IMac does not boot up, gets stuck on blue screen with spinning wheel ...

... and tries to do something in a 10 second circle ... blue screen ... spinning wheel b/w on blue screen ... blue screen ... spinning wheel again ...
... with some hard disc work going on ...
i habe checked the disk with the disc utility, no errors.
any idea what I could do apart from reinstalling the os?
thanks for your help!
j.

Hi J
Welcome to Apple Discussions
That sounds almost like a failed Leopard install:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1545?viewlocale=en_US
or it's Stuck in a "loop" at the login window after upgrading to Leopard: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1413?viewlocale=en_US
Try an Archive & Install:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710
or restore from your Time Machine Backup:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/15638.html
Dennis

Similar Messages

  • My imac will not boot- it gets stuck on blue screen and will not go any further

    Since the last update to Snow Leopard- My computer seems to perform fine, but when I restart the computer or shut it down and then turn it back on- it gets hung. SOmetimes I get the You need to restart screen. But, most times, it goes to the blue screen. The mouse shows up and the dissappears. It shows back up and the dissappears again. Then the system working spiral comes on and off every few seconds. But- it never gets to the sign in screen. ANyone know how to fix? What am I doing wrong?

    Does your iMac fail to boot every time or only some of the time?  Here are some things to try:
    - Boot into "safe mode", which will run the equivalent of Disk Utility's "repair disk" operation.
    - Boot from the system install disc that came with that Mac with the "D" key held down to run the diagnostics.  Run them several times to see if any hardware problems are reported.
    - If you can't identify the problem or fix it any other way, download and install the OS X 10.6.7 "combo" updater.
    - If that still doesn't help, try reinstalling OS X 10.6 over the top of what's on the disk.

  • My touchsmart will not boot allI get is a blue screen with f key to do different things

    My Touch smart desk top will not boot when I turn it on all I get is a blue screen with HP in the center and f key functions

    Hello charleshobby:
             Your computers start up has been corrupted. No big deal. Turn on your computer hold down on F-8 key as you turn it on. This should put you in safe mode. If f-8 key fails then just disconnect the power cord at the power adapter and plug it back in and turn on your computer (This is called a fource start up) automatically puts your computer into safe mode. Use your arrow kek select safe mode with net work. Top one I belive. In safe mode close out Help and Support window displayed. Open up Recovery Manger and select Microsoft System Restore. Click next then click next again now a list of dates will appair choose a date before this event occured. Click next and let your computer complete the sytem restore. My guess Microsft up dates caused this issue. After this is finished now go back and change all your update setting to down load up dates but let me choose witch ones to install. Only install three at a time. To a void future occurances and black screen or blue screen issues. Follow these steps for blue screen or black screen. Please click on Kudos if this has resolved your issue. Thank you frrw.

  • My imac will not boot up... only grey screen and spinning wheel?

    Can you help me get to the screen where I put in the mame and password?
    I only see spinning wheel
    boyd

    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
    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 3
    Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, 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 5.
    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 4
    Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 5
    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 6
    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 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 Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 8
    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 is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
    Step 9
    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. If you can't get to an Apple Store, go to another authorized service provider.

  • Old iMac won't start up and stuck in grey screen with spinning wheel

    Hi, I have a very old imac which I purchased back in 2005, and has been working fine. I have left it in storage about 1 and 1/2 years ago.
    Just now I try to restart it, the screen is forever stuck in the grey screen with the spinning wheel.
    I tried many times off-on, hold down the apple function key but none worked.
    I no longer have the rebooting CD with me. I wonder whether the computer can still be saved?
    I have already backed up the contents so it doesn't matter if fixing the computer requires me to delete all my old files.
    Thanks
    If I am not wrong, I think it's tiger or earlier that it's using.

    Do you have the Install Disc to try to boot from?
    Might be time to replace the PRAM Battery, 4 years is close to their lifespan, far less if ever without AC power, & can cause strange startup problems...
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

  • Imac 2008 stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel no discs I lost them

    HI, I have a imac 2008 24" someone help please.stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel after 5 minutes mac just restarts again.I have no restore dvds as I borrowed them out and never got them back thanks

    If you are in the US call Apple Customer Support 1-800-767-2775, provide the Serial Number and specifications of the Mac, and for a reasonable fee, they will supply a replacement set of system discs (if available).
    The discs will be for the original version of the OS that was pre-installed when the Mac was manufactured.
    If you are in another country:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57
    Useful article here on the causes of the Spinning Beach Ball and how to troubleshoot it:
    http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177479/Troubleshoot_the_spinning_beach_b all?taxonomyId=89&pageNumber=1
    and also this:
    http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html

  • Intel-based iMac stuck in grey screen with spinning wheel. SMC::smcReadKeyAction ERROR THOP kSMBadArgumentError(0x89)

    Hi guys,
    since yesterday my Intel-Based iMac doesn't boot normally, its stuck in grey screen with a spinning wheel.
    Its an Intel-based iMac 21.5'' purchased in 2011, and i recently (2 months ago) upgraded it to Mavericks.
    -2 weeks ago, i installed smcFanControl app
    -Tried start up in Safe Mode by holding Shift but its not working. i think i hear fans are working more than they were before the problem occurs.
    -entered Single User Mode and i get an error
    SMC ::smcReadKeyAction ERROR THOP kSMCBadArgumentError(0x89) fKeyHashTable=0x0xffffff8029fa1000
    -followed some instructions found online, but can execute the correct commands in SingleUserMode
    tried to remove FanControl as explained here: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/110667/errorr-kernel-smcsmcreadkeyactio n-in-console
    any ideas what may caused this and how can i fix this?
    Thanks in advance

    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, boot 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 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.

  • My imac is stuck in gray screen with spinning wheel

    My iMac is stuck in gray screen with spinning wheel. I'm running Mountain Lion, any idea how to fix it. Pls help.Thx.

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    Press Shift key on boot and check that the computer starts. Finally, restart

  • Phone Stuck on blach screen with Spinning Wheel

    Iphone 3G stuck on black screen with spinning wheel and unable to hard reset plug or unplug with PC.
    I tried holding both home/off for 10 sec, 20 sec, 2 min nothing.... Itunes can't read my iphone and nothing happen to the phone....
    I saw somewhere to wait for a flash pf the apple logo on screen every 10 min and reboot but after looking at the screen for 30 min non stop, no apple logo....
    Please help because I don't want to change my iphone right now because i'm waiting for the iphone 5....

    i refirmated all teh drives and started over three months later one of the two drives died completely.. M

  • Downloaded OSX Mountain Lion on MacBook now stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel HELP?!?!

    Downloaded OSX Mountain Lion on MacBook now stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel. What can I do, will I loose everything on my laptop?

    ashg23 wrote:
    Thank you, I have restarted but it is still stuck at the grey page with the spinning wheel? Any idea?
    Have you started up holding down Command + R and attempted to install again?
    Pete

  • Os 10.4 not booting... stuck at blue screen

    As the topic suggests, my iMac G5 isn't booting properly, and is getting stuck after the grey apple screen,at a blue screen, with the mouse visible. It will start up in safe mode, but not in normal mode.
    I've tried clearing the PRAM, resetting the SMU, I've succesfully completed a disc repair with no issues, and I've also done an erase/reinstall of the 10.4 OS.
    Any thoughts or suggestions?

    Welcome to Discussions - You may have a problem with corrupted preferences, try using Preferential Treatment and also, remove all log-in items from your start-up account.

  • MBP stuck on blue screen with spinning loading icon during update to 10.6.7

    I have a mid-2010 model Macbook Pro 13inch, 2.4ghz/4gb ram
    I've been scouring apple forums and even reddit and my googlefu has yielded no such luck. Basically, System Update has been yelling at me for a few weeks now to upgrade to 10.6.7 (among other updates) and I've been putting it off and putting it off, with the intention of eventually doing the update, but I just kept forgetting.
    Finally tonight, I remembered, and decided to open System Update, and do all the recommended updates that it was asking me to do. So, without thinking twice (I've never had an issue with this before) I clicked download and install, and away it went, downloading like usual and then rebooting.
    Thing is, it's been stuck at this blue screen with the spinning spiral coming up on 5 hours now. I know the 10.6.7 update was close to 400mb, but I've never had anything like this happen before.
    My hard drive had more than 150 gigs free on it last time I checked, and it's been running absolutely flawless up until now.
    Has anyone else experienced this? Is it supposed to take so long? What do I do?
    I've been contemplating shutting it down by holding the power button, but since it's a OS update I'm afraid the drive will be corrupted, and unfortunately I don't have a current backup of the drive either... Help

    I left my macbook plugged in over night, we're now going on 14 hours of this blue screen with the spinning wheel/symbol. Anyone?

  • Will not boot up get file icon on screen with ?

    not my computer so cannot give more info as I cannot speak with my granddaughter any more  till tonight.
    Just wondered if anyone has any ideas.
    It was working OK yesterday. she said she has not downloaded anything 
    It is a 15" MBP, with OS from September 2009
    thanks

    Saying that it can't find the last boot volume and that you need to use control panel to set startup disk or repair/restore and that your boot drive volume has a bad directory. Try booting from OS X DVD (use c on startup or option key) and go to Utility menu and then Disk Utility.

  • TS1388 stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel

    My computer was stuck on a program and i held the power down button to close it. When I turned back on my macbook pro the only thing I get is a grey screen wioth apple logo and spinning wheel, It stays stuck on this for hours.

    Hi Rick,
    Could be many things, we should start with this...
    "Try Disk Utility
    1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
    2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
    *Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
    3. Click the First Aid tab.
    4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
    5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
    Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
    (Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
    If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

  • G4 Won't start. Stuck at Grey Screen with Spinning wheel

    It won't make it past this screen.
    I have a Dual G4 867Mhz with 2GB ram. (3) harddrives.
    Any Help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks
    The last thing that happened was last night I left my computer on downloading some stuff. When I woke up my dad had unplugged the ethernet cable and It had locked up some programs with the spinning beachball. I proceeded by trying to shut the program with apple+q. It shut down the Finder window. I then was forced to just shut down the computer by holding down the power button. I didn't try starting up again at that time, but now about 3 hours later I tried to start up again, and it's stuck at this screen.

    Install OS X on one of your disk drives. Or get a FW case and drive, then update to 10.3.9.
    Buy a copy of Disk Warrior 4.
    Ask Dad.

Maybe you are looking for