How can I get past the white screen?

When I start my iMac I see a message that my start up disk is full and that I need to delete files. After I type in my user name and password, all I see if a white screen. This problem started today. The error message about the start up disk started two days ago, and when I looked at the disk, I saw that over half of it has files described as "other". The hard drive is 250 GB. I have Time Machine backups but I don't know how to get to them to help me. So, I guess that I have two questions: how do I get past the white screen, and what are the files that are catogoraized as other? Thanks.

I did not put the OS info in my question because I am not sure what I have. I upgraded to Lion so that I could use the cloud between my devices, however I do not know the number.
Apple menu item->About this Mac and the version is listed there. Click on that and get the build number. Click again and get the machine's serial number.
I am stuck on the white screen. Any other advice?
Start with a google search for white screen mac. This one might do the trick: http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/apple-desktops/138137-imac-wont-get-passed-whit e-screen.html

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

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

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

Can't get past the white screen at start up

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

Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

IMac won't start up, can't get past the white screen

I have an older iMac, I believe it's the g5, the white one, got it about 6 years ago or so. It was acting up recently, crashing programs, taking a long time to respond etc. I figured I just had too much stuff on my hard drive so I went out and bought an external hard drive. After I copied over a bunch of files (not everything, my music and my photos aren't backed up!) I then deleted the files I transferred from the iMac to make room. It took a very long time for the trash to empty, and then I tried to restart. It shut down but never rebooted. When I press the power button it will only get to the white screen with the gray apple and gray progress wheel. It stays like that for a minute or two with the wheel turning but barely any progress on the progress bar and then it turns off. I tried unplugging everything including the power cord but nothing works. Any ideas? Thanks.

will it start in Single User Mode ? (Hold Command + S after hearing the chime)
If so, follow the fsck section at http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1417
and when/if you (finally) get a 'volume appears to be OK' message
don't restart afterwards.
then, still in single user, type the command df/ followed by enter
making sure that the result shows Capacity at some reasonable level, like 90% or less.
df means 'display free disk space', you're checking that the drive isn't so horribly full that attemoting to start might further risk your data
if Capacity is ok- reboot as per the article; if not, post back.
If you can boot in Single User & have done the above, but still can't start normally - try
Safe Mode to see if you can copy your files off.
If Single works, but nothing else, it's probably possible to copy your files in that mode, using typed commands.
if you can't start at all -
Checking your exact model at http://www.ifixit.com/ will show how hard it is to remove the HD yourself... some are pretty easy with the right-sized screwdrivers, and the drive can then be taken to anywhere with a computer & the right cable/adaptor to copy your files.
or
Target Disk Mode : http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
if it works for you, would let someone with a computer & firewire port access any of your files that are intact. Apple may, as mentioned, say it's too old for them to look at.
finding the dvd's/getting replacements would be best.

Can't get past the white screen with the grey apple in the middle

When I start up my PowerBook G4 I first get a gray screen with a small white box in the middle of the screen that contains planet earth. After this icon has flashed 14 times it disappears and then a small file appears in its place. Inside this file folder is an alternating flashing question mark and the Finder icon. After a few seconds this icon disappears and the screen turns white with an apple in the middle. I can not get the computer to do anything after that.
My problem is I got the computer from my mother and she can not find any of the disks that originally came with it.
Does anyone have any useful suggestions?
Thanks

Unfortunately, I just got off the phone with Apple Care and they do not carry them anymore. They're recommending I upgrade the system to Leopard. They want $120 for the disks. Any other suggestions?

Apple ID. My newly updated iPad 2 wants an email for the apple ID. My apple ID is not an email address. How can I get past the set-up screen?

My newly updated iPad 2 wants an email for the apple ID. My apple ID is not an email address. How can I get past the set-up screen?
I can't change my Apple ID. It would mess all my stuff up.

To change the iCloud ID you have to go to Settings>iCloud, tap Delete Account, provide the password for the old ID when prompted to turn off Find My iPhone (if you're using iOS 7), then sign back in with the ID you wish to use. If you don't know the password for your old ID, or if it isn't accepted, go to https//appleid.apple.com, click Manage my Apple ID and sign in with your current iCloud ID. Tap edit next to the primary email account, tap Edit, change it back to your old email address and save the change. Then edit the name of the account to change it back to your old email address. You can now use your current password to turn off Find My iPhone on your device, even though it prompts you for the password for your old account ID. Then go to Settings>iCloud, tap Delete Account and choose Delete from My iDevice when prompted (your iCloud data will still be in iCloud). Next, go back to https//appleid.apple.com and change your primary email address and iCloud ID name back to the way it was. Now you can go to Settings>iCloud and sign in with your current iCloud ID and password.

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

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

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

My MacBook Pro has been having difficulties at startup. It sometimes locks and doesn't get past the white screen. It has also locked up several times and gotten a green stripes across the entire screen. What is causing this and how do I fix it?

My MacBook Pro has been having difficulties at startup. It sometimes locks and doesn't get past the white screen. It has also locked up several times and gotten a green stripes across the entire screen. What is causing this and how do I fix it?

You don't, take it to Apple for repair.
This might interest you if it's too old to fix.
My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?

Upon start up I get a start up disk full message and to delete files, now I only get a a blue screen on start up. How to I get past the blue screen and how do I delete files?

Upon start up I get a "start up disk full message, delete files". Now on startup I only get a blue screen. How do I get past the blue screen and how do I delete files.

That;s really not enough free space... you can use a tools such as OmniDiskSweeper to find out where your large files reside and begin pruning (or copying to an external if they're files that you want to keep).
One thing is certain - if you're going to continue your current usage you're certainly going to need to install a larger boot drive.
Clinton

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

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

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Before reconnecting an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.) If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see above for instructions.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it produces. Look for the line "Permissions repaired successfully" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a backup.
Step 8
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

How can I get past the questions, to change password

How can I get past the questions, to change password

Hello Cocoscafe
If you have a rescue email address setup in your Apple ID profile, then you can reset the security questions. You would need to know those answers to get passed the screen to log in and verify.
Rescue email address and how to reset Apple ID security questions
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5312
The option to send an email to reset your security questions and answers will not be available if a rescue email address is not provided. You will need to contact iTunes Store support in order to do so.
Regards,
-Norm G.

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Unless it is a 3rd party cord, there is no cord that just goes from the phone to the wall. However, you will need a cord that connects to the computer and the phone. The device is in recovery mode and you will need to restore it. See this support document for the instructions. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

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How can I get past the white screen?

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