Mac desktop won't start

I have a Mac desktop that won't go past the gray screen. Tried safe boot did nothing. So tried starting from installation disk and using disk utility. I get to when it asks you to select to disk, volume or image and I select Macintosh HD or if I select the top option 1 TB ..... All I get is the pinwheel of death..... Please help!

Troubleshooting information.
Startup - Gray, Blue or White screen at boot, w/spinner/progress bar
Startup - Gray Screen
Startup Issues - Resolve
Startup Issues - Resolve (2)

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My desktop won't start

I have a treo 680 unlocked and installed missing synch software on my new macbook pro leopard. I started using the sync function and was getting used to the weird looking (compared to desktop on windows) desktop presentation when I noticed that I wass getting all kinds of duplication and even triplication on my syncs. I ttied to solve that problem with help from missing sync but to no avail. I decide to try and start over.
So I uninstalled missing sync andI went back to my PC and cleaned up my handheld with my PC desktop. I couldn't uninstall desktop for mac so I reinstalled missing sync and did a hot sync. I then noticed I would have the same problem as i got a notice from missing sync that I had more than 5% sync to do. I wondered how that could be because this was supposed to be a new sync with no info on my desk top. I stopped the hot sync function and tried to see what was going on by opening my desktop. I tried it several times. I tried downloading mac desktop again and re-installing it. That didn't work, I kept getting the message that I had the most recent version on my mac and that I couldn't re-install.
So that brings me to my original subject statement.
My desktop won't start so that I can clean everything ou and do a start over sync. Please someone help!!!
Jonesp
Post relates to: Treo 680 (Unlocked GSM)
This question was solved.
View Solution.

OK, good luck,
Alan G
Post relates to: Treo 755p (Sprint)

Mac Mini won't start and constantly makes disc ejecting noise

My Mac Mini won't start. It was working fine, then just locked up and won't start again. When I push the start button it just makes this repeated disc ejecting noise from the DVD drive. It doesn't make the chime noise or display anything on the monitor. I've disconnected the optical drive, but it didn't help. Then it just doesn't start at all. I thought that if I would disconnect the optical drive, that it would ignore it and just boot off the hard drive, but nothing happened. The power light comes on. Then, if I hold down the power button for 10 seconds it shuts down. The fan operates. It just never attempts to boot up. I can't put in a system DVD because the optical drive is just in eternal eject mode.
If you have any suggestions let me know. Thanks.

I have the same situation.
I think the drive thinks it has a disc to eject or part of the mechanism is stuck and can't return to it's resting position. I was going to disconnect as you tried but now I think I'll try to disassemble the drive to see if there might be some debris jamming things up.
Please let me know if you solve the problem.

Mac Mini won't start after installing OS X 10.6.3

My Mac Mini won't start after installing Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3. When I turn it on, the Apple logo appears and the initialization line starts to fill, but it suddenly stops. It does that again and stops at the same point, but this time it shuts down. What should I do?

If you are coming from 10.5.8, hopefully you backed up your important data first. Your mini will need at minimum, 1 GB of RAM to install Snow Leopard and at least 5 GB of storage remaining on your boot drive.
I treat 10.6.3 as a fresh, full install over a 10.5.8 system. That means I choose Disk Utility from the Installer's menu and repartition the boot drive as a single partition, Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) format, and use the GUID partition scheme from the options button. At this point, while still in Disk Utility, I would verify the drive under First Aid.
Then I turn the installer loose, and reboot into a working 10.6.3 system, ready for the software updates that take the machine to 10.6.8.
So, following the above guidelines, reinstall 10.6.3.

HT201612 What happens if my Mac OS won't start?

At startup, my Mac software won't start after switching from Boot Camp. It simply attemps to load the software and then shuts down and/or restarts to my Windows software.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
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Palm Desktop won't start

I have a TX, on Windows Vista. Just downloaded the Palm Desktop by Access 6.2.
But, the Palm Desktop won't start after I enter my password. Says: "Palm Desktop by ACCESS Application has stopped working."
Please help!Pretty please!
Post relates to: Palm TX
Message Edited by onthehill on 02-05-2008 11:22 AM
Message Edited by onthehill on 02-06-2008 03:30 PM

Has this ever been resolved? It looks like it's 5 months old and I don't see any replies. I saw this and immediately thought of the DEP(Data Execution Protection) feature that is a characteristic of Windows Vista. If you go to your control panel,to system, to advanced system settings, and then click the settings button in the performance section, the DEP is the third thumnail to the right(should be the last one there). This is where you can turn it on or off and add programs for it to ignore.
However, usually when it's the DEP that kills a program unexpectedly, the operating system has usually made it known to the user that it was the DEP.
Post relates to: Palm TX

Mac mini won't start up. Grey screen with apple just freezes.

Mac mini won't start up. just get a grey screen with the apple and it freezes. Please help.

Could be many things, we should start with this...
"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
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.
If 10.7.0 or later...
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partitirion & use Disk Utility from there to Repair the Disk, then Repair Permissions.

My Mac Pro won't start. It turns on and then a blank, white screen appears. What do I do?, My Mac Book Pro won't start. It turns on and then a blank, white screen appears. What do I do?

Mac Pro won't start. It turns on and than a blank, white screen appears. What do I do?

This could be a software/state problem or a hardware problem. Here are steps to resolve the former.
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

My Mac Pro won't start

My mac pro won't start have a light on and sometimes have a green light on caps key.

Hello there hoc5050,
It sounds like your computer is not turning on consistently. I would recommend the troubleshooting in this article to help you determine what might be causing the issue, named:
Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Sterling

My Mac Mini won't start. The Power light blinks continusly (not pulses)

My New Mac Mini won't start up. I bought it online from J&R a week ago. My monitor says "no input detected" and the power light blinks. I recently fed it the gray mac os x install disk one, which it won't give back. Holding the mouse button when it turns on doesn't have any effect. So now i can't put a disk in or start it up.

Welcome to the Apple discussions.
No video with the power light blinking once per second means either bad or no memory. See this Apple note: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303083 . Specifically, below is from that note:
If the computer detects no SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory, also referred to as RAM) or the RAM installed does not meet the appropriate specifications, the screen will remain black but the power LED on the front of the computer will blink once per second to signal the error. This error condition may be due to physically damaged RAM, installing the incorrect type of RAM, or not having RAM installed.
Has it ever worked since you got it? If not, you should call J&R and tell them they sent a dead on arrival system, and ask for a replacement (ask them to send a will call tag or prepaid label to send the non-working machine back).

My mac mini won't start up!

My mac mini won't start up but it will turn on, staying at the gray apple logo screen and nothing else.
I came home yesterday and it wouldn't 'wake up' from 'sleep' mode so I turned it off and tried to turn it back on. There's a netflix cd in there that I also can't get out. My friend suggested i slip a piece of paper in there and that it will eject, but this isn't working (maybe I'm doing this wrong?)
help! thanks.

I have the same problem. In addition, the same happens when attempting to boot from a DVD. I was able to boot it up in Target Disc Mode, and even erase the internal HD entirely, but I still cannot boot from DVD to reinstall the OS. I have tried the SMC reset, but to no avail. Also, while I can reset the PRAM, I cannot reset the Open Firmware. Any suggestions?

Mac mini won't start up when LCD TV connected

Hi,
I seem to have a problem which at the first glance looks similar to a lot others being discussed here. Just I am not sure if it really is.
Having received my Mac mini a few days ago I am trying desperately to use an LCD TV as display. Once connected powering on the Mac mini gives me that white screen you all know with the grey Apple symbol and the progress circle. At that point the TV says it’s running in 1080i mode. All looks good. -- Until a few seconds later the screen will turn black and not display anything anymore. (Just as if it would not get a signal.)
The TV is a quite popular one over here I would think: Philips 32PF9830, HDTV, with DVI and HDMI input ports. 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080i are supported video modes which I would like to run.
TV specs would be here: http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/3/32pf983010/32pf9830_10_psseng.pdf
TV and Mac are connected via a DVI-D cable. I’m having SSH and VNC access to the Mac.
Now with VNC I only get a proper desktop screen when the TV is not connected. When the TV is connected all I am getting presented via VNC is that white boot screen and the nice grey Apple logo. So with TV connected it appears the Mac doesn’t really start the window manager.
Looking at the process list this seems to confirm. Without having the TV connected after powering on the Mac I do see a process running called loginwindow.
When the TV is connected I don’t see that one, but instead 2 processes called WaitingForLoginWindow. See below for the full process lists.
All my trials configuring a good screen resolution via VNC before connecting the TV did not give a different result. Whatever I configure to be used as resolution, I am getting the above.
Funny enough running the Apple Hardware Test from the install disk shows a perfect picture in 1080i mode and also specifies 1920 x 1080i as screen resolution used.
Would anyone have an idea what’s going wrong here … and how to fix? I would suspect that communication between the TV and the Mac is broken. Would I have any chance to further troubleshoot on that?
Is there a way to tell the Mac not to do any auto configuration or auto discovery on the DVI port?
Any other ideas?
Marc
Process lists (NFS and SSH servers are enabled intentionally.)
TV not connected (look for process id 52):
<pre>
ps -axw
PID TT STAT TIME COMMAND
1 ?? 0:00.08 /sbin/launchd -v
23 ?? Ss 0:00.00 /sbin/dynamic_pager -F /private/var/vm/swapfile
27 ?? Ss 0:01.41 kextd
32 ?? Ss 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/KernelEventAgent
33 ?? Ss 0:00.38 /usr/sbin/mDNSResponder -launchdaemon
34 ?? Ss 0:00.20 /usr/sbin/netinfod -s local
35 ?? Ss 0:00.68 /usr/sbin/syslogd
37 ?? Ss 0:01.31 /usr/sbin/configd
38 ?? Ss 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/coreaudiod
39 ?? Ss 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/diskarbitrationd
40 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/memberd -x
41 ?? Ss 0:00.11 /usr/sbin/securityd
42 ?? Ss 0:00.11 /usr/sbin/notifyd
45 ?? Ss 0:00.29 /usr/sbin/DirectoryService
47 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/distnoted
49 ?? Ss 0:00.94 /usr/sbin/update
52 ?? Ss 0:00.19 /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/loginwindow console
57 ?? Ss 0:00.13 /System/Library/CoreServices/coreservicesd
59 ?? Ss 0:00.73 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/CoreGraphic s.framework/Resources/Wind
60 ?? S 0:00.34 /usr/sbin/blued
64 ?? Ss 0:00.06 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/ATS.framewo rk/Support/ATSServer
66 ?? Ss 0:00.11 /System/Library/CoreServices/mcxd.app/Contents/MacOS/mcxd -s
69 ?? S 0:00.02 /System/Library/CoreServices/SecurityAgent.app/Contents/Resources/authorization host
70 ?? S 0:00.90 /System/Library/CoreServices/SecurityAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/SecurityAgent
76 ?? Ss 0:00.00 /usr/libexec/crashreporterd
114 ?? Us 0:00.30 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mds
132 ?? Ss 0:00.10 ntpd -f /var/run/ntp.drift -p /var/run/ntpd.pid
146 ?? Ss 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
154 ?? Ss 0:00.00 rpc.statd
156 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/portmap
157 ?? Ss 0:00.01 rpc.lockd
160 ?? S 0:00.00 rpc.lockd
173 ?? Ss 0:00.00 mountd
176 ?? Ss 0:00.00 nfsd-master
177 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
179 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
180 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
181 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
182 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
183 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
184 ?? Ss 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/automount -f -m /Network -nsl -mnt /private/var/automount
188 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/automount -f -m /automount/Servers -fstab -mnt /private/Network/Servers -m /automount/static -s
193 ?? SNs 0:00.17 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mdimpo
234 ?? S 0:00.19 /usr/sbin/sshd -i
238 ?? S 0:00.11 /usr/sbin/sshd -i
277 ?? SNs 0:00.17 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mdimpo
282 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/lookupd
239 p0 Ss 0:00.05 -bash
285 p0 R+ 0:00.00 ps -axw
</pre>
TV connected (look for PIDs 53 and 54 at end of the list):
<pre>
PID TT STAT TIME COMMAND
1 ?? 0:00.05 /sbin/launchd
23 ?? Ss 0:00.00 /sbin/dynamic_pager -F /private/var/vm/swapfile
27 ?? Ss 0:01.35 kextd
32 ?? Ss 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/KernelEventAgent
33 ?? Ss 0:00.30 /usr/sbin/mDNSResponder -launchdaemon
34 ?? Ss 0:00.13 /usr/sbin/netinfod -s local
35 ?? Ss 0:00.71 /usr/sbin/syslogd
37 ?? Ss 0:00.49 /usr/sbin/configd
38 ?? Ss 0:00.07 /usr/sbin/coreaudiod
39 ?? Ss 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/diskarbitrationd
40 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/memberd -x
41 ?? Ss 0:00.14 /usr/sbin/securityd
42 ?? Ss 0:00.07 /usr/sbin/notifyd
44 ?? Ss 0:00.17 /usr/sbin/DirectoryService
45 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/distnoted
50 ?? Ss 0:08.36 /usr/sbin/update
59 ?? Ss 4:43.49 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/CoreGraphic s.framework/Resources/Wind
60 ?? S 0:00.33 /usr/sbin/blued
61 ?? Ss 0:00.14 /System/Library/CoreServices/coreservicesd
65 ?? Ss 0:00.07 /usr/sbin/lookupd
79 ?? Ss 0:00.88 ntpd -f /var/run/ntp.drift -p /var/run/ntpd.pid
93 ?? Ss 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
101 ?? Ss 0:00.00 rpc.statd
102 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/portmap
104 ?? Ss 0:00.01 rpc.lockd
109 ?? Ss 0:00.06 slpd -f /etc/slpsa.conf
110 ?? S 0:00.00 rpc.lockd
115 ?? Ss 0:00.00 /usr/libexec/crashreporterd
135 ?? Ss 0:00.05 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/ATS.framewo rk/Support/ATSServer
158 ?? Ss 0:00.12 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mds
164 ?? Ss 0:00.00 mountd
167 ?? Ss 0:00.00 nfsd-master
168 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
169 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
170 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
172 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
173 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
174 ?? S 0:00.00 nfsd-server
175 ?? Ss 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/automount -f -m /Network -nsl -mnt /private/var/automount
179 ?? Ss 0:00.01 /usr/sbin/automount -f -m /automount/Servers -fstab -mnt /private/Network/Servers -m /automount/static -s
196 ?? S 0:00.20 /usr/sbin/sshd -i
200 ?? S 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/sshd -i
205 ?? SNs 0:00.14 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mdimpo
201 p0 Ss 0:00.03 -bash
209 p0 R+ 0:00.00 ps -axw
2 ?? Ss+ 0:00.03 sh /etc/rc
53 ?? S+ 0:00.02 /usr/libexec/WaitingForLoginWindow
54 ?? S+ 0:00.04 /usr/libexec/WaitingForLoginWindow
</pre>
Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4.8)

A PRRAM reset did the trick.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
This Mac mini is a refurbished one, so probably had some old settings from being connected to something different before.
The TV now is recognized properly as 'Philips FTV'.
Marc

Help! my Mac Mini won't start up!

Hi,
Bought my Mac Mini (server editino) a week ago. Been playing with it & so far so good.
But tonight, I went 'Log off administrator', it thought about it for a while and the screen when blue and flashed every now and then. I forced shut down by holding down the power button at the back.
Now, it won't start up at all. When I push power button, I hear the chime & I get the white screen with the Apple log with the spinning thing at the bottom. It stays here forever...
I've tried reseting the PMU and the SMC. No difference.
I've also tried doing a remote reinstall from my other MAC. The Mac Mini picks up the remote DVD drive but then when I click on it, it does the same thing... spin spin spin...
Any ideas guys? thanks in advance!!

ok, on my 5th attempt at doing a remote install it actually worked... I'm in the process of reinstalling Snow Leopard Server now... fingers crossed...
can't believe I killed it within 1 week!

New mac mini won't start up...

I just got my new mac mini today and it won't start up. After some research I discovered that the icon on the screen is telling me to put batteries in my mouse. There are batteries in my mouse. I shut it down and restarted it again, making sure my wireless keyboard and mouse were turned on. That didn't work. Then I tried turning them on after I started the computer. That didn't work either. I'm sad.

I have had the same issue (new Mac Mini, client OS, new wireless keyboard and trackpad ... connected using HDMI cables through my receiver to my TV).
First I got stuck on a spinning doughnut right out of the gate. Phone tech support told me I needed a wired keyboard. While I didn't like the idea, I went down to the apple store to buy that and they told me there was something wrong with the Mini and to bring it in. Today I did took the unit in; they discovered a faulty harddisk and replaced the unit without much hassle (nice).
Before leaving the store, I told them what phone support had to say about requiring a hardwired mouse and keyboard for setup. They told me it used to be necessary but that is not so nowadays. I happily left the store expecting no other issues.
Now here I sit. My trackpad is recognized but my keyboard is not. I can't get past the nearly indecipherable screen showing me how to power up these devices for discovery and pairing because it doesn't recognize the keyboard. And since I don't have a wired keyboard anywhere in my house, I'm looking at my 60 minute roundtrip to the apple store. sigh
I'm most upset about that part. If they'd simply set my expectations that I need a wired solution for setup, I wouldn't like it but at least I'd know and wouldn't spend endless time wasting gas simply to get to step 2 of setup.
I've been a big fan of the iPhone an iPad but I have to say that Windows PC setup (while a tad slow) is MUCH more straightforward than this. At least I have some workaround options that get me moving. Works out of the box, my @#$.

Mac air won't start after attempt to upgrade OS to Maverick

I was prompted by APP store that a new OS Merverick was available so I decided to install.
I downloaded the OS via APP shop (therefore no disc) and check for the updates for other software before restarted the Mac.
Since then, it won't start up the system and keep stack on the grey screen with a apple mark.
Having checked some forum in the Apple Support Communities, I managed to open a disc utilities and tried to repair.
At the first instance, there were some error occurred, but after few attempt with the disc utilities it now says that HD is fine.
However, main HD which is displayed on the left side of disc utilities is gray and I can repair permission.
It also says that HD (journalled) which terminology that I have no idea what this means.
Several attempt with the disc utilities, when I tried to restart "Apple symbol" appeares and several second later the "NO ENTRY" symbol appears and get stuck.
At this point, I decided to re-install OS X Lion from the CD, but when I try to select the HD is says that HD is locked.
I am completely lost to what to do next.
I have several files on this MAC which I would like to rescue if possible.
I have never had any issue with HD and I can only deduce that this was caused by the new OS installation.
Could someone help please?
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