My MacBook pro is stuck at the gray loading screen. How do I fix it?

It's only a month old!
I have tried resetting parameter ram, restarting and holding option to. Load the lion recovery, but nothing seems to work.
Thanks for any help you can offer. This is very frustrating.

Resolution
Note: Some steps below may reset preference settings or registration settings.
Disconnect, test peripheral devices and network cables
Note: "Peripheral devices" refers to external devices other than what came with your Mac, such as hard drives, printers, or hubs that you connect via a USB or FireWire cable.
Shut down your Mac. If necessary, hold your Mac's power button for several seconds to force it to power down.
Disconnect all peripheral devices such as external hard drives or printers (leave only the display, a keyboard, and mouse connected).
Disconnect any Ethernet cables.
Start up your Mac.
If you can start up this way, one or more of your peripheral devices (or installed software related to the device) is probably causing the gray screen issue. Connect one device, then restart your Mac to test for the issue. Repeat the process until you locate the device at issue. Make sure the device is powered if it needs to be to operate correctly. Check with the manufacturer of the device for support or possible software driver or firmware updates that may be available for the device. Try a different cable with the device if possible (such as a different USB or FireWire cable).
Note: If you have multiple peripheral devices and the issue only occurs when they are all connected, but not when each device is the only peripheral connected, see the Additional Information section below.
If you are using a desktop Mac with a third-party keyboard and/or mouse device, and the issue still occurs, try starting up with an Apple keyboard and mouse connected instead. Try starting with no keyboard and mouse connected, then connect them after start up. Also, try a different USB port on your Mac.
If the gray screen issue persists with no devices connected, go to the next section (with the peripherals still disconnected).
Perform a Safe Boot
Simply performing the Safe Boot may resolve this issue.
Shut down your Mac. If necessary, hold your Mac's power button for several seconds to force it to power down.
Start your Mac, then immediately hold the Shift key. This performs a Safe Boot. Advanced tip: If you want to see the status of a Safe Boot as it progresses, you can hold Shift-Command-V during start up (instead of just Shift).
Note: A Safe Boot takes longer than a typical start up because it includes a disk check and other operations.
If your Mac starts up as expected, immediately try restarting.

Similar Messages

My MacBook Pro is stuck on the gray boot screen

I hope someone out there can help. When I try to turn on my MacBook, it chimes and then sits on the gray screen with the wheel thing spinning.
I tried booting in safe mode, clearing the PRAM and I have tried booting to the install disk and running disk repair and permissions repair. No change. When I restart, it goes back to the gray screen and stays there.
Any help would be very helpful.
Cheers.

Hi DWB,
When I boot to the Install Disk, I am able to run Disk Utilities. But even though the HD is declared verified and working, when I try to reboot the computer using the HD, it stalls on the gray screen.
I tried holding d and nothing happened.
Holding Cmd+V opened verbose mode and after a few restarts using Cmd+V to verify that the problem was consistent, I can say that it is.
The last 9 lines (let me know if you need more...I was just wanting to avoid typing them all ) are:
com.apple.launchd 1 com.apple.launchd 1 *launched[1] has started up. *
com.apple.launchd 1 com.apple.launchd 1 *Verbose boot; will log to /dev/console. *
Bug: launchtl.c:3557 (23930):6: ioctl((s6, SIOCAIFADDR_ING,&ifra6) != -1
Running fsck on the boot volume...
Executing fsck_hfs (version diskdev_cmds-491~1).
launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /Library/LaunchDaemons
launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
launchctl: Dubious permissions on file (skipping): /etc/mach_init.d
AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement: initialization complete
There is only what appears to be a white cursor on the next line and that is where it hangs.
I hope that you will know what all that means.

Macbook stuck at the gray loading screen

Now when i try to turn on my Macbook, it goes to the gray loading screen with the Apple in the middle and stays there until i turn it off, so obviously, i can't use it right now. i'm just wondering what i've done and how i could possibly fix it...

This could mean several things, so let's just throw them all out and give you the chance to try them out?
== PRAM. Reset the PRAM by restarting while pressing Apple-Option-P-R, and wait until you hear the chime. Then let go of the keys.
== SAFE MODE. You can probably use your Macbook in Safe Mode. While booting, hold down the S key. You'll have access to the minimal keyboard in case you want to try a diagnostic.
== DIAGNOSTIC. If you can get there, update permissions. If you can download MainMenu free from the web, you'll get an all-purpose diagnostic of your computer.
== STARTUP DISK. Put in your startup disk (if you can) and reboot, pressing C. This will bring your your installation page, where you have other diagnostic options. Sometimes, starting up from the Startup Disk is all you need to reset things
There's a start!

My Macbook Pro is stuck at the start up screen

Last night I was using Safari and it froze so I restarted it but when it started turning back on it didn't completely restart. It just stayed on the first screen.. I heard the start up chime and then it went to the screen with the apple and the little circle that spins while it's loading and it just stayed there... After about ten minutes of it staying on that screen I hit the power button until it turned off, shut the computer and left it alone for about an hour.. I plugged it into the charger and then turned it back on and I heard the chime again and it went to the same screen it had been on before... It was around 1AM and I accidentally fell asleep waiting for it to turn on so it was plugged in and on the loading screen from about 1AM until I woke up at about 10AM so it was stuck on that screen for 9 straight hours.. It's really freaking me out now. I tried to do it again and then I tried to reset it by turning it off and hitting 'SHIFT+CTRL+OPT' and holding the power button.. Nothing happened but I tried to turn it on again and it stayed on the same screen again... I have no idea what is happening and it's freaking me out now... So does anyone know how to fix this? Or even had it happen to them before?
If it helps I bought the computer in October of 2009.

Follow these documents.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
Try to get into your machine and if you do, the first thing you do is
backup your files to a external drive. (not TimeMachine) via regular
drag and drop methods.
Disconnect this drive. and all others.
Repair Permissions /Drive from the installer disk
You can then c boot off the installer disk for your OS version and
under the Utilities menu is Disk Utility > Repair Disk and
Repair Permissions.
Any warnings related to Disk Repair that are not repaired
is a sign of trouble.
This one about permissions you can ignore
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448
Reinstall OS X
Also you can reinstall just OS X itself while c booted off the
installer disk, shouldn't effect your programs or files
(but backup all files just in case)
Hold off Software updating until your third party software
has a update to work with the current OS X version.
OnyX clean and check
You can download and run ALL the cleaning and maintenance
aspects of the free OnyX and reboot here:
http://www.titanium.free.fr/
Also use OnyX Verify > Preferences (check to show only corrupt)
plist files, write them down and find them and move them to your
desktop and reboot, they will be rebuilt. If everything is fine then
delete the old plists and set your preferences again.
Most drastic method
If that don't work, c boot off the installer disk again, this time
use Disk Utility to Erase >format HFS+ Journaled with Security
option > Zero All Data (will take some time) This will totally
wipe the drive of everything and is a last ditch effort.
When it's done quit, and reinstall OS X.
You'll have to go through the setup and reinstall your programs
and files from backup. Secret is use the same user name and
drive name as the previous time so your iTunes folder will work
without a hitch.
If you restore from TimeMachine, it's possible whatever problem
you had can return, but you can try and if it doesn't work, just
repeat above without TimeMachine.
Clone your boot drive
Later look at free/donationware Carbon Copy Clone your boot
drive to a external HFS+ Journaled formatted drive (in Disk Utility)
and keep in a safe place, it hold option bootable, reverse clone
great if your hard drive bites it, or TimeMachine gets hosed.
TM isn't bootable.

I have an iphone 2g and its stuck on the emergency call screen, how can i fix this? jailbreak?

help!

It seems the SIM requirements for this situation are different for the 2G. From that document...
If you no longer have the SIM that was used with the original iPhone, and the original iPhone displays the "Connect To iTunes" screen, contact your carrier to get a replacement SIM.
I don't know if you'll need an account or not... sorry, I don't have experience with a 2G.

HELP! 09' Macbook Pro Start-Up Stays on Gray/White Screen

When I turn on my Macbook pro, it stay on the gray/white screen with the apple logo. I have tried booting up in safe mode by pressing shift+command+V, and try resetting the PRAM by pressing command+shift+P+R. Also, I have inserted my OS X disk to try to do a disk repair, but I don't see any pop-ups. Can someone please help me
*I'm running OS X Mavericks

Have you tried booting into your Recovery partition (holding down the command and R keys whilst booting)?
If you get that far you can use Disk Utility to verify and, if needed, attempt to repair your hard drive.
Clinton

My macbook pro is stuck on the log in page and is showing a gray folder what do i do ?

my macbook pro is stuck on the log in page and is showing a gray folder where the log in icon should be. what do i do??

Hi jazziejayy,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
If you see a gray folder icon and can't log in to the user account on your Mac, start with the troubleshooting steps in this article:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440
Regards,
Jeremy

We have had to change to a new router but the Macbook Pro still reverts to the old router. How can this new one be made the default?

We have had to change to a new router but the Macbook Pro still reverts to the old one. How can we lose this and make the new router the default?

Go to "Network" under system preferences and choose "advanced"
On the Wi-Fi tab you can sort the sequence of the preferred connections.
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On Startup, Stuck at the Gray Apple Screen & No Bootup

I used my powerbook last night and shut it down. Upon getting to work and turning it on, I haven't been able to get past the Gray Apple logo screen and loading dial.
I've been on several different boards and one gave me the steps to restart w/ the OSX install disk and hold "c". This worked, got me to the disk utility tool and I was successful in running a verification and repair. Here's the list of info it gave me:
Verify and Repair volume "Core HD"
Checking Journaled HFS Plus Volume
Checking Extents Overflow File
Checking Catalog File
Checking Multi-Linked Files
Checking Hierarchy
Checking Extended Attributes File
Checking Volume Bitmap
Checking Volume Information
The volume Core HD appears to be ok (in green letters)
So, from that, it "appears" to be ok, but I tried to do a restart from this area booting from the Core HD that contains my working content and I go right back to the gray loading screen.
_Any other advice before I take it to the Apple Genius Bar?_
_Possible issues to look for or tricks to try out?_
==========================
*Back info:* My battery has been going out lately and I noticed for the past week that I have to have my powersupply plugged into the powerbook in order to run (battery isn't keeping juice). So when I've had to disconnect the power supply to put the powerbook in my computer bag, the system shuts down and I have to restart w/ the power supply in.
_Could this have screwed up my HD or anything else?_
Thanks for any help in advance!
Rick in LA

*: SUCCESSFUL UPDATE! :*
So, I tried it all w/o success at home, but was optimistic since I could still see my files when running the disk utility.
I went to the Apple Store near my house and I explained the situation to the Mac Genius guy. Again, he was able to boot from another disk, but still not my internal disk.
Final Determination: Corrupted OS & the need to Archive & Reinstall OSX 10.5
*Result = SUCCESS!*
He said, that the OS must have gotten corrupted by way of an update that didn't fully take or a newly installed program that may have disrupted the system.
So, we reinstalled (took about an hour and some change), I got to play with all the new Apple toys and got access to my desktop again all for free. No charge and of course the customer service was friendly and accommodating.
So, I guess the stuck gray screen w/ apple logo could always mean a couple of things, but if the data is still there and you've run through all other options, you can always try an archive and reinstall. Worked for me and I'm posting this message from my operable Powerbook now.
Thanks for the helpful advice TJK. And thanks for sharing your experience Wim138. Hope this helps anyone experiencing the same issue.

My Macbook Pro keeps connecting to the wrong wifi. How do I stop it from doing this?

My Macbook Pro keeps connecting to the wrong wifi. How do I stop it from doing this?

Select the wi-fi tab in the menu bar then select "Open Network Preferences..." Select the "Advanced" button, then select the network that it is interfering with your MBP, then hit the - button and it will "forget" that network. Hope that fixes your problem, good luck.

HT5787 My MacBook Pro will not let me log on. How do I fix this? Can apple reset it?

My MacBook Pro will not let me log on. How do I fix this? Can apple reset it?

dana2208 wrote:
My MacBook Pro will not let me log on. How do I fix this? Can apple reset it?
Yes.
Password doesn't work?
If so, try resetting it. If the computer is having any other problem, take it to the Apple store to have it checked out.
Reset Password starting from Recovery HD
Start the computer,then press and hold down command and R keys to start into recovery partition.
When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.
Wait until OS X Utilities window shows up.
Move the mouse to the menubar at the top and click "Utilities", then select "Terminal"
from the drop down.
Terminal window will appear.
Type in resetpassword and press enter on the keyboard.
Leave the Terminal window open.
Reset Password Utility window will open with Macintosh HD selected.
Select the user account from the popup menu box.
Enter a new password.
Reenter the new password for the user.
Enter a hint.
Click the "Save" button.
Click  in the menubar and select Restart.
Log in.
If Keychain dialog box appears, select “Create New Keychain”.
Best.

I accidently downloaded something that made my webcam flash on spuradically even once i deleted it. when i restarted my computer it got stuck at the white loading screen with the grey apple and wont go past there..what is wrong? will applecare cover this?

i accidently downloaded something that made my webcam flash on spuradically even once i deleted it. when i restarted my computer it got stuck at the white loading screen with the grey apple and wont go past there..what is wrong? will applecare cover this? my computer also slowed down drastically before it stopped working..thanks! 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
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. 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 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
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 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 Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
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 is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 9
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. If you can't get to an Apple Store, go to another authorized service provider.

Ibook stuck on the grey loading screen

Stupidly i was messing around and accidentally unlocked the battery which fell out while my ibook was on sleep method. Now the ibook will only start up and get stuck on the grey loading screen.
I fear i have corrupted the hard drive, i have tried resetting the logic board by logging into the base router( i don't know if thats the right terminology), i did this by pressing power, then holding down apple key and v. But when i do this after the normal writing on the screen finishes, a message comes up saying
"Warning completing a zero block transfer"
I have reset my logic board before but this message has not come up.
Any help resolving this issue would be fantastic.
Thanks in advance!!!!!!!

Not resetting?
Well that presents a problem because you need to check the startup disk, repair the disk if necessary, or restore OS X using OS X Recovery
You can resstore from a Time Machine backup using OS X Recovery if necessary.

HT3224 I am new to Mac and started transferring data from my PC to my new Macbook Pro. Connection was lost once I started and now my Pro is stuck on the 'Transferring Information' screen. How do I get out of this screen to attempt the connection again?

II am new to Mac and was trying to transfer data from my PC to my new Macbook Pro. The connection was lost however and now my Pro is stuck on the 'Transferring you nformation' screen. How do I get out of this screen so I can attempt the connection again? Is it safe to force shut down of my Mac and will it still prompt me through all the setup process again?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
If your Mac and PC are connected by Ethernet, unplug and plug that cable again. If not, you have to turn off the MacBook by holding the Power button.
In the next startup, try to transfer your files again. It's important not to interrupt the transfer process, because in most cases, you will stop it and you won't be able to resume it

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

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

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

My MacBook pro is stuck at the gray loading screen. How do I fix it?

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