My log in screen is gray

My Mac log in screen (where you select a user account) is grey. It logs in ok, maybe a bit slow and works fine. Is this something I need to be concerned with?

What year is your macbook Pro
There is a repair program for the graphics card at apple (2011 year)
apple store will run a diagnostic test and will replace logic board if needed

Similar Messages

Log-on screen half gray

My logon screen was partly grey and partly blue but I can login o.k. I have tried to run diagnostics but nothing appears to happen. I get just a dark screen with Shutdown and Restart prompts at the bottom. Both are inactive.

Problem resolved by booting into Safe Mode (CMD+SHIFT+V) and then rebooting normally

2 log-in screens after turning filevault 2 on in Mac OSX Lion?

Hi -
I turned file-vault on in Mac OSX Lion 10.7.3 and now I am presented with log-in screens 2 times whenever I reboot my mac. First log-in screen comes immediately, is a light gray screen with filevault-enabled users, so I enter my password there and after some time I am presented with a second normal log-in screen, dark gray with all users. After entering my password in this second login screen, I am able to use my mac.
I am wondering if this 2 log-in screens is the normal behavior after turning on the filevault 2 on in Mac OSX Lion?

Hi Linc -
That is indeed what I am doing now, it is still decrypting. once it is done decrypting, I will start encryption again. I am not sure why the first screen is coming, just an FYI: I do not have firmware password set in my macbook as well.
I will post back the status when I get around this, thanks for your response.

I recently added photoshop elements 12 to my computer but can't get past the initial log in screen. It goes gray and spins. any thoughts?

I recently added photoshop elements 12 to my computer but can't get past the initial log in screen. It goes gray and spins. I have a current serial number and log in ID/password but still not working. Any thoughts?

Hello,
I recommend you contact AT&T's dedicated BB Support staff (call their front line, request escalation to BB Support) and have them check to be sure that your account with them is correctly configured for this device. Sometimes when switching devices things don't fully automatically move behind the scenes, and only they (ATT) can validate that.
Good luck and let us know!
Occam's Razor nearly always applies when troubleshooting technology issues!
If anyone has been helpful to you, please show your appreciation by clicking the button inside of their post. Please click here and read, along with the threads to which it links, for helpful information to guide you as you proceed. I always recommend that you treat your BlackBerry like any other computing device, including using a regular backup schedule...click here for an article with instructions.
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When I log out my screen goes gray

When I log out my screen goes gray.

If your screen looks like it's zoomed in then try double-tapping the screen with three fingers, and then make sure that Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom is 'off'

When i log onto safari the screen is grayed out and i no touch features are functioning

when i log onto safari the screen is grayed out and i no touch features are functioning

Try clearing Safari's cache : Settings > Safari > Clear Cache (and Clear History)
If that doesn't work then try closing Safari completely and then re-open it : from the home screen (i.e. not with Safari 'open' on-screen) double-click the home button to bring up the taskbar, then press and hold any of the apps on the taskbar for a couple of seconds or so until they start shaking, then press the '-' in the top left of the Safari app to close it, and touch any part of the screen above the taskbar so as to stop the shaking and close the taskbar.
A third option is a reset : press and hold both the sleep and home buttons for about 10 to 15 seconds (ignore the red slider), after which the Apple logo should appear - you won't lose any content, it's the iPad equivalent of a reboot.

When I type in my password into the login screen I get the rainbow pinwheel and then the screen turns gray and goes back to account selection... How do I access my account?

Today I was doing my chemistry homework when all of a sudden my mid 2011 MacBook pro running Lion 10.7.4 started going very very VERY slowly to a point where it was unusable. I restarted my computer and went to type in my password. When I did this, the computer recognized the password and began to boot yet the pinwheel came on and the screen turned gray and went back to the account selection screen. It continues to do this everytime I enter my password and I can no longer access my account. How do I fix this.

You can take some of the steps here, #4, #5 or even trying a #18
Step by Step to fix your Mac
but I suspect your going to first have to create a data recovery drive
Create a data recovery, undelete boot drive
to get your data off the machine,
then do a #20 to eliminate the bad sectors as that's why your getting the "pinwheel" it's getting a delay reading from the drive, right when your trying to log in too, what a bad spot for it to happen.
Step by Step to fix your Mac

Macbook Pro unable to get pass the Log in Screen.

Hey hope someone can help.
Okay so last night I was using Windows, I shut down, then a few hours later I switched it on to go onto my Mac, but it took forever, I left it though and eventually I got to the log in screen, I entered my password and it was loading then the screen went blue/gray (not sure I think both) and went back into the log in screen again... I did this numerous times before giving up and shutting down. Went to sleep, woke up and resumed this...so I decided to see if I could log into my windows, which it did just fine, I'm on windows typing this right now.
I have run the apple hardware test, extended too, and I have recieved the error code: 4SNS/1/40000000:Th2H-63.000 (No idea what that is)
I have also tried booting from my start up disk that came with my Mac. It gives me the Apple logo on the gray screen then ejects my disc, gives me this long story... kind of goes: panic (cpu 0 caller 0x00431da3):"unable to blah blah... Tells me to restart or shutdown.
I looked at my disc and I think its cracked, So I have to get that replaced.
I think I have to archive and install, I really don't want to lose my music, as I haven't backed it up. 400 songs or so nothing much, I'm not worried about the other stuff as that is all backed up.
Long story short can someone tell me what's going on with my Mac? why am I still able to use windows fine? Has windows done a hit on Mac OS? lol. Is the solution to replace my install disc at Apple? I really don't know, any help would be greatly appreciated thanks, I'm just too tired and can't Google anymore :P
(I have a small partion of 32GB dedicated to Windows Vista.)

"I have run the apple hardware test, extended too, and I have recieved the error code: 4SNS/1/40000000:Th2H-63.000 (No idea what that is)"
Neither do I. Suggest that you take your MBP to an Apple Store or an AASP.
"Is the solution to replace my install disc at Apple?"
Yes. You can get replacement System Install & Restore CD/DVDs from Apple's Customer Support for a nominal S&H fee. *You'll need to have the model and/or serial number of your Mac available.*
Since you're not in the US, you may need to go through the regional Apple Store that serves your location to find the contact number. Here's a list of links to all of those -
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/intlstoreroutingpage.html
!http://i50.tinypic.com/izvwo1.gif!

Can't get to log in screen on Tesco credit card website

Hi,
I am trying to log into my Tesco credit card on line banking but can't open the logging on screen. When i try I get an error message saying The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading. I am able to load this fine by using internet explorer.
Can anyone make any suggestions please?
Thanks
Powlus

Please describe in detail all you have attempted to do in order to resolve the issue.
Mac OS X 10.5: Troubleshooting installation, startup, and login issues
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

Will not boot up to log in screen

will not boot up to log in screen when powered up, all I get is a grey screen with apple logo in middle and spinning timer
I have tried resetting SMC
I have tried starting up in Safe Mode (it won't do that either)
I have gotten into disk utility to repair disk
I have tried resetting PRAM
nothing... we are on a network in a school district so my next step is to re-image it but wondering if there is something else I should try first
if not then how do I backup files that are needed before I re-image
thanks, Cindy

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 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 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.

[SOLVED][KDE, intel] Screen goes gray when switching windows

Hello,
on my EEE netbook, since the xorg update, I guess --noticed today, as I use it for school only --, the screen goes gray after I switch windows via alt+tab. This does not happen every time, but eventually it occures. In that case the whole screen has color of not yet painted window, and the DE is seemingly not responding to anything, I can still move my mose though and cursor moves too. Switching to text console works, but xserver restart is needed to get things back to normal.
I have been using graphics system raster, but change to default didn't solved the issue. The same goes for -lcd font filters. System is up-to-date and uses some SELinux packages from the AUR if that matters, but it should not, as they are not graphics nor DE related.
Would you have any sugestions? I should not be doing any potentially risky operations till thursday, as I need the computer for school and don't have any other available.
Thank you.
Will happily provide additional information, if you specify it.
EDIT: The situation is simmilar as when I run a program, first a fullscreen window is painted gray, and when everything is loaded its content is painted. This lasts few second in case of big applications like Kontact. In the case of mentioned bug it is like the content of window never painted.
EDIT: So I recompiled bespin-svn, as I remembered, that this package likes to cause trobles, when it is older, and I wanted to mark this solved, as it behaved during the day, but just few minutes ago, the problem happend again.
EDIT: I don't understand it. On monday it happed several times during day. On tuesday it happend once. Since wednesday it didn't happend. Sould I start to beleave in ghosts?
Last edited by Nicky726 (2010-12-09 16:02:37)

Ok, happend again several times today. Didn't happen at any other PC, but I do not have other Intel based, in case it is graphics related.
As for log (not like I have an idea what to look for) I have error loading fbdev module and some touchpad errors in xorg.log (not imediatelly after the problem), and some Networkmanager warnings.
Damn. Now I failed three times in a row to switch from konsole to rekonq in order to copy those logs. Anyway this is tail -n 50 everything.log (right now X11 screen is just gray and mouse cursor). SELinux can be ignored as it is set permissive.
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: ata3: EH complete
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-3): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-5): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995186.522:24): avc: denied { execstack } for pid=16129 comm="ksmserver" scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tclass=process
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-2): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:39:46 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-4): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:39:47 localhost NetworkManager[22388]: <warn> invalid connection: 'NMSettingWireless' / 'mac-address' invalid: 1
Oct 13 20:39:47 localhost NetworkManager[22388]: <warn> invalid connection: 'NMSettingWireless' / 'mac-address' invalid: 1
Oct 13 20:39:53 localhost kernel: composite sync not supported
Oct 13 20:39:54 localhost kernel: SELinux: initialized (dev fuse, type fuse), uses genfs_contexts
Oct 13 20:39:54 localhost kernel: type=1401 audit(1286995194.036:25): security_compute_sid: invalid context user_u:user_r:mount_t for scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:mount_exec_t tclass=process
Oct 13 20:39:54 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995194.036:26): avc: denied { read write } for pid=16308 comm="mount" path="socket:[1171927]" dev=sockfs ino=1171927 scontext=user_u:user_r:mount_t tcontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tclass=unix_stream_socket
Oct 13 20:39:54 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995194.036:27): avc: denied { read write } for pid=16308 comm="mount" path="/dev/fuse" dev=devtmpfs ino=4086 scontext=user_u:user_r:mount_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:fuse_device_t tclass=chr_file
Oct 13 20:39:54 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995194.039:28): avc: denied { append } for pid=16308 comm="mount" name="mtab" dev=dm-3 ino=37749 scontext=user_u:user_r:mount_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:etc_t tclass=file
Oct 13 20:39:56 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995196.412:29): avc: denied { execmod } for pid=16256 comm="knotify4" path="/usr/lib/codecs/drvc.so" dev=dm-3 ino=828208 scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:lib_t tclass=file
Oct 13 20:39:59 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995199.259:30): avc: denied { execmod } for pid=16256 comm="knotify4" path="/usr/lib/libx264.so.104" dev=dm-3 ino=16190 scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=user_u:object_r:lib_t tclass=file
Oct 13 20:42:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: renewing lease of 192.168.1.200
Oct 13 20:42:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: acknowledged 192.168.1.200 from 192.168.1.254 `router'
Oct 13 20:42:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: leased 192.168.1.200 for 300 seconds
Oct 13 20:43:09 localhost kernel: type=1401 audit(1286995389.304:31): security_compute_sid: invalid context user_u:user_r:mount_t for scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:mount_exec_t tclass=process
Oct 13 20:43:12 localhost kdm[3254]: X server for display :0 terminated unexpectedly
Oct 13 20:43:12 localhost acpid: client 15799[0:0] has disconnected
Oct 13 20:43:12 localhost acpid: client connected from 20364[0:0]
Oct 13 20:43:12 localhost acpid: 1 client rule loaded
Oct 13 20:43:13 localhost kernel: composite sync not supported
Oct 13 20:43:13 localhost kernel: composite sync not supported
Oct 13 20:43:20 localhost kernel: ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Oct 13 20:43:20 localhost kernel: ata3: EH complete
Oct 13 20:43:20 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-3): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:43:21 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-5): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:43:21 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-2): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:43:22 localhost kernel: EXT4-fs (dm-4): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
Oct 13 20:43:22 localhost NetworkManager[22388]: <warn> invalid connection: 'NMSettingWireless' / 'mac-address' invalid: 1
Oct 13 20:43:22 localhost NetworkManager[22388]: <warn> invalid connection: 'NMSettingWireless' / 'mac-address' invalid: 1
Oct 13 20:43:24 localhost kernel: SELinux: initialized (dev fuse, type fuse), uses genfs_contexts
Oct 13 20:43:24 localhost kernel: type=1401 audit(1286995404.994:32): security_compute_sid: invalid context user_u:user_r:mount_t for scontext=user_u:user_r:insmod_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:mount_exec_t tclass=process
Oct 13 20:43:25 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995405.008:33): avc: denied { write } for pid=20701 comm="mount" name="mtab" dev=dm-3 ino=37746 scontext=user_u:user_r:mount_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:etc_t tclass=file
Oct 13 20:43:25 localhost kernel: type=1400 audit(1286995405.008:34): avc: denied { append } for pid=20701 comm="mount" name="mtab" dev=dm-3 ino=37746 scontext=user_u:user_r:mount_t tcontext=system_u:object_r:etc_t tclass=file
Oct 13 20:43:25 localhost kernel: composite sync not supported
Oct 13 20:44:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: renewing lease of 192.168.1.200
Oct 13 20:44:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: acknowledged 192.168.1.200 from 192.168.1.254 `router'
Oct 13 20:44:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: leased 192.168.1.200 for 300 seconds
Oct 13 20:45:44 localhost ntpd[22509]: skew change 53.711 exceeds limit
Oct 13 20:47:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: renewing lease of 192.168.1.200
Oct 13 20:47:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: acknowledged 192.168.1.200 from 192.168.1.254 `router'
Oct 13 20:47:02 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: leased 192.168.1.200 for 300 seconds
Oct 13 20:49:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: renewing lease of 192.168.1.200
Oct 13 20:49:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: acknowledged 192.168.1.200 from 192.168.1.254 `router'
Oct 13 20:49:32 localhost dhcpcd[22391]: eth0: leased 192.168.1.200 for 300 seconds
This should cover the time of at least one of the failures. Can somebody see something in it?
Last edited by Nicky726 (2010-10-13 18:58:16)

MacBook keeps rebooting, grey screen and unable to get a log in screen

Have no idea what has happened! Looking through mail yesterday, nothing else. When I went to log in last night it started rebooting and then shut itself off. Every time I try to turn it back it on it has grey screen, apple icon and begins to reboot itself and then simply turns itself off again. Cannot even get to log in screen. Any advice on how to get my log in screen back and stop this process?

Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

Hey! I don't know if my MacBook Air is frozen, but the screen is gray with the apple logo and an icon below turning round and round as if it's opening, but has been like that for a few days. I've switched it off and then on again several times, still the

Hey
I don't know if my mac book air is frozen, but the screen is gray with the apple logo in the middle of the gray screen, with the 'booting' icon turning round and round. I have switched it off fron both the power and power button on the computer, it goes off, when I put it on, same screen comes on again. Help Please!

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 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, 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.
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
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 3
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 4
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 5
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 6
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
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.
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 corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 6.
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 7
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 8
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.
Step 9
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 Time Machine or other backup.
Step 10
This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. 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 boot 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 11
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.

Start up freezing, sometimes blue screen, sometimes gray

Hello! My laptop has problems with starting up, and will appear as a blue screen with only a visible and moveable cursor, or as a gray screen with Apple and turning gear icons. I have tried finding solutions (seeing as others have had similar symptoms) but to no avail. i have not had recent software upgrades.
Not very savvy at all this, but here's what I've done:
-tried Safe Boot, and was able to log in to my (only 1) user. went to blue screen 'image' (i think this is default desktop image-blue with fabric-like gradients) and moving cursor, no icons, no toolbar.
-tried Safe Boot pressing 'Command' and 'V'. showed black screen and long text, with words such as 'excited abnormally: Bad system call', 'respawning too quickly!: throttling', 'too many failures in succession'. i forced a shutdown.
-attempted reset of PRAM/NVRAM. screen showed gray w/ Apple and turning gear icons for over an hour. i forced a shutdown.
-started with Install Disk. with selecting my HD listed as my username, i did a 'Verify Disk'. it came up with 'incorrect number of thread records' and 'invalid volume file count'.
-with Install Disk, did a 'Repair Disk Permissions', which was successful. then, did a 'Repair Disk'. it quit after 3 attempts, stating '1 volume could not be repaired because of an error' which were listed again as the incorrect number of thread records, and invalid volume file count.
-tried start up from my regular HD, but Install Disk was still in. it showed a black screen, repeating the 'excited abnormally: Bad system call', 'respawning too quickly!: throttling', 'too many failures in succession'. BUT, it said 'local host/ i have no name!#' and seemed to want an answer. i made some attempts, typing in my HD name and such, but no avail. had to force shutdown.
-tried Apple Hardware Test using Install Disk and holding 'D'. no problems found. disk ejected.
Now, with a regular start up attempt, i still have just a gray screen w/Apple and gear icons.
Apologies for this long post, but if you have any insight, i'd LOVE to hear it! i am currently very, very far from a Mac store, so I hope this Discussion forum can shed some light. Thank you in advance!

Firstly, the Archive & Install should not destroy your User Data, just give you a new/old OS.
Secondly, 99.99% of the time these updates messing things up can be prevented by maintenance they don't tell you about...
The usual reason why updates fail or mess things up, or things don't load/run, is if Permissions are not fixed before & after every update, with a reboot... you may get a partial update when the installer finds it doesn't have Permissions to change one obscure little part of the OS, leaving you with a mix of OS versions.
Some people get away without Repairing Permissions for years, some for only days.
If Permissions are wrong before applying an update, you could get mixed OS versions, if Directory is the slightest messed up, who knows!
If many Permission are repaired, or any Directory errors are found, you may need to re-apply some the latest/biggest updates again, or even do an A&I if you have enough free disk space.
The combo update for PowerPC-based Macs...
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateppc.html
The combo update for Intel-based Macs...
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateintel.html
Repair Permissions before & after re-install, then reboot again each time.
If all the above do not resolve the problem, then it's time for a relatively painless Archive & Install, which gives you a new/old OS, but can preserve all your files, pics, music, settings, etc., as long as you have plenty of free disk space, and don't have any Disk Directory problems...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120
Be sure to use Preserve Users & Settings.
I only use Software Update to see what is needed, then get them for real via...
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/
That way I can wait a week or so, check the forums for potential problems, and get Permissions & such in order before installing.

My mac air won't start up.it is frozen right before the log on screen. It shut down fine the time before, what should I do? Does it have a safe mode like windows?

My Mac book air wont start up.it is freezing up right before the log on screen. It shut down properly. I cant figure out what could of caused this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Justin,
Are you getting to the Login screen? Or is freezing up on a blue screen? Are you still at the gray screen? Run any updates recently?
You can try Safe Boot/Mode and see if that does anything - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
The next step would be to try and verify/repair Disk Permissions, but you'll need access to another computer for DVD/CD sharing or an external DVD drive.

My log in screen is gray

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