MacBook won't go past the boot-up screen?

Okay, so I had about 3,008 of other peoples' pictures on my MacBook that I didn't want. I sent them all to the Trash in iPhoto to get rid of them. I then two-finger clicked on the Trash in iPhoto and told it to empty trash. It asked me if I was sure I wanted to delete all 3,008 photos and I clicked yes. (in retrospect, I should have clicked no.) After the program had sat doing nothing except turning my mouse pointer into a spinning rainbow-wheel for about 15 minutes, I decided something must be wrong. I two-finger clicked the iPhoto application in my dock to try and tell it to Force Quit, but it just froze. the application didn't even shrink back to normal when I pulled the mouse pointer away from it. My friend said to just turn it off and try turning it back on, and held the power button down so the computer shut off. I waited a few minutes, tried to turn it back on, and all I got was the boot up screen (white with the gray apple logo and a spinning wheel thing underneath it) for about five minutes and then it shut itself off. It has been doing this every time I've tried to turn it on since yesterday afternoon. PLEASE help me!!

I should also mention that I kind of just guessed on which operating system I'm running... I don't know, and I assume it's whatever they originally put on the MacBooks in 2008.

Similar Messages

  • My Macbook won't get past the start up screen

    Hey everyone
    I have a Macbook that's about 3 years old. I did an software update yesterday and since doing it the computer won't get past the start up screen. There's just the Apple logo and the rolling ball thing. It's been stuck there for around 30mins and nothing changes. I'm not really sure what has happened but I was wondering if there is any way I can fix it.
    Thanks for your time.
    Bevan

    Hey Lyssa
    I don't have a back up but I'm not to worried about that as it's my traveling computer and I only use it for the web and some word processing.
    I don't have the disks with me right now as I'm away from home. I'm not sure what I had updated, I think there was a lot because I hadn't don't it in a long time.
    If I can start it in safe mode what should I do?
    Thanks.
    Bevan

  • MacBook won't load past the gray apple screen, what do I do?

    A few months ago my cat peed on my computer and despite the battery no longer working the computer its self continued working fine after letting it sit a few days.
    A few weeks ago I accidentally unplugged it form the wall forcefully turning it off, when I tried to turn it back on it wouldn't go past the gray apple logo with the spinning pinwheel.
    I've tried to troubleshooting it numerous times but even after letting it safe boot all night I came to no avail.
    All the suggestions I've gotten on other sites say I sould re-install the OSX server, the problem being I don't know how, or which OSX I have, they also say the memory will probably be erased, I can't have this happen because I have many things I wrote on there that I have no where else. I bought this laptop in the first few days of 2009.
    What do I do without erasing the memory?

    Hello,
    Could someone help me, please? I apologize for the long message but I want to be as detailed as possible.
    My MacBook (purchased early 2006, white 13", upgraded to Leopard about a year ago with no problems until now) will not boot past the grey screen and spinning wheel.
    Here' are the list of 6 steps I've followed so far and still is not working. Oh, and I do not have any peripherals attached to my MacBook:
    1. Reboot in Safe Mode: tried pressing down the Shift key before the powering up sound AND after the sound. Could not get into Safe Mode. Did this several times, holding the Shift key for as much as a minute or two. Nothing but grey screen and spinning wheel.
    2. Reset NVRAM/PRAM: CMDR+POption: Computer restarted but still goes into Grey Screen, spinning wheel and stays there forever.
    3. CMD +S: I read this online. Gave me a black screen with a lot of information, but I don't know how to read the computer jargon, let alone know what to do with said info.
    4. Disk Utility Repair Disk : Inserted my Leopard install disk. Went to Utility Disk. Performed a Repair Disk and I did get two error messages, something related to id 70000452 should be id 70000450 ( I'm sorry to say I cannot remember the exact error messages). But it showed as repaired. When I did a 2nd Repair Disk, I got the message that the volume appears to be OK. Turned off and on again, nothing but grey screen and wheel.
    5. Disk Utility Repair Disk Permissions: got several error messages and this time some could not be repaired:
    -Permissions differ on system/library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents.... should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r--
    I got this about 4 times.
    -Permissions differ on System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/a/Resources/ DiskManagementTool has been modified and will not be repaired.
    -Permissions differ on System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DesktopServicesPriv.framework/Versions/A/Resou rces/Locum has been modified and will not be repaired.
    -SIUD file has been modified and cannot be repaired also shows twice.
    I've read that these messages can be ignored. Is this true? I verified permissions after that, rebooted and still the same grey screen and wheel.
    6. FINALLY: I tried to hook a FireWire from my notebook to my sis, iMac, and see if my HD shows up on hers so I can try to copy and save my pics and music. I was then planning to Erase and Reinstall. But my HD doesn't show up. I turned off both Macs and turned on, pressing T on my Notebook so it acts as a drive, but nothing shows up on my sis iMac. What am I doing wrong here?
    And if it cannot be repaired, what do I do?
    I'm an amateur photographer and would like to save all my pics, as well as my iTunes music. Much of everything else is just docs, and I think I backed the docs up, but not iTunes or the pics lately (not enough memory available in my flash drive). It also means I do not have a lot of RAM available (I know, I should've bought an external hard drive :o) to perform an Archive and Install.
    Can I save my pics and music? Is it all lost? Help please?
    Thanks
    Andy

  • I installed Lion but now my Macbook won't go past the start-up screen. Help!

    I installed Mac OS X Lion today and it downloaded and installed fine but when it restarted it went to the white start up screen with the grey apple logo and the wheel kept going around for two hours. I held the power button and my macbook went off so I pushed it again and it went on, again staying at the start up screen for half an hour. I restarted it again and held the option button to boot to recovery. I then repaired the permissions and the disk drive and then reinstalled Mac OS X Lion. This time the installation took around 4 hours to complete and then restarted. It again went to the white start up screen and the grey wheel has now been going around for the last hour! What can I do? I haven't backed up my files and would still like to keep them. Thanks.

    Hey Lyssa
    I don't have a back up but I'm not to worried about that as it's my traveling computer and I only use it for the web and some word processing.
    I don't have the disks with me right now as I'm away from home. I'm not sure what I had updated, I think there was a lot because I hadn't don't it in a long time.
    If I can start it in safe mode what should I do?
    Thanks.
    Bevan

  • My MacBook won't go past the gray startup screen.

    I shut down my MacBook pro during a software update because the update appeared to have frozen. When I tried to reboot my computer afterwards, it would go to the gray startup screen with the spinning gear and not progress any further. I have tried multiple times to restart it, each time getting the same result, I have also tried starting it up holding down shift, another time holding down control option p r, and also holding shift. Each time gave me the same result of freezing at the gray screen. Any idea on what I can do to resolve this problem?

    Hi,
    This article may help. What happened was a kernel panic. They can be caused by either hardware or software. Try the syeps outlined in the article and post back the results.
    John

  • MacBook won't load past the white startup screen.

    I'm going to start off by saying I'm a huge idiot.
    My MacBook was being sluggish last night, so I (impatiently) force-turned it off. Whenever I turn it back on, I get stuck at the white screen for about 10 minutes and the Apple logo never loads. I must've made the harddrive corrupt by turning it off while it was doing some important background work.
    Is there any way I can fix this? The data on there isn't important as I have my course work backed up, I just need it up and running for class tomorrow. Can I wipe the harddrive and do a clean install somehow?
    Hopefully someone can help.
    Edit: I managed to open Disc Utility with my Mac OS X 10.6 disc, and I can't even see my harddrive located anywhere.

    Sorry for the double post, but I can no longer edit the main one.
    I heard the most gut-wrenching sound when I held "Alt" to get to my partition, so I opened my MacBook up, removed the harddrive and reinserted it. I'm not sure if it was the harddrive that produced the noise, or the installation disc.
    Now I can see my Harddrive located in Disk Utility
    http://i.imgur.com/aQdBU.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/qR38u.jpg
    After hitting Verify Disk I saw this:
    http://i.imgur.com/vhRIt.jpg
    So I hit repair and...
    http://i.imgur.com/eBLNH.jpg
    I try erase:
    http://i.imgur.com/Tp8bA.jpg
    And repair again:
    http://i.imgur.com/jrM3x.jpg
    I'm given so many errors, but they all point to the same conclusion...
    My Harddrive is fried and I need to look for a replacement. Could anyone point me in the right direction? My Macbook is really old I've even forgotten the type! It's a Black MacBook from around 2006 or 7 is my best guess. What harddrive would fit?

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

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

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
    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.

  • I received a message about an issue shutting down my laptop and when I restarted it won't go past the all grey screen. What do I do?

    I received a message about an issue shutting down my laptop and when I restarted it won't go past the all grey screen. What do I do?

    Hardware Information:
              MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010)
              MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro7,1
              1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
              4 GB RAM
    Video Information:
              NVIDIA GeForce 320M - VRAM: 256 MB
    Startup Items:
              Executor - Path: /Library/StartupItems/Executor
    System Software:
              OS X 10.8.5 (12F45) - Uptime: 0 days 0:37:49
    Disk Information:
              Hitachi HTS545025B9SA02 disk0 : (250.06 GB)
                        disk0s1 (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Macintosh HD (disk0s2) /: 249.2 GB (97.41 GB free)
                        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
              HL-DT-ST DVDRW  GS23N 
    USB Information:
              Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
              Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
              Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
                        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
              Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
              Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
    FireWire Information:
    Thunderbolt Information:
    Kernel Extensions:
              com.intego.Family-Protector.safe-boot          (10.7.5)
    Problem System Launch Daemons:
    Problem System Launch Agents:
              [failed] com.apple.AirPlayUIAgent.plist
    Launch Daemons:
              [not loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist
              [not loaded] com.Affinegy.InstaLANd.plist
              [not loaded] com.google.GoogleML.plist
              [not loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.daemon.integod.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.daemon.taskmanager.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.icalserver.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.metrics.kschecker.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.Family-Protector.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netbarrier.daemon.logger.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netbarrier.daemon.monitor.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netbarrier.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netupdate.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.personalantispam.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.PersonalBackup.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.virusbarrier.daemon.emlparser.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.virusbarrier.daemon.logger.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.virusbarrier.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.virusbarrier.daemon.scanner.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.washingmachine.daemon.plist
              [not loaded] com.vmware.launchd.vmware.plist
    Launch Agents:
              [not loaded] com.Affinegy.InstaLANa.plist
              [not loaded] com.brother.LOGINserver.plist
              [not loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.integomenu.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.taskmanager.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.commonservices.uninstaller.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.Family-Protector.agent.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netbarrier.alert.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.netupdate.agent.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.personalbackup.agent.plist
              [not loaded] com.intego.virusbarrier.alert.plist
              [not loaded] jp.co.canon.CUPSCMFP.BG.plist
              [not loaded] jp.co.canon.CUPSFAX.BG.plist
              [not loaded] jp.co.canon.UFR2.BG.plist
              [not loaded] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist
    User Launch Agents:
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.202f4087f2bbde52e3ac2df389f53a4f123223c9cc56a8fd83a6f7ae.plist
              [not loaded] com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-karenarvay-SharedServices.Agent.plist
              [not loaded] com.google.Chrome.framework.plist
              [not loaded] jp.co.canon.Inkjet_Extended_Survey_Agent.plist
              [not loaded] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist
    User Login Items:
              Quick Emoji HD
              SNDesktopper
              Amnesty
              Antispam Engine
              Mail
              Belkin Router Monitor
              VirusBarrier X6
              Calendar
              Dropbox
              Messages
              Notes
              TomTomHOMERunner
              NetUpdate
    3rd Party Preference Panes:
              Déjà Vu
              Flash Player
              Flip4Mac WMV
              Google Desktop
              Logitech Control Center
              Xmarks for Safari
    Internet Plug-ins:
              AdobePDFViewer.plugin
              AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin
              EPPEX Plugin.plugin
              Flash Player.plugin
              FlashPlayer-10.6.plugin
              Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin
              Google Earth Web Plug-in.plugin
              iPhotoPhotocast.plugin
              JavaAppletPlugin.plugin
              QuickTime Plugin.plugin
              RealPlayer Plugin.plugin
              Scorch.plugin
              Silverlight.plugin
              SpeedDownload Browser Plugin.plugin
    User Internet Plug-ins:
    Bad Fonts:
              None
    Top Processes by CPU:
                  26%          Mail
                   8%          WindowServer
                   3%          EtreCheck
                   3%          NotificationCenter
                   2%          hidd
                   2%          ps
                   1%          Dock
                   1%          Google Chrome
                   0%          usernoted
                   0%          fontd
    Top Processes by Memory:
              172 MB             Google Chrome
              102 MB             Mail
              97 MB              Google Chrome Helper
              86 MB              Dock
              70 MB              CalendarAgent
              70 MB              SystemUIServer
              70 MB              Finder
              57 MB              com.apple.dock.extra
              45 MB              EtreCheck
              45 MB              WindowServer
    Virtual Memory Statistics
              281 MB             Free RAM
              1.22 GB            Active RAM
              974 MB             Inactive RAM
              1.30 GB            Wired RAM
              408 MB             Page-ins
              0 B                Page-outs

  • Upgraded my iphone 4S to 8.0.2 and it won't go past the Hello startup screen or accept my Apple ID Sign in!!! Help!!! What do I do to fix this??

    Upgraded my iphone 4S to 8.0.2 and it won't go past the Hello startup screen or accept my Apple ID Sign in!!! It just restarts itself!!!
    Help!!! What do I do to fix this??

    I doubt that your data have been lost, the hard drive should be fine. Too bad that you're going to sell it, you could have used the hard drive in an enclosure to back up your new computer to. Please remember to make frequent backups/clones, I use SuperDuper! and it works perfectly. I have used it to re-clone a drive from the external when things have gone bad, you can also boot from a SuperDuper! clone.
    Anyway, let us know how things go, I'm pretty sure your drive will be fine.

  • Macbook froze, now it won't get past the boot logo!

    I was using my macbook tonight... using a bunch of programs, then all of a sudden everything just froze. I turned it off by holding the power button, then booted it back up... but it won't get past the apple logo and the circle just keeps moving round and round. I've never had any issues with it until today so I'm kind of surprised. Any ideas how to fix this?
    I do have generic 3GB ram but it has never given me issues for the past 2 years. I also installed a WD blue scorpio 500GB hd a few months ago and I haven't had issues with that either.
    PLEASE HELP!!

    tibookg4 wrote:
    I was using my macbook tonight... using a bunch of programs, then all of a sudden everything just froze. I turned it off by holding the power button, then booted it back up... but it won't get past the apple logo and the circle just keeps moving round and round. I've never had any issues with it until today so I'm kind of surprised. Any ideas how to fix this?
    I do have generic 3GB ram but it has never given me issues for the past 2 years. I also installed a WD blue scorpio 500GB hd a few months ago and I haven't had issues with that either.
    PLEASE HELP!!
    Hi I have been looking at this drive for myself and heard that some people are having issues.
    I would suggest you try to boot again holding down the OPTION key this will show you all the drives connected and determine if you can see you WD. If so click and see. If not I suggest you put your OS X Install DVD in.
    DO NOT INSTALL
    Goto utilities and Disk Utility.
    Can is see the drive there?
    If so select the drive and then goto REPAIR DISK can also repair permission but this sounds like something else.
    Resetting the PRAM may help, but I do not suspect this is part of that problem.
    Good Luck!
    -h

  • My macbook won't go past the loading stage when I start it up.

    When I turn on my Macbook normally it won't go past the white screen with the grey apple and spinning gear symbol. When I start it up in Safe Mode the progress bar reaches 60% then vanishes. When I start it up in Verbose Mode it says:
    Cannot get audit control port
    Warning: audit space low (< 5% free)on audit log file-system
    and
    systemShutdown false
    normal code
    normal code
    Previous Shutdown Cause: 3
    Before it stopped loading I had less than 5GB of memory spare if that helps.

    A common thumb rule says, that you should have at least 10% of the total disk capacity as free space for swapping files and system usage. As this is a number for smaller drives, on actual big drives the percentage can be smaller, but depending on your actual RAM size the system may use the disk for swapping and need a few GB space.
    Warning: audit space low (< 5% free)on audit log file-system
    In your case, it's a low-level system error connected to some log operation. It may be that an existing log file is too large or has become corrupted such that the OS cannot add to the log.
    First Aid
    Try to boot in single mode and clean the logs or shoot off the Audit mode with CLI command "sudo audit -t" (without the braces)
    If that does not solve the problem start (if possible) the system as a target from a nother Mac (target mode) and perform a logfile cleanup with a apropriate tool; e.g. TinkerTool.
    Lupunus

  • Macbook won't get past the grey start up screen

    I purchased my Macbook in 2008, roughly July.
    My fiance unknowingly shut down my macbook in the middle of start up. Before that it was running perfectly fine, I had no issues.
    After my fiance stopped the start up, the macbook won't turn on. It'll load up to the grey loading screen (example here)... It doesn't make much noise as it starts up either. I have all original discs that came with the macbook, if that helps any.
    I'm frustrated, as I can't afford to replace my mac at this point.
    Any idea what I can do?
    Thanks..

    Hopefully, nothing permanent. Do the following:
    If you have Snow Leopard installed:
    Reinstall Snow Leopard without erasing the drive
    Do the following:
    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 the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.
    If you have Lion installed:
    Reinstalling 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: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
    Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.
    If you have Leopard installed:
    How to Perform an Archive and Install
    An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
    1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
    Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
    Boot from your OS X 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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) 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. Now restart normally.
    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. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
    3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
    4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
    5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
    6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

  • IBook G4 suddenly won't boot past the "booting OSX" screen.

    My iBook G4 suddenly died and now won't boot past the "Starting OSX" screen. The blue bar goes all the way across but never moves to the next screen. I have my original disks, containing OS 10.4.5. I am trying to boot from the disk, but just keep getting the Installer program. When I try to choose a startup disk, it still won't start. Any help or ideas? This is urgent.
    BTW, I am a photographer and was workig in PhotoShop7 -- a program I use all day, every day.

    Start from the install disc again and choose Disk Utility from the menu. Highlight the drive on the left and click Repair Disk. If it reports errors and repairs made, repeat the process until no errors are reported.
    John

  • My Mac Mini won't get past the initial startup screen with the Apple logo. What can I do?

    After a long distance move, my Mac Mini won't startup past the logo screen. What can I do?

    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, boot 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 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
    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 G5 shut down + when it restarted it won't go past the grey apple screen

    here's a general rundown of how I got to this point...
    last yr the hard drive on my '05 G5 went, so i had it replaced (6-7 months ago) and for the last 2-3 months i've had problems with involuntary shut downs (cut to black) it started happening once a day and then there were days where it would happen more often and then less often and eventually got to a point where it was happening every 5-20 minutes, so i brought it in to get looked at and was told that it was the power supply that was malfunctioning. I mentioned that I would likely be buying a new mac in the coming weeks ( i did yesterday) and was told that I should be ok between now and then without having it fixed and then when i did get my new computer they would transfer all of my old data onto the new computer and would be installing the new power supply before selling it to a local school. then, 3 days before I was going to get my new mac, it shut off yet again, but when it rebooted it never went past the grey apple screen. after 4 or 5 minutes the fan comes on and is amazingly loud and this is where it stays until i shut it off. i'm not sure if this is simply the power supply finally going going gone or if this has something to do with the very new hard drive or who knows what else; i just want to get my info from the old computer onto the new and hopefully get the couple hundred dollars that i was told my g5 was worth. is there something i can do to get past the grey screen before i bring it in?
    thanks in advance,
    Jeremiah

    I doubt that your data have been lost, the hard drive should be fine. Too bad that you're going to sell it, you could have used the hard drive in an enclosure to back up your new computer to. Please remember to make frequent backups/clones, I use SuperDuper! and it works perfectly. I have used it to re-clone a drive from the external when things have gone bad, you can also boot from a SuperDuper! clone.
    Anyway, let us know how things go, I'm pretty sure your drive will be fine.

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