MacBook 2010 won't get past loading screen

Hi everyone. I don't live anywhere near an apple store so am hoping I can get some help here. My MacBook won't get past the initial White loading screen with the grey apple logo. A loading bar (which I've never seen before) comes up, loads about 1/5 of the way, disappears, comes back empty, does the same thing then my laptop turns off. About two weeks ago the battery stopped working without being plugged in and each time I turned it on it had reset the date to 01/01/2001. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
The hard drive is damaged. Insert the Mac OS X DVD, press C key when your Mac starts, go to Utilities > Disk Utility and repair the drive. If it doesn't work, take the Mac to an Apple Store.
If you haven't made a backup, download DiskWarrior

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  • My Macbook Pro won't get past white screen....

    My Macbook Pro is stuck on the white screen with the gray apple logo and loading gear spinning below---for hours now. Restarted multiple time without any change. Agh!

    Boot in safe mode. First, disconnect all wired peripherals except keyboard, mouse, and monitor, if applicable, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
    Be sure your Mac is shut down.
    Press the power button.
    Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
    Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).
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    If you can boot in safe mode, try rebooting as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)

  • My MacBook Pro won't go past load screen when you first load it up?

    Three days ago it was working fine all of a sudden froze so I did a hard shutdown, ever since has gone to screen with loading symbol.

    Try SMC reset:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
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  • My macbook air won't get past the white apple screen.  I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

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

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
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    b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
    c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
    Step 3
    Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 4
    If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
    Step 5
    If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
    Step 6
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    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.
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    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.)
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    Step 8
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  • IMac won't get past startup screen, no matter what. Pls help?

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  • Won't get past "Platinum screen", keyboard not recognized

    Hi all,
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  • MacBook Pro won't get past the flashing grey file screen?

    Ok, so tonight I try turning my MacBook on as normal, it then froze and I saw the rotating umbrella appear. So I restarted it. When trying to turn back on, the system did not load, instead a flashing grey file shape came up with a question mark inside. I have tried restarting with a number of key combinations, Option; option, ALT, P, R. Everything, yet it's not getting past this screen. Whenever I try to do an Internet recovery, it just stays on the wifi selection screen and I select mine, enter the password and then it just goes back onto the selection screen. Nothing is work yet! Incredibly annoyed as it has so much stuff, photos, music everything. I don't even know how I reinstall software as it's stuck... Can someone please help? My software is 10.7 I believe.

    Hi PHXSuns,
    If you are seeing a flashing question mark on startup, you may find the following article helpful:
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    https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
    Regards,
    - Brenden

  • MacBook Pro won't get off startup screen with apple logo. Help?

    Could someone please tell me how I can get my macbook to get off that stupid startup screen with the apple logo? It won't go past that screen and boot properly. I have tried reinstalling OS X didn't work. I tried running a disk utility test and no errors where found. I don't have the time machine thingy so I couldn't try that. Is there anything else I can do before taking it to Apple and l
    paying hundreds of dollars???
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    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
    a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
    b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
    c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
    Step 3
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    Step 4
    If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
    Step 5
    If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
    Step 6
    Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
    Step 7
    If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
    Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
    Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
    When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
    If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
    If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
    Step 8
    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
    This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
    Step 9
    If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.  
    Step 10
    Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
    Step 11
    Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 12
    This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
    Step 13
    If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

  • Computer won't get past OS screen after unlock, even if I am still using 2 cores

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  • Mid 2010 MacBook Pro won't boot past blue screen

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  • Macbook won't get past startup screen?

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  • MacBook Pro won't get past gray start screen - RunTime corruption error

    Hi, I am a novice when it comes to fixing things, so I will make a Genius Bar appointment, but I thought I would consult this community first in case anyone has experienced this same issue:
    I was using my 13 in. MacBook Pro this morning after not using it for a couple weeks. (It was running fine last time.) It started up fine, and the few applications I was using worked OK. Then I got an error saying I needed to update my Java in order to access my work VPN. I didn't think twice about downloading the Java upgrade. Once the Java download was complete, I thought I might need to restart to get the VPN to recognize the update. And that was the last time I was able to see my desktop. I restarted, and the could not get past the gray screen. I did this twice. Then I did a safe boot (showing the status of the progression), and that when I saw this message over and over and over:
    hfs: RunTime corruption detected on MacIntosh HD, fsck will be forced on next mount.
    hfs: BlockMarkFreeInternal () trying to free unallocated blocks (10865570,8) on volume MacIntosh HD
    (I snapped a pic with my phone - that's how I transcribed it.)
    This ran for about 20 minutes before I suspected it wasn't actually doing anything, and I forced it to shut down by pressing the power button.
    I just tried to start it again (fingers crossed, hoping for a miracle), but no such luck. Does anyone have any ideas? Is all lost? Thank you in advance for any recommendations!
    Jennifer

    I should add that I don't know if the Java download is responsible - could just be a coincidence that it was the last thing I did/downloaded before restarting.

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