IMac won't boot correctly! Braille-looking screen and purple lines

Hi guys; i've got a big problem over here; about a week ago my iMac (27", late 2009, i5 2,66ghz quad core, 4gb RAM upgraded to 12, running Snow Leopard) froze while watching a movie in streaming. After a few minutes i decided to force the turn off and pressed the power button. When i turned on again the computer it boot up showing this braille-looking screen instead of the desktop.
The first thing i performed was the safe-mode-startup, and that worked fine; when i turned on in 'normal' mode again everything worked correctly.
After a few days it happened again, but this time on the white boot screen with the apple logo there were several purple lines 'organized' in five groups.
On the light blue screen, wich is next in the boot-sequence, the lines disappeared and at the end of the boot, instead of the desktop, there was braille-looking screen, but this time with some purple dots.
The first thing i did this time, too, was safe-mode-boot, but that didn't work fine as the last time, in fact i achieved to log in and use the computer, but the purple lines kept on staying over the background (and their color is influenced by background color eg.. if the desktop is orange the lines turn green). Then i switched off the computer and tried to boot in 'normal' mode, but nothing changed from the situation before the safe-mode-boot.
So i tried everything that came to my mind: Repair disk in the Disk Utility; Reset PRAM; Reset SMC; Remove the 8GB RAM i added, i even removed the HDD and replaced with an SSD that i was planning to put in the computer for an upgrade, but nothing worked.
I am asking for your help guys, every tip to solve the problem is appreciated, i thank you in advance.
ps: i apologize for my english, i'm not a native english-speaker

I would definitively exclude display failure because the light-blue screen is just as normal as it should be, and i would also exclude that i made damage installing the ssd since nothing change from before installation to after; probably the GPU is failing and i should take the computer to an apple store; that is a pity for a 4 year mac. At the moment i'm recovering my logic pro files from a macbook, i will go to the apple store during the week. I thank you anyway for your tip.

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Help: iMac won't boot past Grey logo screen with spinning lines

My fiance's iMac (intel based) running snow leopard (upgraded from Leopard a couple months ago) will not boot past the logo and spinning lines. This started after at attempting to restart after installing updates to Safari and iTunes.
When booting in verbose mode I get these lines:
Launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /Library/LaunchDaemons
Launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
Launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /etc/mach_inid.d
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AppleYukon2: RxRingSize <= 1024, TxRingSize 256. RXMAXLE 1024, TXMAXLE 768, STMAXLE 3328
Then it just stops and does nothing.
I've unplugged everything except the apple keyboard and mouse. Ethernet is not connected.
She doesn't seem to have the original disc that came with the computer, but I do have the Snow Leopard upgrade disc.
What do I do? It won't boot in Safe Mode either, freezes at the same spot.
I'm not a particularly savvy Mac user as I recently embraced them when we moved in together.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Repairing permission is not the first answer. Should try to run fsck and reset the PRAM
Start up your computer in single-user mode to reach the command line.
Note: If necessary, perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer. On desktop computers, you can do this by pressing the reset/interrupt button (if there is one) or holding down the power button for several seconds. On portable computers, simultaneously press the Command-Control-power keys. If your portable computer doesn't restart with this method, you may need to reset the Power Manager.
At the command-line prompt type:
/sbin/fsck -fy
Press Return. fsck will go through five "phases" and then return information about your disk's use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it'll display this message if no issue is found:
** The volume (name_of_volume) appears to be OKIf fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message:
***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****
Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command you typed in step 2 until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
When fsck reports that your volume is OK, typerebootat the prompt and then press Return.
Your computer should start up normally and allow you to log in.
Resetting PRAM and NVRAM
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.
Your computer's PRAM and the NVRAM are reset to the default values. The clock settings may be reset to a default date on some models.

IMac won't go past apple logo screen and vertical lines on display

I have an old white iMac that won't boot. When booting up the screen has vertical purple lines and I can see the Apple logo. The little "dial" just spins and spins. Does anyone know how to fix this? thank you for any and all help.

The vertical lines are indicative of a hardware problem. It is possible (likely) that this is also related to the inability to start up as well. It's almost impossible to diagnose and explain repairing hardware in these forums, so I think it best if you take the computer to a repair shop that is familiar with Macintoshes.

MacBook Pro won't boot - stays on black screen and beeps every few seconds

Hi,
My MacBook Pro has been having issues - when powered on wont boot past the white screen and more recently will just stay on black screen and beeps every 5 seconds. I had someone look at it and it seems apparently the motherboard is the problem
and either needs fixing or replacing. As I am traveling in Nicaragua the closest apple store is in Managua (capital). Would I be able to get the motherboard looked at and replaced if need be at this apple store? Also, does anyone know the approximate price for the motherboard to be replaced? Up until a few days ago the laptop was still turning on and working every now and then but now stays on black screen and beeps.
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Thanks

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
It means that your Mac's memory is damaged > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2538?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
First, replace the memory modules. You can buy more memory at OWC or Crucial. It can also be replace by a reseller.
If it doesn't work, the RAM slots are damaged, so your logic board has to be replaced. It costs more than a half of the price of your MacBook

IMac won't boot past grey logo screen

20" iMac was acting very slow, to the point where I would get the rainbow ball if I opened the HArd Drive icon.
Revolted but couldn't get past the grey logo screen and spinning wheel. Tried a Disk Repair from the Snow Lep disc but it just froze up.
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HI Rob,
Check to see how much space is available on the startup disk. Right or control click the MacintoshHD icon. Click Get Info. In the Get Info window you will see Capacity and Available. Make sure you always have a *minimum of 10% to 15% free disk space at all times.*
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Using Target Disk Mode is an excellent, idea, you should be able to drag your data on to the new machine.
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IMac won't boot after log-in screen. wheel keeps spinning or blue screen

Hi there!
I have a problem with my 2009 iMac running on Leopard. It all worked fine over years until last week when I was doing some work and the screen just froze and the wheel didnt stop spinning. So i turned it off and back on. Then all i got was a blue screen and it didnt boot. Tried again to start in safe mode. Nothing. Then using my install dvd doing the HD check and repair. Said no damage. But still didnt boot. So i tried to reinstall the OS. Still didnt boot. At least now i'm seeing the log in screen again instead of just the blue or grey screen. But once i try to type my username in, the wheel starts spinning and it freezes again.
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I have the exact same problem. IMac worked great until I installed the latest security update two days ago. I got a message that the download was not successful. After restarting the use, computer acts exactly as described above. Can't get it to complete startup. It acts like its trying to update firmware, but turns of in the middle of it.

IMac won't boot past grey startup screen

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It was working fine yesterday then I tried to start Aperture. It bounced on the dock but wouldn't open.
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Thanks, I already tried most of those. I followed the other suggestions ( already failed safe boot) and when it got to " take it to Apple" I just restored it from Time Machine and it all works perfectly.
It would have been nice to fugure out why it wouldnt boot, something must have been corrupted.
I dont know if its anything to do with it, but when I got the restored system booted up and downloaded all my emails, there was an email in my outbox with no recipient field filled in but a link to some iffy website in the message field.( Something like burnt gate)
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My iMac won't boot, get a black screen with alarm sound, then gray screen with start up sound, then repeats

this problem started last fall after upgrading to Mavericks. If I shut down my computer (or restart) I have problems getting it going again. This is getting progressively worse. I hadn't shut down in over a month, forgot about this issue and shut down (which I used to do daily), so now I can't get my computer to boot. When I hit the power button I hear it starting, then a loud alarm sounds, then a long pause then start up sound with a gray screen with a progress bar. Once the progress bar fills, the screen goes black again for a bit. This whole process will repeat until I get frustrated and force - shut down by holding the power button. I have tried reseting the pram, starting up in safe mode, starting up with the command - R, starting up with my original install disc... none of it works. I'm at a loss! I do have an external hard drive that I have been using for Time Machine, but it's not recent because the disc needs repairs and I hadn't gotten around to buying a new HD to back up to first. Has anyone else had this problem? I really can't afford a big repair/replacement bill.

A long, steady, load tone followed by a progress bar can indicate it is trying to install a Firmware Update. Any other Tones would be multiple beeps and show an error code.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5860
You can also see a progress bar similar to booting into Safe Mode. However, the firmware update bar is thinner vertically than the Safe Mode bar.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
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IMac won't boot after replacing hard drive and restoring from Time Machine

I was having problems with my iMac but upgraded to Lion when it came out. Had a few good days and then my hard drive died.
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Yes, if you picked a Snow Leopard backup, that's what you got.
You could pick a Lion backup, and it would restore it, but that wouldn't create the Recovery HD, which you will need, sooner or later. See Using the Recovery HD. You'll need to re-download Lion for that to be created.
When you do that, after downloading but before installing Lion again, you might want to do this: Making a Lion Install disc or partition. Then if you need to reinstall Lion again, you can do it from that, instead of having to download it again.

My Imac won't go past the grey screen and apple logo! How do I fix the start up in my Imac?

I really need help with this one!
My Imac is stuck on the grey screen with the apple Logo, and it wont go past that.
It does listen to certain keyboard commands to start it up (ive tried fixing it by reading other's posts.) But it will only listen to some commands,
It doesn't start on Shift (safe mode) but it does start on command+shift+(other button) which is safemode viewed so you can see whats going on.
As the letters on the screen type on, it says it's loading something but stays stuck there.
I've heard about a way where you can use terminal from another computer and boot it that way, or using firewire cables.
Please help! and take in mind I'm not really tech-savy with computers, so guides would be helpful!
If there is any way to save the files in the computer that would be great. If it can't be done, it's fine, I just want it working again .
Thanks,
Gian Varela

I really need help with this one!
My Imac is stuck on the grey screen with the apple Logo, and it wont go past that.
It does listen to certain keyboard commands to start it up (ive tried fixing it by reading other's posts.) But it will only listen to some commands,
It doesn't start on Shift (safe mode) but it does start on command+shift+(other button) which is safemode viewed so you can see whats going on.
As the letters on the screen type on, it says it's loading something but stays stuck there.
I've heard about a way where you can use terminal from another computer and boot it that way, or using firewire cables.
Please help! and take in mind I'm not really tech-savy with computers, so guides would be helpful!
If there is any way to save the files in the computer that would be great. If it can't be done, it's fine, I just want it working again .
Thanks,
Gian Varela

My imac won't boot up. Tried recovery and nothing. Tried to hold shift and nothing. Tried safe mode and it has stopped at :/root

I have tried to start up in safe mode but it has stalled at :/root# I don't know what to do next. Worried about forcing a shutdown at this point.
Any suggestions? Thanks

Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

My iMac won't boot past grey screen and it didn't come with a os x disk

My iMac won't boot past grey screen with apple. I've tried booting in safemode but that didn't help and my iMac didn't come with a os x disk.

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.”
b. 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.
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
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 either of the techniques in Steps 1b and 1c 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 won't boot up fully. It stays stuck in the gray screen with the pinwheel spinning, then after about 5 minutes just shuts itself off.

My iMac won't boot up fully. It stays stuck in the gray screen with the pinwheel spinning, then after about 5 minutes just shuts itself off.

Try SMC Reset (unplug it from the back of the computer for 10 seconds then plug it back. in)
Try PRAM Reset Cmd + OPtion + P + R on start up.
Try safe boot - hold down shift on start up.
Try booting to install dvd (C on start up) or recovery hd (CMD + R) and using disk utility to run a verify and repair. If you still can't boot after that reinstall the operating system. If you can't find the disc or it wont boot to the disc.
Try single mode which is cmd+S on start up. It will open with a terminal looking window in the terminal. type in /sbin/fsck -TL. If it returns *system has been modified* continue to type that command in until it comes back with macintosh hd seems to be ok. If after 5 tries it still gives you system has been modified. You may have to replace the hard drive.

My iMac won't boot. I only get a white screen. Won't open in safe mode or recovery mode. Any suggestions?

Hey, any help? My 24" iMac won't boot. I only get a white screen when turning on. It won't open in safe or recovery mode. Any suggestions?

If you can't boot from your installer DVD, then take it in for service.

IMac won't boot correctly! Braille-looking screen and purple lines

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