IMac stuck on gray screen

I have an early '08 intel-based iMac which has quite suddenly not been able to restart.
I do have it partitioned to run Windows XP and I thought it was a problem restarting after working on the Windows side, but even if I leave it on the Mac side for an night, I still have the problem
I have taken it to an authorized Apple dealer and it has been checked out. No hardware issues were apparent.
I do have a Seagate external hard drive attached via USB for Time Machine and I also have a 7 port USB hub also attached via USB. The only other USB port in the rear of the computer has the keyboard attached.
I am able to startup from the Snow Leopard OS CD and if I hold down the option key at startup, I am able to startup Windows or my Time Machine backup or the CD, if I have it inserted.
However, I am not able to startup with the Mac OS on the internal hard drive which is running 10.6.8 and all the updates have been installed.
As I said, the Apple techie erased the hard drive and reinstalled both the Mac and Windows partitions, and although it seems to restart if restart is attempted soon after, the iMac restarts, but if the iMac sits for a time, it doesn't restart.
Does anyone have any experience with this and can offer help?
My next step is to erase the complete internal drive and start all over, including partitioning with Bootcamp.

OK. Checking the instructions on the link you sent me.
a) I have disconnected both peripherals, the Time MAchine backup hard drive and the USB hub. The only USB connected to the computer is my keyboard. My Epson printer is wireless. There is nothing else connected to the computer.
b) I have tried a safe boot and it gets stuck before it boots up.
c) I did a reset of the NVRAM
d) I am able to boot up from the Snow Leopard OS Cd.
e) I have done a complete permissions repair and a disk repair from Disk Utilites
f) Haven't bothered to plug into an outlet other than the power bar.
g) and the only step I haven't done is to remove the 2Gb Ram I installed several months ago. I would guess it is a third party piece of hardware although I did buy it from my Apple dealer.
h) I have, as the Apple Tech did as well, performed an erase and Install of the OS from the CD and have updated all the software.
I can restore from Time machine and then the computer will restart after that is done.
Sorry, I am not booting up from Time Machine, simply erasing and restoring from it.
Is it possible that something from the Windows partition could have infected the Mac side?
Thanks for the help so far.

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IMac stuck at gray screen when booting

Hi - My 2011 iMac with 10.8.2 is stuck on the gray screen when rebooting. I was in Windows 7 bootcamp, and restarted to OS X. I see the screen below, and once the progress bar reaches 100%, the computer shuts off. Every time I reboot, the same problem. I've disconnected everything, except for the standard bluetooth wireless keyboard. I've tried some various boot options, such as holding down Shift while rebooting, as well as command+R, but neither had any impact, it is the same problem over and over. Any tips on what to try next?

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Imac stuck at gray screen at the start

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(Makes me rule out Quicktime.
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No Other OS or ANY Windows Products on this system.
Tried Cold Boot With DVD,
(made sure Active Boot Drive was DVD, NOT HD)
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a. Shift Key - (Safe Boot)
b. Opt Key - ( I've forgotten )
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Imac freezes with gray screen after mavericks update

I was updating my imac system and it is frozen in a gray screen, like it is restarting.
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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.

Stuck on gray screen on warm restarts

I just wanted to add a data point to the problem of getting stuck gray screens with warm restarts.
My Mac Mini 3,1 (early 2009) started arresting at the gray screen with the logo upon warm restarts. If I shut down entirely and waited for a while, or if I unplugged the mini for a few seconds, it would start up fine and work normally. I tried replacing the hard drive (it was due for a bigger one anyway) and installing Mt Lion from scratch; but that did not affect the problem one bit.
I took the Mini to the local Genius Bar, and when we couldn't reproduce the problem, I noticed we were using a VGA cable with an old monitor. My Mini was hooked up with a Monoprice mini DVI to DVI cable at home. When I got home, I swapped the Monoprice cable out and replaced it with an Apple mini DVI to DVI adaptor connected to a standard DVI cable, and my Mini runs like new. It also runs 10-15 degrees Celsius cooler. I postulate that the Monoprice cable was stressing the video chip and causing other problems.
I'm bummed because I was all set to get a new Mini or iMac.
I hope this helps someone out there.

I got a message from Monoprice's returns department verifying my shipping address; so I guess the lifetime warranty applies. I'll see if the problem goes away with a new Monoprice cable; but the computer is running like a champ right now.
I'm not totally happy about that. I was getting pumped about needing a new computer; and how I'll have to put off the upgrade until the current Mini won't handle OS updates.

Stuck on Gray screen at Startup help!!

So i recently had my imac freeze on me when i woke it up. I worked away for a while hoping that when i returned it would be unfrozen-but it was not. So i restarted the system by holding the power button, and now everytime it turns on, it just gets stuck at the gray screen and then the fans turn on really high.
Im not sure what to do...especially since its not covered by apple care anymore :/

Your hard drive may have failed. If you can, replace it. You can also try to access it from another computer using Target Disk Mode to get your data off.

IMac stuck on gray screen

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