HP8540w (540M) ram upgrade, won't boot past bios

I have recently acquired new RAM. First it was 2 x 8 gb but I found out later this is not supported by my specific model.
But now I switched it with 2 x 4gb PC12800 CL11, from a newer hp model and it still won't boot past the BIOS, which has been upgraded to the latest version.
The Bios recognizes the RAM perfectly but still it won't boot into windows. When I see the windows 8.1 logo it gives a sudden shutdown which is followed by a restart. In theory the pc12800 should work, albeit clocked down to 10600 to match the motherboard & processor.
It feels inadequate to have a 3 year old laptop which is not able to go past the 4gb, especially because I bought it since it was the elitebook version and military graded. I wanted to have something future proof, not a machine that needs to be replaced after 3 years. It feels like just threw 150 dollars out of the window.
So I'm hoping that there's another solution that I might have overlooked.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Well the recommended memory is PC3-10600 aka DDR3-1333. On some models it actually downclocks to DDR3-1066 speed. I think the memory you have installed from a newer model is just not compatible. If it is DDR3-1600 it might even be low voltage memory which is almost certain not to work.

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Cisco UCS C220 MS SFF won't boot past BIOS screen with 2x1.2TB SAS drives installed

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Hi Lauren,
If you don't have a PCI or a mezzanine based controller and you are using the embedded raid controller you need a chip for the embedded raid controller to support SAS drives. By default the embedded controller only supports SATA drives. See page 9 of the link below
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Won't Boot Past Bios

My m9450f will not boot up past the bios screen.
I have had this issue before and was able to get the computer to boot into the safe mode menu and then boot completely, but I am unable to do that this time.
The computer boots into the Blue Bios screen and then i see the Raid driver load, then it hangs and does not boot up.
I have tried to use a Vista recovery boot disc to boot the pc, but it completely ignores the boot dvd and just hangs. I can not get anything to come up by hitting F keys save for the bios menu. ie If I press F9 or F11 to get to the boot menu or the system recovery they do not come up.
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Here is the process I followed:
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/Pavilion-Elite-9120Y-running-Windows7-64-...
In case you are not comfortable with the Ctrl-Home key, you could try using a flash burn program to write the .ROM file.
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My iMac won't boot past grey screen and it didn't come with a os x disk

My iMac won't boot past grey screen with apple. I've tried booting in safemode but that didn't help and my iMac didn't come with a os x disk.

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
b. 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.
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
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 either of the techniques in Steps 1b and 1c to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 10. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
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 10
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 11
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 12
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.

Help! Laptop won't boot past MSI logo

Please help.
My MSI GT60 laptop won't boot past the MSI logo.
I also can't access the BIOS.

Quote from: rob.kernaghan on 10-January-15, 03:07:55
Please help.
My MSI GT60 laptop won't boot past the MSI logo.
I also can't access the BIOS.
so your laptop freezes at MSI logo and if you spam or press DELETE button few times on boot do you then only get "-" line? if so then either it's bios has hanged itself so if your able to access cmos battery from back area where you can access hard drive, ram and such then disconnect cmos battery leave it disconnected for 15 mins also make sure ac and battery is disconnected to once done put cmos battery back and then actuall battery and try with starting the laptop and see if it passes by MSI logo if it hangs again at MSI logo then spam Delete and see if you can enter bios but if bios throws an black screen with "-" again then you would have to RMA your laptop since it sems something is wrong with your motherboard causing bios not wanting to work propertly.

PowerBook G4 won't boot past blue screen

I've read a couple of posts with similar problems. The jist is, I did a security update/restart earlier and now my laptop won't boot past the blue screen after the white screen with the gray apple. I think I'm on Mac OS 10.4.11 but I had it on auto-update so that could be incorrect.
I've booted from the install disk and run a diagnostic from the First Aid bit in the Disk Utility. It says that there are no errors found and the S.M.A.R.T. status says "verified" as well. It won't let me boot into Safe Mode (although, I could be doing that wrong as I'm not exactly clear on how to do it - pressing S doesn't seem to do anything, but if I press Command + S it takes me to a text listy thing and I've run the "fsck -f" system check (which seems like the same as the disk utility check?) from there and also gotten the "volume is ok" message. There was also a suggestion to run some kind of diagnostic after booting with the D key from the install disk, but I was never able to get the disk to boot from the D key, only the C key.
I'm sure that this is kind of the "same song, different verse," kind of post, but I've not read about volumes registering as okay. I'm a little wary of a archive-and-reinstall as I've not ever done that before (so, if that's the suggestion you have, I would really appreciate loads of specifics on how that works so I don't mess up!)
I've read in several instances suspicion of a hard drive problem but I've not had any slow downs or any crashing. I did travel to the UK for about 10 days, but I didn't even change the time zone on my laptop while there, so I don't think that's it (but I suppose it could be.)
Lastly, I did recently replace my keyboard. A few keys had become non-responsive so I replaced it and have had the new keyboard for a bit over a month.
Suggestions? Ideas? Sorry if it's a repeat post -- just felt like the circumstance was a teensy bit different. And also, thanks very much for any info you can give.

Linsey:
If you can boot your computer into Firewire Target Disk Mode and you have access to a second Mac that supports firewire, you may be able to back up items that have not been backed up previously.
If you are able to back everything up successfully, and you have tested your backup to be sure it is sound, then we can proceed with re-installation of the OS. The best option is to completely reformat and erase the HDD and then install the OS from disk. (I will post complete step by step directions). This will enable you to start with a clean slate/HDD. Your other option would be to use the Archive and Install option. Think it over and let me know how you want to proceed.
cornelius

Powermac G4 (OS 10.4.11) won't boot past grey apple

1- My PowerMac G4 (running OS 10.4.11) won't boot past the grey screen with the apple. Any suggestions?

I found somewhere else how to hold down the mouse on starting, which opened the tray. I was able to startup with the disk, holding down the C and get to the Disk Utility window. Tried repairing the disk, but got this message:
Fist Aid failed:
Disk Utility stopped verifying "Macintosh HD" because the following error was encountered:
The underlying task reported failure on exit. <OK>
and in the info window it says,
"Verifying volume "Macintosh HD"
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Catalog file entry not found for extent
The volume needs to be repaired.
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit (-9972)
1 volume checked
0 HFS volumes verified
1 volume failed verification
Sounds pretty ominous! Of course, the recommendation is that I backup everything , but how can I if I can't get to the desktop to back it up? (It hasn't had a lot of use for sometime, but is available as a film scanning station, and so that I can access scanned images on my iMac. I doubt that there is a whole lot on the drive that isn't backed up, but I would prefer to back it up for sure!)
Thank you again.

G4 won't boot past grey apple screen

Hi. I have been having the same issues with my G4 15". I'm frustrated. The whole thing started with stalling during applications. So I decided to reinstall my OS X 10.5. After reinstall, I copied my saved files from my "My Book" drive back to my hard drive. Stalling issues returned. I reinstalled again. still had some stalling issues, so I performed disk utilities. I repaired permissions. SMART status is verified. System still ran extremely slow. So, I followed directions on apple support for resetting the PRAM and NVRAM. After I did this, the computer won't boot past the grey apple screen. I have reset the PRAM and the NVRAM again. Still nothing. I rebooted up from OS install disk. I performed disk utilities repairing permissions and repairing HD. I did this for both my drive and the computers drive. I choose restart and again the grey apple screen. I have been trying to get this thing going for a week now. I'm near tears. Cornelius or anyone, can you help me? It says no errors are found, SMART is verified. But I can't get the computer to boot unless it is from the CD. Is the computer confused on where to boot from? Or is it shot? HELP ME PLEASE, before I play frisbee with my dear beloved mac!!!! It seems like this ALL started happening after I installed the update 10.5.8. I had ZERO problem prior to any software updates!!!

There have been report of some external drives/enclosures that do not work as a boot device. Not sure if the MyBook is in that category or not, just make sure that there is nothing else plugged into the Powerbook then try again.
Does the WD need its own power to be plugged into an AC power source? Try the other firewire port
I have one more question for ya... You were able to load OSX on this EHD using the OSX install disk in the Powerbook? And the installer saw the EHD with no problems?
If non of the above works try booting while holding down the x-key, this should force it to look for an OSX volume, not sure if it works the same on an EHD but worth a shot.

10.4.11 Server won't boot past hfs mount

Any ideas how to repair an OS X Server 10.4.11 system that won't boot past the gray Apple logo/spinning bars? Verbose mode stalls after the line "hfs mount: enabling extended security on <startup volume name>"
The machine will boot from the OS X Server install DVD (10.4.7 Universal). Disk Utility permissions and repair indicate no problems with the startup volume.
If I am unable to resolve the problem with the existing system, what is the best method for re-installing the server OS without having to manually re-construct the network configuration, accounts and permissions? I have a configuration settings file and a relatively recent Open Directory Archive disk image.

I have been unable to find any way to get past the boot stall, so I re-installed OS X Server 10.4 and restored from my Open Directory archive. Had to recreate shares.
Any tips on what plists or other System components should be cleaned out to try recovering from boot problems like this were there is nothing wrong with the disk and you can't boot into single user mode?

My MacBook won't boot past the grey screen.. help!

Today I was having a problem with Safari. For some reason, it kept restarting. This annoyed me, so I restarted my MacBook. Unfortunately, it won't boot past the grey screen, with the thing spinning in the middle. I've been into disk utility and it says my HDD is fine. I restarted from this, and yet it still won't boot. Can anyone suggest what's wrong/what to do?
Thanks in advance

Retrieving data using Target Disk Mode:
1) Shut down both computers
2) Connect the two computers using a Firewire cable
3) Start up the working computer.
4) Once the working computer is ready, startup your MacBook with the T key held down.
5) Your MacBook's hard drive should appear as an external hard drive on the working Mac. Drag & drop any files you want to save.
~Lyssa

IBook G4 suddenly won't boot past the "booting OSX" screen.

My iBook G4 suddenly died and now won't boot past the "Starting OSX" screen. The blue bar goes all the way across but never moves to the next screen. I have my original disks, containing OS 10.4.5. I am trying to boot from the disk, but just keep getting the Installer program. When I try to choose a startup disk, it still won't start. Any help or ideas? This is urgent.
BTW, I am a photographer and was workig in PhotoShop7 -- a program I use all day, every day.

Start from the install disc again and choose Disk Utility from the menu. Highlight the drive on the left and click Repair Disk. If it reports errors and repairs made, repeat the process until no errors are reported.
John

G4 Power Mac won't boot past gray screen

I have a mirror door g4 power pc that had been having some issues with not turning on, and after testing the power supply, it failed miserably. We placed a refurbished power supply in it from a company in New York and the computer was working wonderfully. I went on a cruise last week and went to turn the computer on for the first time in a week and a few days. The CPU turns on, the unit chimes, the fan turns on and the computer starts to boot up, but it won't boot past the gray apple logo screen.
Actually, the first few attempts to boot it resulted in a blue screen with gaint apple logo and spinner; it wouldn't advance further. After several restarts and resets, I got it to come up into the normal gray screen. On several attempts it wouldn't boot further than this. On two occasions now though, it has moved past the gray screen to normal operation (it takes about an hour for it to get to that point though) but with some kind of errors. I get the side bar, but the gray panel on to with "file" ect is gone and my HD icon never comes up. The icons on the sidebar do not respond when clicked.
The computer will not boot from the OS X disc.
What's going on, hard drive? Virus? Something else?

You likely have hard drive directory issues or worse.
Virus is just a hopeful whimsy.
No virus.
I hope that you have a backup of your data.
Try a Safe Mode boot. This forces system repair of the directory (if possible).
Hold Shift while starting to enter Safe mode. Be patient, as it can take several minutes to complete.
Failure to boot to the OS X disc is not good. A severely damaged drive can prevent boot while connected.
Disconnect your boot drive and try booting to the OS X disc.

PowerBook Won't Boot Past the Apple and Spinning Flower Screen...

I've been reading a lot of these forums, but still haven't figured out how to fix it on my laptop. So, I made my own topic.
Anyways. My dad gave me this laptop since he got a new one, so it's a hand-me-down which means I don't have this startup disk that I keep seeing talked about. I've tried Safe Boot, but when I do it with Command + V, it says all sorts of things that I just don't understand, and there is a lot of talk about the Apple Power Management? Such as:
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement isn't a valid mach-o (magic is cefaedfe)
error mapping module file com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement
can't map com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement in preparation for loading
couldn't alloc class "AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement"
Etc, etc. And then the last lines that it ends with say:
BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 2
[HCIController][configurePM] power parent ready after 1 tries
And it just stays there and doesn't boot up.
I honestly don't know what any of this means, or if it is even relevant to why my PowerBook won't boot past the Apple screen. If you have any information on how I could fix it, that'd be great. Also, if you have any questions that would help you figure it out, ask away and I will answer them.
Thanks a lot.
Message was edited by: MixtapeChick

MixtapeChick:
Welcome to Apple Discussions. Congratulations on your "new" PowerBook. I suggest that you begin with this combination procedure:
• Shut down the computer.
• Locate the following keys: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously later.
• Turn on the computer.
• Press and hold the Command + Option + P + R keys immediately after the startup chime.
• Hold keys down until you hear the startup chime for the third time.
• Release the keys and immediately hold down Shift key to start up in Safe Mode.
• Log in and empty Trash.
• Restart normally and log in.
Let us know how it goes.
cornelius

Powerbook won't boot past apple screen, disk utility can't repair

Last night I applied the most recent software updates, I don't remember exactly what they were but there was a Java update, a security update, a quicktime update and an itunes update. after the required restart, my powerbook g4 won't boot past the apple icon screen.
I can't boot it into safe mode or single user mode.
I can start it up in target disk mode and transfer a handful of files/directories at a time before it hangs.
When I try to run the repair in Disk Utility against the target disk, it gets about halfway before the following:
Verify and Repair disk “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid sibling link
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
the disk doesn't make any grinding or anything, just a few clicks when it tries to boot but nothing bad sounding.
Is my computer hosed? Is it worth bringing it to the genius bar?

Hi, Pat. How much time did you give DW to complete its work? Locating the data it needs to rebuild your directory can take a while — that's the step at which DW far outperforms other utilities. It digs deeper and tries harder than anything else, and that can take a long time. The longest successful DW "fix" I've seen reported here in the seven and a half years I've been participating in Apple Discussions was *14 days* of continuous work to find the necessary data and reconstruct a hard drive directory from it. That was after all other disk utilities had been tried and had failed; it was the user's last hope to save data that hadn't been backed up anywhere. If you haven't allowed DW at least a few hours to accomplish its task, give it another chance. And don't try to use the computer for anything at all while DW is working.

Macbook won't boot past main apple screen

I was using my computer this morning (13" black Macbook that I've had since December) and it was working fine until I closed it to go get something to eat.
When I got back and opened the lid again, the screen was black, as if it was off, but I could make out the outline of the Apple logo in the centre. So I turned it off, gave it some time and turned it back on. Now it won't boot past the main Apple screen, where the little timer thing spins and spins and spins while apparently nothing else happens.
I left it alone for a couple of hours, thinking maybe it was overheated, but that didn't make a difference. I tried taking the battery out and restarting it, but that didn't work either. I called Apple, but my parents opted for Future Shop's warranty instead of Applecare, so they told me to search the website as "the issue is well-documented," since I have no tech support with them.
I've searched around to see where this is posted or if it's been answered a billion times before, but it's 35C in here, and my rage/frustration are ruining my ability to be rational, haha.
Anyone experienced this before / is there a resolution that doesn't involve me being without my computer (which is like sweet, sweet crack to me) for an undisclosed amount of time?
Thanks in advance,
Emy
Oh, and I'm not sure about the operating system version beyond that it's OSX and I regularly install whatever updates they tell me to.

Maybe Disk Utility can repair the disk this way:
-Search your installation DVD's.
-Insert the disc 1 and sthut down your Mac
-Start your Mac again while holding down the C key
-Now your Mac should boot from the CD, this can take some time.
-After a while you will see a installation screen where you can chose a language.
-Chose English and continue.
-Then click some time's next and agree with the "Software Agreement".
-Open Disk Utility. Top menu bar --> Utilities --> Open Disk Utility.
-Select your hard disk in the list of disks and volumes on the left side
-Go to the First Aid (tab somewhere on the right).
-Click the button to verify the permissions.
-Then Click the button to repair the permissions.
-Click the button to verify the disk.
-Then Click the button to repair the disk.
-Exit the Disk Utility

HP8540w (540M) ram upgrade, won't boot past bios

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