Mac won't boot up. Sits at gray screen

When I boot, I get to the gray opening screen with the gray apple logo and the spinning gear. Then the fans get louder and faster over the next 2 minuts or so. It sound like a jet getting ready to take off.
What's wrong? It was running slow so I went to reboot it and this is what I got.
What can I do? Help!

Well I reformatted twice and in am able to boot up and the computer works but everything is still at a very slow pace. It takes 8 minutes to boot up and I have nothing installed except the OS and the OS update which I downloaded. I'm suspicious of my hard drive and I'm considering replacing it. Do I have to buy a Mac specific hard drive or can I buy one that meets my current type (SATA 3.0 Gb/s)?
I noticed the HD's at the mac site are considerably more expensive than at say NewEgg or somewhere like that.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Similar Messages

  • Mac won't boot up..get gray screen with a folder and ? mark what do i do?

    my mac pro won't boot up..get gray screen with a folder and ? mark on the folder..help

    Hi,
    Rather than write up what I did, here is a link to an Apple support document with the instructions to follow.
    I hope this is helpful.  Good luck.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440

  • Mac won't boot, starts with white apple screen and spinning wheel. Also has grey loading bar which disappears after loaded then stays at white apple screen.

    Mac won't boot, starts with white apple screen and spinning wheel. Also has grey loading bar which disappears after loaded then stays at white apple screen.

    Hi cybertoof,
    Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
    It sounds like you're seeing a startup issue with your Mac, it's booting to a gray screen with an Apple logo. Try the suggestions in the article linked below, they will resolve most issues related to starting up your Mac.
    Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
    I hope this helps.
    -Jason

  • I've recently update to Yosemite, ever since my Mac won't boot up from the grey screen

    ive recently update to Yosemite, ever since my Mac won't boot up from the grey screen, I've checked on the utilities and disk can not be repaired. I'm gutted is it dead?.........how can I solve this......help please
    <Re-Titled By Host>

    Did you mean Command + Option + R for internet recovery?
    The only key commands I know that involve P is a PRAM reset:
    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH11243?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
    Or maybe I am missing or misunderstanding something?

  • I have an iMac that won't boot up. Chimes, Gray screen w/ apple icon, spinning gear and progress bar at bottom, about 20 sec then shuts off.

    I have an iMac that won't boot up. Chimes, Gray screen w/ apple icon, spinning gear and progress bar at bottom, about 20 sec then shuts off.
    Please Help

    The internal drive is malfunctioning. What backups do you have?

  • Mac Mini won't boot, distorted startup chime, gray screen

    Hi all --
    I've seen similar posts (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12170891&#12170891) but thought I'd start a new one, mainly because I haven't heard anyone mention the startup chime.
    I woke up my 2007 stock Mac Mini Friday morning and the cursor was frozen. Unplugged and replugged the mouse to no avail. Couldn't force quit, so I had to power down. Restarted with a badly distored startup chime (not "speaker breakup" from excessive volume, just distortion, and some "stuttering") and a gray screen that didn't go away. Restarted many, many times. Inserted Snow Leopard DVD to run Disc Utility but it wasn't recognized -- just a gray screen. Tried resetting the PMU and SMC with no results. Tried booting into single-user mode (with a wired USB keyboard) to eject the DVD, but no luck. Tried open firmware, but nothing. Once in an while I would get the Apple icon and a spinning progress bar that never went away.
    Took it to the Genius Bar, where they tried to boot from a Firewire drive, with no success. The best they could do was tell me my 17-month old Mac was out of warranty. That confirmed, I took it home, cracked it open and removed the Snow Leopard DVD (with a credit card) to insert the install disc it shipped with. That didn't work. A couple of times it looked like it would, but then after the spinning bar I got the multilingual system bomb message. Tried to run Hardware Test, but nothing. Put in original Disc 2... and that gave me a flashing folder! Progress! Forced the DVD out and slipped in Disc 1. That started to read, and then I got some kernel-panic looking text and a shutdown. My last attempt was to create a USB boot drive from the original install discs, but my old Sawtooth won't let me run the installer.
    Is there any hope at this point? I just bought the thing last May, so I've had it less than a year and a half. The distorted startup chime makes me think the logic board is fried and no amount of fooling with the startup drive will make a difference. The only thing out of the ordinary in this case was that it went to sleep last Thursday night with a DV camera hooked up via Firewire.
    I'm not thrilled about giving Apple any more money for another Mini, but I'm heavily invested in Logic Studio so I don't have much of a choice of platform.
    I'm pretty sure I'm doomed, but I thought I'd post anyway. A quick internet search shows I'm not the only one with the gray screen of death on a fairly new Mini. Thanks in advance for any pointers.

    Thanks.
    The Genius was able to get to the Apple logo and spinning... thing (what used to be the beachball). His theory was that as long as the Snow Leopard disc was in there, the boot process would never get to the Firewire port. Once I got home I literally pried the Snow Leopard disc out and put in the original install disc. But any progress whatsoever ends in the system bomb message.
    Thing is, I had tried to eject the disc by booting with the mouse button down. But on restarting, the laser in the optical mouse flashes quickly, once. I don't think the USB ports are going "live" at all... so I can't get into single user mode, safe mode, hardware test, anything. The Genius' keyboard was no help in that regard. So yeah, I suspect a hardware problem.
    A search of "gray screen of death" shows this happening to a lot of models.

  • My G5 won't boot up. The Gray screen comes on and it thinks about it until the fan revs up like it is about to explode. A friend said to start it up with the OS disk and then go to utilities. Didin't work. Any suggestions? Isn't there a key stroke to help

    Oh, so this is where I ask my question. Sorry, first time here. As I was saying in my long intro, the gray screen come up and the thing is spinning at the bottom, but nothing happens. Then the fan starts reving up like it is about to explode and I have to manually shut it off. A friend told me to start it up with the OS disk and then go to utilities. I couldn't find the thing, so I went out and bought another. Needless to say, it didn't work. Is there a key stroke to help jump start the machine? How can I get into this thing? I would prefer not to take it in because there are a lot of things on there I don't want just anyone to have access to.Thanks, in advance, for your help!

    The last time you had to hold down cmd opt pr more than twice was a decade ago....
    G5? PowerPC? 10.5? or earlier....
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/desktop_computers/power_mac?view=discuss ions
    Apple has a number of resources like "Power or Startup Quick Assist"
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1149
    Your drive does need to be repaired, and best things to buy are another backup recovery drive, with a small OS X partition; a copy of Disk Warrior is expensive @ $90 but excellent and best.
    Never bother with or use the drive or reinstall while there are errors. Don't take a "clean' bill from Apple Disk Utility to mean there are no errors. Only that it didn't find what it looked for.
    http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/harddrives/topic4557.html#d12aug2010
    http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html
    A quick search "keyboard shortcuts" takes you here:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343
    how to resolve and fix startup issues with fsck and disk utility:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417
    http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-HowToClone-backup.html
    http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-HowToClone.html
    How to use DU to backup and restore
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1553
    http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html
    http://www.bombich.com/ccc_features.html
    Make sure to have multiple backup sets and of your system so if there is a serious problem, you can just erase and restore to be back runninig.
    Sounds like your G5 though needs PMU reset, not PRAM, and the best way for those is to clear nvram instead. might even want to check for dust; tell what System Profile says (later) as to "PowerMacX,Y" or "MacProX,1"
    http://www.apple.com/support/powermac or /macpro
    http://www.apple.com/support/sitemap/
    The Utility menu is on the menu bar of an "OS X Install DVD" and at the point where you get to but stop at "install....' for OS X. you probably do need to install OS X on another drive to work from.
    Oh, a real severe issue and damage to the drive directory or filesystem CAN in cases prevent booting from DVD (the system still tries to find and see what boot volumes are present) and can help to pull or disconnect the drive. Putting a drive in a FW case to turn on after startup is very useful.

  • Lion won't boot. Stuck on gray screen

    Was trying to work with HP support to troubleshoot a problem communicating with the scanner portion of an HP OfficeJet 6500a E710 bought at an Apple Store. They had me run the HP uninstaller to remove all HP software in scrub mode. They then asked to run verify disk permissions. Then reboot.
    Upon reboot I get the gray screen with the spinner, and it sits there forever.
    Any ideas what could be wrong or how to get around it?
    I've used Command-V to get verbose output during boot. Last thing it says is that its running fsck_hfs. But I see no other messages after that. The CPU fan is spun up as if the CPU is busy.
    I've booted using the recovery image and checked the disk. Everything checks out ok.
    I've booted into single user mode and run fsck and fsck_hfs. Both ran fine.
    I tried to startup in safe mode verbose. I let it sit for hours and after 3 hours it booted. But then I rebooted and it got stuck again.
    Any suggestions appreciated. This is a machine I use for work and income. Neither of which are happening right now.
    I've been trying to research how Lion starts up to see where it invokes fsck_hfs, but I haven't found any reference online to describe how Lion starts up. All references I've found refer to Tiger or earlier which has a very different boot sequence.
    Thanks

    Call Apple. Seriously.

  • Mac won't boot, stuck on grey screen if the external hdd plugged in

    as the title.
    if i plug my external drive, via usb port, the mac won't boot and stuck at grey screen.
    unplugging it, the boot process will continue.
    the hdd is a LaCie mobile hdd
    any help?

    Hello jason(?)
    It's a LaCie external mobiel hdd, formatted as exFAT. without adapter. take power directly from usb port.
    i tested it on my iMac and it works fine. boot up as normal. the only difference is my iMac is on 10.6.8 and my Air is on 10.7.2
    I tested on both USB port on my Air and the problem still persist.
    the read/write speed is normal (bought it like a day ago).
    another thing is I don't have this problem with my external WD drive.
    One thing to notice is that, I accidentally left like for like 2-3 mins and it boots. So why the question now is why it's taking so long to boot? normally it just takes <20 seconds. Seems like it tried to boot from the external hdd, doesn't it?

  • HT201177 Only get Apple logo and system busy clock logo at startup. Mac won't boot up

    Mac won't boot up. I only get the Apple logo and the "system busy" clock when I turn on my computer.  Tried unplugging and restarting but to no avail.

    Go to > Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup and work thru all the setps in that article.

  • HT1199 My mac won't boot up it goes to a apple sign then the spin thing then gives me a error msg on a 10.5.8 imac what do I do?

    Plz help
    My mac won't boot up it goes to a apple sign then the spin thing then gives me a error msg on a 10.5.8 imac what do I do?

    Hi LIsa,
    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.
    Or..
    Tough without the Install Disk problems, but try fsck...
    To use fsck, you must run it from the command line. Unlike using your mouse to open an application to do something, you'll need to type a text command at the prompt (#) to tell fsck what to do. The Terminal application (/Applications/Utilities) and single-user mode are two examples of command-line interfaces in which you can type such commands. To use fsck:
    1. Start up your computer in single-user mode to reach the command line. Hold CMD+s keys down at bootup.
    Note: If necessary, perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer. On desktop computers, you can do this by pressing the reset/interrupt button (if there is one) or holding down the power button for several seconds. On portable computers, simultaneously press the Command-Control-power keys. If your portable computer doesn't restart with this method, you may need to reset the Power Manager.
    2. At the command-line prompt, type /sbin/fsck -fy
    (SPACE between fsck AND -fy important)
    3. Press Return. fsck will go through five "phases" and then return information about your disk's use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it'll display this message if no issue is found:
    The volume (name_of_volume) appears to be OK
    If fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message:
    ***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****
    Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command you typed in step 2 until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
    4. When fsck reports that your volume is OK, type reboot at the prompt and then press Return.

  • Mac won't boot after power chord became unplugged accidently.

    Mac won't boot after power chord became unplugged accidently.
    I have a Mac Mini running very latest version of OSX. I was making a recording with QuickTime; when I needed to plug in a USB recording device into the back of the Mac Mini, as I pulled the Mac off my shelf to do this, the power cable came out and the Mac lost power.
    I plugged it back in and powered up the Mac. I get the grey screen with Apple logo and the spinning grey wheel; then it goes to a blue screen (as usual) and I get the "starting OSX..." progress bar. When the progress bar finishes, I'm left with a blue screen only, no dock, no apple icon at top left, nothing across the top, no nothing.
    So far, I've booted from the original disc and repaired the permissions as well as the disc, then re-booted, but same old blue screen.
    I have another iMac G5 machine, so is there any way I can at least retrieve the important HD files from the Mac Mini to my G5, before throwing the broken Mac Mini away?
    Can anyone advise please?

    Hi, Nigel.
    Not to differ with my colleagues here, but there's an important question that wasn't asked.
    1. You wrote: "So far, I've booted from the original disc and repaired the permissions as well as the disc, then re-booted, but same old blue screen."Did Disk Utility report any errors it could not fix when you ran Repair Disk? I suggest you run the procedure specified in my "Resolving Disk, Permission, and Cache Corruption" FAQ. Perform the steps therein in the order specified.
    2. You may also want to run the Apple Hardware Test that came with your Mini to be sure nothing shorted when the power cable was removed from the computer. I've seen it happen, hence I usually recommend removing the power cable at the wall before disconnecting the power cable from the computer. See my "Apple Hardware Test" FAQ.
    3. Repair Disk gives your Mini a clean bill of health, the blue screen may be the result of some Startup or Login item that was corrupted due to the sudden power outage. My "Troubleshooting Startup and Login Items" FAQ can help you pin that down if such an item is causing the problem and may help you avoid and Archive and Install.
    4. If you elect to go the Archive and Install route, see my "General advice on performing an Archive and Install" FAQ for some important tips on this process.
    5. As FYI, this is the kind of problem that makes one glad they've implemented a comprehensive backup and recovery solution. For advice on the backup and recovery solution I employ, see my "Backup and Recovery" FAQ. Computing without a comprehensive backup and recovery solution is like driving without auto insurance.
    Good luck!
    Dr. Smoke
    Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
    Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
    I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

  • My mac won't boot up..  I've tried PRAM resets and fsck.

    My mac won't boot up anymore. This problem started quite randomly, as I had just used my mac an hour a go. At first, it just wouldn't finish loading up, but now it loads up for a bit, then suddenly shuts down. I've tried resetting my PRAM and using fsck but nothings worked. Any ideas what could be wrong?

    Yes I have seen a similar problem quite recently, and ended up having to perform a software reinstallation as not even Disk Warrior could see the Hard Disk.
    Before you go to that extreme insert your System Disk 1, reboot holding down the "C" key and go through the first two steps until the "Utilities" menu appears on the top left of your screen.
    Select Disk Utility and (assuming your hard disk appears) click on it and select the "First Aid" tab > Repair Disk.

  • My mac won't boot up, just has a white screen with a blinking ? mark, any suggestions?

    my mac won't boot up, just has a white screen with a blinking ? mark, any suggestions?

    this usually means the software and hardware can't find each other for whatever reason the following article addresses this issue:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
    can also do apple hardware test, following article on that:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
    if you can't access the apple hardware test in the above article you can also do fsck command to check the hardware as well, following article tells how to do that:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1782
    hopefully one of these articles helps w/ resolution!!

  • I had multiple copies of the library and i tried to move 1 to trash and now i have broken icon and my mac won't boot up any more can i fix this from home or do I need to go to the genius bar?

    I had multiple copies of the library and i tried to move 1 to trash and now i have broken icon and my mac won't boot up any more can i fix this from home or do I need to go to the genius bar?

    Go to the genius bar. You've mucked up your MBP OS and it requires a hands on repair.

  • Mac won't boot after leopard install

    hi - installed leopard on my imac but now my mac won't boot:
    i have already tried the following:
    1) safe mode - but won't boot
    2) single user mode - ran fsck - said no issues
    3) did target mode with firewire cbale to my macbook and ran disk utility - no repairs needed - and i can see all my files on original computer
    4) reinstalled leopard from holding down options key - leopard installed again
    but for all of abv - when i reboot i still get white apple logo screen and the spinning wheel...
    any other way to get into safe mode - as that is only thing i have not been able to start....
    thanks!
    susan

    tigerswim, welcome to Apple Discussions.
    Did you already have Tiger installed or did you have Panther 10.3 installed? Tiger is not a free upgrade; you have to buy it & then update (for free) using the download updates from Apple. Also, you have to use a universal/retail install DVD (or CDs) to install Tiger. You cannot use the install DVD from another model Mac.

Maybe you are looking for