IMac Will not boot up   grey screen, apple, and spinning wheel

Help. Tax time is a good time for this.

The following support article is somewhat outdated. Where it refers to booting from an installation disc, you should boot from your recovery partition (if running 10.7 or later) by holding down the key combination command-R at the chime.
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

Similar Messages

  • Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen

    Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen
    my system:
    new (month old) 24" intel imac, 2.8 ghz, 4 gb ram.
    running: leopard (upgraded from tiger, which was pre-installed at purchase), installed 10.5.1 update right before this huge problem occurred.
    install discs on-hand: two-disc tiget set, single leopard upgrade disc.
    what led to this:
    i wanted to install windows using bootcamp on a 50 gb partition.
    at this point i was running leopard 10.5
    i followed all bootcamp instructions, printing out the guide, as well. once i got into the windows setup, i was prompted to choose a partition to install windows. unlike the bootcamp guide, which showed three partitions, one clearly labeled "bootcamp", i saw only one partition. not wanting to risk writing over my mac partition, i quit the setup and rebooted the mac os. after some googling around, i looked for firmware updates (didn't need any), and then software updates. i decided to try updating to 10.5.1.
    i then ran through boot camp again, deleting my previous windows partition, creating a new one, and moving forward as before. once again, i was only shown one partition to choose from in the windows setup. i exited the setup again to reboot through the mac os, but this time, i was only given a blank gray screen.
    here's what i have tried so far:
    booting from a CD, holding down the C or D keys: no response (in fact, i have to restart the computer holding down the mouse button to be able to eject the CD)
    booting with option key held down: gray screen
    booting with option key held down with external bootable firewire drive attached: the firewire drive appears as a boot icon, and i can click on it within a five second window, but then the screen freezes after that time period, and nothing changes
    booting into target mode while attached to another mac: gray screen (no firewire icon, and drive never shows up on other mac)
    resetting NVRAM: i'm able to hear the boot chimes, but no difference in performance. gray screen every time
    Safe boot: nothing but a gray screen
    Verbose mode: gray screen
    Single user mode: gray screen
    Single user mode with firewire drive attached: occasionally (not every time), i am able to get the white on black terminal to show up. from here, i'm able to run fsck, but it appears to only be checking the firewire drive. i have tried several times to boot from here, and once it took me to a blue screen with movable arrow cursor, but it never went beyond this.
    is there anything else left to try before taking it to apple?
    any help would be greatly appreciated.
    thanks,
    Casey Burns
    Casey Burns Illustration and Design
    http://CaseyBurns.com

    I'd call Apple support at this point. You'll need
    to put this issue on the record.
    Call U.S. iPod and Mac technical support: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
    The wait may be long for an agent to come on the line
    so expect that and have some other stuff to do in the meantime.
    If you have the applecare protection plan, I'd ask about "onsite"
    service.
    I like your work ! Good luck !
    Slim
    Message was edited by: slimpikkunz

  • Imac will not boot up, chimes with apple logo and beach ball spin??

    imac will not boot up, chimes with apple logo and beach ball spin?? after installing adobe flash and up graded apple softeware

    If your iMac came with or is running Lion, startup holding either  the Command-R keys or the Option key and select the recovery partition and then use Disk Utility to repair the Macintosh HD.
    see > OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery
    If your running Snow Leopard or earlier OS X, pop in your Install DVD and startup holding either the Option or C key, then open and use Disk Utility to repair the Macintosh HD.
    see > Mac OS X - Using Disk Utility to Repair a Disk

  • About imac (early 2008 24") stuck on grey screen apple logo spinning wheel

    HI all just wondering if any body has experienced the grey screen apple logo spinning wheel and also switches off and back on all by itself after 5-10 minutes in the past or recent.
    how did you get on did you sort it?would like to read some feedback on this subject thanks

    Generally that indicates a serious problem with the hard drive.
    Power down, hold alt key at power on, what shows as boot choices?
    "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
    Report what happens or doesn't please.

  • Macbook Pro will not boot beyond grey screen.  System freezes.

    My Macbook Pro will not boot-up or get beyond the grey screen (with spinning gear wheel.)  I've tried all the recommended actions: resetting PRAM, disk repair, permissions repair, re-boot in safe mode etc but still the problem persists.  When viewing the safe-boot in verbose mode, the system seems to hang at the stage when it's checking the Airport & Ethernet - the last line on the page reads: "AppleBCOM5701Ethernet:   0    0    setFixedSpeed - logic error, speed any?"
    Any ideas how to fix this without doing an Archive & Install?
    I'm assuming that if I do an "Archive & Install" then I will lose all my Applications (VLC, Handbrake, MS Office for Mac etc.)  Will this actually be the case?  Will I lose them.
    Any help gratefully received.  Many thanks.

    jfromplymouth wrote: ...I'm assuming that if I do an "Archive & Install" then I will lose all my Applications (VLC, Handbrake, MS Office for Mac etc.)  Will this actually be the case?  Will I lose them...
    Archive and Install just affects the System files, so any apps you have  should still be available afterwards.  The Installer on the disk that  came  with your Mac, when you bought it, will tell you this before you  proceed.  Of course, you can always back out of the Installer if you feel chicken.
    Notwithstanding it is still necessary to backup everything.  You need to check that Time Machine is set to also backup your Applications folder.  It might be set not to do this. 
    It may not be necessary to worry about this if you have the original installer disc(s).  I think any stuff downloaded from iTunes etc can be re-downloaded.  However, it's probably quicker to get Time Machine to backup your apps if you can afford the HDD space.  It's bound to be quicker than re-downloading the stuff plus any updates.  And of course there's those Apps that you have but forgotten about.  What about them?

  • My imac won't start up past the grey screen, apple and spinning clock

    Hi there.  First time posting - usually either apple support website or previous threads solve the problem.  Alas, not this time.
    I have an intel imac - can't tell you much about the details as I can't get any info out of it.  I installed snow leopard about a year ago - no issue since then other than occassionally the screen goes black but nothing major.
    Yesterday, I backed up to my usual passport backup and then today, it froze.  I couldn't turn it off or restart at all so resorted to the power button.  Since then, I can turn it on, it goes to the grey screen (no blue screen) and I get the apple logo and the spinning clock/wheel.  For hours and hours....
    So, I tried one of the apple support pages and worked through - peripherals, safe boot, NVRAM, PRAM, tried to reboot with mac osx disc (the original not snow leopard) - nothing.  Absolutely nothing changes - same old grey screen, apple logo and spinning clock/wheel. 
    HELP - do I try and reboot with the snow leopard disc?  I don't know what to do next - I am no techie so half the threads don't even sound like English to me.
    Thanks in advance, hope you geniuses out there can help me out.
    abcvic

    Thanks for the reply.
    I had tried to reboot with the original disc but it never worked. The imac just spits out the disc and eventually, I am back at the grey screen, apple logo and wheel spinning. I tried it one more time following your reply. Same outcome.
    My instal disc 1 had the instruction re hardware test which I have also tried with no success. I can't remember if it came with a disc 2 though I seem to have a couple - I also have a macbook and that seems to be still alive even if it is slow.
    I tried to reboot with Snow Leopard disc - power on, chime then hold down C key. Same old - grey screen, apple logo and wheel spinning. Disc spat out eventually.
    Any other suggestions welcomed or I am off to Apple tomorrow.

  • Only grey screen, apple, and progress wheel

    After an update, the MacBook put up a screen and told me to shut down. NO other options were available except the shutdown button. Since then I have tried starting up with the CD that came with the MacBook (Three, two black OS disks and a USB disk, It does not appear to be the full retail version with big X on it like photos I have seen in other chat threads) When I power up I ONLY get the grey screen, a delay for the apple, a further delay for the gear/progress wheel.
    I have tried holding down various combinations of keys, including: shift; c; control; control and c; and waiting for several minutes after trying to restart. There is no chime. Occasionally I have tried holding down the power button for prolonged periods of time: I get a flashing power light, and then a tone (NOT the chime thing) then it goes to grey screen etc. and stays there with spinning progress wheel.
    Any suggestions as to how to get my MacBook to read the OS CD?

    You’re welcome.
    Don’t known what the situation really is here, but if you can boot from the Install disc and Disk Utility reported no filesystem issues, you should be able to recover your data. The following is what I would have posted in my first reply if it wasn’t because of what you said about not being able to boot from the Install disc.
    Problems arising right after installing a system update are usually the result of some filesystem corruption that should have been fixed first, or not having installed the update properly (e.g. applications running while installing it), or having ignored Apple’s “Important: Please read before installing” warnings, etc.
    Verify/repair the startup disk (not just permissions), as described here:
    The Repair functions of Disk Utility: what's it all about?
    After having fixed all filesystem issues, if any, reinstall the update using the combo installer:
    About the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update
    Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update for PowerPC
    Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update for Intel
    If you cannot do this by normal means, but have an external HD with Mac OS X 10.4 installed from which to boot your Mac, or have access to another Mac with Mac OS X 10.4 installed and with a FireWire port to which connect your Mac in Target Disk Mode, you may be able to fix the problem by starting up that way, verifying/repairing the disk, then reinstalling the Combo Update (on the disk that doesn’t boot, not on the disk from which you’re booting to do this).
    After installing the Combo Update, the computer may restart twice and the first restart may take several minutes. This is normal.
    If the problem persists, you’ll have to consider doing a full Archive and Install, but make sure first that all the filesystem issues, if any, have been fixed, that you have enough space available on disk, and that all your data has been backed up (which again you can do connecting your Mac in Target Disk Mode to another Mac if you cannot do it by other means).
    Take a look at the following articles for guidelines on how to properly install system updates:
    Troubleshooting installation and software updates
    Installing software updates

  • Mac will not boot past Grey Screen

    Hello;
    My 2007 iMac won't boot past the grey screen, not even with the Apple logo in the centre of the screen. I've tried booting into the Boot Manager, tried using the recovery partition, tried booting from an external USB and FireWire drive, reset the NVRAM, reset the SMC, tried booting with a DIskWarrior boot disk (can't even eject the disk now... i've tried holding onto the mouse to force eject), changed the RAM back to the original...
    Anyone else have any suggestions? I can't really figure it out and i need this machine up and running. I appreciate the help!

    Please make a Genius Appointment and take it in for service.

  • Will not boot past Grey Screen of Death

    I was using Safari. Got the spinning beachball. Then it quit, followed by Text Edit, and Quicktime player which were running in the backround.
    I was able to restart through the Apple menu, and got the Grey Screen of Death(GSoD), with the apple, and no spinning gear.
    I had to shut it down using the power button and restarted holding Command-S so that I could run fsck in the Command Line, but it wouldnt go to the command line and all I got was the GSoD.
    So, I started the computer from an external firewire drive, (using the option button on startup, which worked), and it booted fine and mounted my internal drive. (All my files appear to be there and are accessible. The good News...)
    I ran disk utility, and it said that the internal drive was fine, no repairs needed.
    I shut it down,unplugged the power cord and battery, reset the PMU, restarted, zapped the pram, and let it try to load, only to get the GSoD.
    Then I booted from the firewire again, ran Techtool Pro (TTP), everything passed. I rebuilt the directory using TTP, restarted and still got the ole GSoD.
    Telephone Tech Support made me use the Install disk to restart, and run disk utility, (no problems), and upon rebooting still the GSoD. They said I could take it to the Apple store, or run an archive and install.
    I can't do an archive and install, (from home), because my original disk was Panther, and I can't find it, and my Tiger disk is only an upgrade disk. I don't want to do this anyway, and my last resort would be to clone my firewire disk back to my laptop, which I also do not want to do if I don't have to.
    I was considering buying Diskwarrior (DW). It used to do miracles for me with OS9, but that was always when the drive wouldn't mount. I don't know how DW does with the ole GSoD, and a disk that mounts, or whether it can be reccomended to deal in this situation.
    Any help would be appreciated, as well as anyone who cannot help, but can tell me what is wrong when the computer can't get past the GSoD.
    Thanks in advance.
    Powerbook G4 1.67mhz 1gb RAM   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    I wanted to add to my post that I have no third party hardware attached, (RAM, etc.), and disconnected all peripheral devices, only connecting the firewire external to boot the thing.
    I also made no recent software installations. The last was the 10.4.8 update on 11/22.
    Austin
    I looked at that article for <10.3.9
    The closest symptom was the blank grey screen. Though it did not mention the addition of the apple like my case. It suggests disk utility, and PMU reset, which I did and didn't help.
    I looked at some of the other symptoms fixes for the blue-screen, -OS9 is not installed on the computer, and single user and safe modes also don't work.
    I have an appointment at the Apple Store for this afternoon. I have the AppleCare protection plan. What in your opinion can they do, that telephone tech support couldn't suggest, besides performing the archive and install, that I can't do at home, and don't want to do anyway?
    Also, seeing as the internal drive does mount, and I can access the data, why do you think that DW might fix it? I know they have a proprietary method, but I did replace the directory with TTP.
    DW did perform miracles for me in the past, but then only when the disk wouldn't mount.
    Right now my plan is to see the Genius this afternoon, if he's got nothing new to offer, I can buy DW rev 39 at the Apple Store, and run it there.
    I guess barring any other advice, if you feel that DW can do the trick, I could buy it before seeing the Genius, and if it works, cancel my appointment.<br>
    Powerbook G4 1.67mhz 1gb RAM   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

  • IMac will not boot up/purple screen

    Hello people,
    We've got a newer 27" iMac bought in 2010. Anyhow, yesterday we experienced a power outage. We installed a surge protector on the house but it didn't do our iMac any good. The iMac will cut on but goes to a purple screen only showing the speechless box. We can't get it to do anything else besides moving the courser. Does anyone any ideas as to what is going on and how to correct it?
    Thanks in advance for and help or advice,
    Ray

    Look in your owners manual, it has instructions on what to do if your machine doesn't boot.

  • Help! Stuck on white/grey screen apple logo spinning wheel

    Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me?
    I have a MacBook pro snow leopard 10.6 It won't start up it freezes on the white/grey screen with the apple logo. I have tried it in safe mode it has the bar underneath as it loads up to half way it goes off &amp; the spinning wheel just carries on spinning forever!
    I have tried cmd &amp; v typed in a few things that I saw other people do then on the black screen white text the page is full of  Disk0s2: I/O Error   tried rebooting but same thing happens doesn't start up.
    Then I put my mac os x snow leopard 10.6.3 installation, features and refinements disc in but still nothing! I'm stuck anybody know what to do?
    Thanks in advance if you can help me.

    If it won't boot with the just the c key held down off the disk, it could mean there is a firmware password set.
    If it won't boot off the disk with just the option/alt key held down, that  means firmware has been wiped if all you see is a white screen.
    If it has a firmware password, it should have asked you for it with a screen with a lock icon on it.
    However it also could mean there is a hardware problem or the 10.6 disk is dirty, scratched, defective or not from Apple (warz).
    Or your keyboard is bad or your using a external one and not the built in keyboard.
    I think you might have to look into the possibility your EFI firmware has been hosed.
    See this section of my User Tip here:  ..Step by Step to fix your Mac
    Need machine/operating system identification help?
    Find the serial number, thus the model number and thus gives the operating system that originally came with the machine. However gives not what operating system version the boot drive was later upgraded to. Do not use older OS X verisons to repair newer verisons. It is possible to use the original operating system version installed on another boot drive to recover files from a later operating system non-booting drive.
    https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159#MacBook_Pro   https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1349
    https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1559   http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/
    If the computer just ignores the at boot key commands (without showing the firmware password request) especially if you boot to a white screen (no initial boot screen), it might be your EFI firmware stored in NVRAM memory has been wiped. EFI is like a powerful operating system type firmware that loads before OS X or Windows in Bootcamp loads, programs can be installed in EFI, even malicious ones. (why it's very important to trust the source of your instaled software)
    To restore EFI you need to use the identification links above to find the exact model of your machine. Then use another computer to download the correct EFI firmware from this Apple.
    https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1237
    Then follow these instructions to burn it to a cd or USB (untested) and apply it to the non-booting Mac. It likley will take 2 reboots for it to take hold and return the at boot key commands.
    https://support.apple.com/kb/HT2213
    ..Step by Step to fix your Mac

  • My wife's MacBook Pro won't boot up.  The Apple and spinning wheel stay on the screen indefinitely.  What should I do?

    I have tried complete shutdown.  Could it be the harddrive?

    Roger J wrote:
    I have tried complete shutdown.  Could it be the harddrive?
    You'll find out shorty.
    Review the link provided above and also run through these fixes, obvious things will occur if you can't perform them or the hardware test will tell you something.
    ..Step by Step to fix your Mac

  • Imac will not boot past Apple Logo

    My imac will not boot after the good chime and apple logo (i don't even get a spinning wheel).  I have held the option key down and selected the OS 10.6 disk with the same result.   I was able to erase the drive and reinstall OS 10.6 using target mode and another computer.  In target mode I can boot the other computer from the IMac HD but not the IMac.   Have also tried holding the shift key and booting into safe mode with the same result.  Additional note: I reset the PRAM and the SMU.  At first on PRAM reset it would take 45 seconds for the machine to chime again,  after OS reinstall and SMU reset, PRAM reset chimes within 10 seconds....  any help would be appreciated...

    Kind of late but your solution helped me remember what once worked for me, a few years back.
    Started iMAC in Target mode Used a firewire cable to a MacBook Pro
    Started the Macbook Pro using the option Key and then restarted with the iMac as the Hard drive
    Then I updated to 10.6.8 and allof the other updates.
    shut down and rebooted and everything was fine.
    But first I did quite a few other things before the update such as
    It all started with a DiskWarrior finding overlapped files, I have been around the block a time or two so after it found three overlapped files, I shut down diskwarrior started up disk utility did a restore of the messed up drive to another external drive,
    of course this copied overlapped files and all to the new external drive It took 24 huors or so, to back up the drive once it was done, I also tried a few times to correct the overlapped files to no avail,
    so then I started the iMac up in target mode used the MacBook to format and erase the original drive, used the 10.6.3 DVD installer to install onto the hard drive, using the macBook DVD. After I was finished with the install to the iMAC,,,,,,,,,,this is where I got the three beeps like bad ram So idid the PRAM and SMC to no avail.
    The operating system was evidently not new enough so once I did what i said at the begining of this post all went well.
    Sometimes It is tough to remember some of the stuff that you learned several years ago.
    and tired hard to forget.
    I hoped this post does not scare away to many people, I was just about done with this computer until I read your post, one of several dozen, and it all came back to me.
    Thanks a Bunch
    I hope this can help others
    themacprofessor

  • IMac will not boot into OSX after startup disk switch in control panel.!

    I am having trouble with my son's iMac DV SE (graphite) running Classic and OSX (10.3.9). Typically, the computer runs in OS9 as the startup system because most of the kids' software we run is old and uses Classic. Over the weekend, I changed the startup disk to OSX in the control panels and restarted the computer so I could install some new software. The computer will not boot past the gray apple and progress indicator. I have tried resetting the PRAM, booting from the CD and restarting with the options key depressed to no avail. (Can't do a Safeboot either.) I was able to put the iMac into target mode and access the control panels via my laptop and restart in OS9. I thought I had resolved the issue causing the startup problem, but I was wrong. Now I can't get past the gray apple or access the hard disk through target mode (the iMac hard disk does not appear on the laptop's desktop). Is there a way to force the computer back into OS9 other than holding down the option key at startup? When I try this, I get the hard disk icon, but I can't move it off of OSX. Thanks in advance for any help.

    Is there a way to force the computer back into OS9 other than holding down the option key at startup?
    Holding down the OPTION key will only work if OS 9 is on a different partition than the OS X installation. If they are on the same partition, it won't work.
    One way to get it back to OS 9 is to boot from the OS 9 or OS X installation disc. Then set the control panel, or preference pane, to boot from the OS 9 installed on the hard drive.
    Another way is to boot from the OS 9 install disc and perform a clean install of OS 9. This will create a new OS 9 System folder and it will NOT touch any other files on the drive. KB 58176, Mac OS 8.5, Mac OS 9: Performing a Clean Installation

  • TS2570 I have the gray screen problem with the white apple and spinning wheel

    I have the gray screen problem when it boots to the white apple and spinning wheel, but when I tried safe booting and doing the fsck thing I think I only made it worse, because it now starts, the safe mode progress bar comes on, (no matter if I press any keys or not) and after a minute shuts down again by itself. I also tried the command option, p, r thing and that did not work either, only brought me to the gray screen with the white apple, spinning wheel, and bar, and it promptly shut down. I am thinking more and more that I need the disk, but im not sure I have it. is it possible to order a new one online or is there another thing I can try? there is not an apple store nearby, and ereasing my data is not an option.
    Also Im not sure what my exact opporating system is, but I did buy and download mountainlion in August so It is pretty new

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    The hard disk is damaged. Take the Mac to an Apple Store

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