Mac Mini just boots to grey screen - help!

My trusted mac mini a1176 (intel 1.66GHz) has always worked fine but now it just has a grey screen when it starts. There is no chime, and if I leave it long enough a picture of a file with a ? in it appears.
The events leading up to this could have an effect, I am not sure. The original hard drive had a mac and a PC division. I took this drive out 6 months ago and fitted a larger one. This larger one had a carbon copy of the mac part of the original drive made on it. I did not put the PC division on it. All worked fine since. Today I wanted to boot up the PC partition on the original drive so I put the old drive in a USB enclosure, plugged it in and then in settings chose to boot from the PC part of this drive. This is the last thing useful the mini did. It just went to grey screen on restart. So then unplugged the external drive, still no boot. Since then I have tried.
Pressing differen buttons on restart
Putting leopard instal disk in drive ( this is he os I am using)
Disassemble mini and put he original disk back in
SMC reset
Take out extra ram
Disconnected every other peripheral.
I use a apple wired keyboard
A dell mouse (I have a Bluetooth apple one)
Any suggested next steps would be warmly appreciated? Would the logic board just go like that? It seams a bit of a coincidence!
Thanks and sorry for he spelling, this is from my iPhone.

Here is YouTube video of what the screen is now doing.
http://m.youtube.com/index?client=mv-google&xl=xltsp&desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?xl=xlblazer&v=oGoeCSPV8ag

Similar Messages

Newly bought mac mini: cannot boot / strange grey 'battery' screen

Hi all
I just bought a new mac mini at the apple store in SF. Now I just arrived back in Denmark and try it on for the first time and it doesn't boot!
After a few seconds a strange screen comes up which I cannot decipher.
Here's how the screen looks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimi_martin/3399724186/
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks.

mamor1999 wrote:
Hi all
I just bought a new mac mini at the apple store in SF. Now I just arrived back in Denmark and try it on for the first time and it doesn't boot!
After a few seconds a strange screen comes up which I cannot decipher.
Here's how the screen looks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimi_martin/3399724186/
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks.
Look at that image again and take a guess what it's trying to tell you.

Mac Mini Intel boots to blue screen and gets stuck

Mac Mini running 10.6 Intel won't boot up. I get the chime, then the apple logo, then a blue screen, then nothing but the small rotating circle, which appears and disappears about every 5 seconds (not the color wheel, but the one that just looks like hands on a clock turning.)
Per apple online help, tried starting up in Safe mode. Same result. No boot. Just blue.
Per apple help, I started up in Sinlge User mode and ran Fsck from command line (I don't have the install disk). First run of Fsck said FILE SYSTEM WAS MODFIFED. Ran it again, per apple help. Second time, said volume appeared to be OK. Typed "reboot". Same result. No boot, just blue screen and rotating circle.
Not sure what else to try. Any help?
Thanks

Sometimes PRAM seems to retain info from a previous startup disk error condition. There is a small chance that resetting the PRAM might help.
You can get a replacement for your original OS X install DVD and any bundled apps from AppleCare (1-800-275-2273) for a shipping and handling fee. You will need to provide your Mac's serial number so they can send the correct DVD(s) for your specific model.

Mac will not boot past Grey Screen

Hello;
My 2007 iMac won't boot past the grey screen, not even with the Apple logo in the centre of the screen. I've tried booting into the Boot Manager, tried using the recovery partition, tried booting from an external USB and FireWire drive, reset the NVRAM, reset the SMC, tried booting with a DIskWarrior boot disk (can't even eject the disk now... i've tried holding onto the mouse to force eject), changed the RAM back to the original...
Anyone else have any suggestions? I can't really figure it out and i need this machine up and running. I appreciate the help!

Please make a Genius Appointment and take it in for service.

I've just loaded snow leopard and mac won't boot past grey screen.

Please help me

Try booting in Safe Mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
Or...
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1417
FYI... you need to hold down the C key when booting from the install disc until you see the Apple logo.

My mac mini on booting keeps restarting.....help

Ok a quick look as what's happening with my mac
My mac mini mid 2011 model was running totally fine on os lion
Just few days back I updated to mountain lion
Installation was fine but on a restart showed me a error MSG that your
computer restarted because of a problem
But then my mac booted fine and I updated n installed latest software updates
Then on an average out of 10 shutdowns i did in 3 to 4 days the same error showed up 2 to 3 times
Then I checked the report showed some kernel thing ( the copy is below)
Then I used disk utility checked disk and disk permission it showed error and needs
To be repaired then on repairing it , it repaired and said all is ok
Then next shutdown was fine I thought problem solved
But next day when I tried to on my mac within a sec it showed a grey screen with some error in back ( Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting check photo ) and my mac kept restarting No apple logo to spinning wheel just on then grey screen then error MSG then restart and kept doing this
Then little google and then I did some first aid steps
Tried safe mode not successful
Tried disk utility option verified disc it showed errors again and this time said that disk cannot be repaired
Can open Internet recovery option also but before reinstalling my os I wanted to save my data
as I have no backup
My first and only priority is to save my data first and take a backup and then think of reinstalling os increase my ram or change hard disk so please guide me and by looking at my problem what you guys think it is an os failer ,hard disk failer or something else
My plan is to try
Transfer disk mode with another mac using thunderbolt ....and if that does not work
Then take out hard disk and try to use with hhd enclosure
If you have any nice tip that I can do to get n save my data please share thanks
My very first error MSG when I updated to mountain lion
Interval Since Last Panic Report: 101143 sec Panics Since Last Report: 3
Anonymous UUID: BB234586-D7BD-1093-26D3-60C7B60C7456
Thu Dec 27 16:17:57 2012
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff80042b7bd5): Kernel trap at 0xffffff80042c3e10, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0xffffff806fd0b980, CR3: 0x000000000653a000, CR4: 0x00000000000606e0
RAX: 0xffffff803b265000, RBX: 0x0000000000000000, RCX: 0x0000000000000000, RDX: 0x0000000000000040
RSP: 0xffffff804aef3ea0, RBP: 0xffffff804aef3f20, RSI: 0x0000000000000000, RDI: 0xffffff806fd0b980
R8: 0x0000000000000000, R9: 0x00000000000000ff, R10: 0x0000000000000000, R11: 0x0000000000000040
R12: 0x0000000000000000, R13: 0x0000000000000000, R14: 0x0000000000000000, R15: 0xffffff8004739460
RFL: 0x0000000000010002, RIP: 0xffffff80042c3e10, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000010
Fault CR2: 0xffffff806fd0b980, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Fault CPU: 0x0
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff804aef3b40 : 0xffffff800421d626
0xffffff804aef3bb0 : 0xffffff80042b7bd5
0xffffff804aef3d80 : 0xffffff80042ce4ed
0xffffff804aef3da0 : 0xffffff80042c3e10
0xffffff804aef3f20 : 0xffffff80042c4175
0xffffff804aef3f60 : 0xffffff800423dcde
0xffffff804aef3fb0 : 0xffffff80042b26b7
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Mac OS version:
12C60
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 12.2.0: Sat Aug 25 00:48:52 PDT 2012; root:xnu-2050.18.24~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 69A5853F-375A-3EF4-9247-478FD0247333
Kernel slide: 0x0000000004000000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8004200000
System model name: Macmini5,1 (Mac-8ED6AF5B48C039E1)
System uptime in nanoseconds: 20443013973142
last loaded kext at 12613841553883: com.apple.nke.ppp     1.8 (addr 0xffffff7f85e26000, size 49152)
last unloaded kext at 121337332706: com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI     5.2.5 (addr 0xffffff7f84b41000, size 65536)
loaded kexts:
com.regularrateandrhythm.driver.RowmoteIREmu     1.0
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardACMData     4.27.04
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMData     1.36.02
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMControl     1.35.02
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardDriver     4.25.17
com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverInt     0.0.74
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch     75.15
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor     1.9.5d0
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC     1.60
com.apple.driver.AGPM     100.12.69
com.apple.driver.ApplePlatformEnabler     2.0.5d4
com.apple.filesystems.autofs     3.0
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver     122
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA     2.3.1f2
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver     2.3.1f2
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient     3.5.10
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl     1.0.33
com.apple.driver.AppleSMCPDRC     1.0.0
com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHCIControllerUSBT ransport     4.0.9f33
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC     1.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHD3000Graphics     8.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelSNBGraphicsFB     8.0.0
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin     1.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet     1.0.0d1
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager     4.0.9f33
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X     7.0.0
com.apple.driver.ApplePolicyControl     3.2.11
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController     320.15
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTyp eDataless     1.0.0d1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTyp eZlib     1.0.0d1
com.apple.BootCache     34
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter     404
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage     2.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub     5.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI     4.9.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI     5.4.0
com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4331     602.15.22
com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet     3.2.5b3
com.apple.driver.AppleSDXC     1.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort     2.4.1
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM     1.6.1
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC     1.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons     1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET     1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS     1.9
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC     1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC     1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClien t     196.0.0
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall     4.0.39
com.apple.security.quarantine     2
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement     196.0.0
com.apple.nke.ppp     1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard     165.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard     165.5
com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver     4.0.9f33
com.apple.driver.AppleMultitouchDriver     235.28
com.apple.kext.triggers     1.0
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib     2.3.1f2
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily     1.8.9fc10
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib     1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController     2.3.1f2
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily     2.3.1f2
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP     2.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController     1.0.10d0
com.apple.iokit.AppleBluetoothHCIControllerUSBTran sport     4.0.9f33
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI     1.0.10d0
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginLegacy     1.0.0
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily     5.2.0d16
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface     86.0.3
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily     10.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily     4.0.9f33
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC     3.1.4d2
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl     3.2.11
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport     2.3.5
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily     2.3.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice     3.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily     1.7
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily     1.7.1
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily     1.7.1
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPOutAdapter     1.8.5
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPInAdapter     1.8.5
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPAdapterFamily     1.8.5
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltPCIDownAdapter     1.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver     5.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient     5.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltNHI     1.6.0
com.apple.iokit.IOThunderboltFamily     2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily     4.5.5
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family     500.15
com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController     1.0.2b1
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily     3.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily     2.2.1
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime     1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily     1.8.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily     1.1
com.apple.security.sandbox     220
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch     1.0.0d1
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet     7
com.apple.driver.DiskImages     344
com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore     28.21
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass     3.5.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite     5.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice     3.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily     1.8
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily     3.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily     5.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform     1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily     2.7.2
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily     1.4
com.apple.kec.corecrypto     1.0
Model: Macmini5,1, BootROM MM51.0077.B10, 2 processors, Intel Core i5, 2.3 GHz, 2 GB, SMC 1.76f0
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000, Intel HD Graphics 3000, Built-In, 288 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 1 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x802C, 0x344A53463132383634485A2D314734443120
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 1 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x802C, 0x344A53463132383634485A2D314734443120
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0xE4), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.106.98.81.22)
Bluetooth: Version 4.0.9f33 10885, 2 service, 18 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Serial ATA Device: TOSHIBA MK5065GSXF, 500.11 GB
USB Device: hub_device, 0x0424 (SMSC), 0x2513, 0xfa100000 / 2
USB Device: BRCM20702 Hub, 0x0a5c (Broadcom Corp.), 0x4500, 0xfa110000 / 3
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, apple_vendor_id, 0x8281, 0xfa113000 / 4
USB Device: hub_device, 0x0424 (SMSC), 0x2513, 0xfd100000 / 2
USB Device: HUAWEI Mobile, 0x12d1 (Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.), 0x1436, 0xfd120000 / 4

Hello, did you repair the Disk, or just Permissions?
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partition & use Disk Utility from there to Repair the Disk, then Repair Permissions.
I suspect one of these is out of date or doesn't work with 10.8.x...
com.regularrateandrhythm.driver.RowmoteIREmu     1.0
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardACMData     4.27.04
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMData     1.36.02
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMControl     1.35.02
com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardDriver     4.25.17
com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverInt     0.0.74
One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or some USB or Firewire device, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.
Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.
Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...
/private/var/run/StartupItems
/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/LaunchDaemons

On start up i just get a grey screen with the apple logo-this has suddenly started happenin. Please help?

on start up i just get a grey screen with the apple logo-this has suddenly started happenin. Please help?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
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 a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
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 in OS X 10.9 or earlier, 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.

HT204347 Hi my serial number on bottom of my mac is W8*******66E when l try to try the computer on it is just going to grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel i have tried starting in safe mode and a few other suggested solutions and they have not

Hi my serial number on bottom of my mac is W8******66E when l try to turn the computer on it is just going to grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel i have tried starting in safe mode and a few other suggested solutions and they have not worked?
<Edited by Host>

What other solutions have you tried?
This may help you:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
Ciao.

Mac Mini XP Boot Failure

Being a legacy Mac user (since system 6) I found the idea of booting into windows a little creepy at first. But, I just had to see if I could play some of my favorite PC games (side note - GMA950 is horrible) Anyway, All was well for the first few months - I was able to dual boot with no problems. Then a couple of weeks ago, when I attempted to boot into XP, I simply got a grey screen. I've tried the "Option" command of course, and I just tried that "ReFit" sourceforge utility and I just get a grey screen. (It doesn't even get to the ReFit EFI boot manager)
Basic Info
Mac OS X v10.4.8
Partioned (FAT32) with Boot Camp 1.01b
Installed Windows XP Pro SP2
EFI Firmware is Up-To-Date as of 1/10/07
Thanks,
Drew Brown
Mac Mini 1.66 GHz Core Duo 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Mac Mini 1.66 GHz Core Duo 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

What Format is the USB stick?
How to format your disks...
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html
(To Install OSX on an IntelMac the Drive it needs the GUID Partitioning scheme mentioned at the bottom.)
Thanks to Pondini, Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks...
http://Pondini.org/OSX/DU.html

Mac mini not booting

cannot get my mac mini to boot. Help?

Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
Maybe this too:
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

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.

IMac wont boot Past Grey Screen, finder folder with blinking question mark

iMac G5 won't boot Past Grey Screen. The G5 froze and i restarted, It will not go past the grey screen and it has the finder folder with blinking question mark, also the fans kick on wide open. As it atempts to boot a sound plays "beepda beepda beepda beep" that starts quiet and gets louder and repeats a couple of times. I ran a hardware check on the startup disk and all hardware passed. I thought it might be the RAM any suggestions?
I have restarted using the troubleshooting methods in the guide.

Sorry for the late reply. The drive shows up when booting to disk, but it will not allow you to verify disk or repair. Also it will not allow you to select the hard drive to reinstall the software. Under disk utility Maxtor sabre shows up with total capacity:0 bytes.
I've taking the Mac to the Apple store to get looked at, and its probly the hard drive. Now Im trying to see if theres a way to recover the data myself. I've used software like "Data Rescue" the hard drive shows up "Maxtor Sabre" totally capacity: 0 bytes, and it will not recover anything.
Did this test just to see if it was power problem.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2173
Thats when noticed the beeps are coming from the hard drive. So its getting power.
Now just wondering how to recover data.
Any suggestions?

MAC MINI just went Mute today.

MAC MINI just went to mute, have been connected to a TV for 2 years via HDMI with no issues. I can switch to internal/Headphones with no issue. I have plugged and unplugged the headphone jack multiple times and reset the PRAM 3 times still no fix. Reset and recovered from time machine still nothing. Is there something loose inside the computer? Please help my 3 yr old love to watch internet TV for his kids shows and now no volume,

Thank you for the help. Yes the HDMI is there but no control. I swapped the cable around and checked the tv. Funny thing We used external speakers this morning for a movie and afterwards i unplugged them from the headphone jack and the sound came thru the tv again but the sound icon is still gray but I can control the output to the tv? Not sure what that means but it is working now. Maybe the headphone jack was stuck.

G5 won't boot past grey screen

G5 2.0 Dual will not boot past grey screen. Running 10.5.8 on an old maxtor 160gb drive, drive is available as a startup disc in StartUp disk in system preferences. But when it is chosen the machine shuts down in the usual manner then switches to the maxtor disk and only gets to the grey screen with the apple log no progress clock appears. Using disk utility from install disk reports that drive is ok, running techtool pro 4.6.2 reports the drive is fine and all file structures, volume structures and directories are fine. So of course i am keen to find out what the issue is and wether it can be resolved without resorting to a clean install. When booted from another internal drive the icon for the errant drive is visible and all files and folders are visible and readily accessable.
It would be great to get back to booting from this drive as it is the main drive I use and has so much more on it than the secondary drive.
Any help will be of immense use
Thank You

I assume you have already tried a PRAM reset. If so, then the following three items may yield a clue.
Number one thing to try is a Safe Boot by holding the shift key down at boot. You may have a something in the non-minimal Apple kext set that is causing the hang. (If it safe boots, you may have a problem in kext caches which can be cleared. See below.)
Second is to disconnect all peripherals except monitor, keyboard and mouse and see if something there is contributing to the hang.
Third is to use verbose boot (hold down cmd-V at boot until you see a black Unix terminal screen come up) and see where the system is hanging.
Clearing the kext Caches (if indicated)
This is probably easiest done booted from the other drive, so I'll describe that method.
Open the Maxtor's System folder, then open the Library folder and drag the following two files to the trash:
Extensions.kextcache
Extensions.mkext
Empty the trash.
Open a Terminal session from the Terminal application in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
Type cd followed by a space in the command line and then drag the icon for the Maxtor into the window, which will put a properly formatted Unix path into the command line, then press the return key. Type the following three commands
cd System <cr>
cd Library <cr>
sudo touch Extensions <cr>
then give your password when requested and close the terminal session. Select the Maxtor as the statrup drive in System Preferences and give it a go.

My i touch fell on the floor and is just showing a grey screen. Can't scroll to turn off or view anything on the screen

my i touch fell on the floor and is just showing a grey screen. Can't scroll to turn off or view anything on the screen

Try here:
iPod touch: Hardware troubleshooting
However, you likely have a hardware problem since it started after dropping the iPod. If the toubleshooting does not solve the peroblem then make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store.

Mac Mini just boots to grey screen - help!

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