MBP freezes at Startup

Hi,
- targetmode not working
- install dvd not working
- recovery HD not working (freezing after a while)
- booting from usb-lion-stick not working
- safe-mode freezing also
Working:
- single-user-mode
- Bootcamp-Partition works as usual
Booting from single-user mode brings this:
Any ideas???
Greets

Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. Back up all data before you go.

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MBP freezes at startup after several crashes

I have an older MBP, I think it's a 2008 running Snow Leopard. I am backed up. Computer screen started glitching while watching videos online and would freeze (screen would glitch strangely, I could move the mouse but nothing on the screen was responsive). I'd have to manually power down and at first it would restart if I'd insert the installation disk and boot into startup manager and select hard drive. But after a few more crashes it will not boot at all. I've removed the hard drive and used another MBP to repair disk, hard drive appears to be fine but the computer still wont boot. I don't believe it is a hard drive problem. In fact I'm having the same startup issues with 2 hard drives (both with the same version of snow leopard) installed internally. What happens at startup is the apple logo appears, spinning wheel appears but it stops spinning and it doesn't seem to go any further. This happens when I try to boot from install disk or boot into startup manager or into disk utility and even when trying to startup in Apple Hardware Test. Spinning wheel stops then nothing.
I have tried resetting nvpram. I have been able to boot into verbose mode but it appears to freeze up again after a short amount of time. I tried booting into safe mode and the progress bar showed quickly then spinning wheel stops again. My original plan was to do a fresh install of the OS and do a time machine backup but the comp won't start in any mode.
Does anybody have any ideas what I could do to fix this problem?

It unfortunately sounds like it could be what's called an "intermittent generic fault." I use a product called Scannerz (http://scsc-online.com/Scannerz.html) and in some of their documentation they describe this type of fault. Scannerz can actually test and detect this type of problem if it's in the development process, but the system needs to at least be bootable, and it doesn't sound like your's is. I think it's described in their downloadable document about hard drive testing.
An "intermittent generic fault" is essentially a crack or separation in a logic board trace or connection, or intermittent connection in a cable, or even the connection itself. If it's in the logic board, such as in a cracked trace or a marginal solder connection that went bad, it may get worse with more CPU activity because it causes the heat in the unit to go up, cracks in traces or solder joints expand, and a disconnect occurs. This might explain your video glitch. According to them, if this is the problem, it typically gets worse over time until the system becomes unusable. If it's in an I/O cable it can be easily fixed by replacing the I/O cable, but if it's in the logic board, it basically means you need a new logic board. Intermittent connections with something plugged into the logic board may also cause this type of erratic behavior. Sometimes just re-seating connectors can do the job. I've personally seen this type of problem happen when Airport cards on the old PPC based Aluminum PowerBooks worked their way loose - reseat them and the problem goes away.
Another thing you could also try is the PM reset. It might work because I've seen it mess up booting, but that wouldn't explain the erratic lock-ups you got with the video. Some of the MacBook Pro's have a diagnostics connector connected to them and Apple can apparently connect diagnostic equipment to the unit to diagnose a whole host of problems, but I don't know if your system has this feature because it's relatively new.
I hope this helps you in some way, and good luck.

2010 15" MBP Freezing at startup

About an hour and a half ago when I activated it from sleep, the screen flickered and logged me off. I logged in and the same thing happened again.
I used Disk Utility to verify the disk and DU said the hard disk needs to be repaired.
So, I put my OSX disk in and had to restart in order to use disk utility on it.
However, when I restarted, my MBP wouldn't get past the startup screen.
After looking the issue up online, I tried booting into safe mode and booting straight off the DVD, to no avail.
Finally, I tried booting in single-user mode, and it doesn't get past
"Loading System\Library\Caches\com.apple.kext.caches\Startup\Extensions.mkext......"
Any help?

I don't know whether your data can be saved. If you have another Mac with a Firewire port, you may be able to copy data off the internal drive by starting up in Firewire target mode. Otherwise, remove the drive and install it in an external enclosure or dock. They may be willing to do that for you at the Apple Store; I'm not sure. The first order of business when you get it back should be to set up a regular backup solution for all your data.

MBP Freezes After Startup - Fixed Version Cue Already!

Hi,
I installed the OS X security update last week and i had the problem where after boot-up I can see the mouse pointer but the entire desktop is frozen. I deleted Adobe Version Cue from the Startup Items and that solved the problem.
Until today, the SAME thing started happening. I have NOTHING in my startup items. At this point, I can't use the computer unless I do Safe Boot and then it works ok. The only thing I can pin it on is that the first freeze up happened when I was running Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0 and converting a document to PDF. It froze and then every subsequent reboot freezes about 10-20 seconds after startup.
Heeeeelp

Hi,
I installed the OS X security update last week and i
had the problem where after boot-up I can see the
mouse pointer but the entire desktop is frozen. I
deleted Adobe Version Cue from the Startup Items and
that solved the problem.
Until today, the SAME thing started happening. I
have NOTHING in my startup items. At this point, I
can't use the computer unless I do Safe Boot and then
it works ok. The only thing I can pin it on is that
the first freeze up happened when I was running Adobe
Acrobat Professional 7.0 and converting a document to
PDF. It froze and then every subsequent reboot
freezes about 10-20 seconds after startup.
Heeeeelp
Ok in the 30 seconds I had before my machine froze, I opened the activity monitor and under all processes found that there was a root pdf process using 80-100% of the processor, after force quiting this process I haven't had the problem agian and have been able to reboot with any problems.
Hope that helps.
G5 Dual 2.0g Mac OS X (10.4.3) macbook pro 2.0g

MBP freezes at startup & video went bad

there is a screenshot of what i get now when it freezes. u can see the grey bar on the top that was attempting to show an error im guessing. i tried everything from resetting PRAM to power to taking battery out. Before it went out I had another monitor connecting and had a few programs but it completely froze and everything that was showing started looking like a bad quality JPEG and kept getting worst. Then looked good and kept going back to ugly. Now it just will not start up. It sounds like one of those defected gforce cards. The MBP has the santa rosa with nvidia 8800... I already had the battery replace but im out of warranty and dont have apple care. And ya im aware of the 300-1000 fix of this nonsense. anyone else feeling the same right about now with a useless piece of technology sitting on their desk. :/

have you tried resetting the SMC?
with your computer off, do not have the ac adapter attached, remove the battery and then hold the power button for 5 seconds. plug the battery back in (plug in the AC if you want as well) and turn the computer on.
have you also tried booting from the install dvd? hold 'c' down when you boot (have the install disk inserted into the drive, obviously). from there you can go into disk utility and see if you can run the repair disk option.
what was done to your MBP prior to this happening? did you install anything (i.e. updates, other software)?
i don't think this is related to the GPU (which is the nvidia 8600M GT, btw, not the 8800) and likely either a software or another hardware issue. perhaps your RAM?

Mbp freezing at startup, please help!

Hey, a couple days ago i shut down my mbp and turned it on the next day. It came on, made its noise, went to the grey apple start up screen, little gear was spinning and then nothing. It stayed on this screen for a full 30 min. I haven't downloaded any new software or anything. I just got it to boot up in safe mode but, I don't know what to do with it otherwise, please help!

Try this
Boot holding down Apple/S and don't let go until you see scrolling text.
When that stops and you see a root#: prompt enter
fsck -fy
Let it run through all the checks and repairs.
If it fails first time, at any time, or finds and fixes a fault - run the command again and keep doing so (some fixes can take several passes) until it says "Appears to be OK" then enter
reboot

Icons on mbp freeze for about 10mins after startup - any clues??

on startup my mbp freezes for about 10 mins, mouse moves but icons will not open - any clues??

reoair the drive
do safe boot
clone the system
create a new user account
delete plist file/s
see if it is Spotlight related

My 2011 early MBP pro 15 freezes at startup with distorted image

My 2011 early MBP pro 15 freezes at startup with distorted image, and sometimes its blank screen, I have also noticed that the machine heats up quickly at the same time.
I got this problem few weeks ago when it is running windows 7 in vitual machine. Firstly I used a software to disable the discrete graphic card and it backed to work for 2 weeks until the OS got an update (might be a firmware update since it required restart). Now it stops working completely.
I have try two hard drive (I have put in a SSD few months ago) and run the command line disk check on both of them, nothing wrong.
I tried to run disk utility/time machine at start-up, distorted screen or just blank
I tried to reinstall rams, did not work.
Any other possible solutions?

Hi xiaotianfromsydney,
If you are having video and startup issues, you may want to take a look at the following troubleshooting articles:
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1573
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
If you believe something may have happened with a firmware update, either from the OS update or from the software control of the discreet graphics card, you may also want to take a look at this article:
Apple Support: About the Firmware Restoration CD (Intel-based Macs)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2213
Regards,
- Brenden

17-inch, Mid 2009 mac book pro freezes on startup

My MBP occasionally freezes on startup.
it is a 17-inch, Mid 2009 model details as follows
Processor 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT 512 MB
Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 (11C74)
The problem first occured before upgrading to Lion, but does seem to be getting progressively worse.
I start the mbp, get the login screen, enter login and password succefully, and get the opening screen appropriate for my login...
BUT am unable to select anything or perform any actions except using the on/off button to turn the mbp off, when its turned on it usually logs me in succesfully and then behaves as normal until the next login or the one after that ...
Anyone have any ideas what might cause this or if there are any known cures?
Thanks

Reinstalling Lion
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. Alterhatively, 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.

Unable to restart, MBP freezes 9 times out of 10

My MBP freezes on start up or rebooting. I have tried zapping PRAM.Ran disc repair utility and disc is ok. The MacBook Pro Firmware update 1.0 installs but on restart the firmware fails to update as the computer freezes. Is there any solution? At my wits end. No software changes recently. Startup freezes have only been an increasing problem over the last 5 days. Now the computer is consistently freezing. Could it be Norton antivirus? Any hope?

Hi, Lauren. Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
It sounds like your hard drive is just way too full to function properly.
Check and see if you may have one or more Previous System folders on the iBook. If so, delete them and empty the Trash, and see if that gets you some breathing room.
You need to keep at least 15% of the total capacity of the hard drive as available space for proper functioning of the drive.
Here is a link to an article which gives some pointers on freeing up space:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
Also, the warranties on a hard drive are usually three years, so if the hard drive is the original one, it's likely running on borrowed time. Are you keeping a current backup in case that drive fails? If not, you need to be doing that.

My MBP freezes on login

My MBP freezes when I get to the login page. I put in my user and pswd and hit login then I get the spinning beachball it goes away and the back and login buttons are grayed out. I can retype my password but nothing happens.
I booted in safe mode and checked for the adobe cue in startup items but it was not there. I also remove remote desktop.
When i got to system prefrences/accounts and click on login items it freezes and I have to force quit.
Any ideas???

In safe mode, try repairing disk permissions under disk utility (applications>utilies>disk utility). You can try an archive and install too, that'll take an hour but it'll work (it reinstalls the OS with all your current files and programs intact).
You can also take it to the apple store and they can reboot it from an external hard drive. Find your closest store at apple.com/retail and sign up for a genius appointment, you might have to wait until midnight and sign up for one tomorrow.

I have a MacBook Pro, it recently started freezing upon startup. It would get to a blue screen and just sit there. I've tried booting in safemode to run disk repair and still doesnt help. If I do manage to get past the blue screen, it still freezes

My mac keeps freezing upon startup. It will get to the blue screen and promptly freeze. If I manage to get past the blue screen, and open up youtube on google chrome, it will freeze before it loads youtube. I've tried safeboot and disk repair, nothing seems to work. I even tried to factory reset it but it wont connect to my internet when I reboot with power + option.. any ideas?

This can be used to boot the machine and delelte enough files to get it to boot normally.
.Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
Read about storage drive so you can store your extra stuff.
Most commonly used backup methods
Also here to see how a full boot drive slows the machine down
Why is my computer slow?

Mac Pro on 10.6.8 freezes after startup

Since updating to 10.6.8 my 2009 MacPro will freeze after startup when opening finder, safari and itunes (so far). No beach ball and ForceQuit doesn't work. Resolved only by a hard shutdown with the off switch and restarting. Never a problem on restart. This problem seems identical to that described in an archived discussion (after an update to 10.5). Refer: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2018112?threadID=2018112 .
I have followed those suggestions without success:
-run AHT and no issues found
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It means that a third-party system modification you installed is causing the problem.
Reboot as usual (not in safe mode) if you haven't already done so. Don't launch any of your usual applications. Launch the Terminal application, copy or drag -- do not type -- the line of text below into the window, and press return:
kextstat -kl | awk ' !/apple/ { print $6 $7 } '
Post the lines of output (if any) that appear below what you just entered (the text, please, not a screenshot.)
Next, do the same thing with this line:
sudo launchctl list | sed 1d | awk ' !/0x|apple|com\.vix|edu\.|org\./ { print $3 } '
That's one line, not two. You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up. You don't need to post the warning.
Next, this command:
launchctl list | sed 1d | awk ' !/0x|apple|edu\.|org\./ { print $3 } '
Again, one line. Finally, one more:
ls -1 /Library/{InputManagers,StartupItems}
Remember, this is all drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste, whichever you prefer -- no typing, except your password.
You can then quit Terminal.

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I just loaded Premiere Elements 3 on a laptop with Windows 7 and it freezes on startup. I can't find any reference to drivers for Windows 7. I've used PE3 satisfactorily with Windows XP and want to continue to use it. Does anyone have a solution that doesn't involve upgrading to a later version or switching to another video editing program? I've already uninstalled and reinstalled.

Thanks for all three responses. Long story short: I've made progress to where Premiere Elements 7 now freezes *after* startup in Windows 7.
Neale: It's Windows Home Premium on a Sony VGN-NW270F with an Intel Core2 Duo T6600 2.2 GHz processor, with 4GB of memory. I hope this additional information is helpful in diagnosing my problems with PE3 version 3.02 and Windows 7.
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John: Unfortunately, I just have Windows 7 Home Premium, the plain vanilla OS. So far, I am thoroughly unimpressed with Windows 7. New operating systems are supposed to bring advantages, not be incapable of running programs that ran under previous operating systems.
Thanks,
George

Updated from Leopard to Snow Leopard, then upgraded to Lion, now my system is freezing on startup. Can anyone help?

Updated from Leopard to Snow Leopard, then upgraded to Lion, now my system is freezing on startup. Can anyone help?

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MBP freezes at Startup

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