Boot, which starts up your computer into Safe Mode, may allow you to start up your computer successfully using a reduced version of the system software. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Start up in Safe Mode.
2. After the system has fully started up, restart your computer again normally.
If the computer successfully restarts, you do not need to do any more troubleshooting. If the issue persists, try Disk Utility.
Try Disk Utility
1. Start from your Mac OS X Install disc: Insert the installation disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.
Tip: Always start up your computer from an Install or Restore disc when using Disk Utility to verify or repair your startup volume. Otherwise, you might see some disk error messages.
Use fsck if necessary
fsck is a command-line utility that may be able to verify and repair a disk. If you can successfully start up in Safe Mode or use Disk Utility while started up from a disc, you don't need to use fsck. Here are some situations in which fsck may be necessary.
* Your Mac OS X disc isn't available.
* Your optical drive isn't available.
* You can't start with a Safe Boot by holding the Shift key during start up.
Tip: If you use a Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) formatted volume, such as with Mac OS X 10.3 or later, you probably won't need to use fsck. If you do use it for any reason, please be aware that benign error messages can appear.
If you're not sure how your volume is formatted and you can't start up from your Mac OS X volume to find out, type the following command in a command-line interface and then press Return: diskutil info /
If you see "File System: Journaled HFS+" returned, you have a Journaled volume.
To use fsck, you must run it from the command line. Unlike using your mouse pointer to open an application to do something, you'll need to type a text command at the prompt (#) to tell fsck what to do. The Terminal application (/Applications/Utilities) and single-user mode are two examples of command-line interfaces in which you can type such commands. To use fsck:
1. Start up your computer in single-user mode to reach the command line.
Note: If necessary, perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer. On desktop computers, you can do this by pressing the reset/interrupt button (if there is one) or holding down the power button for several seconds. On portable computers, simultaneously press the Command-Control-power keys. If your portable computer doesn't restart with this method, you may need to reset the Power Manager.
2. At the command-line prompt type:
/sbin/fsck -fy
3. Press Return. fsck will go through five "phases" and then return information about your disk's use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it'll display this message if no issue is found:
** The volume (nameofvolume) appears to be OK
If fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message:
*** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED ***
Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command you typed in step 2 until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
4. When fsck reports that your volume is OK, type reboot at the prompt and then press Return.
Your computer should start up normally and allow you to log in.
Additional Information
About live verification in Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later
In Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, you can verify your Mac OS X volume while started from it. This is known as live verification, and can be used in three different ways.
Option 1: Verify your disk using Disk Utility while started from the startup disk. To find out how to do this, see this article. Please note that live verification does not involve any disk repair, so if verification finds something that should be repaired, start up from your Mac OS X Install disc and use Disk Utility as described above in "Try Disk Utility."
Option 2 (advanced): Use the command line and the command-line utility, diskutil.
1. Start up your computer and log in as an administrator.
2. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
3. At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return:
diskutil verify /
Note: Don't use this method to check non-startup volumes.
You should see messages such as the following during the disk check:
Could not unmount disk for verification, attempting live verify
Started verify/repair on volume disk0s3 Macintosh HD
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
Mounting Disk
Verify/repair finished on volume disk0s3 Macintosh HD
Option 3 (advanced): Use the command line and the fsck_hfs -l command.
1. Start up your computer and log in as an administrator.
2. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
3. At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return to determine your filesytem ID:
df -hl
4. Look for some lines of text that look like this:
Filesystem Size Used Avail Capacity Mounted on
/dev/disk0s3 37G 20G 17G 55% /
/dev/disk0s5 37G 37G 641M 98% /Volumes/Storage
5. Make a note of the first "disk" name that appears after /dev/, such as "disk0s3." This is your filesystem ID for your startup volume.
6. At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return:
df -hl
7. Then type the following command, where "disk0s3" is your filesystem ID you noted in step 4, then press Return:
sudo fsck_hfs -l /dev/disk0s3
8. When prompted, enter your admin password, then press Return to begin the verification.
9. You should see messages like these during the disk check:
** /dev/rdisk0s3 (NO WRITE)
** Root file system
** Checking HFS Plus volume.
** Checking Extents Overflow file.
** Checking Catalog file.
** Checking multi-linked files.
** Checking Catalog hierarchy.
** Checking Extended Attributes file.
** Checking volume bitmap.
** Checking volume information.
** The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
Advanced information
If you're interested in UNIX-style command-line syntax, here's a look at how a couple of flags used above can influence fsck:
* The -y flag: Tells fsck that you want to answer "yes" to all questions about fixing, repairing, or salvaging information. This is the optimal approach, as answering "no" to any question causes fsck to stop. You cannot determine that all necessary repairs have been made until fsck completes and gives its final report.
* The -f flag: Forces fsck to check "clean" filesystems when preening.
See also
* Handling "overlapped extent allocation" errors reported by Disk Utility or fsck
* Disk Utility reports "Underlying task reported failure" when repairing a volume

MacBook Pro mid 2012 stuck on grey screen on startup

Hey guys.!
I need an advice from you guys.
I updated my Mbp few hours ago... It asked for a restart , I did after sometime but now while starting up I can't get passed through the grey screen with an apple logo and circle loading sign. Before this showed a loading bar also with it.
I can't figure out is there a problem with it or just takes time to finalise the updating or something .
Would love to get replies ASAP
Thanks,
A fellow MBP user
Aakash

Did you try Repair Disk instead of Verify Disk? The latter does nothing.
It is possible the drive has failed. It's also possible the drive just needs to be reformatted which you would do were you to try my second suggestion:
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.

PB G4 stuck on grey screen at startup

I've got a PB G4 running 10.5. Everything was going fine until a couple of weeks ago when startup started stalling at the grey screen, sometimes with the apple logo and spinny thing sometimes just blank grey. After reading up on this, I popped in the original discs and ran disk utility. It ran for a while (there were lots of red errors flying by, most of them said the same thing, something about reserved file does not have data...?), and at the end it said one volume was repaired and one volume could not be repaired. I tried the repair permissions button, but that wouldn't work.
Last night, I had to yank out the HDD so I could get files off of it for work. Assuming that my HDD is working (picking up an enclosure tonight; fingers crossed) and that I can cram everything back in and close up the PB, is there anything to be done? I understand that this laptop is quite mature, but was hoping to get some more time out of it.
Thanks!
Brian

When you get a volume cannot be repaired message from Disk Utility, you have a few options. If the error is a soft error, that is, where pointers or index are scrambled, a program like Disk Warrior or TechTool Pro can usually straighten things out. If those programs can't fix it, then it's usually a hardware problem. You could erase the hard drive writing zero's to it to see if that fixes it, although that may be temporary. If that doesn't work, buy a new hard drive, which may cost less than Disk Warrior and TechTool Pro. A program like SmartUtility can show you the SMART sensor indicators, which can sometimes help you with making a decision on buying a new drive. You can download from http://www.volitans-software.com/smart_utility.php

OSX Lion, stuck on grey screen at startup w/ spinning gear.

i believe i have tried everything i could find, so any info is good.
about a week ago my 2009 macbook pro 15 inch stopped starting up, always going to a grey screen with the apple logo and spinning gear.
what i have done so far.
reset nvram
repair disk and disk permissions.
try startup with various combinations of periferials
i am obviously able to start into lion recovery, but my time machine backups are on the other side of the world.
when i do a safe boot if stops with two entrys of nstat_lookup_entry failed: 2
any help is much appreciated

You can do two things
1: Install Lion over itself via the Recovery, won't touch your files or most programs.
Any program has a kernel extension file in System/Library/Extensions folder, that will get kicked out. Thus those few programs won't work and require a reinstall of their software
2: Install Lion on a blank powered external Disk Utility > Erase with Zero + GUID OS X Extended Journaled formatted hard drive, hold the option key and boot from it, same named user, and then access your internal drive to recovery files, disconnect then do #1
 Cheat sheet to help diagnose and fix your Mac
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents

Stuck on Grey Screen During Startup

I updated to Yosemite on Saturday and everything has been working fine, I have been able to shut down and startup as normal until today.
Last night I forced my Early 2011 MacBook Pro to shut down and today it will no longer get to the login screen.
I hear the chime, the Apple appears with the Yosemite status bar underneath, it takes a long time to get about halfway then both the Apple and status bar disappear leaving just a blank grey screen.
- I can get into Single User mode, using "fsck -fy" it reports that everything is OK.
- I can't get into Safe Mode.
- I have reset PRAM
- I have NOT reset SMC (is it worth a try?)
- I have a bootable Yosemite USB, holding option I can select that but instead of presenting the Utilities window it just brings up the Apple and status bar then grey screen. For some reason my WiFi network isn't in the list either. Also, the image of my hard drive that appears has a custom icon that I haven't used for at least 5 years, very odd indeed.
I'm at a loss, any help would be greatly appreciated.
NOTE
My left fan is faulty, I have ordered a new one online. I have been using SMCFanControl to monitor it, if the computer has been feeling hot I have been increasing the RPM for a minute to cool it just to be safe until the new fan arrives. Last night I increased the RPM and SMCFanControl became unresponsive which is why I forced the computer to shut down because I couldn't reduce the fan speed back to normal.

I am able to get into Internet Recovery Mode but eventually the globe disappears and it's right back to the Apple and status bar then grey screen again.
When holding Option only my hard drive shows, there is no recovery drive option.

Grey screen when startup

My macbook pro shows grey screen when I start the computer after I heard the sound of start. What's wrong?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
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.

27" i5 Mid 2010 iMac not showing grey screen on startup intermittently

Hi all, I am new to Mac, but I have been around PC's for decades.
I will be talking to a Genius this week, but thought I'd reach out here before I talk to them to see if this is a known issue with a known solution. If all else fails, I will return the Mac to Amazon for a replacement since it is brand new.
Read several posts and I DON'T think I have the sleep issue everyone is talking about. My issue is coming out of a cold boot.
Here is what happens.
I click the Apple logo to "Shut Down..." the iMac.
Then when I go to restart it, most times, I hit the power button on the back and within 4-5 seconds, I hear the "dang" sound. Then a few seconds later the grey apple logo comes up, and then in about 22-24 seconds, I see my desktop.
*Here is the problem. Ever once in a while, on startup, after I press the power button, I still hear the*
*"dang" sound after about 4-5 seconds, but then the screen stays completely black for about 100 seconds, then my desktop shows up.*
Other than that, my iMac seems to be running great. I have rendered several hours of iMovie projects really tasking the computer with no issues.
I have done everything everyone suggested here already:
My startup disk is pointed to my Mac OS x, 10.6.5 on Macintosh HD
I have reset the PRAM
I have run AHT in extended mode with no trouble found.
The system is completely stock with no modifications and was brand new 2 days ago from Amazon.
Here are the exact specs:
Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac11,3
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 8 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 4.8 GT/s
Boot ROM Version: IM112.0057.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.59f2
When I started up the Mac, it asked me if I wanted to update and I did. Oh, one other thing. I am not sure if this is related, but before I "noticed" this happening, I went to shutdown once, and I got the spinning color wheel and the Mac would not shut down. I finally held the power button down to force the shutdown. When I mentioned that to a Genius (before I knew I had this problem I am telling you about), he seemed very intent that I should bring it in or get it replaced. Maybe I am being paranoid but I guess the spinning color wheel should not happen on a brand new iMac that was less than a day old.
Oh, I also went to Disk Utility and repaired the volume and fixed the permissions. On another note, every time I go to check the permissions, some java files seem to always have the wrong permissions. Not sure what that is about.
Anyway, just reaching out to see if anyone has this issue or if this is a know issue with a known fix.
Also, i am new to Mac, so if you suggest I try something, please give me detailed instructions since I don't know my way around a Mac too well yet. So something as simple as "did you upgrade to the new video driver" won't help me much since I am not sure if I did that out not yet or how to check it.
Thanks!!

Thanks for suggestions of pointing to the StartUp drive. ALready did that with no help.
I actually erased the drive and restores and same issue. I called Apple and they said they did not know of any issues with the mid 2010 27" i5 or i7 iMac's.
They did agree that it may be a graphics card issue where the graphics card is not resetting itself properly.
When I shutdown and remove the power and plug the Mac back in, it seems to solve the problem, but as long as it stays plugged in, even after a shutdown and a clod boot, I still intermittently get the error.
So, sounds like no known issue and I just have defective HW. Sending it back to Amazon today for a refund.

Macbook Pro won't load past a grey screen on startup!

I apologise for what will most likely be an essay ahead.
I have a Macbook Pro (2.16ghz) that is just over three years old. It is running on Leopard with all the up to date patches / updates. Over the past week or so, it has been 'playing up' in the sense that the spinning loading icon would appear at random intervals and stay there for a good 20 to 30 seconds or so, not allowing me to do anything. If I would be listening to music, the music would pause and then come back on.
It would normally appear when something was trying to load. For example, the final straw was when I was using Adobe Bridge and it was taking an extremely long time to load up the photos I had imported and in the end I gave up. Speed has never been an issue before and my MBP has 2GB of RAM.
So I backed up what I needed and proceeded to do an 'Erase and Install(Leopard) format. Once formatted, the MBP booted up and I completed the registration, took my User picture blah blah etc. Once done, the MBP booted into OS X - this is where the problems occurred. The spinning loading icon appeared and after about 30 seconds or so, the Finder window / toolbar at the top disappeared, as did the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop. All I was left with was my wallpaper and Dock with icons in. However, if I clicked on any of the programs, nothing would happen.
Naturally, I tried restarting it and the same thing happened again. I figured that because my MBP was connected to a second Dual monitor, that this might have been the issue so I decided to boot from the OS X Leopard CD and do another 'Erase and Install'. I once again got past the registration screen, but this time, instead of booting into OS X my MBP stuck itself on a grey screen. It would not go any further.
I then decided that the spinning loading icon issue may be a RAM problem. When I first got my MBP, I upgraded the RAM so I knew how to take it out and replace it. So I tried taking out the RAM stick (1GB) I put in orignally and booting it with the original 1GB stick. The same problem occurred. I tried the other way round, putting in my 1GB RAM stick and taking the original out - nothing worked. I tried every possible combination, even swapping the sticks around.
Eventually my brother tells me he has some spare RAM which I also try and once again, this does not solve the issue. So I figure it cannot be a RAM problem.
So next I try booting from the OS X Disc on startup and run Disk Utility. I verify and repair the Mac HD which comes up fine. No errors, no issues, nothing.
I finally scour the internet for info on what could be the cause of the problem and the biggest suggestion seems to be formatting. So I once again try formatting my MBP for a third time - however this time, I get the original problem. It boots up into OS X but then the Finder toolbar and Mac HD icon disappear, leaving me with Dock and Wallpaper.
The final thing I try is resetting the MBPs PRAM on startup. This does not solve the issue.
So here I am. If you could be bothered to read all of that, well done haha I'm not sure if I could have.
If anyone has ANY suggestions or advice, please post!
I do not have Apple Care so if I was to take it to the local Genius bar, would they look at it for free and diagnose it? Or would that cost me? I have never had to take my MBP in before.
Thankyou again

I just skimmed over this because the post is like a small novel! lol Try a Apple Hardware Test. I think it's probably a bad logic board.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
Don't take it to a Genius Bar until you've done this, saves time and you might have a little more info to give them. Also that way you won't feel pressured into anything. It's out of warranty, so sometimes I've noticed they can be a little pushy especially on a very high dollar replacement such as a new logic board on an out of warranty item. Also the "enhanced diagnostic" is around $100, so you might have to at least fork over a hard earned Benjamin and not get anything fixed. And whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT tell them you upgraded the RAM yourself. If they are feeling in a good mood and decide to knock off any money or waive any sort of fees, this will kill it instantly. RAM is considered "user serviceable," but they normally try to plead "the part you installed is not Apple Authorized" or the "installation caused the issue and was not an ACHT." Put back in the original stick and leave it alone. Hope this helps you out!

Grey screen on startup even after removing stuck disc!

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