IMac won't boot up. Instead I get a progress bar.

I turned my iMac on today and noticed a gray progress bar under the apple logo as it was booting up. Once the bar finished filling up, my computer turned itself off. I've tried booting it up multiple times but it does the same thing. I've also tried holding Shift as it booted up but it never really did anything. The only reason I can type this out right now is because I can still boot into Windows thanks to Bootcamp.
I know there was a really quick power outage this morning so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with this.
Thanks!

I strongly suggest a trip to an Apple repair station, given you had a power outage.
27" i7 iMac (Mid 2011) refurb, OS X Yo (10.10), Mavs, ML & SL, G4 450 MP w/10.5 & 9.2.2

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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.

My imac won't boot up. I get a white screen with the apple logo and the spinning spiral--any ideas?

my imac won't boot up. I get a white screen with the apple logo and the spinning spiral--any ideas?
I have started having trouble since i had to upgrade OS the latest in July 12.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570 Follow this article and when it gets to the part where you go into disk utility using your install disc, you'll actually boot up holding down Command and R

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So after almost 24 straigth hours up uploading songs to iTunes Match, I woke up this morning and my iMac wouldn't boot. Gets stuck on the gray screen with the apple logo. I booted in verbose mode keep getting a "diskos2 i/o error." With a little googling some people say it's a bad sector and to erase and reinstall Lion others say it's a failing hard drive. Disk Utlity in Recovery Mode says the drive is ok. Any thoughts out there on what I should do? Thanks!

I am having the same problem. The machine loads just to the point when it says "Loading Mac OSX", then its non responsive for hours. The keyboard and mouse still work, but it won't move past that point.
When I try to repair the disk, it gives me an error message indicating that the disk cannot be repaired. I am bad at backing up my files, so I want to avoid a fresh reinstallation.
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Startup problem - iMac won't boot up, I keep getting the flashing ? mark

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone can help me. I have just restarted my iMac as it was running really really slow. Since doing this it won't now boot up. Eventually I get the flashing question mark and folder icon. I have tried restarting holding down Alt and it brings me to a menu but no hard drive showing to point it in the right directions. Resetting the PRAM doesn't seem to do anything either.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks, ArchieA

Hi, Archie. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Disk Utility is found in the Utilities menu in OS X 10.4.
Here are links to a couple of articles on recovering from the flashing question mark:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042
http://www.bombich.com/mactips/openfirmware.html
If nothing there helps, you may want to ccsgraphic's suggestion to post in the iMac forum or the OS X Tiger forum.

Imac won't boot - white screen

Ok, so now my imac won't boot. All I get is a white screen; I also can't boot from install DVD.

Hi David
Try booting the Install DVD holding the Option key or run the Apple Hardware Test as described in the following Apple article > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
Dennis

IMac won't boot after power failure during 10.5.6 update

Help!
Tried to update last night and at something like 80% install, we had a power cut. iMac won't boot at all now - get to a grey screen which tells me to restart. Don't have a wired keyboard. If I did - what are the steps to get this working again.
I believe I have a good backup, but don't want to risk as all the family photos are on the iMac.
Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the help, but can't even get to a screen where I could type anything! I know I'm being dumb here.

My iMac won't boot i get an apple logo

my iMac won't boot i get an apple logo

Hi Paul,
If your iMac won't boot past a grey Apple screen, you may find the following article helpful:
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
Regards,
- Brenden

IMac won't boot, won't start in safe mode

I'm at my wits end. My 17" iMac G4 won't boot. I just get the Apple logo, with the spinning progress wheel. I get the same thing when I try to boot in safe mode -- it just sits there with the progress wheel spinning. (I waited an hour, just to make sure.)
Here's what I've tried:
First, I read various articles on the Apple Web site which, among other things, talk about bad fonts, etc. All of the tips rely on safe mode, so I didn't get too far.
I was able to see the iMac HD from my PowerBook by launching it as a target drive, via "t", using a firewire cable. I used Disk Utility to do a repair on the iMac HD. It did find problems (I don't remember what they were), but when I ran it again it said there were no problems with the HD. I can move files from it to my machine, and browsing it looks normal. I looked for non-standard StartupItems, as recommended, but didn't see anything that isn't on the PowerBook.
I also tried putting my install disk in the iMac as it booted. The DVD went in, but had no effect on startup. (Same symptoms.)
Is there any way I can re-install from my PowerBook -- i.e., can I somehow run setup from the PowerBook on the firewire-connected iMac?
I'm not sure of the exact version of the OS it's got, since I can't boot it to see. (Should I look somewhere on the HD for that information?)
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks!
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I am just going to jump on the band wagon (first post). Before I try all the good advise given for "no start"... Does this info point me in a different direction? thanks
IMac (2003) OS 10.4.X troubleshooting. Bill Howarth 14Feb07
· iMac has been running slow. Has not been shutdown/restarted in months.
· Shutdown Computer, Power off, Power on. Get Apple logo and rotating timer. Hangs.
· Power off, power on with mouse down to insert TechTool Pro 4 CD.
· Turn journaling off, perform Directory Maintenance. Locks up at 1971269 of 1971270.
· Start from TechTool CD. Run test on File/Finder info. Locks up at mh1661.html ~ 70% of files tested.
· Start from TechTool CD. Run test on File/Finder info with “repair on” checked. Task completed.
· Run Directory Maintenance. Locks up at 1971269 of 1971270.
· Cannot do e-drive restart in TechTool (greyed out).
· Optimize volume. Task completed.
· Run Directory Maintenance. Locks up at 1971264 of 1971264.
· Try regular startup. Power off, power on (no CD). Get Apple logo and rotating timer. Hangs.
· Shift startup. Get Apple logo and rotating timer. Hangs.
· Startup from Apple Test CD (v2). Passes extended hardware test.
· Startup. Get Apple logo and rotating timer. Hangs.
Arrrrggghhhhh.
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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....Msg says "NO BOOTABLE DEVICE--INSERT BOOT DISK ...

I don't know how to start my iMac up. I don't even know what a boot disk is! Several days ago I tried to run Boot Camp but couldn't continue because I didn't have a Windows program to install si I'm not sure what happened. Can somebody please help me out? Thanks.
Dman- [email protected]

My iMac won't boot....Msg says "NO BOOTABLE DEVICE--INSERT BOOT DISK ...
Posted: Jan 17, 2011 11:44 AM
I'm getting this message again. When I restart using the option key everything is ok. When the computer goes to sleep it has the above message. Is there a setting I need to turn off so this doesn't happen all the time? Thanks.
Dennis

IMac won't boot up after latest update. Any suggestions?

I just updated my software (the latest from apple), then my iMac won't boot again.

There you go. Your HDD is failing hence its not booting. You need reformat the HDD
To reformat, same steps: Boot to the install disc > get past the language selection > You will see Welcome to Blah Blah Blah > just hit continue > There should be something there called erase and install
BUT
1. if you are absolutely sure that Time machine has BACKED-UP all of your files then proceed above
2. If not, if you have another mac: connect it via firewire then google Target Disk mode. Basically you want to copy all your files from the damaged machine to the new mac to serve as a backup
3. if yo dont have another mac: get an external HDD, install Mac os X on it, boot to it then back up your files
to do this
a) Plug external HDD
b) Boot to the CD restart and hold C
c) Get past language selection and keep hitting continue
d) when it asks you where you want to install Mac os X > select the external HDD
e) once its installed. Restart the computer and hold "Option" key. You should now see your external HDD as one of the boot drives. Select that and you'll boot into it
f) once inside the external HDD OS, you will see the internal HDD(damaged drive)browse/navigate through it and start getting your important files

IMac won't boot up after Lion 10.7.4 update

I made the mistake of updating my mid-2010 27" iMac earlier this week and now it won't boot up. It gets to the gray screen with the Apple logo and the progress bar to finalise the update, but the computer shuts down about 25% of the way in. Fortunately I could boot up to the recovery HD and was able to copy my files over to an external hard drive.
I have a Genius Bar appt today to get it looked at, but wanted to post this in case anyone else had this problem.

Try turning off the computer with the power button, then turn it on to allow it to restart.

IMAC won't boot with USB card reader attached

My quite new 24" iMAC won't boot if I have a USB card reader attached:
I get to the white screen with the apple logo, but it gets stuck there and the little spinning gear below the apple logo never appears (I've waited several minutes). (In all my test cases, there is no card in the card reader.)
I've tried two different card readers with the same results ("iDOTconnect" brand and a brand new Apacer unit, both are USB2.0 multi-format card readers).
The 1st one I tried via a USB hub, the second one I tried via a new hub and also directly connected to the mac (both of those hubs work fine).
Anyone have any ideas?
Regards,
Strathglass
Message was edited by: strathglass

Hello strathglass
The same thing can also happen with other connected devices such as external HD's and iPods, the Startup Manager is lost and searching for a boot volume.
1. You may be able to fix it by going to: *System Preference / Startup Disk* and select the *Mac OS X 10.5.5 on Macintosh HD* then *Click the lock to prevent further changes.*
2. Leave those devices that cause boot issues disconnected until the iMac is up and running!
3. Only sleep the iMac, and be sure to disconnect those devices be for shutting down or updates that require a restart!
As a habit, I have always ejected and disconnected all mounted USB devices (flash driver, iPods, cameras, card reader, etc.) from my hub be for sleeping, restarting or shutting down...
Dennis

IMac won't boot after Lion install

I have an Intel iMac circa 2007/2008. I just installed OSX Lion on it. After installation, the computer would beachball frequently and eventually froze completely. I had to do a hard-reset as the system was completely unresponsive.
Now the computer won't boot up. It gets stuck at the grey screen with an Apple and a spinner at the bottom.
Please help; this computer runs my small business.

How much RAM is installed? Lion will run much better with at least 4 GBs of installed RAM.
I would guess you updated from Snow Leopard and that Snow Leopard was not in good shape. Reinstall Lion to see if this fixes things for you:
Reinstalling Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alterhatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. 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 main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.

IMac won't boot up. Instead I get a progress bar.

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