I was updating my mac and the screen turned gray with an apple sign and a loading wheel.  What do I do?

Its been like that for hours. It's just an apple sign and a spinning wheel/ circle (not the pinwheel) I was updating mountain lion.

Step by Step to fix your Mac

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  • I start my mac book pro and the screen goes white with an apple in the middle

    I start my mac book pro and the screen goes white with an apple in the middle. Starts like charging  but then it turns
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    Reinstall Snow Leopard without erasing the drive
    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.
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    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 Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
    Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the 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.
    Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
    When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. 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 main menu.
    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

  • Upon updating my ipod touch to iOS 6.1.3, the screen turned gray and would not let me do anything, and now the screen is blue?

    I was updating my ipod and after it finished the screen turned gray, then blue and now has just recently
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    Try:
    - iOS: Not responding or does not turn on
    - Also try DFU mode after try recovery mode
    How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
    - If not successful and you can't fully turn the iOS device fully off, let the battery fully drain. After charging for an least an hour try the above again.
    - Try on another computer
    - If still not successful that usually indicates a hardware problem and an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store is in order.
    Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar       

  • Just updated my Ipad operating system and one of my apps starts but then the screen turns white, with only the advertisment at the top showing

    Just updated my Ipad operating system and one of my apps starts but then the screen turns white, with only the advertisment at the top showing

    The normal suggestions.
    Close the app,off fully.  Double tap the home screen then touch and hold any of the icons on the task bar until they jiggle, then close them all off by touching the - sign.
    Then reboot the pad and try the spp again.  If same issue, delete the app, then reload it.  ( no charge). You may just have a bad copy.  If continues, write to the developer, they may need to do an update.  I have an older version of the same app and it works fine.
    Since yours is the ad supported version, they are maing real sure you see the ad.  Is it as simple as you need to click thru the ad to get to the game?

  • Whenever i start my macbook pro the screen remains gray with the apple symbol and the circle timer below. The screen stays this way even if i leave it for hours.

    When i turn on my macbook a box appears telling me i need to restart my computer (in different languages) and in order to do so i have to press on the off button for a lil while. Even after doing this the same box appears and it never restarts correctly. This box appears every single time. I rarely turn my computer off. I just place it on sleep mode and restarts it only when i get prompted to. I brought it to genius and they couldnt figure out what the problem is so i was told it needed to be shipped to get fixed. I didnt have anything backed up. All i want saved are the pictures because i went to 2 events where i was the assigned photographer and i didnt get to save it to an external memory. Genius said that when shipped i cant give instructions like make sure to save the pictures and if they are unable to, call me if they should go on with the process. I was wishful thinking that to fix the problem they might not even have to touch the pictures memory part. I brought my MBP back home hoping it will miraculously starts and id be able to back it up but now all it does when i turn it on is the screen remains gray with the apple symbol and the circle timer below. The screen stays this way even if i leave it on for hours. Please help me fix this!!! cant i really specify to the technicians at apple  to please make sure not to erase the pictures? Is there no other way to turn on my mac? I only need it to work ones.

    There is no limit to the number of times you can re-install Office on the same computer.
    You can activate by telephone:
    The last paragraph is the relevant bit

  • When I type in my password into the login screen I get the rainbow pinwheel and then the screen turns gray and goes back to account selection... How do I access my account?

    Today I was doing my chemistry homework when all of a sudden my mid 2011 MacBook pro running Lion 10.7.4 started going very very VERY slowly to a point where it was unusable. I restarted my computer and went to type in my password. When I did this, the computer recognized the password and began to boot yet the pinwheel came on and the screen turned gray and went back to the account selection screen. It continues to do this everytime I enter my password and I can no longer access my account. How do I fix this.

    You can take some of the steps here, #4, #5 or even trying a #18
    Step by Step to fix your Mac
    but I suspect your going to first have to create a data recovery drive
    Create a data recovery, undelete boot drive
    to get your data off the machine,
    then do a #20 to eliminate the bad sectors as that's why your getting the "pinwheel" it's getting a delay reading from the drive, right when your trying to log in too, what a bad spot for it to happen.
    Step by Step to fix your Mac

  • Hey! I don't know if my MacBook Air is frozen, but the screen is gray with the apple logo and an icon below turning round and round as if it's opening, but has been like that for a few days. I've switched it off and then on again several times, still the

    Hey
    I don't know if my mac book air is frozen, but the screen is gray with the apple logo in the middle of the gray screen, with the 'booting' icon turning round and round. I have switched it off fron both the power and power button on the computer, it goes off, when I put it on, same screen comes on again. Help Please!

    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 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, boot 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
    Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 3
    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 4
    If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
    Step 5
    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.
    If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
    Step 6
    Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
    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.
    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 corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 6.
    If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot 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 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 7
    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) 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 may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
    Step 8
    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.
    Step 9
    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 Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 10
    This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. 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 boot 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 11
    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.

  • The camera on my iphone4 opens up but seconds after the screen turns black with white line.

    Hi guys! Please help me I have iPhone 4 .the camera although opens up when I press the button, but seconds after the screen turns black with white line. Need I need it repaired or there is some trick which can set it right.?

  • HT201210 Wont turn on just flashes apple sign, for an ipad 2 what would cause this to happen When I tried to restore started to flash the dead battery sign

    Wont turn on just flashes apple sign, for an ipad 2 what would cause this to happen When I tried to restore started to flash the dead battery sign

    Hello Tommythecat_nz,
    I would check to ensure that the device is fully charged if you got the dead battery indicator. Let it charge for some time.
    -Derrick Lambert

  • I was updating my software and my computer froze what do I do?

    I was updating my software and my computer froze

    Hi brunoglz,
    If you are unable to find iTunes after an interrupted update, you may find the following article helpful:
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    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923
    Regards,
    - Brenden

  • I've added to ios6 to my new ipod touch with no problems. I'm trying to now restore the factory settings but the screen is frozen with an itunes sign and lead pointing towards it. The ipod won't even switch off. Can anyone help as it's driving me crazy

    I've added ios6 to my new ipod but tried then to restore the factory settings. It won't extract any settings and the itunes then tells me that the server cannot be reached or is unavailable. I've been trying all day. Now the ipod has a itunes sign and a computer lead pointing towards it on the screen and this is frozen. It won't switch off or do anything else. Any ideas as this is now driving me crazy.

    Try:
    - iOS: Not responding or does not turn on
    - Also try DFU mode after try recovery mode
    How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
    - If not successful and you can't fully turn the iOS device fully off, let the battery fully drain. After charging for an least an hour try the above again.
    - If still not successful that usually indicates a hardware problem and an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store is in order.
    Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar       

  • When I press the power button, my screen turns gray with the apply (like it's going to turn on) but then just goes black and turns off completely. What should I do?

    Thank you so much for any help you can give. I was informed the solution may have to do with "recovery mode" and "disk utility." If you need more information, please let me know. Thanks again for your help.

    Hi there Colleen821,
    I would recommend taking a look at the troubleshooting steps found in the article below.
    Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1367
    -Griff W.

  • My screen turns gray with a blinking folder and a question mark

    My computer started going really slow so I tried to restart it. When it started to turn back on the screen just went gray for a minute or two then a darker gray folder with a question mark on it started blinking in the middle of the computer. little help?

    Hi,
    Before you buy a new hard drive, you may be able to get it fixed free of charge.
    MacBooks equipped with Seagate hard drives model ST96812AS (and possibly other Seagate models)
    with firmware 7.01 have experienced a higher than normal failure rates. The failure mode is that the heads detach from the positioning mechanism.
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  • Does the screen turn black during an Apple Hardware Test?

    My iMac screen has started turning black randomly. I searched the forums for advice about what to do an have tried
    1. Unplugging everything and rebooting after waiting a while.
    2. Resetting PRam (3 times.)
    3. Running AHT.
    The last test is running at the moment and I set it to Extended mode having noted that the test would probably take over an hour to complete. After five minutes the screen went black and I'm wondering how to tell when the test is complete and if this is normal procedure or a result of the original problem.
    I know that the test is still running because I just heard a fan briefly surge, but pressing the keyboard or clicking the mouse does not wake the display.
    Will I get some audible indication when the test is done, and if not how should I proceed since the only way to shut the computer down seems to be to hold the Power button for an extended time, or to pull the plug. If I have to resort to these options is there a way to view whatever results the AHT test determined?
    Thanks for any help.

    Thanks for responding. Could you say whether or not I can expect a notification of the end of the test. I had to shut down the computer using the power button because the screen remained black 90 minutes after the test started. I couldn't see any results for the test I did.
    If this pattern continues would you try reinstalling the OS before sending it off for repair?

  • My back screen is red with white apple sign, and apps are blurry, anyone else have/had issues?

    My back screen is red with a white apple, apps are blurry, has anyone else had this issue?

    Did you drop your iPad or bang it against a hard surface maybe? It seems to me like it's a hardware issue. But anyway, try a reset and see if that helps at all - assuming that you didn't drop the device that is.
    Reset the iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider if it appears on the screen - let go of the buttons. Let the iPad start up.
    If it's a hardware issue, it can't be fixed, but in order to determine what it is for sure, you may need to make an appointment at an Apple Store and have the iPad evaluated.

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