Installation stuck at grey boot screen on Macbook Pro 4,1 (Early 2008)

Hey guys,
I would appreciate any help you guys can give me since I would really like to upgrade my laptop to Mountain Lion.
Computer: Macbook Pro 17" 4,1 (Early 2008)
RAM: 4 GB RAM
Hard drive: 128 SSD Hard drive
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Current OS: Snow Leopard 10.6.8
Step I have taken but failed to properly install the OS.
Dowloaded Mountain Lion at least 3 times from the App store to make sure the download wasn't corrupted.
I even tried making a Lion Bootdisk so I can install Mountain Lion on a USB drive (Install ESD.dmg).
I have even tried installing Lion first thinking I would take it one version at a time but gets stuck on boot screen too.
I even changed my hard drive to an SSD drive to see any difference.
Each time I install Mountain Lion or Lion, everything is good until the installer has to restart the laptop.
Laptop gets stuck at the grey boot screen with the Apple logo and the loading circle. Nothing ever happens after.
Even waited for 7 hours but no changes in the boot screen.
I always had to use/boot to the Snow Leopard CD so I can restart the laptop back to the Snow Leopard drive.
What can I do? I would appreciate any help at all.
Thanks!
John

When I do safeboot I get this endless message "ERROR: Firewire (OHCI) TI ID 8025 built-in: handleUnrecoverableErrorInt"
I don't have any firewire cable connected.
Any ideas?

Similar Messages

My Macbook Pro (15-in early 2008) in need of display replacement doesn't come back from repair for 1 month now...

I left my Macbook Pro (15-inch early 2008 vers) w/ OSX 10.5.8 had a serious display problem - it was very touch sensitive and won't show full view immediately without touching more than several times on the right side of the screen. Sometimes it gives ridiculous amount of lines or repetitions, however, the harddrive was working just fine. (Upon getting the view back, all applications were working just fine.)
So I dropped it off at Apple 5th Ave (24hrs) store on March 19th. The MBP was received by an Apple repair hub (so not in-store repair) on the 23rd. Ever since it has been 'on-hold' status mentioning 'part on order'. So, today is April 19th. Exactly 1 month since I dropped it off.
I called Apple 5th Ave, which gave me a number to Apple repair dept. Upon having talked with a rep there, the particular part (because they were initially suspecting its logic board too) they have been waiting for is the very display. As it has been manufactured in Japan, it seems to be really back-ordered, obviously due to the current crisis in the northern Japan.
I heard that iPad2's displays have been seriously back-ordered too... but now I started worrying about my old MBP's display may be the lowest priority before such hot product like 'iPad2'??!! Being Japanese myself, I totally understand the situation... but if it'd take extremely long time even from now, it definitely causes me more than temporary problems as it is the only laptop that I use for everything I do. (Luckily, a friend of mine has been loaning her laptop until she will need it when she goes on trip. But it's been already a month instead of 5-7 business days turn-around that the genius bar rep initially told me. I have been using her laptop with my external disk but of course, it's been quite inconvenient.)
I'm wondering if Apple can help this situation by replacing the whole machine w/ a refurbished one from the same model??? or temporarily loaning me one?!? I'm just becoming desperate & worried now. Is there anyone who has a similar situation?!?

Call Apple and asked to be transferred to "Customer Relations." Explain everything to them and the will take care of you. Make sure you have all your documents and case numbers when you call.
17" 2.2GHz i7 Quad-Core MacBook Pro  8G RAM  750G HD  120G Vertex 3 SSD Boot HD 

Can a MacBook Pro 15-inch Early 2008

I currently have a MacBook Pro 15 inch, Early 2008
Software: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5
I want to know if my laptop if capable of upgrading it's memory to 8GB? It currently has 2 GB but in order for a certain software program to run, it's requiring a laptop device with 8 GB, so I'm trying to decide if this laptop is capable of doing such or if I need to purchase a newer laptop.

It can run 6GB. If the computer has 8GB installed and more than 4GB is in use at any given time, it'll slow down so much that it becomes unusable.
(117457)

Is it possible to use a new battery for a MBP 15" in a MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008) ?

i have an old MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008) and my battery is as close to dead as it can be. I was wondering if I could replace it for a new battery that works for the latest models.

Oscar Flo wrote:
Thanks,
I was looking at the ones you can get online http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA348LL/A Do you know if one like this would work?
No, that's a 60 watt. You need an 85 watt.

MacBook Pro 15.4" Early-2008 Expand Display on 2 Monitors.

Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro 15.4' Early-2008 with a DVI-D Video Out port.
I would like to know if there's a way to get it to display on 2 monitors and expand the display on them.
Thanks,
Oakcapy

You could get a USB to DVI video adapter to add a 3rd monitor. For instance there is SEE2 Xtreme. Or This product from sewell. Usb video adapters are fine for things like working in word. But they're not that great for playing video games.

Stuck at grey boot screen!

So yesterday i turned my laptop on to find out it wasnt booting up past the grey screen. Later on i did some trouble shooting and finally got it past to the main desktop screen. Now, recently i had just uninstalled and deleted my Windows 7 Pro partition i had put onto my laptop a while back but when doing so, when i tried getting my hard drive back to full storage amount by deleting the partition,it gave me some error. I believe i figured out the error and was able to use my laptop from then. Once my computer was letting me get to the desktop screen, once i would click on an app it would often give me the pin wheel and stop me from clicking on anything else for a good minute.
Today,i had backed everything up and thought that i would just reformat and re install OSX to remedy the whole issue. This was not acheived. I had been able to get to the desktop screen a few times but still got the pin wheel situation going on. A couple tries later im stuck here at my grey boot screen. No Apple sign showing up, just stuck. Im usually a very computer savey person but this is kind of just making me wonder. I ordered a new hard drive (which i was going to upgrade anyways) but wanted to know if this even could possibly be the issue. I upgraded from my stock hard drive about 6 months after i had gotten my laptop (mid 2009 model). The last 3 years ive been traveling very often, flying frequently and using it often for playing my DJ gigs. Im wondering if alltitude and hot clubs could take a tole on a hard drive when its running hot? I have scheduled appoint for the genius bar tomorrow at 2pm but i thought id give the Apple community a try to see if we could troubleshoot it ourselfs. Any input would be great! Thanks!

Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
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 the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

Macbook pro 17 inch early 2008 will not boot from disk

My macbook pro will not boot from from disk. I am running 10.6.8. Tried loading the disk that came with system holding down the C and you can here the drive working. It came back and said to restart computer by holding down the power button and poering it back up. Tried that and nothing. The software I tried to load is 10.5.4 Also tried loading os x snow leopard 10.6. Same thing happens.

Have you reset the SMC? If not, try that.
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
If you've done that, and it didn't help, then launch the Terminal application by entering the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Copy or drag -- do not type -- the line below into the Terminal window, then press return:
pmset -g
Post any lines of output that appear below what you entered -- the text, please, not a screenshot. Then repeat with the following line:
pmset -g assertion

Macbook Pro 4,1 (early 2008) is the DVI port analog or digital?

I have been tasked with a slide show presentation on a family member's HD TV using my MacBook Pro 4,1. The TV is a slightly older big screen TV without HDMI inputs. I would lke to use the component (YPbPr) inputs on the TV rather than VGA. VGA degrades the image appearance too much.
I purchased a "ViewHD" HDMI input (Digital) to YPbPr (analog component) Output Switch Converter with the thought of using my 2nd Gen Apple TV (ATV) to connect the ATV via HDMI into the Converter and output the component YPbPr to the TV set. I am looking for a simple, elegant solution as I know this question will rear it's ugly head again.
First, I could find no resources that discusses the output of the DVI port on the MBP. Is it DVI-D, DVI-A, or DVI-I?
Is there an adaptor out there that I can use to change the DVI out on the MBP (if it is digital) to HDMI so I don't have to use the Apple TV?
Any help or solutions would be greatly appreciated.
TIA

The DVI connector on a MacBook Pro supports both Analog and Digital output.

Annoying Noise in MacBook Pro, 17-Inch, Early 2008, Somebody help !!!

Greetings!
I have MacBook Pro 4,1, 17-Inch, Early 2008. I have been using this mac since 2010 and it was perfect, never had any serious problem.
Recently, it has started making this stupid + strange + annoying noise sound, and finally now I have a massive headache.
Noise is coming from the speaker (also in earphone, if i connect one) and it's really loud.
But the noise only starts on any sound activity, suppose if i click on the volume control and that should make a little sound, and then this noise starts, or on any sound activity like listening to song, or watching movie, this noise is present for the entire movie/song or any speaker acitivity and it's like storming sound, and a constant noise strong enough to make u go mad. This noise will lasts for 35 seconds after the actual movie/song sound stops, even for a single clicking sound.
Tried almost everything found on the net, no luck.
Help someone.
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:    MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:    MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name:    Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:    2.5 GHz
Number of Processors:    1
Total Number of Cores:    2
L2 Cache:    6 MB
Memory:    4 GB
Bus Speed:    800 MHz
Boot ROM Version:    MBP41.00C1.B03

thanks for the suggestion, but if speakers were faulty then why the noise is also present in earphone??
I am just trying to find a home remedy for this.
Cause my local apple store suggested me to replace the logic board !!

Where can I buy a charger for macbook pro for an early 2008 computer

The connector on the end of my charger is coming apart. I feel like it's going to be pulled off soon. Where can I buy a new charger? I have a 15 inch macbook pro.

Apple Store.

How much ram can my MacBook Pro 15 Inch, Early 2008 2.4 Core Duo 2 Take? 3 or 4 GB?

My MacBook Pro 15 Inch is a early 2008 model.
It is a 2.4 Core 2 Duo.
I'm confused if it can take a max of 3 or 4 GB RAM. Right now it has 2 GB.
First question: Can it take 3 or 4?
Second question: Will I notice an increase in speed?
BTW - I checked the Apple document on removing/installing memory - but the matrix where my early 2008 15 inch is covered is confusing and it seems it would fall into either the 3 or 4 - depending on how your read it.

Get the free MacTracker, it will give more accurate RAM information than the manual, as the manual get printed with the current RAM being sold, not the new stuff, so your Mac could possibly hold more.
Yes your computer will be faster at some things with more RAM, but like a car, many parts also have to be fast, the CPU, the GPU, the hard drive speed, bus speed etc.
Some things you can change, other things you can't and sometimes you need to backup your files and wipe the disk and reinstall everything all over again.
Sometimes it's a slow Internet, or slow wifi network or something running on your machine.
Host of issues cause slowdowns, this might be one of them
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3802
You can turn IPv6 off in your System Preferences > Network > Airport > TCP/IP settings.

Macbook Pro 2,2 early 2008 won't upgrade to Mountain Lion

I have an early 2008 Macbook Pro 15 inch with 4GB of Memory and over 150GB of available storage. I am currently on Lion OSX 10.7.5 and want to update the OS to Mavericks if possible. In order to do so I purchased Mountain Lion but when I go to install it I get an error that says "we could not complete your purchase. OSX Mountain Lion is not compatible with this computer". When I go to the support page, it says Mountain Lion is compatible with Macbook Pros from 2007 so not sure what is incompatible if I have 4GB of memory, ample storage and a newer version than 2007. Any suggestions?

Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) model number 5,1 or higher
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) model number 3,1 or higher

MacBook Pro 15.4" Early-2008 Memory Ram Upgrade

Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro Early-2008 model and I would like to know the maximum memory ram I can upgrade it to. Right now, I have 4GB of Ram and it is running on Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6GHz.
Tell me if you need additional details to determine it.
Thanks,
Oakcapy

Yes, that looks like the right RAM. OWC makes great RAM, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. I bought the 4 GB set some years ago from OWC and it has worked flawlessly ever since. OWC is definitely a trustworthy web site.
As for the hard drive, you can only install a 1 TB drive if you have a 17" original MBP because the only 1 TB drives I know of are all 12.5 mm tall. Your 15" MBP has to have a drive no more than 9.5 mm tall.
That means the largest capacity you can install would be 750 GB. There are several 5400 RPM 750 GB drives to choose from, and both Western Digital and Samsung make 750 GB drives that are 7200 RPM. I installed the 7200 RPM WD 500 GB Scorpio Black in my Mac when the original Fujitsu drive failed, and I have been very happy with it.
Be sure to check the dimensions of any drive you do find, because until recently, many of the 750 GB drives were also 12.5 mm tall, and there may still be some out there.
Check both Newegg and Tiger Direct for drives, as you can often find individual drives on special. Generally their prices are better than OWC for drives, although you can't beat OWC for a lot of things. I have bought from both over the past several years and never had a problem with either one of them. I like the way Tiger Direct packages their drives for shipping in a plastic clamshell, but sometimes Newegg will have a drive when Tiger Direct does not.
Generally when I want a drive, I check OWC, Newegg, and Tiger Direct to see who has the best deal at the moment. For RAM and really great firewire enclosures, definitely go with OWC. Also, sign up to be notified when OWC has their garage sales--always lots of great stuff on them for great prices.
Good luck!

I have Macbook Pro 15-inch Early 2008 OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63) but I cant upgrade to Maverick

Please Help !!

MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later. You should be able to upgrade, why can't you?

MacBook 2008 or 2009(?) stuck on grey boot screen with Apple logo and rotating gear under it.

See now, the real problem is that I can't even try Disk Utility because I don't have the original disks seeing as I bought this MacBook off of Amazon. I tried Safe Mode, Single User Mode, & resetting the PRAM. Basically everything I can do without the original disks. How do I do this?! Please help for I'm desperate.

Sounds like you've already read this Apple note. No bootable external backup hard drive? You might call Apple support to see if they still have the original OS X disks for your system, or you can buy OS X 10.6 from the online Apple for $20, which would be an upgrade, assuming you have at least 1GB of memory. Otherwise, take it into an Apple store for assistance.

Installation stuck at grey boot screen on Macbook Pro 4,1 (Early 2008)

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for