MacBook Pro doesn't want to start up anymore.

My MacBook Pro doesn't want to start up anymore.
When I turn it on, it turns on, followed by a white/light grey screen with apple logo. After a while a loading wheel appears beneath the logo and a loading bar beneath it. The loading bar loads to about 1/5 and then disappears, leaving the computer stuck on the the white screen with the apple logo and the loading wheel.
I tried to reset the PRAM, but it didn't help, it only got the startup sound to play when I turn the MacBook on.
What can I do about this? Hopefully I don't need to lose my files.
Thanks in advance,
Emil

lonelyplanet wrote:
Seems like I have to use my Time Machine backup drive to reinstall the OS.
No you don't.
OS X can be reinstalled all by itself leaving the programs and files alone, provided the drive is working correctly.
I'm not quite sure how to recover the files from Macintosh HD that I don't want to be deleted during this process.
The TM drive is almost useless because you can't boot from it to recover your latest files with.
That's why I gave the link for the undelete boot drive, you create and boot from that, access your internal drive and grab files, then you can restore from TM or other things, like the repair list of fixes I gave you.
Could you help me a little on how to backup files manually most easily?
The problem is your machine isn't booting to grab the files.
So you need to create a external boot drive, then you can access the internal boot drive directly and grab files out of your Music, Pictures, Movies, Documents folders (etc) to the external boot drive.
Most commonly used backup methods
Or is there a way to do this without deleting all of the files in my user folders on Macintosh HD?
Yes, you can choose to create a
Create a data recovery, undelete boot drive
and recover your filesnow , or you can chose to try fixing the machine without recovering your files, but your taking your chances as we don't know how seriously wrong it is yet.
If your willing to take a risk then proceed through this list, Step 1 - 8 etc., until the machine boots up.
Step by Step to fix your Mac
If the machine doesn't boot up then you need to create the external boot drive to get the files before proceeding with further steps.
If this is too much for you, then call a local PC/Mac data recovery/repair service and they will handle it for a large fee.

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MacBook Pro doesn't want to start

Hi,
This morning, when I tried to start my MacBook Pro and nothing really happened. He made the normal MacBook starting sound but the screen refused to open... The apple logo on the top of the computer was illuminated though.
The only solution I found is to hold the power button several seconds then start it again, press and hold the R, T, CMD, ALT buttons until a special recovery screen shows up. After that, if I turn it off normally.
Finally, I am able to restart it and the computer will work as usual.
It is not the first time I experience this problem... It happened at least 3 times.
Do you know what is causing this problem and if there is any clue of solution you could give me?
For your information, I have a MacBook Pro retina 13,3 inches with Intel Core-I5 and a 128GB flash storage bought in early December of 2014.
Thanks a lot for your help!

Hi there Lapetty11!
It sounds like you may want to try resetting the System Management Controller on your MacBook in an attempt to resolve this issue:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
You may also need to try booting your computer in Safe Mode, which is explained here:
Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!
Cheers,
Braden

Plz help. MacBook Pro doesn't want to start up. Stays on white screen starting up!

Ok, so my MacBook Pro is not starting up properly. When I shut it down and turn it back on my Mac just froze on the white screen when starting it up. All I have now is a start up blank screen with the apple and the small spinning wheel below it. Just like starting you MacBook normally but instead it just stays there with the wheel spinning for minutes!!! Nothing come up. Not my sign in screen but the white screen. Pls help!!!

hoangtu23 wrote:
I have this question too.
Below is video record of my macbook pro screen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xThWNuw7t0
For hoangtu23, looks like you have a graphics card problem that will need a visit to an Apple Store (make a genius bar apointment first) or to a Apple authorized service center.

My MacBook Pro doesn't accept CDs or DVDs anymore, but it did when I bought it 2 years ago. How can I get it to read disks again?

My MacBook Pro doesn't accept CDs or DVDs anymore, but it did when I bought it 2 years ago. How can I get it to read disks again?
My quess is that the new software just doesn't allow the disk drive to work. I would love an explanation why this doesn't work and some help getting it to work. It's really frustrating because I get a bunch of CDs from work and never get to listen to them on my MacBook.

Make sure the discs are free of finger prints. The optical drive cannot read a disc with smudges and dust.
Check Finder > Preferences > General
Make sure: CDs, DVDs, and iPods, is selected.

MacBook Pro doesn't want to boot when cd rom is connected

Hello,
I have an issue with my MacBook Pro (2009) model.
When I'm connecting CD-ROM (internal one) computer doesn't want to boot nither from DC ROM nor from HDD.
As soon as I am dissconecting CD ROM system is booting up without any problem.
Please advise.
Thanks,
Dubbster

Hi Dubbster,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
I understand that your MacBook Pro is not booting when you have the Mac OS X Install DVD inserted. Do you get any boot options when you hold down the Option key during startup? Please reference the following article and let me know if you need further assistance.
Startup Manager: How to select a startup volume
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1310
I hope this helps,
-Joe

MacBook Pro doesn't want to sleep - EVER

My soooo out of warrenty MacBook Pro (mid-2010 OSX 10.9.1) has stopped going to sleep altogether. It does not go to sleep when you close the lid or when you go to the apple menu and press sleep, you can still hear the fans running all the time. I noticed this as I fully charged the battery, put it to sleep and then went to use it again later in the evening to find it has no battery left. The display and keyboard lights both go off when its closed or put into sleep manually but the indicator light on the front is always solid white and the fan constantly runs. I have also tried resetting the SMC to no avail, have checked and restored my energy preferences to default, i have also disabled the wake on bluetooth and Internet options but still it will not sleep.
There is a lot of confusing information regarding this online and now i feel i am going round in circles!
Any help would be greatfully apperciated!

Test after each of the following steps that you haven’t already tried:
Step 1
Take all the steps suggested in this support article. That's the starting point for any further effort to solve the problem. Skipping any of those steps may mean that the problem won't be solved. Note that, as stated in the article, the computer will not sleep if Internet Sharing is enabled.
Step 2
From the menu bar, select
 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Accessibility ▹ Speakable Items: Off
Step 3
Select
 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Bluetooth ▹ Advanced...
and uncheck both boxes marked
Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup if...
Step 4
Reset the SMC.
Step 5
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you boot, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal. Don’t launch any applications at first. If sleep still doesn’t work properly, back up all data and reinstall the OS. After that, if you still have the issue, make a “Genius” appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.
If sleep now works as expected, go on to the next step.
Step 6
Still in safe mode, launch the usual set of applications that are running when you have the problem, including your login items, one at a time, testing after each one. Some applications may not work; skip them. You might be able to identify the cause of the problem this way.
Step 7
If sleep is still working after you’ve launched all the usual applications, reboot as usual (not in safe mode) and test again. If sleep still works, you’re done, at least for the moment.
If you still have the sleep issue after booting out of safe mode, post again.

I am taking over someone else's MacBook Pro and I want to start fresh...

I am taking over someone else's MacBook Pro for the purpose of installing Final Cut on it.
I want to start fresh and erase everything they have off of their computer. I know I have to make sure they have all of their files off of it before I erase, but then what? Also, to reinstall the Apple software, do I need a disc or how do I do that? I don't remember my MacBook Pro coming with any install discs. Can someone please provide step-by-step instructions on how best to do this?
Thank you!

Erasing disks securely
If the computer came with discs - Start up from your install disc, go to Disk Utility and select the disk and click erase - to securely erase data click Security Options and Erase Free Space which will entirely wipe your disk, overwriting it with zeros so that no data is recoverable.

Macbook pro does not want to start up

Hi! I am having issues with my MacBook Pro. What's happening is that when I turn it on it does not want to load anything. I push the power button and the apple logo comes up and the little loading symbol at the bottom just keeps going around and around. I've left it on for about an hour straight to see if it finally loads or if anything happens and still I get no where. Has anyone had this issue before and if so, how was it resolved? I don't have the extend warranty from apple, so they're charging my $20 right off the back to use over the phone service. I have no problem paying for it, just rather see if there is a simple free way to get it fix instead of having to pay just to talk to someone over the phone. I also can't remember what operating system I am running on. PLEASE 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 boot failure is to secure your 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 your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into 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, boot 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
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot 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.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot 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 your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot 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, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot 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 reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your 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 reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
This step applies only to a Mac Pro tower, not to any other model. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

My MacBook Pro doesn't want to burn DL DVD?

Iv'e been tring to burn DL DVDs on my MacBook Pro but it just doesnt want too.
What should I do? I don't want to buy a external DVD burner.
Does anyone know if APPLE could install an internal DVD burner that can burn DL DVDs?
MacBook Pro 1, 1 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Due to size constraints inside the MacBook Pro case, the higher-speed dual layer drives just didn't fit in the MacBook Pro at the time of design and manufacture. There are some drives on the horizon that will fit in this form factor - it remains to be seen what will work, or what Apple themselves includes in the later MacBook Pro revisions.
In the meanwhile, any Firewire or USB 2.0 drive should work just fine. iDVD in iLife '06 has been updated to permit burning of projects on third party available DVD burners now.
If this is helpful or solves your problem, please indicate this by clicking the appropriate icon in the header of this response.

Why mi Macbook Pro doesn't want to recognize my WD Passport after the OS X Mavericks update

Hello, when I bought my macbook pro in 2009, everything was good, now when I did the upgrade to get Mavericks, my WD Passport is not recognize, what can I do?

WD has worked very hard to make their drives incompatible with Mavericks:
The drives come with software on the drive which is incompatible.
The drives come with incompatible software (the humorously named WD SmartWare) which they want you to install on your mac, to run the drive with the incompatible software already on it.
In addition to being incompatible, this software is unnecessary in the first place.
WD didn't stop there: in some cases WD drives have firmware in the hard drive enclosure which is also incompatible with Mavericks.
I'd try:
hopefully you have the data on the drive backed up somewhere else.
reformat (erase) the drive with disk utility if you can.
uninstall the WD software on your Mac
research the drive to see if it is one of the ones with the incompatible firmware. If it is:
If you trust WD (I wouldn't), see if they have a firmware update.
Otherwise, remove the drive from the enclosure and put it in another (non-WD) enclosure.
Or if you can return it for a refund, do that.

My new Macbook pro doesn't have a start-up disc?

I just purchased a new Macbook Pro and it didn't come with an OS back-up disc. What if I have a problem and need to re-install everything?
How do I obtain a disc if I want one?
Thanks,

Then you do the following:
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.
If you wish to reinstall without erasing the drive first:
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

New macbook pro doesn't startup all the way anymore

I just bought my Macbook pro 13" 2.53ghz.
I was extremely excited with my new machine because it's my first mac.
But now, 5 hours after unpacking it, I'm getting frustrated.
My mb already froze 5 times and now, when I try to start is, the white/grey screen with the apple logo and the little 'waiting circle' just stays on the screen.
I had this problem earlier today, but when I rebooted my mb without other devices attached (iPod, usb drive and powercord) it worked. Now I tried the same thing with and without other devices attached and it just gives me that stupid white screen with the logo.
Does anyone knows how I can solve this problem and start working with my mb again?
PS: I am not American, so excuse me if my english is not understandable

Here are some things you could try:
1. Insert the original OS X install disc and reinstall the operating system. If the problem is a software fault, that should fix it. (Once the MBP is running again, you could use Disk Utility to run the "Repair Permissions" and "Verify Disk" routines in it. Disk Utility is in the Applications/Utilities folder.
2. If reinstalling the OS doesn't work or doesn't help, you could insert the second install disk and boot and run the hardware test program. That will tell you if there' s a hardware failure in your machine.
Good luck.
One more thing: when you are doing (1) or (2) above, be sure your MBP has the power cord attached and is plugged into line current and not just running on the battery.

My MacBook Pro doesn't want to open with my password or guess

I was deleting video in my iTunes storage and I received a pop notice to free up some space. I did mange to free up some space but once I restarted my MacBook I couldn't register back in with my password, all I get is a blank screen every time I try to go in.

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 boot failure is to secure your 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 your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into 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, boot 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
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 3
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot 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.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 4
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot 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 your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot 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, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot 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 reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your 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 reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat Step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a boot failure. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. If you can't get to an Apple Store, go to another authorized service provider.

My MacBook Air doesn't want to start.

Hi in this mont i left my computer on sleep and today i wanted to use it. And when I opened it got stucked so i push the shutting down button. When it shutted down I started it and it freezed in the apple loading what can i do?????

Hi CVGJ,
If you are getting an Apple logo when you start up your computer and it does not progress any further you may want to troubleshoot using the steps in this article -
OS X Mavericks: If you see a gray screen at startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14062
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

Macbook Pro doesn't want to turn on when level

13" MBP 7,1 ... sometimes when I go to turn it on and it's totally flat/level, it won't turn on... but if I tilt it a little bit (lift the front edge up by half an inch), the screen will turn on and I can hear the hard drive start up.. as soon as I put it flat again, the screen blacks out (like it's gone to sleep mode),... touching the mousepad or keys will not turn it back on. Right now, I've got it on my lap, with the back edge tilted up by an inch or so.. and it's working fine...
Sometimes it will work fine when flat... it's an intermittent (as far as I can tell) issue..
Any thoughts?

Cage
Have you dropped or mishandled the computer? haven't bumped it into anything? Is it new? I would suggest taking it to an Apple store ASAP and having a Genius take a look. Perhaps something inside is loose. Perhaps some wiring is not correct. Just my opinion but that's what I would do. Hope this helps. Does it display the same behavior whether running on battery, or the power adapter?
Joseph

MacBook Pro doesn't want to start up anymore.

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