IMac grey screen with external HDD attached

I used to have unibody Macbook with externall USB HDD (containing Time Machine and some free space) attached to it.
Today I have 2011 iMac but now if HDD is connected via USB, computer will stay at gray screen (after DVD drive noises).
If I disconnect the HDD, it succesfully boots. And ALT key Boot Menu with plugged HDD can be opened no problems too.
Formatted and partitioned HDD - no change.

1. Potential solution: Apple wants your forum feedback
Please see a post in the following thread and reply to it as you wish. Apple has now reportedly requested that we provide evidence in support of our desire to have the "open lid with screen off" option reinstated (eg significance of operating temperature differences, reduction in wifi reception, etc). They may then address our concerns with a Lion update.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3190417?start=60&tstart=0
2. The madness of magnets
This is getting very worrying. It's madness that Apple owners feel obliged to experiment with passing magnets over the top of their premium-priced computers and sticking them on here, there and everywhere in the hope of finding short-term workarounds. The sooner this problem is fixed at source (ie within Lion), the better.

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Gray screen on bootup with external HDD attached

I recently bought a Cavalry 1TB External USB hdd. Following their instructions, I connected the drive after I started up and logged into the Mac. Formatted the drive as Extended (non-journaled) with the Apple Partition.
It mounts and runs fine, if I don't have it connected to the mini on start-up. I get a gray screen and it pretty much does nothing, if it is connected on startup of the mini. So I have to shut down the drive, unplug it, hold down the mini power button to shut that down, then restart mini, login, plug the USB drive in, and turn it on. It is then recognized again.
I called Cavalry and they suggested that the mini is looking to boot off of the USB drive first, and that's why it's hanging. Could this really be the problem? If so, is there a way to configure the mini to look at the internal hard drive drive before the USB?
If this isn't the problem, does anyone have any ideas about what it could be?
Thanks.

So I tried pretty much every format configuration possible for the drive, and no dice for boot-up or for the "Startup Disks" listing.
I reformatted for windows and that worked without a hitch (not really surprising, and good if (for when) I have to sell it).
So running out of options, and totally frustrated, I gave up, sent it to Bason (Cavalry's Tech Support provider) and their Tech claims "works fine on my machine!", so they're sending it back to me.
What I find curious is that my wife's Black MacBook doesn't see the thing either on startup, though it only hangs for a short time on her's.
I expect the drive to still not work, though I will give it a try when I receive it sometime in the next 3 days - 3 weeks.
All input on this has been very much appreciated. Any additional thoughts on this issue will continue to be appreciated.
Thanks.

Deactivate laptop screen with external display attached

Hi guys,
Once upon a time when you connected a powersource, peripherals and external monitor to your MacBook (Pro/Air) you could then open the laptop to allow for better cooling (useful) without activating the laptop's built-in display thus staying in single-screen mode.
However, since Lion you can't. Whichever way you try, fly, walk on your hands or smash your head into a wall Lion will always always activate the laptop's display when you open it up.
Anyone got a Clu how to get the old behaviour back?

1. Potential solution: Apple wants your forum feedback
Please see a post in the following thread and reply to it as you wish. Apple has now reportedly requested that we provide evidence in support of our desire to have the "open lid with screen off" option reinstated (eg significance of operating temperature differences, reduction in wifi reception, etc). They may then address our concerns with a Lion update.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3190417?start=60&tstart=0
2. The madness of magnets
This is getting very worrying. It's madness that Apple owners feel obliged to experiment with passing magnets over the top of their premium-priced computers and sticking them on here, there and everywhere in the hope of finding short-term workarounds. The sooner this problem is fixed at source (ie within Lion), the better.

IMac (early 2008): grey screen with Apple logo and spinning wheel

Hi there,
I have recently had a problem with my iMac - it started with distorted graphics and I booted into Safe Boot to back up all files with the intention of reinstalling OS X (either from original install CDs or from USB drive with Mountain Lion on). Safe Boot got rid of the distorted graphics but as I rebooted to reinstall, the iMac hung on the spinning wheel on a grey screen with the Apple logo.
I have tried (in no particular order) : resetting PRAM and SMC, booting from original install CDs, booting from the self-created Mountain Lion USB stick, booting into Safe Boot again, booting normally, taking out keyboard/mouse and booting normally... the pinwheel either freezes, the iMac reboots itself, or comes up with a screen telling me to reboot due to a problem. If I hold down command-V at startup it always freezes/fails at the same point and there's usually a previous shutdown cause of 3 or -128?!
I don't seem to be able to run the hardware test either from DVD or internet, I can boot into single user mode and the iMac will stay up for hours but I don't know what to look at or what to fix! There are kernel panic logs relating to some of the shutdowns but as I can't view these out of single-user mode I can't attach them to the post but can look & reply on another machine.
It's an early 2008 iMac, 24" screen, running OS X 10.8.2 - I'd appreciate any help and will try to provide any extra information anyone needs (that I can glean from single user mode, anyway!)
Kind regards,
Carly

I've looked at that, I did try to link the discussion to the article but it failed too Thank you though.
I just created an Ubuntu DVD to run - the graphics are distorted on that too so I'm guessing it's a fault with the graphics card. I don't have the knowledge to confirm/deny it so a trip to an Apple Store is probably in order?

My iMac is stuck with a grey screen with a icon of a lock.

My iMac is stuck with a grey screen with a icon of a lock.

You enter Target Disk mode by launching the iMac with the "T" key held down or by the method you used. It's used so another Mac connected to it can access the files as if it were another external HD. This document describes the process: Target Disk Mode, Transferring files between two computers using FireWire

Grey screen with apple logo after new HDD install

I have a mid 2010 iMac A1312, this was given to me recently with the knowledge of its bad HDD, so I bought a new HDD. I followed step by step instructions on how to replace a Hard drive and I did. I switched the computer on and inserted my Snow Leopard 10.6.3 install disk and clicked the icon. It is now at a light grey screen with a dark Apple logo. I have waited about ten minutes and restarted the machine. Ive tried all variances of startup holding down c, option, command r and so forth. Currently I am going to give it a good long wait of 20 minutes or so and see if I was just being impatient and not allowing the install software chance to start up. But in the mean time... any suggestions? I have read I need the original disks that came with the computer from factory to get a new HDD going. Is this true? thank you for your time!

it has now been 30 minutes and no change. I still have the grey screen with apple logo. please help

IMac won't boot with external drives attached

I am using iMac 27" Late 2013 model upgraded to mavericks 10.9.4. Two external drives are always attached with it, one is segate 3.5" 2TB USB 3.0 drive and another one is 2.5" usb 2.0 drive.
when i start my imac with external drives attached it won't boot up. Stuck at plain white screen after a startup chime, not even any apple logo or any progress circle appears. And i have to detach all of my drives to make it boot.
This problem arises after upgrading to mavericks. Already tried resetting PRAM, SMC and checked Startup disk and verify disk with disk utility.

Raja,
Do a SMC reset perhaps even a couple of times and see if that helps. Also in System Preferences + Startup Disk make sure the internal HD is selected.
SMC RESET
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord and all peripherals.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Attach the computers power cable.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
PRAM RESET
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Roger

How to reboot imac from grey screen with rotating icon?

Hi
Can anyone help regarding the rebooting of an iMac 24"
I need help with my 24" iMac OS X 10.8.4. After the screen froze it was turned off at the mains. Now it won't reboot, just the grey screen with the spinning icon.
Please advise.
Regards,
M

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 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
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.

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.

TS2570 On start up of my new iMac it locks on the grey screen with the apple logo and the progress wheel spins. Boot up in safe and this is where it stopped at "BootCacheControl: Unable to open /var/db/bootcache.playlist: 2 no such file or directory. "

On start up of my new iMac it locks on the grey screen with the apple logo and the progress wheel spins. Boot up in safe and this is where it stopped at "BootCacheControl: Unable to open /var/db/bootcache.playlist: 2 no such file or directory. "

Reinstalling MacOS does NOT fix the problem for me. I'm still searching a solution !
Bernard

Hi my iMAc 27 inch starts up to the grey screen with apple logo and loading bar underneath it loads halfway then freezes up and shut down after a while please help

Hi my iMAc 27 inch starts up to the grey screen with apple logo and loading bar underneath it loads halfway then freezes up and shut down after a while please help

Try the tips listed here Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup - Apple Support

IMac with external HDD backup to Time Machine

I have an iMac with a 1TB internal HDD and have run out of space due to the number of photos in my library. I want to move the photos to a 1TB external HDD, then add a new 2TB external HDD to serve as the new Time Machine backup drive. So my setup will include the iMac and two connected external HDDs. What is the best way to set this up so the new Time Machine backup drive captures both the internal iMac HDD and the external photos HDD? Any tips or tricks would be appreciated. Thanks!

First of all, note that Time Machine can only make backups of drives formatted in HFS+ (known as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"), so your 1 TB external drive has to use that format before moving your photos to it. As you are using it to make Time Machine backups, it is already using that format.
There are two possibilities in order to start using a different external drive for Time Machine:
Move your old Time Machine backups made in your 1 TB external drive to your 2 TB external drive.
Start a completely new backup, deleting the old ones.
In the first possibility, you only have to follow these steps -> Time Machine: How to transfer backups from a current backup drive to a new backup drive - Soporte técnico de Apple After moving your Time Machine backups to the 2 TB external drive, remember to format the 1 TB drive with Disk Utility in order to store your photos there.
In the second possibility, just go to System Preferences -> Time Machine, and choose your 2 TB external drive as your Time Machine drive. Then, format the 1 TB external drive.
In both cases, Time Machine does not make backups of external drives by default, so after moving your photos to the 1 TB external drive, you have to go to System Preferences -> Time Machine -> Options, and remove the 1 TB external drive from the excluded items list. By doing that, the next backup will also include your 1 TB drive.

HT1455 imac wont start up and grey screen with spinning wheel appears

imac wont start up and grey screen with spinning wheel appears

See this Apple note on steps to take.

My iMac wont go past the grey screen with Apple Logo and question mark a caution mark

My iMac wont go past the grey screen with Apple Logo and question mark a caution mark

You may find this support article helpful:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Ciao.

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 grey screen with external HDD attached

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