MacBook Pro hangs in gray screen after security update

I just allowed software update to download and install the latest Safari update and Security update 2009-6. During the restart my macbook just hung on the gray screen with the spinning gear.
I've tried starting in target disc mode but the iMac doesn't register the MacBook's HD.
I started from the install disc (10.4.5) and launched disk utility but it won't read the HD either.
I tried Safe Start-up, resetting PRAM but still the hang.
HELP

If not for the coincidence of a restart after those software updates, I'd say
you need to get a correct version of Disk Warrior and see if it can repair
or rebuilt the hard disk drive's Directory; since that is a likely item to have
been corrupted somehow. And corruption of data, including the System,
is a serious matter. A near-capacity or over-full hard disk drive can cause
odd issues including corruption; so there may be more going on in the Mac.
Other third party disk utilities may be able to help get into the failed computer
and the problem is likely the hard disk drive. Sometimes, a software issue in
a drive can related to a hardware failure; so to consider a strategy that may
include a new drive for the computer and an external enclosure for the drive
that is now in the failed computer, to then maybe further your recovery of data
if it comes to that.
Good luck & happy computing!

Similar Messages

HT204347 macbook pro hung on gray screen with spinner

macbook pro hung on gray screen with spinner.any answers??

See this Apple note: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

MacBook Pro hanging with blue screen and spinner after installing Software Update

Hi I was wondering if someone could help me with this current issue. Just a few hours ago I finished reinstalling Mac OS X Snow Leopard in my MacBook Pro. I performed a clean installation as part of a yearly spring cleaning that I do on all my systems to keep them optimized. So there was I downloading some software updates which included the combo update of OSX 10.6.8 and others. The updates finished downloading and the system logged out to install the updates, when the updates finished installing my MacBook proceeded by logging out into a blue screen and show a gray spinner similar to the one seen when you start your Mac. Here's the problem after 2 hours the system is showing the spinner and the blue screen, I think that my computer has just hanged in the reboot process.
I was wondering what should I do? Do a force restart? Or leave it overnight?
Also, where can I find any information on what error is causing this issue?
I appreciate your responses and help.
By the way, I installed Mac OS X from a USB stick that has the original image of the disk installer that came bundled with my computer.

Kappy wrote:
Force a shutdown. Do not restart yet, but first do the following:
Repair the Hard Drive
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Next, boot into Safe Mode then restart normally.
Hi Kappy,
Checked the hard drive after forcing a shutdown and booting from my Snow Leopard Installer USB Key and the status of the HDD says "Verified". I ran the repair and the volume was repaired successfully. Clicked on "Verify Disk" and it says "Macintosh HD appears to be OK". So I ran a second repair and again no errors were reported.
As suggested I booted back again in Safe Mode and restarted normally. All software appears to have been installed successfully. But I don't understand why my computer hanged and showed the spinner after installing the updates in the blue screen that appears just before rebooting. I am aware that the system shows that spinner after a OS update but the longest it lasts is 30 seconds at the most in my previous cases.

Gray Screen after Yosemite update on MacBook Pro

I have a Macbook Pro from the fall of 2011 and receny updated from Mavericks to Yosemite. The installation seemed to go okay, took like eight hours, but started at first. Then once I opened an application it shut down and tried to restart. It went to a gray screen and then to a gray screen with a restricted symbol, or whatever you want to call it, as pictured below.
Before the update, the computer would shut down for no reason and restart with the message, "Restarted due to problem", or something like that. I had repaired and cleaned the disk using Onyx, and it seemed to have stopped the problem, but the way it shut down this time seemes just like that. Now I cannot get it past this screen... Please help, guys :/

Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
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 Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

MacBook Pro 15in showing gray screen on start-up

Okay, so basically trying to format my Macbook pro, I guess I deleted the software on my computer as well. Stupid me, didn't back my computer up. All that shows, is a gray screen with a folder with a question mark on it. I have the OS installation disk on an external CD-ROM drive and all that pops up when it's plugged in is the apple logo. Ive tried CMND-R, CMND-C, CMND-V, and just simply pressing the option button at startup and nothing has seemed to work, i end up at the same screen. When I just did the option, it gave me the opportunity to use the disk, but it goes right back to the apple screen. If anyone could help, that'd be FANTASTIC. Please!!

You have a Retina model MBP. It did not come with installer discs. You would use Internet Recovery:
Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
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 Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

Macbook pro freezes with grayed screen

MacBook Pro 5,5; OSX 10.6.8
Repeatedly crashes with a translucent gray veil that moves down the screen, and a message box in the middle of the page saying you have to turn off the computer by holding down the power button and then restart.
I think this happens almost always in Safari or Thunderbird - the programs most used.
Here is the text of the report sent to Apple following the last incident:
Interval Since Last Panic Report: 159767 sec
Panics Since Last Report:          4
Anonymous UUID:                    53BBF2EA-8F1B-449D-B186-254D4ED2B53D
Wed Dec 12 09:23:14 2012
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x2abf6a): Kernel trap at 0x01790207, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x390b3d54, CR3: 0x00100000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x00000000, EBX: 0x09827804, ECX: 0x08a1a020, EDX: 0x00000004
CR2: 0x390b3d54, EBP: 0x590b3df8$ ESI: 0x08a1a004, EDI: 0x0889e004
EFL: 0x00010202, EIP: 0x01790207, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x00810010
Error code: 0x00000002
Backtrace (CPU 1), FRame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x590b3b08 : 0x21b837 (0x5dd7fc 0x590b3b3c 0x223ce1 0x0)
0x590b3b58 : 0x2abf6a (0x59e3d0 0x1790207 0xe 0x59e59a)
0x590b3c38 : 0x2a1a78 (0x590b3c50 0x843a96c 0x590b3df8 0x1790207)
0x590b3c48 : 0x1790207 (0xe 0x6a0048 0x590b0010 0x2a0010)
0x590b3df8 : 0xb0e258 (0x8a1a004 0x889e004 0x0 0x0)
0x590b3e38 : 0x9dde2b (0x8a1a004 0x889e004 0x0 0x0)
0x590b3ed8 : 0x553ec7 (0x0 0x9afa880 0x1 0x6)
0x590b3f28 : 0x552ea6 (0x9afa880 0x0 0x97f64b0 0x0)
0x590b3f88 : 0x552eea (0x8de2100 0x8de2100 0x0 0x52b2d000)
0x590b3fc8 : 0x2a179c (0x8de2100 0x0 0x10 0x8b41684)
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):
         com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal(6.3.6)@0x1664000->0x1a78fff
            dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(6.3.6)@0x96e000
         com.apple.NVDAResman(6.3.6)@0x96e000->0xc5bfff
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)@0x928000
            depdndency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.2.1)@0x961000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.2.1)@0x93f000
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Mac OS version:
10K549
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 10.8.0: Tue Jun 7 16:33:36 PDT 2011; boot:xnu-1504.15.3~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro5,5 (Mac-F2268AC8)
System uptime in nanoseconds: 142110528626
unloaded kexts:
(none)
loaded kexts:
com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_5          5.2.3
com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_4          5.2.3
com.seagate.driver.PowSecDriverCore          5.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor          1.9.3d0 - last loaded 51020409549
com.apple.filesystems.autofs          2.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver          1.0.2d2
com.apple.driver.AGPM          100.12.31
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver          1.2.0
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport          2.6.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA          2.0.5f14
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient          3.5.7
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl          1.0.20
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver          2.0.5f14
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC          1.57
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor          3.0.1d2
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X          7.0.0
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver          1.1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelYonahProfile          14
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPenrynProfile          17
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelNehalemProfile          11
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelMeromProfile          19
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin          4.7.0a1
com.apple.GeForce          6.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC          1.5.1
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl          2.10.6
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight          170.0.46
com.apple.kext.AppleSMCLMU          1.5.2d10
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons          201.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver          201.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard          201.6
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController          303.8
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient          2.6.8
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader          2.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage          1.6.4
com.apple.BootCache          31.1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib          1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager          160.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI          4.7.3
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43xx          423.91.27
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43224          428.42.4
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort          2.1.7
com.apple.nvenet          2.0.17
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub          4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI          4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM          1.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC          1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET          1.5
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI          4.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons          1.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS          1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC          1.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC          1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient          142.6.0
com.apple.security.sandbox          1
com.apple.security.quarantine          0
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall          2.1.14
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement          142.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver          2.0.5f14
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib          2.0.5f14
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileReadCounterAction          17
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController          1.0.10d0
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileTimestampAction          10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileThreadInfoAction          14
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileRegisterStateAction          10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileKEventAction          10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileCallstackAction          20
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP          2.0.3
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface          74.2
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager          2.4.5f3
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily          10.0.3
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily          1.8.3fc2
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib          1.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController          2.0.5f14
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily          2.0.5f14
com.apple.iokit.AppleProfileFamily          41
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily          4.7.0a1
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI          1.0.10d0
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal          6.3.6
com.apple.NVDAResman          6.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert          1.0.1
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport          2.2.1
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC          3.1.0d5
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily          2.2.1
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController          2.4.5f3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController          2.4.5f3
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily          2.4.5f3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch          207.7
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver          4.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice          2.6.8
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily          1.6
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily          1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily          1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass          2.6.7
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub          4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite          3.9.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI          1.2.6
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter          402.1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSerialBusProtocolTransport          2.1.0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSBP2          4.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice          2.6.8
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily          2.6.8
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver          2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily          4.2.6
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family          320.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily          2.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily          1.10
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient          4.2.4
com.apple.driver.NVSMU          2.2.7
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime          1.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily          4.2.4
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily          1.6.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily          1.1
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch          1.0.0d1
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet          6
com.apple.driver.DiskImages          289
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily          1.6.3
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform          1.3.6
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily          2.6.5
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily          1.3.0
I hope someone has a suggestion about fixing the problem!

Remove the battery to find your serial number in the battery bay. Then you can look your MBP up on EveryMac.com:
http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/
That will give you all the information on your Mac.
This is assuming that you have the MBP with the removable battery and not the unibody. The unibody has different graphic chips.
Good luck!
Message was edited by: S.U.

Macbook Pro 2009 has gray screen, safe mode won't work

I have a Macbook Pro 2009, with a new hard drive installed in August of 2013. I opened my computer a couple days ago to a gray screen with a prohibitory sign and a spinning gear that will not disappear. I have no backup and tried to backup my hard drive to an external drive in Recovery Mode, but I got an error message and the backup did not work: the image could not be created. So I decided to try Safe Mode, but the Macbook will not enter safe mode. Is there any way to get onto the computer just to backup a handful of files onto an external drive before I format my drive and start over? Am I doing something wrong by trying to enter safe mode? (I held down the Shift key after the chime and released it when the Apple logo and the gear appeared) Any help is appreciated. I've read all the topics in the forums I could find on this issue, but none of the directions seem to help. Thank you.

LisaLoParo,
no, you’re not doing anything wrong in trying to boot into Safe mode.
I can think of three possible alternatives to Safe mode to try:
If you have an external disk, you could boot from the grey Mac OS X Install DVD which came in the box with your MacBook Pro, and try copying files from your internal disk to the external disk;
If you have a bootable external disk, you could boot from it using Startup Manager, and try copying files from your internal disk to the external disk;
If you have access to a FireWire 800 cable and a second Mac with a FireWire 800 port, you could try booting your MacBook Pro into Target Disk mode so that it can be used as an external disk from the second Mac, and try copying files from your MacBook Pro to the second Mac.
You’d only need to try one of these three alternatives; if you try one of them and it doesn’t work, then you’d get the same result by trying either of the other two. Good luck.

Macbook pro hangs on blue screen at startup

I've been having intermittent problems with my Macbook Pro starting up, but this is the first time it's completely failed to start up: I get the startup sound, the grey screen with apple logo, and then it just hangs on a blue screen, with a grey startup dial, and nothing happens. It was working fine up until this evening; it's confusing to say this, but it seems to have moods where startup is an issue. But I have taken it in several times for this very problem: the first time, they replaced my hard drive, the second I was told to reinstall OS X, and then add software back one program at a time. All I had on this machine was Adobe Creative Suite 4, nothing which would cause any issues. I don't even have any fonts on this machine!
Desperate to know what might be the problem; I've tried a few of the basic troubleshooting work arounds and none of them are working. Does anyone know what the issue could be?
Help!

Follow these documents.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
If you get a external USB or Firewire drive, you can hold c and boot off the installer disk #1 that comes with your computer, the second screen in is a Utilities Menu and Disk Utility.
Select the EXTERNAL DRIVE and Erase, format HFS+ Journaled GUID partition.
When that's completed quit Disk Utility and your back in the OS X installer, install OS X on the EXTERNAL DRIVE.
When that's complete quit and reboot hold down the OPTION KEY and select the External drive to boot from.
Now GRAB THOSE FILES!!!
After that you can do what you want to the boot drive, if you can't fix it, you can always install OS X again (without formatting) and it should leave your programs and files alone. But if something goes wrong you have a copy on the external drive.
You can choose to Disk Utility format and reinstall everything, OS X, programs and files as well.
If for some reason you can't access your internal drive, either booted from the install disk in Disk Utility or via the external drive, it's possible your hard drive died.

Macbook Pro retina display gray screen on start up

New Macbook pro 1 week old gets a grey screen on startup
Tried to do a safeboot but it stops after 5 lines.
any ideas???

You have a Retina model MBP. It did not come with installer discs. You would use Internet Recovery:
Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
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 Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

New Macbook Pro (with Retina) black screen after waking up

Hello,
I bought a new 2015 Macbook pro (13" with Retina) a couple of weeks ago and noticed one thing that concerns me.
When the Macbook either boots up or wakes up from sleep mode it stays on a completely black screen for about 30-45 seconds.
I find myself sweating it out to see if the screen will actually come on. So far the screen always (eventually) comes on and the Macbook works as expected.
Do you think this is a problem with the Macbook? If so, I'd like to return it for anew before the month is up.
If this is a software issue, how can I fix it?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Please take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Test after each one. Back up all data before making any changes.
1. Set the default startup disk.
2. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up. If there's no change, reconnect them
3. Reset the System Management Controller.
4. Reset the PRAM.
5. Reset the printing system.

Macbook Pro Stuck at Gray Screen When Entering Boot Options

Hello apple community,
I have a 15 inch MacBook Pro 2008, and I decided recently to replace the 250 Gb hard drive with a new WD Black 500 Gb hard drive. I backed up all the data onto my external hard drive and replaced the hard drive. Now I am trying to enter the disk utility to boot from the disk utility by holding the option key. When I turn on the computer and hold the option key it gets stuck on the gray screen. Does anybody have any idea why this is happening? Thanks.

OK. When you say it doesn't work does that mean you cannot see the drive in Disk Utility? Of course that means you need to boot from another drive such as your external backup. If you happen to have a Snow Leopard DVD to boot your computer then you could try with that. But there isn't much you can do if you don't have another bootable drive in an external enclosure or other form of hookup like a universal drive adaptor.
Your model is not new enough to use Internet Recovery. I don't know what more to offer. You cannot even verify that the new HDD is OK by putting it in an external enclosure.

MacBook Pro Stuck on Gray Screen

My MacBook Pro is stuck on the grey screen and won't move past it. I have tried safe startup, resetting the NAVRAM, I am currently in the disk utility and when I verify disk permissions, it says this:
- user differs on .ds_store, should be 0; user is 501
- group differs on .ds_store; should be 80; group is 20
- permissions differ in .ds_store; should be -rw-rw-r-- ; they are -rw-r--r--
- unable to set owner and group on .ds_store; error 22: invalid argument
- unable to set permissions on .ds_store; error 22: invalid argument
- user differs on Applications/.DS_store; should be 0; user is 501
Specs:
System Version: 10.8.5
System Build: 12F45
I honestly don't remember the year.
Also, no backups at all. I checked my box for original install disks and don't see any so I assume they don't come with any, anymore. Any help is appreciated!

Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup - Apple Support

MacBook Pro mid 2010, gray screen at start up, boot from dvd not working.

Backstory:
I was in the process of installing Windows 7 using boot camp, but I was a little bit low on HD space. So, I deleted the user account that had a ton of stuff, and did some other crap that messed up my hard drive. So my computer just won't boot. It shows a gray screen 24/7, going into safe boot/safe boot + verbose doesn't fix the problem. I tried booting from an OSX Leopard dvd, but it won't work when I hold down C, and when I choose the Mac OS X Install DVD option after holding the option key, when I click the arrow button it freezes and doesn't boot. I have Lion installed, and apple says not to boot with an older version of OSX DVD, but there is no Lion DVD.
What do I do?
PS: I'm trying to boot using the DVD so I can reformat my hard drive, trying to do so in Recovery HD doesn't work because it says it 'Can't unmount drive'.

Rockswim,
did it do that only once, or does it do that every time you restart it?

Mac Pro stuck on gray screen after installing software for a new keyboard

I am having a huge issue with my very important work computer! For a few weeks, my Mac has been freezing on the gray screen during start up. Since I had two external hard drives plugged in, I would unplug one of them and the Mac would always restart correctly once one was unplugged. Well today I was installing software for a new keyboard and the mac prompted me to restart. Once I restarted, the gray screen came up again and no matter what I did it would not start up correctly again. I tried unplugging everything except the keyboard and monitor and nothing works. I tried ejecting the crash-causing CD with the keyboard using all of the commands I found on this forum board and nothing worked. I saw forums about manually ejecting the CD by pushing a pin-hole but I cannot find that pinhole anywhere! Then again, the CD might not even be the problem but since the computer gave me the gray screen of death right after using the CD I am thinking that it is the problem. I use this computer for editing a TV show and creating websites so there is a ton of files on it and I need to get it up and running again ASAP. Any suggestions would be appreciated and I am sure by now you can tell that I am not a Mac expert so please dumb it down for me. Thank you!!

I would start by breaking your thoughts and sentences out from one long paragraph.
Start at the basics.
Always have backups.
One at least that is a spare boot system you can use.
Clone your system. SuperDuper does a great job for only $29
Boot from another hard drive or last OS X DVD
Repair your drive with Apple Disk Utility along with 3rd party disk maintenance and repair
Hold Option key until the boot manager, then hold mouse to open optical drive.
You can hold mouse on startup and it will eject also.
Hold and continue to hold Shift key during startup to repair the boot drive in minimal fashion.
What device and driver? hint: never use CD, just go online as the CD is usually out of date anyway.
Fill in Mac OS X version and more about hardware would help in posts and in your profile signature.
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/harddrives/index.html#d12aug2010
http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior

My MacBook Pro gets a gray screen followed by a message that I will have to shut down. This has happened five times in the last 8 days.

This started happening around the beginning of this year. I contacted Apple Support and they worked with me on-line and over the phone. It happened again the next day. After it happened about 20 more times, I took it into the Apple Store and they decided to reinstall the OS. Since then, it has happened about 10 more times.
This has happened with and without attached devices or flash drives. It has happened on different wi-fi networks. It generally happens when I am navigating with the track pad or with a mouse. I don't recall ever leaving the room and returning to find the gray screen. In other words, it happens shortly after I have moved the cursor. I've noticed the pinwheel usually appears before the gray screen.
Any suggestions?

Talbott Jones wrote:
I've noticed the pinwheel usually appears before the gray screen.
Bad sectors on the hard drive or failing drive, pinwheels usually means there is a delay of some sort from either the network or the storage drive, but not exclusive.
If you reboot to gray screen, hold the shift key down while rebooting, that may get you back in
Run through 1-16 here and get back to me if this is assisting you
mention your results and what you did
Step by Step to fix your Mac

MacBook Pro hangs in gray screen after security update

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