IMac won't get past the Apple page when turned on...

I just bought a new iMac about a month ago. It is the 21.5" basic system. Of course the first thing that I did with it was update the software and have set it to update automatically, so everything should be golden there... Today when I walked by and turned it on it came on like normal, but that was it. The white screen with the Apple in the middle came on and then the loading icon popped up underneath it. It has been loading since... After about an hour and a half, I shut it off by holding the power button in, unplugged the modem, unplugged the iMac then plugged only the iMac back up. Turned on the power again. It powered up but did the same thing. Is something loading, updates maybe? If so it is something different than any of the other updates it has uploaded so far. THis is a new one on me.
I might add that this is my first Mac. I went with it because I get tired of rebooting my PC each year (I actually just did my PC again...bummer). Now if the iMac has already crashed, I am severely dissapointed in Mac. I have not downloaded anything that I shouldn't have, or anything that was even suspicious. In fact the only real things I have downloaded are Firefox and some of the add ons and a trial version of PS.
Can anyone help me, tell me it is normal and it will be ok?

It sounds like the update may have bee interrupted somehow and became corrupted, possible a power spike at your house. However I wouldn't get too upset. You have 90 days of free telephone support so now is a good time to use it. The number is in your owners manual.
You can also try doing a SMC and PRAM resets, this is probably what Apple will have you do to begin with so you can be pro-active and try them and if they don't fix the problem you can just let the tech know. The instructions for doing each reset are:
_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.
Also this is a good time to plug AppleCare. AppleCare will extend your warranty and phone support to 3 years from the date of purchase. If you don't already have it I'd recommend it, Apple charges $169 however you can pick it up from Amazon for less. You can only get it while the machine is covered by it's one year warranty. Let it go 366 days and you're out of luck.
Roger

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Mac Mini won't get past the apple startup screen

Hi,
Just returned from the long weekend and tried to boot up my mac mini. It seems it doesn't want to get past the apple startup screen and the icon on the bottom just keeps spinning.
Any ideas?
Thanks

can you boot into _*safe mode*_ ?
( *click on image to enlarge* )
JGG

My iMac won't get past little apple screen icon

When I turn on iMac, it never goes past the white apple screen and the little wheel just turns and turns for hours if I let it. I turn it off, unplug it, turn it back on...but nothing! Any ideas?
Thanks

Have you tried booting from your install disc? You should also have a disc with Apple Hardware Test on it, try and see if you can start up from that and run the test.
It would be helpful to know which model you have (how to identify your iMac).
Also, see if anything here helps: won't complete startup.

MacBook Pro won't get past the apple screen on startup

The laptop won't startup. I get to the Apple logo and a spinning gear. I've tried starting it 3 times with the same result.

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 get past the loading screen, it has a little loading bar which won't move

I had the finder and Safari windows open. Safari was on youtube then it froze so I shut it down. It turned back on once to get to the login screen but then froze once again. Know it only turns on the apple loading screen with a little loading bar which won't move.

Please carefully read and methodically follow the instructions in http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570.
Good luck.

IMac won't reboot past the apple screen. 2009 10.6?

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Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
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Iphone 5 won't get past the apple logo

Hi,
My phone died last night and i put it on charge, the apple logo appeared but nothing more. I tried to reboot the phone numerous times by clicking the home and power button together, ive tried leaving it over night on charge, and ive also tried to plug it into my mac and restore it. This morning i tried the same methods of which none worked however at one point it clicked into the welcome page to swipe across and then entre my wifi details, i added those and continued to click the back up from itunes option, it backed up and restored and completed, however the apple logo appeared again and didnt boot into my home screen so im left with the apple logo still on my screen and no further.
Any help would be massively appreciated!
Thanks

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1808

Can't get past the "Registration" page when syncing up nano...Help!

I'm hoping someone can PLEASE help with my problem. I posted in a different forum a week or so ago, but unfortuantely didn't get an answer that worked:
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The basic information:
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Needless to say, we are unable to select any of our playlists, see how much space we have...do anything, basically. It is super frustrating~!
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Hi melbernai - not sure if you've solved this problem yet. I had the exact same problem recently with my 2nd Gen iPod Nano. I solved it yesterday by simply updating iTunes to the most recent version, after which I could get rid of the register screen. The only other thing I needed to do to add my custom playlists was select "Manually manage music" on the screen for my iPod, since it had been in an automatic synching mode since the problem occurred.

Can't get past the Apple Logo when starting my MBP

Hi,
I recently tried to install a new programm on my macbookpro with mac os x. The installation was successful, but the computer restarted afterwards, and hasn't been able to turn back on since. I always hear the startup sound and see the apple logo with the little circle that rotates, but then nothing else happens. I have tried to use the "c" button to set it up again, but it doesnt work.
Does anybody have any ideas how I could fix it?
thanks a lot
raphael

Raphael, what kind of installation, an Archive and Install, an Erase and Install or was it the usual Upgrade (without Options)?
Try starting in the Single users mode (S key down) or a Safe Boot (Shift key down) and see if either works.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/8475.html
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My iPhone won't come off the Apple logo when turning on.

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this post.
I accidentally left my iPhone 4 outside on the table for a week or so and upon charging the iPhone came on as usual and worked as usual, apart from I had to hold the off button and the home button at the same time for it to turn on but this worked first time however. When the iPhone then died and I charged it again the apple logo appears for a while, then disappears and then re-appears. I've tried holding the home button and the off button at the same time but that doesn't seem to do anything but make the iPhone show the Apple logo again.
I was just wondering if there is anything I can do to fix this iPhone as I need it dearly or would I need to get a new one completely.
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Did it get liquid damaged?
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If it is white, then you should be ok from liquid damage.
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Macbook froze, now it won't get past the boot logo!

I was using my macbook tonight... using a bunch of programs, then all of a sudden everything just froze. I turned it off by holding the power button, then booted it back up... but it won't get past the apple logo and the circle just keeps moving round and round. I've never had any issues with it until today so I'm kind of surprised. Any ideas how to fix this?
I do have generic 3GB ram but it has never given me issues for the past 2 years. I also installed a WD blue scorpio 500GB hd a few months ago and I haven't had issues with that either.
PLEASE HELP!!

tibookg4 wrote:
I was using my macbook tonight... using a bunch of programs, then all of a sudden everything just froze. I turned it off by holding the power button, then booted it back up... but it won't get past the apple logo and the circle just keeps moving round and round. I've never had any issues with it until today so I'm kind of surprised. Any ideas how to fix this?
I do have generic 3GB ram but it has never given me issues for the past 2 years. I also installed a WD blue scorpio 500GB hd a few months ago and I haven't had issues with that either.
PLEASE HELP!!
Hi I have been looking at this drive for myself and heard that some people are having issues.
I would suggest you try to boot again holding down the OPTION key this will show you all the drives connected and determine if you can see you WD. If so click and see. If not I suggest you put your OS X Install DVD in.
DO NOT INSTALL
Goto utilities and Disk Utility.
Can is see the drive there?
If so select the drive and then goto REPAIR DISK can also repair permission but this sounds like something else.
Resetting the PRAM may help, but I do not suspect this is part of that problem.
Good Luck!
-h

My imac won't startup past the spinning gear and my apple keyboard is wireless but it won't connect, how do I fix the problem so I can get into safe mode?

My imac won't startup past the spinning gear and my apple keyboard is wireless but it won't connect, how do I fix the problem so I can get into safe mode?
Can anybody help me on this issue? I have already tried to replace the batteries but since the computer won't get past the spinning wheel of death then the keyboard won't connect.

Please follow Apple's advice in http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570. If you need to get your hands on a wired USB keyboard, even a PC one will work fine.
Do not follow the previous poster's advice, that option is a "last chance" option. OS X is stable and in most cases a reinstall is never needed. Follow the directions in Apple's letter.

My iMac starts, but won't get past the loading screen?

My iMac starts up, but won't even get past the white screen with the Apple logo.
It kept giving me black screens, and would not start in safety mode. After command + option + p + r, the black screens stopped coming, but it still won't get past the loading screen, if I let it load long enough the Apple logo is replaced by a "denied" symbol but that is the only thing that happens. By hitting command + d, I was told nothing is wrong. When pressing command + r and going to disk utility, it found an issue while verifying and repairing. At first it stated "invalid journal" but now it only says to reinstall everything and that the problem couldn't be solved. I cannot mount the harddrive, and Time Machine just searches for copies without getting anywhere. When I try installing OS X (Mavericks) again, the harddrive doesn't even show up. What do I do?

The HD sounds like it has crashed, take it into your local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), if you bought AppleCare this will be covered. If you don't have an Apple Store in your area and don't know of any AASPs then please click https://locate.apple.com/country to begin finding one.

My macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

my macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

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 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.

Intel Imac won't get past Apple on startup

One of our 17" Intel Imacs (early to mid 2006 model) will not get past the Apple on startup. I have done the following:
1. Replaced the ram. No luck.
2. Zapped the PRAM. No luck.
3. Reset the SMC. No luck.
4. Tried booting from several CDs including disk warrior. No luck.
5. However, I was able to run the Hardware test from the system disk. It found no problems the several times I ran it.
6. I was able to mount the drive using Target Disk mode. I then ran diagnostics on the harddrive. Fixed some things, but nothing major. Still won't boot.
7. I tried the opposite approach and tried to run the machine using the other machine in Target mode. No luck.
8. I downloaded firmware, created a disk per apple's instructions and tried to run it. No luck.
I think that is basically it. I've been able to backup all the data and was going to reformat the harddrive, although I don't see how that would work considering that the machine won't boot up from either a CD or another drive in Target Disk mode.
I'm thinking this machine is a goner. Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

Have you tried the diagnostics? Insert the original OS X Installer Disc One that came with the computer and restart the computer. After the chime press and hold down the "D" key until the diagnostic screen appears. Run extended diagnostics and not any error codes reported.
If you cannot boot into the diagnostics then take the computer in for service.

IMac won't get past the Apple page when turned on...

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