? I get a matte gray screen on restart, Mac Pro, OS 10.7.3

After installing updates, I restarted my Mac and it ends up with a matte gray (cloth-like appearance) with a gray Apple logo, but does not get to the desktop. I can open/close the DVD tray, and have cursor control, but nothing else seems to work.
Short of reinstallation of Snow Leopard, what are my alternatives. I did the Lion update online but do not have a system disk, hence reversion to Snow Leopard is my only option.
TIA,
James

There are instutions for how to save your Lion ESD package and keep it for later reinstall.
Clone as backup strategy and use it regularly for your system and before any updates.
Of course you can redownload Lion and may need or want to at some point.
There is or shoud still be a Lion Recovery partition. Use it.
Carbon Copy Cloner can clone both the LR partition as well as all your other volumes
you tried a SAFE BOOT? that would be first step.
I'm waiting for ability to rollback updates and drivers but until then may as well leave as is / install SL on another drive / use Setup Assistant / And do a clean install of Lion also on another drive
In the meantime try to repair and recover files.
And do you have TimeMachine? you can use that from Lion Recovery.
www.apple.com/support/lion

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Out of nowhere i get a black & gray screen saying to restart

this has happened 3 times since ive gotten my 12" powerbook less than 3 weeks ago. just out of nowhere, doing normal tasks, i get a black & gray screen that takes up most of the screen. it says to press and hold the power button to restart the computer. why is it doing that? the only thing i can think of is my ram, cuz i upgraded it. but i ran the hardware checker from the installation dvds and it said everything was fine. nothing wrong with the ram or any hardware. so how do i fix this and why is it doing this? im not sure whether i had these peripherials connected the other times, but i use a 250gb firewire hard drive most of the time. and i had a 160gb usb hard drive connected this last time (dont use a whole lot). this time i had both connected though.

Steve,,
I've got an iMac G5 and have exactly the same problem. Mine started after I installed Tech Tool Pro. 4.5 update and eDrive. I took the eDrive off but it didn't help and start-ups were only occasionally successful (the computer was getting confused between my system and the eDrive's system).
I ran Tech Tools, Disc Warrior and Disk Utility - all from disc, but to no avail. I will always get the black and grey "crash" screen when the computer is cold, and may have to restart 3 or 4 times before the computer runs. Then it is unstable for 5 or 10 more minutes and may crash in the middle of any activity. Nothing seems to be lost in the crashes and I run Disk Utility every time I get the system up and running. It always gives me this message:
Determining correct file permissions.
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/Widgets. New permissions are 16877
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I'll check my hardware as was suggested by another user. Thanks for sharing your "challenge".
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My mac doesnt start. All i get is the gray screen with the apple and the loading icon but nothing more happens. I tried to start it in safe mode but it doesnt help. What can i do?

My mac doesnt start. All i get is the gray screen with the apple and the loading icon but nothing more happens. I tried to start it in safe mode but it doesnt help. What can i do?

If you have a external USB enclosure - trying installing your hard drive in that enclosure and connect it to your usb port - restart your macbook while holding down the options key. If you Macbook boots to your desktop then you have a faulty cable. If you get the same error, then your hard drive just died on you.
good luck.

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.

Can't get past the blue screen with "starting Mac OS X"

I am having problems with starting my iMac. It gets to the blue screen with "starting Mac OS X" but won't go beyond that point. I was able to get the disc drive open with the help of other posts, holding down the mouse while turning on the computer, but the drive won't stay closed with the install disc in it. I have even tried holding down the "c" key while restarting the computer and it wouldn't work. Any help would be greatly appreciated. So much info that I could really use. Also, please keep in mind that I am not too computer savy. Simple language please.
Thanks

If the steps I provided in my earlier post are not helping, then I see your options at this point as follows:
1. Run the Apple Hardware Test (AHT) that came the affected computer. See my "Apple Hardware Test" FAQ for comprehensive advice on using the AHT in troubleshooting.
2. Performing an Archive and Install. For important tips on this, see my "General advice on performing an Archive and Install" FAQ. Perform the steps therein in the specified order.
3. Take the computer in for service. If there is an Apple Retail Store in your area, I'd recommend taking it there. You may wish to call ahead to make an appointment at the Genius Bar.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

My user account doesnt show up when turned on, just a gray screen on my Mac mini.

My user account doesnt show up when turned on, just a gray screen on my Mac mini. Please help. I have lots of unsaved data on it.

Gello, see if this works...
If 10.7.0 or later...
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partition & use Disk Utility from there to Repair the Disk.

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hi
for some time now I have been using a logitech V270 bluetooth mouse with my Mac Pro which has a bluetooth 2.0 card installed. all works fine except that when i restart my Mac Pro the mouse is generally not automatically detected and i get the 'bluetooth mouse setup' screen with the message 'there isn't a mouse connected'. i then need to press the reset button on the mouse and go through the usual connection procedure.
i wonder i anyone has any advice as to how i can get this set up so that the Mac Pro automatically connects
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Hello all -
I found a solution to this by using Bluetooth Explorer. I had previously tried this and it didn't work, however I realized that I was using an old version of Bluetooth Explorer! When I downloaded the newest version from apple, it worked like a charm and I was able to select which Bluetooth adapter I wanted to use. Switched it over to the USB dongle and it works perfect now. No more skipping mouse, woo hoo!

How can I hook up 3 screens to a Mac Pro 8 core 2010 model?

How can I hook up 3 screens to a Mac Pro 8 core. One is a 23' Apple Cinema Display, the second is a 20" Apple cinema display and the 3rd is a 32' Sony Bravia HDTV (connected to mini port with mini/HDMI connector) Do I need to buy another video card? I have heard about 4 different scenarios about this, and they all sound a bit complicated. I thought that you could automatically connect 3 displays with the card that comes with the MacPro. It has a DVI port and 2 mini ports, so it appears that would be for 3 displays. But this is where it gets strange. Any thoughts?

Which video card? 5x70? If you read about the various scenarios thern for 5x70's you need two active adapters for thee monitors (TV considered a monitor). And you should have seen references to these apple docs:
Mac Pro (Mid 2010), Mac Pro (Early 2009): Issues with three displays and multiple DVI, HDMI connections
Mac Pro (Early 2009), Mac Pro (Mid 2010): Supported display configurations
It's not really complicated. Search out the appropriate adapters and hook 'em up. For the 23" and 20", if they are DVI, you need single link adapters. For the TV, if you end up using the DVI port for it (because possibly you can't find the appropate adapter cmbination) then you need to handle the audio separately since DVI doesn't carry audio.

I have a long-existing iPhone 4s with one apple id and started a job where I received a macbook with another apple id. how do i get my phone to sync with the Mac Pro and secondly how do i get my music on there?

i have a long-existing iPhone 4s with one apple id and started a job where I received a macbook with another apple id. how do i get my phone to sync with the Mac Pro and secondly how do i get my music on there?

No not bothered about sycing apps etc it is all about calendars and maybe notes. IN terms of how its done I just want it the easiest way and preferably so that if an entry is made on one calendar then it populates the other.
Thgius is beacuse I have my work diary on outlok, which I then link with my ical. I want to make sure that information is then shared with her.
Chris

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET PASSED MY PASSWORD LOGIN on a mac pro? I FORGOT IT. (yosemite 10.10.1)

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET PASSED MY PASSWORD LOGIN on a mac pro? I FORGOT IT. (yosemite 10.10.1)

User Tip: Reset the user password in OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks and Yosemite
Posting in CAPS LOCK Is often seen as screaming and is not appreciated. It's also very hard to read.

Second screen stays black Mac Pro

second screen stays black Mac Pro with 2 x 30" apple cinema HD displays, connected via thunderbolt / USB adapter

I ma confused. You say yo have Lion and are using "via thunderbolt / USB adapter"
Only the 2103 Mac Pro has Thunderbolt and it shipped with Mavericks
What model Mac Pro?
What video card(s)?
Does the one screen work if the the working one is disconnected?

Macbook Pro takes long to boot up, Freezes easily, Gets Gray Screen saying restart

I've had my Macbook Pro 13 since November 2010, I am still running Snow Leopard, never upgraded or anything. Since last March, my computer takes a long time to turn on, get to the screen where I log in. If I click anything when it gets to the screen right away, I can't click anything, the mouse moves, but nothing responds. I have to wait a good 15-20 minutes before I can click anything. I usually turn my computer on, and leave, come back 25-30 minutes later, and log in. When I have over 3 applications open, ex Firefox, MS Word, Spotify, my computer lags, and sometimes freezes. The freezes last from 30 seconds, to me having to restart the computer. Sometimes the computer freezes randomly when I'm just browsing. Around 70-80% of the time, when I play a video, using flash player like youtube, my computer lags, and after watching a video or 2, the computer freezes. Most of the time, the freeze stays frozen, and around 10 minutes later my mouse can move, but the screen is frozen, and the rainbow loading symbol starts. I just restart the computer. Sometimes, around once every 2 days, or sometimes it happens around 10 times in a couple of hours of me using the computer, my computer gets a gray screen that descends down the screen, it says in multiple languages that I have to immediately restart my computer by pressing the power button down and then pressing it again. Oh, and the bottom of my computer always gets really really hot when I use it.
It is a huge hassle, I can still use the computer, but I would love it if my computer was fixed.

I am still running Snow Leopard, never upgraded or anything.
What about updates? Check software update.
How large is your hard drive and how much hard drive space do you have left?
Shut down your computer and disconnect all peripherals (keyboard & mouse if pertinent) from your computer. Now reboot.
If the Mac starts up normally, shut it down again and then plug in one of the peripherals (keyboard or mouse first) and start up your computer again. If it does so successfully repeat the process, adding one peripheral at a time until your Mac acts up. At that point, disconnect the last peripheral you added, reboot your Mac and search the peripheral vendor's website for an updated driver.
If no driver exists or the problem remain after installing the new driver, try a different cable or a different port on your Mac.
If none of the above works, again disconnect all peripherals from your Mac, hold down the "shift" key to start up in "Safe Boot" mode.
If the Mac starts up correctly, restart without pressing the "shift" key.
If your computer still does not start up properly, shut it down and restart it while holding down the Apple+Option-P-R keys; keep holding "all 4 keys" down until you hear the startup sound "twice."
If none of the above work Disconnect all peripherals from your computer. Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.
Select your language.
Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.
Select Disk Utility.
Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.
Click Repair Disk.
(If Disk Utility cannot repair, you will need a stronger utility (3rd party) - Diskwarrior or Techtool PRO)
Restart your computer when done.
Repair permissions after you reach the desktop-http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751 and restart your computer.
Remove any 3rd party ram.
Reinstall Snow Leopard - This will install a "fresh" copy of Snow Leopard without archiving old system files but leaves the rest of your files in place.
Oh, and the bottom of my computer always gets really really hot when I use it.
User Tip: How to deal with MacBook Pro and MacBook heat?
Per your user manual: Do not operate your MacBook Pro on a pillow or other soft material, as the material can block the airflow vents. Never place anything over the keyboard when operating your MacBook Pro. Never push objects into the ventilation openings.
From MacBook Pro: Care, Use, and Safety Information
For prolonged use, place your MacBook Pro on a flat, stable surface. Do not place your MacBook Pro on your lap or other body surface for extended periods of time. Prolonged body contact can cause discomfort and potentially a burn.

When I start my computer up, all I get is a gray screen...

Last night my macbook froze on me. I couldn't even restart, so I pulled the battery and the charger to restart it up. When it came up, all I got was a gray screen with a flashing folder with a question mark in it. I wasn't able to get onto the internet last night, so I don't think its a gasp virus, but for some reason the computer just crashed on me.
1. What has to be done to get my computer working again? I don't have my restart discs (I am at school and they are at my home 2 hours away), and I tried holding OptionCommand+RP and nothing. Are there any other quick fixes I can try besides taking it to a specialist?
and
2. Anybody know my chances of saving my information on my hard drive? I have all my notes on there for school, as well as over 1,000 pictures and nearly 13 gigs of music. I am going to be sick if they are gone. I know that it is hard to say one way or another without actually troubleshooting the computer, but being that I didn't do anything to it, it just went down, is it more than likely just an OS problem and my files will be okay?

Basically something is preventing access to the system folder if all you see is a continuous flashing ? folder. It could be a bad directory, a misplaced file, or a damaged drive. My recommendation is to get a Firewire hard drive at least as large as your internal drive from http://www.macsales.com/ and Subrosasoft Filesalvage to see if it can recover your data. If that can't try Prosoft Data Rescue II. Both may be available from your school store at a school discount. If neither works, sometimes Alsoft Disk Warrior 4.1 might work. If that still doesn't work, unfortunately a data recovery specialist which may cost thousands will have to be used such as http://www.drivesavers.com/ This is why I recommend you ALWAYS backup your data*:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
Good luck!
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

I can't get past the gray screen after update of 10.10.3

downloade the new software on my 2011 Mac this morning, and after the download when the computer restarts a gray screen appear. I don't know how to get rid of it. It was working fine before the updat. Anyone have this problem?

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.

I can't get past the gray screen.

I can't log in to my MacBook. When I turn it on, the gray screen comes up and the cursor moves, but I can't click through.
What's going on? Please help!

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
     a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a 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 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.

? I get a matte gray screen on restart, Mac Pro, OS 10.7.3

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