MacBook Pro has a grey screen with circle and slash and will not start up or start into safe mode.

MacBook Pro has started to get a grey screen with circle and slash and will not start up or start into safe mode. This happened once previously, however, it allowed a safe mode reboot and then worked for a week or so. While utilzing the machine, it started with the spinning beach ball for about 5 minutes, went into a shut down mode and then rebooted and came back up with the grey screen with a circle and slash after a few minutes. For the past three days it has been stuck and will not allow it to boot into safe mode. Any idea or suggestions?

Try starting the MBP with the OPTION key down. If you see two HDD icons, select the recovery Icon. From the 4 option menu, select Disk Utility. Select Disk Utility>First Aid and run Verify and Repair.
If you cannot get into the recovery partition, make an appointment at an Apple store genius bar.
Ciao.

Similar Messages

Macbook Pro stuck on grey screen with Apple logo

Macbook Pro was purchased in mid-late 2009 and is running on OS X 10.6. Today is suddenly stopped responding and so I turned it off. When I turned it back on it opend to the grey screen with the Apple logo and the loading icon and that is where it stayed. I have been searching for the answer on different forums but have yet to find a solution. My hard drive is appearing in the Disk Utility but not in the box when I try to reinstall OS X. Any suggestions on what to do?

Create a data recovery, undelete boot drive
dustysjuls wrote:
Will that erase all of the files on my hard drive? Or will it just erase and reinstall the operating system? I do not have my files backed up.
A #18 Reinstall Just OS X, details here:
Step by Step to fix your Mac

My macbook pro 2011 shows grey screen with apple logo and want start

i was just using my macbook pro and it freezed for a while not responding and i turned it off by pressing the power button. afterwards, i turn it on and it shows a grey screen with apple logo but want start pls somebody help me because am having "my life" on the machine

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. 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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. 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.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
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
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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 backup.
Step 8
A dead logic-board battery in a Mac Pro 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 has the grey screen of death.... i have tried a few things to get it re started.... it is not backed up and i really dont want to loose everything on it :(

MacBook pro has grey screen of death, it all began when I tried to install something new last night like my laptop asked and when it went to restart, it went grey....
tried start up in safe mode and nvram/pram
on safe mode it said ' the volume macintosh hd could not be repaired '
My MacBook has not been backed up and it would be heart breaking if I lost everything from it...
can anybody help?!!!
Message was edited by: lolaroseuk

Be prepared for a broken heart...
It's obvious that you need a new drive - when you purchase one you should also purchase a USB enclosure for your old drive and connect that drive to your machine to see if you can rescue any data from it. You may have to purchase a utility such as Data Rescue 3 or DiskWarrior (each $100) to facilitate restoring some of your data.
And start a couple of backup schemes... when you can't afford to lose data, a couple of backup schemes can help.
Clinton
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X Mavericks 10.9.5, 16GB Crucial RAM, Crucial M500 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

My Macbook Pro got the grey screen of death (kernel panic) and now it won't even turn on

Hey.
Well my macbook pro just got the grey screen of death and upon doing some research I unerstan that it's a kernel panic. However my issue is that my laptop won't reboot, at all. Whenever I try to press the power buttons, the external buttons will light up and the you can hear it running (barely, very low) but nothing else happens. My screen doesnt turn on and no noise comes from the computer to indicate it turning on. However if I hold the power button again it'll act as if shutting down (the noise). I've tried to look online but I havent seen any soluctions for my specific issue.
Also note: I recently got it sent in for repairs and it was sent to apple, I was told they replaced both fans and the motherboard, however I'm not sure if that would affect it.
Anyways, my mac is the world to me and I would hate to have to lose it, anyone have any solutions?

steambeam wrote:
Hey.
Well my macbook pro just got the grey screen of death and upon doing some research I unerstan that it's a kernel panic. However my issue is that my laptop won't reboot, at all. Whenever I try to press the power buttons, the external buttons will light up and the you can hear it running (barely, very low) but nothing else happens. My screen doesnt turn on and no noise comes from the computer to indicate it turning on. However if I hold the power button again it'll act as if shutting down (the noise). I've tried to look online but I havent seen any soluctions for my specific issue.
Also note: I recently got it sent in for repairs and it was sent to apple, I was told they replaced both fans and the motherboard, however I'm not sure if that would affect it.
Anyways, my mac is the world to me and I would hate to have to lose it, anyone have any solutions?
Call AppleCare. Apple has a 90 day warranty on all repairs. Let them deal w/it.

My MacBook has a grey screen with a folder and a question mark in the middle what does this mean?

My MacBook has a grey screen with a folder and a question mark in the middle what does this mean?

It means a valid system cannot be found. You need to reinstall OS X.
If you have Snow Leopard:
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, 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.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
If you have Lion or later:
Reinstall Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks without erasing 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
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 then click on the Repair Permissions button. When the process is completed, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Mountain Lion or Mavericks
OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

My Macbook Pro has a black screen when running in Bootcamp Windows 7. Since I updated the mac side my windows side now starts up with completely black screen - no prompt, nothing, Cap keys still light up as does mouse and DVD drive seems to run.

My Macbook Pro has a black screen when running in Bootcamp Windows 7. Since I updated the mac side my windows side now starts up with completely black screen - no prompt, nothing, Cap keys still light up as does mouse and DVD drive seems to run.
Will not show up in safe mode, will not show when started from Windows 7 DVD.
I suspect the Mac update wiped out my PC video drivers but can not think of a way to re-install?
Can see the PC volume from Mac side with files.
I've looked at all the online solutions so far and have tried most of them without success. Please help!
Specs:
2009 Macbook Pro, 3.06 GHz Intel 2 core, Max 10.6.8.
Model Name:          MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro5,2
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          3.06 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          6 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MBP52.008E.B05
SMC Version (system):          1.42f4
Serial Number (system):          7302300GANE
Hardware UUID:          B2D4B4B4-CD92-5C7A-BDC2-527D30DD8DF3
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State:          Enabled

EDIT: RESOLVED
For anyone else who finds their way here like I did, this link did it for me: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/527599/windows-8-issues-solved-please-r ead-if-you-39-re-having-black-screen-and-or-flickering-/
Specifically, the posts by Dunsany and valkyr did the trick. I booted in safe mode, uninstalled and deleted the Nvidia driver, disabled automatic driver installation, and restarted normally. I then manually downloaded and installed the previous Nvidia driver for my graphics card (which at the time of this writing was 335.23, rather than the latest which was 337.88), and everything is now bueno!
Two hiccoughs along the way: First, when I tried to uninstall the Nvidia driver the first time, when I restarted I got the login screen (which was a good sign), but it quickly went black again. I powered down, restarted in safe mode again, and repeated the uninstallation process, and it worked the second time. Second, when I started the manual install of the 335.23 driver, the computer played a sound similar to the one for disconnecting a USB device, and the screen went black. I'd seen a lot about trying to increase the brightness (though it hadn't worked up to this point; but if you haven't tried it yet, might as well); I tried it, and it worked! So far I'm back up and running. [/fingers crossed]
Hope this helps someone else!

My MacBook is stuck on grey screen with rotating circle

My MacBook is stuck on grey screen with rotating circle

See this Apple note on dealing with that. If you have OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, this is the equivalent note, howver, it's not as detailed.

When I turn on my MacBook Pro I get a grey screen with a folder icon and a question mark. I can't the computer to boot up.

What do I do when I power up the computer and get a grey screen with a folder icon and a question mark?

vickyfromosseo wrote:
What do I do when I power up the computer and get a grey screen with a folder icon and a question mark?
Read this: A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

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.

MacBook Pro frozen on startup screen with progress bar and then it turns off

Hello, I have a MacBook Pro 15" of early 2012 with a i5 Intel, 4GB of RAM and a 500 GB HD.
I was installing the new suit of Adobe, when suddenly my Mac got frozen, vertical coloured lines appeared and the image on screen went distorted. I had to reboot the Mac by holding the power button until the screen turned off and when I turned it on, the lines appeared again and it itself automatically rebooted. Then the screen (now with no vertical lines) got frozen on the startup grey screen with the apple logo and the spinning wheel for hours with no response.
I tried to follow the steps of the official mac forums like verifying the HD with CMD+R and then Disk Utility, it says everything's fine; the same happens with CMD+S, no errors. I reinstalled Mavericks with the same CMD+R. I already reset the PRAM, SMC and performed a Safe Boot staring up in Single user mode and Verbose Mode and nothing, the same startup screen. I made too thins thing of holding shift until the progress bar appeared. Three days later (Today) I repeated the steps again and finally the verbose mode. Now, when I turn it on, the startup screen appears again (Apple Log and spinning wheel) with a progress bar. When it completes, the Mac turn itself off.
if you can help me, please. I don't know what else to do. The last thing is technical service.

Hi again ggt15,
You can find some more information about the Recovery Partition of your hard drive here:
OS X: About OS X Recovery
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
It sounds like you might be trying to reinstall your copy of the operating system. If that's the case, you may also find some helpful information here:
OS X Lion: Reinstall Mac OS X
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH3878
Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue or question you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://expresslane.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.
Cheers,
Braden

My hard drive crashed. Replaced my hard drive. Installed Yosemite. Restored from Time Machine most recent backup before hard drive crash. Now laptop won't start up. Grey screen with circle and slash through it.

How to start up laptop from grey screen with circle and slash through it?

After you installed Yosemite and prior to restoring from the backup, were you able to start the Mac?

My Macbook aliminium unibody from late 2008 will not boot. I reach the grey screen with the apple icon and the spinning grey gear. I used disk utility to boot it but it said integrity test failed. I don't know what to do can anyone please help?

My Macbook aliminium unibody from late 2008 will not boot. I reach the grey screen with the apple icon and the spinning grey gear. I used disk utility to boot it but it said integrity test failed. I don't know what to do can anyone please help?

Sounds like you may have a harddrive issue. You are probably going to need to get that changed out and then install the OS X again to get it going.

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

When updating to the latest OS X my wife's Mac Book Pro locked at a grey screen with an apple icon and status bar. Is there any way to recover the data on the laptop and complete the OS install?

When my wife's Mac Book Pro was being updated to the latest version of OS X the laptop locked up at a grey screen with the Apple icon and status bar. Is there any way to recover the data and complete the install? I have not tried anything yet because of the data issue. I am not sure which OS X version as I did not install the software.

Used Macs of every description are always available on Ebay and Craigslist and from a plethora of online used-Mac resellers. Apple sells refurbished late-model Macs at 10-20% discounts with a new-computer warranty and the opportunity to extend the warranty with AppleCare.
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

MacBook Pro has a grey screen with circle and slash and will not start up or start into safe mode.

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