Macbook air stops at grey screen

On startup the sound plays and a grey screen appears then nothing happens.
After 5 mins a grey world icon with an exclamation mark appears on the screen
below it has apple.com/support
and under that -21 00D
Is there any way to get the computer to work or do i need to get to an apple store

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

Similar Messages

  • MacBook Air stuck on grey screen

    My MacBook Air 2011 will not boot, as it gets stuck on a grey screen. Nothing works, not even any keyboard shortcuts.
    What ive tried:
    - Recovery Mode (Wont even change the screen, waited about 5 minutes)
    - Resetting PVC or whatever its called (Just reboots the computer)
    - Safe Boot (trying right now, told that it takes a while)
    Taking it back to the apple store is my last resort, and I think im out of my warranty (no applecare).
    Any help?

    ANSWER
    I totally understand this issue!
    It's happened to me when I can't even move my mouse around. It's stuck on a grey screen and it's driving me nuts. i know this answer. This problem happened to my last night actually.
    What I did was leave it be for as long as it needs. My screen was grey for 24 hours. When I woke up in the morning, the screen was back to normal, on the screen I needed to log on with. BY THE WAY, I prayed for my laptop. LOL! I really hope you don't end up with a "hunk" of $1000 dollars on you're desk. Maybe this will take longer than mine did, OR shorter amount of time.
    QUESTION.
    JohGoins wrote:
    My MacBook Air 2011 will not boot, as it gets stuck on a grey screen. Nothing works, not even any keyboard shortcuts.
    What ive tried:
    - Recovery Mode (Wont even change the screen, waited about 5 minutes)
    - Resetting PVC or whatever its called (Just reboots the computer)
    - Safe Boot (trying right now, told that it takes a while)
    Taking it back to the apple store is my last resort, and I think im out of my warranty (no applecare).
    Any help?

  • Macbook Air 11" Overheat Grey Screen.

    Help Help Help !!!! I have a 2010 11" MBA 128Gb 4Gb RAM running Lion. About 1 month ago whilst attempting to upload a video to youtube (which was going to take about 3 hours) about half way through I came back to the room to find my display had a grey screen with no words or spinning ball on it and the base of the laptop was boiling to touch. I switched it off manually and then switched it back on immediately and it started up no problem.
    I attempted to upload the video 10 minutes later but the same thing happened again and the base got very hot. I therefore left the upload and performed it on my imac with no problems.
    I use the MBA very occaisionally, mostly for surfing the web, Lightroom, Photoshop and iphoto without any overheating problems at all and certainly no locked out grey screen. Anyway the same thing happened again yesterday so I immediatley trawled the internet forums for any help and others experiences.
    From what I have read so far I have not really seen a remedy for this. I am using Google Chrome, something which has been mentioned however others, who have had overheating issues, have had the same issues when using Safari and Firefox so I have elimenated that cause. I am using Lion and not Mountain Lion so I have eliminated that one. I have read about resetting the SMC and PRAM however I have not tried that yet.
    I guess I am really asking others who have experienced this if their is an ultimate remedy, or if it as motherboard or fan replacement issue ??
    As it is out of warranty I don't want to go down the road of taking it to the local Apple Reseller to be charged stupid money for them to have a look and fob me off with something which you guys and gals may be able to help me with.
    Any idead much appreciated, thanks

    ANSWER
    I totally understand this issue!
    It's happened to me when I can't even move my mouse around. It's stuck on a grey screen and it's driving me nuts. i know this answer. This problem happened to my last night actually.
    What I did was leave it be for as long as it needs. My screen was grey for 24 hours. When I woke up in the morning, the screen was back to normal, on the screen I needed to log on with. BY THE WAY, I prayed for my laptop. LOL! I really hope you don't end up with a "hunk" of $1000 dollars on you're desk. Maybe this will take longer than mine did, OR shorter amount of time.
    QUESTION.
    JohGoins wrote:
    My MacBook Air 2011 will not boot, as it gets stuck on a grey screen. Nothing works, not even any keyboard shortcuts.
    What ive tried:
    - Recovery Mode (Wont even change the screen, waited about 5 minutes)
    - Resetting PVC or whatever its called (Just reboots the computer)
    - Safe Boot (trying right now, told that it takes a while)
    Taking it back to the apple store is my last resort, and I think im out of my warranty (no applecare).
    Any help?

  • MacBook Air stuck in grey screen after ML installation

    Hi everybody,
    I have downloaded and installed Mountain Lion on my MacBook Air (2011). After the installation the computer restarted and stuck in the grey loading screen, showing the apple logo and the turning wheel. I've left it alone for hours but nothing happens. This is still the case and I cannot find a way out.
    Here is what I have tried so far:
    - Reload and reinstall ML via recovery mode (twice). Recovery mode shows me that 10.8 is installed, by the way
    - Restart without peripherals connected
    - Reset PRAM and NVRAM
    - Disconnect all cables and let the computer rest
    - Diagnose and repair hard drive (showed me a message that a Java-related group has a value of 80 but should be 0. Repair was "successful")
    - Safe boot (A bar appears in loading screen but disappears after it is about halfway full and I'm back in grey screen)
    Unfortunately none of this worked. I have a Time Machine backup but it is located at the other end of the country (long story) and I can't access it easily.
    Do you guys have any more ideas what else I could try? I'd really appreciate it.
    Thanks!
    B4sti

    I'm having the same issue. My MacBook air is stuck on the grey screen with the apple logo. I've waited for hours. Has anyone found a resolution to this issue?

  • TS2570 macbook air : start with grey screen... help !!!

    I have a new macbook air (3 months old) and all the sudden when I start it I have a grey screen with a question mark. The relevant Apple support page doesn't take into consideration the fact that you can't put an install disk into a macbook air. Help !

    Thank you for your answer.
    Unfortunately, I had already tried this online recovery (it also works if you boot holding the option) but the utility program didn't offer me the possibility to repair (when I selected the disk, this option wasn't available. In fact, I couldn't choose any option at all for my disk).
    I had just done the last system update proposed by Apple today. I never had any problem with a mac before and I am really in trouble in my work because of that. How can I try to save the most important files I was working on ? I am in Brazil so there is no Apple store available near my house.
    I also have external hard disk, an imac and a macbook but I don't know if I can use any of them for that...

  • Clone drive from a macbook which stops at Grey Screen

    Hi,
    I wanred to know what the best way to clone a macbook drive which freezes at the grey screen. I have tried all the reccomendations and still not working. I ahve not dones disk repair yet as if it is the HDD I would not want to force it more than it has too. I would like to make a bootable clone of my HDD to an external USB. I have CCC but it does not work on live CDs or bootable USB from what i've researched.
    The Option I have so far is to used ddrescue on the parted magic live cd (linux based) besfore I attempted the clone with ddrescue I just wanted to know if any of you had any other options or safer options.
    Thanks
    Hugo

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

  • MacBook Air stuck on grey screen! Help! Help!

    I was trying to uninstall Firefox so I moved the icon into the trashcan but it wouldn't delete.  So I moved the two files I found in the trash to the desktop and then I restarted.  Now my mac is stuck on the grey apple screen with the little timer.  I did the PRAM restart thing...it chimed and went to the grey screen again.  I am pretty sure the problem is that the Firefox is screwed up and Firefox is supposed to be the first app to load.  What can I do???? Please please please help!  I am totally lost here.  Thanks!

    Being stuck at the grey screen generally means there's something wrong involving reading something from or writing something to the hard drive. Letting the battery die may be something that is sometimes useful for a phone or iPod, but never for a computer.
    Step 1: try restarting in Safe Mode. Reboot and when you hear the chime and/or the LCD backlight comes on press and hold the shift key until you see the Apple icon. The bootup will take longer than normal because the hard drive is being examined and repaired.  If this works you'll get to the desktop but Safe Mode only loads a minimal number of drivers so some things won't work. Reboot normally and see if you can get to the desktop now. If Step 1 failed or if after rebooting you returned to the gray screen try step 2.
    Step 2: try restarting in Recovery Mode. Reboot and when you hear the chime and/or the LCD backlight comes on press and hold the command and R keys. You should boot into a utility mode where you can a) check the hard drive directory and repair it if need be and b) download and reinstall the operating system and that's what you should try doing.
    If step 2 fails reboot holding option, command and R. This is Internet Recovery mode which is similar to Recovery mode except the drive will probably need to be formatted or partitioned before the OS can be reinstalled. This will erase all your data.
    And if this fails call AppleCare or make an appointment at the Apple store.

  • How do I turn on my MacBook Air if only grey screen when powered up.

    What do I do if my computer only shows a grey screen when power turned on?

    Follow the guidance offered in this Apple support article:
    http://support.apple.com/en-us/TS2570
    Ciao.

  • My MacBook Pro shows a grey screen  at start-up how do I fix this problem?

    My MacBook Pro shows a grey screen when I try to login and won't go onto my homepage. Why has this happened and how do I fix it?

    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
    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 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.

  • My macbook air stopped working

    My macbook air stopped working just a few days ago, when I press the power button I get the startup sound and a white screen, nothing more.. No loading indicator, no apple logo.
    As holding the option key when booting didn't work and I didn't got the startup drive selector I removed my HDD and tried again, this time I could get to the startup disk selector screen and selected my repair disk.
    So I think it's an problem with my HDD, I reinstalled the HDD and rebooted with pre-selected startup disk; the repair disk. And still I don't see my HDD, not in the disk utilities.
    Anyone who can point me in the right direction of mounting the HDD again to repair it? Or can I put it with the trash?

    Hi Hummel Nederland,
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.  This article has a few additional steps I would recommend trying for your boot issues:
    Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
    Cheers,
    - Ari

  • The internal camera on my macbook air stopped working.

    The internal camera on my macbook air stopped working. The camera is non available in settings also. Please help.

    Check if it is a hardware issue. If it is take the MBA to an Apple dealer.
    Apple menu / About the Mac / More Info / System Report.
    On the left, under Hardware, click on USB. The right side will show the USB Device Tree. Check to verify the camera is listed. Should be called Built-in iSight. If it is not listed, take the computer in for a full diagnosis.
    If the camera is listed, click on Launch Pad then click on Photo Booth. Do you see anything?
    Launch pad
    Photo Booth

  • My macbook air stopped working suddenly and started beeping no backlight ...just beeping

    my macbook air stopped working...and started beeping...how do I recover...no backlight ....just beeping

    three beeps in a row?  That indicates the RAM is bad on the logic board.
    verify the scheme of the beeps and report back.
    3 beeps = RAM is bad
    4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
    5 beeps = processor is not usable

  • Just turned my macbook air on and the screen is white except for what looks like a camera with a question mark flashing.  any ideas what to do?

    turned by macbook air on and the screen is white with a question mark flashing and nothing else on the screen. will not boot up.

    Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer was running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier and you reach the third set of steps, insert a Mac OS X install disk or connect the computer's original thumbdrive.
    (124635)

  • Hello my MBP 15" stops at grey screen after apple logo disappears

    hello, my MBP 15" stops at grey screen after apple logo disappears, what can i do about this? ive tried booting into safe mode but screen turns blue with black lines also tried resetting NVRAM and PVRAM but still stops at grey screen, also tried using applejack, it shows no problems at all, says my disk volume is ok but the screen still stops at grey during start up, havent tried the installation disk thing because i dont have my installation disk with me

    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.

  • My Macbook air stopped responding to the password....HELP!!!

    Aloha
    My MacBook Air stopped responding to its password, what might I have done wrong?
    How can I find out what it things the password might be?
    Dan Page
    Hawaii

    It might help to reset the connection settings on your Mac using these steps one at a time until the problem is resolved, recognizing that, depending on your problem, not all of these steps will make sense:
    1) Use the AirPort/Wi-Fi menu bar item to turn AirPort/Wi-Fi off, then on again.
    2) Try to select your Wi-Fi network from the AirPort/Wi-Fi menu.
    3) In the Network panel of System Preferences delete the AirPort/Wi-Fi item from the left column, then add it back.
    4) In the same panel as (3), define a new location and see if you can make that work.
    5) In the same panel, select the AirPort/Wi-Fi connection item, click the "Advanced" button, select the "TCP/IP" tab, then click "Renew DHCP Lease".  Note that the fix this step implements may be temporary.
    6) In the folder /Library/Preferences ( _not_ <yourhomefolder>/Library/Preferences), move the folder SystemConfiguration onto the Desktop, then restart your computer. See if you can now make your AirPort connection work.
    These steps may not help, but they'll only take a couple of minutes to try.  Before you try these, if you have any special network settings on your Mac for things like DSL credentials, note all your network settings, because the latter steps will destroy them.  If you got all the way to the last step, if things don't work any worse than before, you can trash the saved SystemConfiguration folder.
    By the way, you've been misled by poor field labeling on this forum into typing a large part of your message into the field intended for the subject.  In the future just type a short summary of your post into that field and type the whole message into the field below that.

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