My Imac won't go past the grey screen and apple logo! How do I fix the start up in my Imac?

I really need help with this one!
My Imac is stuck on the grey screen with the apple Logo, and it wont go past that.
It does listen to certain keyboard commands to start it up (ive tried fixing it by reading other's posts.) But it will only listen to some commands,
It doesn't start on Shift (safe mode) but it does start on command+shift+(other button) which is safemode viewed so you can see whats going on.
As the letters on the screen type on, it says it's loading something but stays stuck there.
I've heard about a way where you can use terminal from another computer and boot it that way, or using firewire cables.
Please help! and take in mind I'm not really tech-savy with computers, so guides would be helpful!
If there is any way to save the files in the computer that would be great. If it can't be done, it's fine, I just want it working again .
Thanks,
Gian Varela

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You may find this support article helpful:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Ciao.

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Try the tips listed here Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup - Apple Support

I just opened my imac, i got the grey screen without apple logo, I just opened my imac, i got the grey screen without apple logo

I just opened my imac, i got the grey screen without apple logo, I just opened my imac, i got the grey screen without apple logo

I am curious as to why you repeated your question twice both in the subject box and in the discussion box?
In answer to your question, have you tried using
Disk Utility?
   1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
   2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
      Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
   3. Click the First Aid tab.
   4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
   5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
   6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.
Then, if you can, reboot to your internal drive and repair permissions.

Macbook Pro (2011) froze while working, forced shut down, now won't turn on. Grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel for hours. Help?

Macbook Pro (2011) froze while working, forced shut down, now won't turn on. Grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel for hours. Help?
Unfortunately do not know the operating system since I never updated anything and I can't get in to it.
Thanks for your assistance.

If you want to preserve the data on the boot drive, and it's not already backed up, 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, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is not fully functional. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
1. Boot from the Recovery partition or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
2. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
3. 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.

HT1199 my computer displays grey screen and apple logo for 10 minutes or more during start up and shut down. sometimes it refuses to shut down . this issues started after installing OS lion. what do i do?

my computer displays grey screen and apple logo for 10 minutes or more during start up and shut down. sometimes it refuses to shut down . this issues started after installing OS lion. what do i do?

I don't think it's exactly an incomplete installation brody, but most likely in-correct permissions somewhere along the line that either happened, or became magnified during the upgrade. Also, it could be corruption as well.
First thing to do, is boot up holding down Shift key to do a safe-boot so we an clean up any corrupted OS caches, after that do another reboot, but go to the Lion recovery, and scan the HD for errors, repair any if you find them, and then try to do a Repair Permissions job.
That should fix the issue, if not, we can start doing a PRAM reset and SMC for good measure.

My MacBook Pro shuts down within seconds after starting with a Gray Screen and Apple Logo, a bar comes at the bottom.

My MacBook Pro starts with a Gray Screen and Apple Logo, a bar comes at the bottom, but after few seconds the machine shuts down. This was bought approx 1 year back. Please help!!

jayanta.ray,
which model MacBook Pro do you have (did you buy it new?), and which version of OS X is installed on it?

Mac won't go past the white screen and apple logo

My one year old mac won't turn on, it comes up with the white screen with the apple logo, after a few seconds a loading bar comes up and after it finishes loading the mac just turns off. When I turn it back on it just does the same thing. I tried resetting the pram (it even chimed twice) but it still did the same thing. The problem began with the power cord being accidentally unplugged, when I plugged it in and turned on the mac the grey screen came up asking for my password, it then began to load but after about 5 seconds went back to the grey screen. I tried logging in over ten times and after failing turned off the mac, now it's doing the loading thing...
Oh and I don't know if this is relevant but I had a mountain lion update that needed to be done?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a backup.
Step 8
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

How to get passed the grey screen with apple logo when turning on?

I got a Imac Intel 20" about 6 years old. The other day turned it on and everscince havent been able to get passed the grey screen with the apple logo on it? What could be the problems and how can i fix this?
cheers

Hello v:
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Hey there Gonzoeg850,
It sounds like you are unable to boot your computer to your desktop or log in screen. I do not know if you have tried these steps from the article you have up there, but that is exactly where I would start:
Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1367
Verify you have a good connection from your Mac to the wall outlet by confirming the power cord and adapter if present are securely connected and plugged in. To check if the wall outlet is working, plug in a lamp or other electrical device.
If the wall outlet is working and you continue to have no power try another power cord or adapter if available. If it works you may need a replacement cord or adapter.
Note: See Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapters for further troubleshooting with MagSafe adapters.
Disconnect all accessories that are plugged in to the computer, such as a printer, hub, or other mobile device.
If your Mac supports user-installable memory, solid state drive, or hard drive, and you recently installed any of these, make sure they are installed correctly and are compatible with your computer. If possible, reinstall the original memory or drive into the computer to find out if the behavior persists afterwards.
MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory
MacBook: How to remove or install memory
Mac Pro: How to remove or install memory
Mac mini: How to remove or install memory
iMac (27-inch, Late 2012): Installing or replacing memory
iMac: How to remove or install memory
Reset the SMC.
If you are still unable to start up your computer after trying each of these steps, visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for further diagnosis. If you plan to visit an Apple Retail Store, make a reservation at the Genius Bar using http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ (available in some countries only).Note: Diagnostic fees may apply for issues not covered under warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP).
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
All the very best,
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My Imac won't go past the grey screen and apple logo! How do I fix the start up in my Imac?

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