Not even a gray screen

iBook G4 won't start. Won't ding. Won't go to a gray screen. Just starts to spin the hard drive, then stops and sits there.
Help.
Please.

Try removing the battery, waiting a minute or two, then reinserting and rebooting.
If that doesn't help, I would call Apple Support or take it to an Apple Authorized repair shop.

Similar Messages

Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen

Intel iMac will not boot past gray screen
my system:
new (month old) 24" intel imac, 2.8 ghz, 4 gb ram.
running: leopard (upgraded from tiger, which was pre-installed at purchase), installed 10.5.1 update right before this huge problem occurred.
install discs on-hand: two-disc tiget set, single leopard upgrade disc.
what led to this:
i wanted to install windows using bootcamp on a 50 gb partition.
at this point i was running leopard 10.5
i followed all bootcamp instructions, printing out the guide, as well. once i got into the windows setup, i was prompted to choose a partition to install windows. unlike the bootcamp guide, which showed three partitions, one clearly labeled "bootcamp", i saw only one partition. not wanting to risk writing over my mac partition, i quit the setup and rebooted the mac os. after some googling around, i looked for firmware updates (didn't need any), and then software updates. i decided to try updating to 10.5.1.
i then ran through boot camp again, deleting my previous windows partition, creating a new one, and moving forward as before. once again, i was only shown one partition to choose from in the windows setup. i exited the setup again to reboot through the mac os, but this time, i was only given a blank gray screen.
here's what i have tried so far:
booting from a CD, holding down the C or D keys: no response (in fact, i have to restart the computer holding down the mouse button to be able to eject the CD)
booting with option key held down: gray screen
booting with option key held down with external bootable firewire drive attached: the firewire drive appears as a boot icon, and i can click on it within a five second window, but then the screen freezes after that time period, and nothing changes
booting into target mode while attached to another mac: gray screen (no firewire icon, and drive never shows up on other mac)
resetting NVRAM: i'm able to hear the boot chimes, but no difference in performance. gray screen every time
Safe boot: nothing but a gray screen
Verbose mode: gray screen
Single user mode: gray screen
Single user mode with firewire drive attached: occasionally (not every time), i am able to get the white on black terminal to show up. from here, i'm able to run fsck, but it appears to only be checking the firewire drive. i have tried several times to boot from here, and once it took me to a blue screen with movable arrow cursor, but it never went beyond this.
is there anything else left to try before taking it to apple?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
Casey Burns
Casey Burns Illustration and Design
http://CaseyBurns.com

I'd call Apple support at this point. You'll need
to put this issue on the record.
Call U.S. iPod and Mac technical support: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
The wait may be long for an agent to come on the line
so expect that and have some other stuff to do in the meantime.
If you have the applecare protection plan, I'd ask about "onsite"
service.
I like your work ! Good luck !
Slim
Message was edited by: slimpikkunz

FCP will not start not even a splash screen

I updated my 15" MacBook Pro to OSX 10.6.6 and now none of my Final Cut Pro projects will launch there is not even a splash screen that pops up. When I right click the FCP icon in the dock the only option it gives is to force quit. Has anyone heard of this happening in relation to an OS update?

Okay. I finally got FCS 2 apps and the App Store to coexist, but not without considerable trial and error. There is definitely some bad blood between 10.6.6 and FCS 2 apps. I haven't been able to pinpoint the exact problem since the behavior I experienced with FCP and Compressor was very inconsistent, but I do have some solutions that might work. I don't guarantee they'll all work as they did for me, but it's worth a shot.
1) Try launching FCP and waiting as long as you can when it hangs. Several times, if I waited long enough, the splash screen would magically appear and everything would start up as normal, even after a full minute or so.
2) Delete the Final Cut Pro System ID file and re-enter your serial number after launching FCP. Make sure you have your serial number handy before you try this. The System ID file is located in ~/Library/Application Support/ProApps/. Deleting this file allowed the serial dialogue to come up, and after entering the serial, FCP launched successfully.
3) If you have the time and patience, I highly recommend a totally clean install of 10.6 Snow Leopard and using the 10.6.6 Combo Update to get up to date. I managed to get a working Final Cut Pro and Compressor using this method, even though it was a pain in the ***. Using the Migration Assistant to transfer your files over will not break FCS2 apps. As a precaution, I did not transfer over any of my System Settings with the Migration Assistant. You can find the 10.6.6 Combo update here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1349
From my tests, I think there is some problem in 10.6.6 with how OS X displays custom dialogue boxes, such as the kind that drop down from the menu-bar or FCS's custom dialogue boxes and splash screens. I get hangs in MAS when it tries to display the Apple ID login and FCS upon launching. The behavior is inconsistent, sometimes hanging for 30 seconds, other times indefinitely, and I don't have the technical expertise to understand why. However, I've ruled out a disk error through a clean bill of health from disk utils and running the same OS config from two different hard drives.
Here's what I did:
1. Verified internal hard drive and made a SuperDuper backup of my internal hard drive to an external drive.
2. Wiped internal hard drive, installed 10.6 Snow Leopard, and installed Final Cut Studio from disks.
3. Installed the 10.6.5 combo update. Used Software Update to get all software up to date, but unchecked the 10.6.6 update.
Tested FCP: hang on startup.
4. Deleted the System ID file.
Tested FCP: asked for serial number, then completed launch.
Tested FCP again: launched with no problem.
Tested Compressor: launched with no problem.
5. I wanted to test the System ID fix on my old setup. I booted to SuperDuper backup (10.6.6 from Software Update) and deleted the System ID file.
Tested FCP: hang on startup.
6. Booted to clean-install (now at 10.6.5) and applied the 10.6.6 combo update.
Tested FCP: hang on startup
7. Deleted the System ID file.
Tested FCP: asked for serial number, then completed launch.
Tested FCP: initially hung on startup. However, after about 30 seconds, it surprisingly launched with no issues.
Tested FCP: took about 30 seconds to launch (no hang), but eventually displayed splash and launched with no issues.
Tested Compressor: same as above.
8. Migrated data from SuperDuper backup to 10.6.6 clean-install on internal drive using Migration Assistant. Excluded "Settings." I also deleted the System ID before testing.
Tested FCP: asked for serial number, then completed launch.
Tested Compressor: launched with no problems.
Tested FCP: launched with no problems.
9. I then launched the freshly installed Mac App Store. I clicked "install" for Evernote, and the app hung. However, after a moment, it displayed the Apple ID login drop-down from the menu bar. I entered my credentials and Evernote installed.
Tested FCP: initially hung on startup, then launched without a problem.
Tested FCP: launched without a problem.
Tested Compressor: launched without a problem
10. I decided to try one last little test. I deleted Evernote and launched both the Mac App Store and FCP at the same time. FCP hung on startup. I clicked "install" for Evernote again, and App Store hung. After a moment, though, FCP completed its launch AND the App Store drop-down asking me for my Apple ID appeared at the same time. This interested me, since it seemed to suggest that these were related incidents.
I have some process samples from activity monitor for when FCP hung, if someone would find them useful, but I can't read them at all. Console showed the following whenever FCP hung:
objc[192]: Class OutputTexture is implemented in both /Library/Application Support/ProApps/Internal Plug-Ins/ProFX/FxPlugWrapper.plugin/Contents/MacOS/FxPlugWrapper and /Library/Application Support/ProApps/Internal Plug-Ins/ProFX/QCMotionPatch.plugin/Contents/MacOS/QCMotionPatch. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:18:36 PM [0x0-0x15015].com.apple.FinalCutPro[192]
objc[192]: Class objCWrapper is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Motion.app/Contents/Frameworks/Ozone.framework/Ozone. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:18:37 PM [0x0-0x15015].com.apple.FinalCutPro[192]
objc[202]: Class MIOTimecodeField is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Plugins/ProAppsIntegration.bundle/Contents/MacOS/ProApps Integration. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:24 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class MIOTimecodeFieldTextView is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Plugins/ProAppsIntegration.bundle/Contents/MacOS/ProApps Integration. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:24 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class MIOTimecodeFieldFormatter is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Plugins/ProAppsIntegration.bundle/Contents/MacOS/ProApps Integration. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:24 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class MIOTimecodeSearchFormatter is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Plugins/ProAppsIntegration.bundle/Contents/MacOS/ProApps Integration. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:24 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class ProMetadataQTMDStorage is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/../Frameworks/MIO.framework/Versions/A/MIO and /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Plugins/QTM Reader.bundle/Contents/MacOS/QTM Reader. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:24 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class OutputTexture is implemented in both /Library/Application Support/ProApps/Internal Plug-Ins/ProFX/FxPlugWrapper.plugin/Contents/MacOS/FxPlugWrapper and /Library/Application Support/ProApps/Internal Plug-Ins/ProFX/QCMotionPatch.plugin/Contents/MacOS/QCMotionPatch. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:27 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]
objc[202]: Class objCWrapper is implemented in both /Applications/Final Cut Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Pro and /Applications/Motion.app/Contents/Frameworks/Ozone.framework/Ozone. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined. 1/11/11 1:20:27 PM [0x0-0x18018].com.apple.FinalCutPro[202]

IMac Does not boot past Gray Screen

iMac does not boot past Gray Screen. 2008 24" Intel iMac running Mountain Lion with 1TB hard drive.
Problem started yesterday while I was web surfing, and my iMac frooze and shutdown. I rebooted and could only get as far as the gray screen.
On bootup the following things happen:
Startup tone
Gray screen with Apple, and gear spins below Apple.
Once the gear stops spinning, nothing happends.
Troubleshooting steps I have tried:
removed all devices connected to iMac and rebooted, but same symptons occur.
booted into Safe mode and run disk utilites.
     Disk Utilities found no errors on the drive, but did find two permission issues that it was able to fix.
          First permission issue:
                   "Group differs on library; Should be 0; group is 80"
          Second permission issue:
                    "Permissons differ on library; Should be drwxr-xr-x; They are drwxrwxr-t"
Disk Utilities says it fixes these issues and then I reboot, but get the same problem.
I reboot back into Safe Mode and run Disk Utilities and it discovers the same problems listed above with Permissions. It says it fixes them, I reboot, but the same problem occurs. Its as if we are stuck in some sort of loop process.
Booted into Single User Mode and ran the following command:
     /SBin/fsck -fy   it reports back, Volume Apprears to be ok.
I reboot, same issue !
Performed SMC Reset, Rebooted, same issue
Performed PRAM Reset, Rebooted, same issue.
Booted into Recovery Partitioin (Command R) and ran disk utilities. It found the same permission issues listed above. It fixed them. I rebooted. Same problem still.
While in safe mode, I preformed a full time machine backup.
I am out of ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello,
I reboot back into Safe Mode and run Disk Utilities and it discovers the same problems listed above with Permissions.
You can ignore repeated "fixes" it's not really a problem, if it says completed repairs that's all that's needed.
Luckily it boots in Safe Mode, here's basically the steps to try to find out what it is...
One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or some USB or Firewire device, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.
Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.
Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...
/private/var/run/StartupItems
/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Though I'm suspecting some corruption to your OS at the moment.

I have a power pc g5 and it will not pass a gray screen

I have a power pc g5 and it will not pass a gray screen, i have read resolution online but the system wont detect my keyboard. have been using a microsoft one normally. tried with an official apple keyboard and still no joy. what can i do?

How to reset the SMU/PMU on a Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) or Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1436
Earlier G3, G4, G5 models...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1939
Does it fail all these modes?
Does it boot into any of these modes?
Holding Option/alt key at bootup.
Holding SHIFT key at bootup.
Target mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
Does it boot to Single User Mode, CMD+s keys at bootup, if so try...
/sbin/fsck -fy
Repeat until it shows no errors fixed.
(Space between fsck AND -fy important).
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
We might get clues with verbose mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492

Will not boot - Blank Gray Screen - Help!

I was trying to use Boot Camp to partition my new iMac to allow a small several Windows Applications. Followed (I think) online instructions including reformatting. When it looked like it was repeating the "formatting" I hit cancel figuring I would stop the partitioning and get advice......result was iMac shut down and now when I start I get the chime and a plane gray screen with no option to access or reboot. I tried PRAM (opions-control PR) and that did not get results......not sure what else to try.

Timetraveller wrote:
Hi Again Nerowolf and thanks for your help and patience.......sorry don't know the John Titor you mentioned.
Google "John Totor"
But I did try the DVD and holding down "C" while rebooting and while there was some hopful clicking no result. Do you have other suggestions.......am wondering if a trip back to the store might be a good move!
I suspect a hardware problem. Back to the store sounds like the appropriate thing to do.
Booting from a DVD has very little to do with the computer OS.
But first - do this, Sometimes it does miraculous things:
■ Shut down your computer. Turn the computer back on and immediately hold down Command-Option-P-R, continuing to press until you hear the startup sound for the second time. This resets the computer’s parameter random-access memory (PRAM).
IMPORTANT: Resetting PRAM may change some system settings and preferences. Use System Preferences to restore your settings.
■ If resetting PRAM doesn’t solve the problem, reset non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). When the “To continue booting ...” message appears, type “reset-nvram” and press Return. Then type “reset-all” and press Return.
Post back the results.

IMac G5 will not boot past gray screen

After successfully upgrading from Tiger to Leopard my computer won't get past the gray screen and the turning circle. How do I get my computer to turn on? Can anyone help!!!!!!

One more solution. The older base iMacs came with 256MB of RAM. Leopard requires a minimum of 512 MB to boot. Check how much RAM you have, and get at least 512MB more. It's cheap at Crucial or Kingston sites. Don't buy cheap RAM, it will give you headaches.

Macbook NOT working! Gray screen!!

Omg.
So whenever I turn on my computer all that comes up is a gray screen that says:
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x0039BDDF) : Unable to find driver for this platform: "ACPI"
Debugger called: <panic>
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x1426be04 : 0x128b5e (0x3bbf84 0x1426be28 0x131bbc 0x0)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.6.2:
...and yeah so what do I do? =(

Hi,
ACPI is related to enabling OS-directed configuration, power management, and thermal management of mobile, desktop, and server platforms.
try to reset PRAM and SMC.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303319
Try to insert your installer disk, and restart using it by pressing C.
After you select the language, click utilities > disk utility > repair both permission and repair disk.
Restart.
Good Luck.
ps: if problem persist, you might need to reinstall OS X using archive and install in order to keep your data intact.

MacBook Pro 17" late 2009 - Black screen on boot, not even a grey screen

Got a monstrous problem.
Started up my MacBook Pro (bought in Feb. This year, core 2 duo 2.88GHz/4 Gb RAM - basically the top specced model.)
Booted up today, no grey start-up screen. No screen at all. Yet I can still log into Snow Leopard, but again no screen. Rebooted into boot camp, heard windows start. Managed to log in again no screen. Volume controls, keyboard illumination work. Just a black screen.
I have tried resetting PRAM, etc. with no success. Cannot use hardware test as the screen simply does not start.
Any ideas before I throw the effing thing from a 5th floor window in frustration?
Is this the Nvidia problem other folk have experienced?
I am tempted to ask for a new machine spending 2 months on and off with my previous MacBook Pro in and out of repair if this is a hardware problem that has been fixed in recent Macs.
Regards,
J

I had the same problem just now. My 15" MBP (6.2). I followed the following steps and it worked for me. I used another Mac in my house to use screen sharing to accomplish these things:
1) access the /private/var/vm/ directory on the nonworking computer from the working computer. This is invisble so you will have to press cmdshiftg in the finder and go to /volumes/YOURHARDDISKNAME/private/var/vm to get there or use an application that lets you view invisble folders like PathFinder.
2) delete the sleepimage file
3) delete the /system/library/extensions.mkext file
4) eject the drive (drag to the trash)
5) press the power button to turn off the non working computer
6) turn the nonworking computer back on normally(cross your fingers) then if it works,
7) open up the the terminal.app in /applications/utilities
8) type sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
9) make sure there is no sleepimage file again
That worked for me...hope it helps for you!

HT1338 White Mac book will not start up just shows gray screen with apple logo

White Mac book will not boot up gray screen only

There are some recovery steps for this condition outlined in the below article.
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

Macbook pro a1150 wont boot past kernel, stuck on gray screen.

got a macbook pro a1150 ati 1600 gpu. last for characters in sn are vww. will not boot past gray screen after the gray screen with the apple logo. it has a fresh install of 10.6 on a new hard drive from a laptop of the same exact kind. when in target mode and its Hard Drive used as a boot divice, it will boot. no broken graphic on startup with the apple icon and the pin wheel spinning. boots to safe mode just fine, will even do updates. but will not boot from the NEW hard drive or the dvd rom. when i put the old hard drive in with 10.5 it wont boot past the blue screen and the same with the 10.5 install disc i baught. reset pram, changed ram, removed wifi card and even tried disconnecting the dvd rom but still will not go to the login screen. even disabled auto login (when it was in target mode). do i reflow the gpu? is it a gpu problem? one thing strange.... in safe mode, lines show up on the mouse icon and just that. the rest of the screen shows everything fine, i've seen this before with the nvidia chipset but not with ati. how do i fix it?

to better explain... the macbook pro in question never get to the blue startup screen which happenes before the login menu. not though dvd rom, hard drive, external dvd rom or external hard drive. just stop there. i hear the hard drive working / dvd spinning and the computer reading the disc but after a few min of just seeing the grey screen both would spin down.

My sons ipod says disavled for 22,807,916 min and will not allow me to restore what do i do? it says on the computer that we have to enter password but it will not even show the slide to unlock part. and he does no know the password.

my sons ipod says disabled for 22,807,916 min and will not allow me to restore it. on the computer is says that i have to enter his password but the slid to unlock is not even of the screen, HELP!!!!

Place the iOS device in Recovery Mode and then connect to your computer and restore via iTunes. The iPod will be erased.
iOS: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
If recovery mode does not work try DFU mode.
How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
For how to restore:
iTunes: Restoring iOS software
To restore from backup see:
iOS: How to back up
If you restore from iCloud backup the apps will be automatically downloaded. If you restore from iTunes backup the apps and music have to be in the iTunes library since synced media like apps and music are not included in the backup of the iOS device that iTunes makes.
You can redownload iTunes purchases by:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

MacBook pro will not boot. I get the gray screen, an apple icon and spinning wheel. Tried to start in safe mode but get the same screen. The only thing different was that I loaded the zedge sync app yesterday. Now getting this problem.

Macbook pro will not boot. I get the gray screen, an apple icon and spinning wheel. I tried to start in safe mode, but get this same screen. The only thing different is that I added the zedge update app to do a sync for adding ringtones to my apple cell phone. How can I get a good boot. I am fairly new to apple computer.

Reset PRAM: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405 and then try a normal boot.
Run the Startup Manager to select Startup disk: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310
If those did not work your disk may be sick or dying. The top priority at this point is to make a backup copy of your data.
Check the health of the disk. Boot in Recovery Mode (Boot, Command-R). Run Disk Utility. Click on the upper left disk icon. Does the S.M.A.R.T. status say “Verified”? If not the disk/SSD is unhealthy and needs to be replaced. Even if it does not show “Verified” you can still attempt a backup.
Click on the icon indented below, usually called “Macintosh HD” and Verify Disk. If it finishes with a green “OK” message then all is well with the disk. If it shows errors in red then you have found a problem to address once the system is backed up. Do not attempt software repairs until you have secured the data.
If the disk will not show up at all in Disk Utility as your ran the tests above then it may be dead or it may have a bad internal SATA cable. A trip to an Apple store for confirmation would be in order.
If you have an external disk drive you can use as a backup drive then do so. If not Google “Hitachi USB 3.0 external hard drive 1TB” to purchase one or go to a brick-and-mortar store (including an Apple store) to pickup one. Any 1 TB external drive will do.
Assuming it is still breathing you can try to recover the data without booting from the sick disk.
Reformat the external disk. (This will erase all data on the external disk.)
Boot in Recovery Mode. Start Disk Utility. Plug in the new disk. Select it’s disk Icon (the second one down, left justified). Select the Partition tab.
Partition Layout > Single Partition
Name: Emergency Recovery 1 (or whatever name you wish to use)
Format: Mac OS Extended (journaled)
Options… > GUID Partition Table > OK
Apply
Select the Restore tab.
Drag the old system volume (Macintosh HD) to Source.
Drag the new disk volume (Emergency Recovery 1) to Destination.
Click on Restore.
It may take a long time for the backup.
If that will not complete post back for other emergency data recovery methods, including those from a brody.
If the backup succeeds, use the First Aid tab in Disk Utility to select the old volume (Macintosh HD) and Repair Disk. If it does not finish with a green OK message try to repair it once or twice more. If it repairs with a green OK message, will it boot normally? If not, boot from the Recovery Partition and reinstall OS X.
If it is still not healthy, post back for further instructions.

I am not able to use my Mac while FileVault is encrypting. Is it frozen on a gray screen with the apple logo. Is it actually encrypting?

I have an early 2008 MacBook and running iOS Lion. I just turned on FileVault and restarted my computer as instructed. It told me before hand that I would still be able to use my Mac while the files were being encrypted. However, when I logged in on the secure gray login screen, I was only directed to a plain gray screen with the apple logo in the center. There are no time turners or anything moving. Is my Mac encrypting or is it frozen in some sort of way? If it is encrypting, how long does it usually take? and if it is frozen, how do I unfreeze it?

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 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.

Bought IMAC sept2012 after updates gray screen shows up with logo at start up. Please help! I don't know the system as I just start using it and the package did not come with CD to reinstall system. I tried to reboot holding shift but it does not work.

Please help.
I bought the IMAC 21.5" /2.5QC /2X2GB /500GB /6750M sept2012. After the automatic update run when restart computer the screen is on the gray screen with the logo and wont' do anything else. I tried to reboot holding the shift key without success. The package did not come with a CD so I can not reinstall the previous system. I even don't know what is the system that came with the computer because I just start using it. I bought in the US but am in Brazil. HELP PLEASE, how can I get the previous system so I can reinstall it? I do not mind loosing data but I need to work on it. PLEASE HELP! Thanks!

Try booting into the Recovery HD which is on the HD. Restart holding down Command+r and at the screen with four choices select Disk Utility>Macintosh HD and click on 'repair disk'. If any changes are made click on repair disk again until you get a clear pass. Restart as normal from the Apple menu.
More about the Recovery HD:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Not even a gray screen

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