MBP has gray screen on start up, won't reboot

I bought a used MBP (early 2011) with OS X 10.6.8. It's been running just fine, but last night moving files the screen suddenly went black. I rebooted and it will come up to a gray screen and then sit there. The fans start revving up and it gets really really hot. Of course I haven't done a backup recently, so I need the information on the computer. I am hesitant to return it (under warranty) for fear of not recovering my data. Help!

Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
Check the warranty status just in case > Apple - Support - Check Your Service and Support Coverage
You will need the serial number > How to find the serial number of your Apple hardware product

Similar Messages

MBP has gray screen with question mark folder on start up

Hi Mac Experts,
I have a MBP that won't start up. I get a gray screen with the question mark folder. Nothing else. I tried starting without the battery and also while holding the shift key but still get the same result. Any idea what happened and what I should try next? Thanks!

Need a Vacation:
Use the Leopard disk.
Repair Disk
Insert Installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger and later) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel, and report if it says anything but Verified)
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.
If DU reports errors it cannot repair you will need to use a utility like Tech Tool Pro or Disk Warrior

Gray screen at start up? For 10 minutes

Why gray screen at start up for 20 minutes?

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.”
b. 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.
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
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. The easiest way to deal with the problem is to start up from an external drive, or else to use either of the techniques in Steps 1b and 1c 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
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 10
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 11
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 12
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 stuck at gray screen during start up

Lately my 2008 model MacBook has been freezing up. When I shut it down, it starts up just fine, however, the last two times I've shut it down, it gets stuck at the gray screen during start up. The first time, I was unsuccessful with a Safe Boot, however I was successful using CommandOption+PR to reset my NVRAM/PRAM. It has been working fine for the past two days, but it froze again this evening. I tried Safe Booting, removing peripherals, resetting the NVRAM/PRAM and I even was able to repair the disk and the permissions, but still, I am unsuccessful during a start up.
When I did try to "Perform an Archive and Install installation of Mac OS X", it said my computer was not able to install 10.5 (I run 10.6) because it did not meet the system requirements.
As a final effort, I tried doing another SafeBoot, this time viewing the status. It has been stuck at a console screen that reads "disk0s2: media is not present...." for about ten minutes now, if that helps at all.
Any advice on how to fix this would be highly appreciated. And yes, I have read the Gray screen article
Zach Irwin

Your hard drive may be damaged or requires reformatting. You might try this to start:
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.
If you still are unable to restart or if DU cannot repair the drive or the SMART status is not "verified" then you can try reformatting the drive to see if that fixes the problem, otherwise you will have to replace the drive.
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. 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.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
And, you cannot do an Archive and Install of Leopard over a Snow Leopard installation. You have to reinstall using the Snow Leopard installer.

TS2570 All I get is gray screen on start up

All I get is gray screen in start up

Reinstall OS X 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/.

TS2570 MacBook Pro 15" Mavericks, bran new froze up...gray screen on start up? I do not have a cd drive.

MacBook Pro 15" Mavericks, bran new froze up...gray screen on start up? I do not have a cd drive. Doesn't work in safe mode either. I've had it two days!

You really should take it back to the Apple store. There is a 15 day, no questions asked money back warranty, if you want to return it. Or you can get a free diagnosis and repair.
But make an appointment: http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

HT1455 Did the lastest Apple update and now my Mac has gray screen with spinning gear and a status bar goes to half then turns computer off....help?

Did the lastest Apple update and now my Mac has gray screen with spinning gear and a status bar goes to half then turns computer off....help?

Thanks for your help.
Same thing happen when I hold the button, it idle for a while and then turn off by itself. Any more suggestions?
I got the disc..

Intel imac has gray screen at startup

My imac (intel) started having problems this afternoon that resulted in a gray screen at start up. Here are the events:
1) I was intrigued by the possibility of upgrading to Lion but decided to do some research first. At some point in the process, I accidentally clicked on either a "Buy Now" or "Download Now" button. I was expecting to be directed to a page for payment, but nothing happened except Safari seemed to get jammed up. I closed that page and thought nothing of it. Decided I wasn't ready to upgrade anyway because I still have some PPC software.
2) I received a software update alert and completed most of the updates.
3) I tried to stream a movie from netflix, but kept getting a page that said plug-in failure.
4) I attempted to restart, got the chimes, and then the blank gray screen but nothing else.
5) Tried to restart while holding down shift key. Was able to startup.
6) Attempted a regular restart again just to see what would happen. Got the chime and gray screen again.
7) Attempted to restart again holding down the option key. Was able to start from harddrive.
8) Attempted a regular restart again and it restarted just fine.
So, my questions are:
1) did I somehow partially download Lion and that is what is causing these problems?
2) have I fixed the problem or is there some underlying issue that will resurface?
3) is it likely that I need to take it in for service or will need to in the very near future and better just do it now?
Oh also, when I went to unplug peripheries, computer was extremely hot. istat says my harddrive is 126 F/ 52 C. Is that normal?
Thanks

It sounds like a HD failure however I'm hoping I'm wrong there. Please read Gray screen appears during startup and see if these actions help.
If they do not run Apple Hardware Test in Extended Mode.

IMac has gray screen with spinning wheel, but cannot login

After power failure last night, iMac has gray screen with spinning wheel when turned on, but does not go to login screen.

Having the same problem myself. iMac locked up and I had to hold the power button to turn it off. Ended up with the apple logo screen and spinning wheel. I tried the disk repair and got the same message as yourself, in that it couldn't repair it.
I linked up an external hard drive and installed OSX on it and booted from it. I was able to recover some files, but most I couldn't. I'm currently giving it a one pass erase in the hope (long shot) that a complete pass through the hard drive will show up any faults. Has anyone had this problem and been able to continue using the same hard drive? I really don't relish the thought of having to send it off to be replaced :-/
Assuming that the erase goes well I plan to put OSX back onto it and then run disk utility from directly on the drive and see if any faults show up. I'm kicking myself for not taking advantage of TimeMachine, but we live and learn.

My iMac won't boot, get a black screen with alarm sound, then gray screen with start up sound, then repeats

this problem started last fall after upgrading to Mavericks. If I shut down my computer (or restart) I have problems getting it going again. This is getting progressively worse. I hadn't shut down in over a month, forgot about this issue and shut down (which I used to do daily), so now I can't get my computer to boot. When I hit the power button I hear it starting, then a loud alarm sounds, then a long pause then start up sound with a gray screen with a progress bar. Once the progress bar fills, the screen goes black again for a bit. This whole process will repeat until I get frustrated and force - shut down by holding the power button. I have tried reseting the pram, starting up in safe mode, starting up with the command - R, starting up with my original install disc... none of it works. I'm at a loss! I do have an external hard drive that I have been using for Time Machine, but it's not recent because the disc needs repairs and I hadn't gotten around to buying a new HD to back up to first. Has anyone else had this problem? I really can't afford a big repair/replacement bill.

A long, steady, load tone followed by a progress bar can indicate it is trying to install a Firmware Update. Any other Tones would be multiple beeps and show an error code.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5860
You can also see a progress bar similar to booting into Safe Mode. However, the firmware update bar is thinner vertically than the Safe Mode bar.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
Either way, I would say something is wrong and it would be better evaluated at an Apple Store as Kappy points out.

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

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

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

Macbook with gray screen on start up

ok so a few weeks ago I decided to open my macbook which I have had for 2 years or so. I followed instructions online on which parts to disassemble first, and so on.
After putting it back together it starts up as normal and everything works fine. Last night while online, the system froze, so I turned it off with the power button. I then turned it back on and it stayed on the gray screen. I have tried resetting in safemode (did not work) unplugging batter/power supply and holding the power button for 5 seconds. I have tried starting it up while holding optcommand+PR I heard the second chime the first time I tried it, and then let go... still started up on gray screen. I then took it back apart to see if the hardrive had been disconected while putting it back together (since my hard drive was not showing up when I inserted the disc1 tiger os x cd and held the option Button) I checked, and everything inside appears to be perfectly fine.
I then startup on the os x disc1 and go to disc utilities. I look to the left and I have (from top to bottom) 74.5 GB Hitatchi hts5****MEDIA>> and under that Disk0s2 >>>under that I have 5.1 GB MATSHITACD>>> under that I have the cd that is in my optical drive.
now I selected my 74.5 hardrive and checked if it was verifeid, and it was. I then ran "repair disc" and everything seems to be working fine until it ends up with the error message "First Aid Failed Disk Utility stopped repairing "diskos2" because the following error was encountered: The underlying task reported failure on exit." In the box that was checking the processes it says "Verifying volume "disk0s2"
Checking HFS Plus Volume
Checking Extents Overflow file
Invalid sibling link
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1HFS Volume checked,
Volume Needs repair.
now I am here begging of help for someone to help me get my baby back and running. I do not have that much money, and have some very important data saved on my hardrive. I do not think I have any recent backups of my data. If anyone can help, I would sure appreciate it.

{quote}have some very important data saved on my hardrive. I do not think I have any recent backups of my data. If anyone can help, I would sure appreciate it. :D{quote}
Bad combination.
Disk First Aid is a decent first line of defense, but it won't help rebuild your directory in the event of a more serious fault. Disk Warrior and Tech Tools Pro are both popular tools for repairing and rebuilding directories and may offer a chance of getting your drive back online.

MacBook Pro 15in showing gray screen on start-up

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

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

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

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

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

Gray screen at start up

I hope someone can shed some light. I've been extremely happy with my first Mac...until now.
It was running fine, it was turned off. The next day we turned it on and the gray screen appeared. Now you turn it on, you hear the initial sound and some clicking (the drive probably, but nothing else. No question mark.
I ran a hardware check and everthing was fine. No errors found. I tried starting it up with the disk, but it only restarts it to the same gray screen. I thought I'd try to re-install OS X, but it can't find "volumes", so I go only as far as that screen and end up having to restart; which brings me back to the gray screen.
It "feels" like the mac can't find where to start...
Thank you in advance for your help.

Try this:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select your startup drive and click on the arrow button.
If the above doesn't work then there's a problem with the drive or with OS X files on the drive.
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 and 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 shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger and Leopard) and/or TechTool Pro (4.6.1 for Leopard) 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.

MBP has gray screen on start up, won't reboot

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