On Gray screen boot up I get a filefolder with a ? in it. FLASHING!!

My macbook kept locking up. Then the next phase was when I would force quit and turn it off it sounds like it is going to boot up then no apple gray screen or wheel turning just a file folder with a question mark in it that flashes. I tried to boot up from a disk and reinstall OS X but it won't give me a destination to click to continue with the install. I also did the reset holding down PR and OPTION COMMAND. That worked one time then it just all started over again. Now I can't get the disc to come out and I am stuck on the install screen. Please help.

Almost the exact thing happened to me a little over a month ago. I checked with the install disk, which couldn't find my hard drive, and it turned out it was totally gone. Kaput. No way to recover my data, and my last backup was from July...
The Genius at the store was great, though - he gave me a new hard drive for free and installed Leopard for me while I shopped elsewhere.

Similar Messages

Gray screen boot loop!

My early 2009 Imac is in the gray screen boot loop it just doesnt want to start up. I accidentily chanded disk permissions and now i cant even get it to start so that I can use disk utility or anything I dont even have the install boot dvd. please help

If you have access to a working Mac that's running the same version of the Mac OS, boot yours in Target Disk Mode by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect it to the working Mac with a Firewire cable. The internal drive will mount as an external drive on the other Mac. Repair permissions on it.

While surfing the internet I get frequent stopages with the notation "Shockwave Flash may be busy - - - - -" Why doesn't it say Adobe Flash and how do I get it fixed?

While surfing the internet I get frequent stopages with the notation "Shockwave Flash may be busy - - - - -" Why doesn't it say Adobe Flash and how do I get it fixed?

The site will NOT let me post in the "flash player" forum. When I open the list of forums to post in, I see flash player listed, but it is grey in color and you can not click on it. Under the scroll box that gives you the choices of forums to post your question in you see this:
"Why are some locations grayed out? This means that you can view content in these locations, but may not have access to post to them. Or, the content type you've chosen is not available there (i.e. trying to put a blog post in a project where blogs are turned off). Also to move content to "Your documents", "Private discussions" or "Your Videos" you have to be the author."
So tell me HOW the hell am I supposed to post in that forum, when it is not letting me? I have had this problem since back in April, I have tried posting to get help and all I get is complaints I posted in the wrong place, and it is the SITE that is not letting me post in the right place.

Gray screen booting problem

I been having this Gray Screen problem since yesterday, my Mac is a MacBook Pro late 2011, I've tried everything (reinstall Mavericks 10.9.4, repair disk permissions, and even Safe Mode) but nothing has worked so far for my problem so today while looking for other solutions I used cmd + V and encountered the following screen and I don't know what to do because during single mode (cmd + S) I mounted the drive in read/write mode and tried to remove /etc/launchd.conf but it would only overwrite it.
I don't know what to do so could someone please help me, I really need my Mac for work

type:
sync
sync
sync
reboot
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

I had to erase and reinstall mavericks to hd, now i cannot boot up , i get a folder with flashing Q mark and i cannot boot from dvd drive...Ideas please

hi
its a long and sorry story, i have a imac running mavericks
a few days ago i noticed that the dvd drive was ejecting every disc i put in, so i decide to check hd with onyx and reset permissions etc
onyx said the smart status couldnt be checked and i should check hd using disk utility.
i did this and it came up that hd had errors , so i ran the repair facility....it came up with disk can not be repaired, reformat and reinstall mavericks
this i did.
i reinstalled mavericks into mac hd, which took about 3 hrs, i then rebooted and a folder with flashing Qmark appeared, i cant get past this at all.
i have tried to use internet recovery but it comes up with 6002f error, and the dvd drive still does not accept boot disk, so i am at a lose as to how to proceed
anybody got any ideas?
thanks
L

If your hard drive has SMART errors then it is failing and should be replaced. Disk Utility cannot fix SMART reported errors.

Mac book pro wilt boot. Only get a folder with ? in it.

My macbook pro will not boot and when it tries it shows a flashing folder with ? mark in it. Any way to ge to going?

Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer was running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier and you reach the third set of steps, insert a Mac OS X install disk.
(115663)

Brand new hard drive and still can't get past the gray screen

i was having problems with my mac last night going to the gray screen, sometimes i'd get the folder with the question mark. i looked up for solutions and i tried every one i could find short of reformatting the hard drive. nothing worked, getting the start-up disk causes the mac to freeze on the screen with the picture of a disk and an arrow after i press the arrow to go into disk utilities. i took it to the apple store, which i wasn't really happy with my service there- i was called up immediately but then was never able to explain what was happening to the guy he just plugged in the computer, went back to helping someone else and periodically looked at my screen. i understand that they probably take care of multiple people at once so they don't get complaints about wait times, but i don't think i was really helped at all, he just ended up saying that i needed a new hard drive and if i knew how to put one in i was better off doing it myself then sent me on my way. well i bought a new hard drive and upon installing it and putting in the mac os x disk it still freezes and no solution has worked yet.

So all you need then is to know how to format the drive and install Snow Leopard.
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT3910

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

IBook won't boot, stops at gray screen--HELP

I couldn't find this exact topic at first glance and I am hoping someone can help me. My ibook is about 5 years old and has only really crashed on my once 2 years ago but I was able to reinstall the OS and go on my way. This time, however, nothing works. I tried to boot up yesterday and the gray screen appeared and that was it along with a strange buzzing sound. I tried Disk Warrior, wouldn't even boot off that. Also tried booting off system disk 1 and didn't get past the language screen, just hung up with that buzz again.
Does this sound like a logic board issue? Can it be rescued?
Thanks in advance for any help!

I'm not sure if the computer can be checked out at home in such a way
in its present state, to see if there is a logic board failure behind it, now,
or not. There could be a hard disk drive failure, or ATA controller failure;
and a short list of other possibilities, best checked over by a specialist.
Certain keyboard commands and things could be tried (and I usually
assume they'd been tried before asking here, but that's often not so)
just to see if one or more of them could get a rise out of the dead Mac.
Be sure, if you can get the installer disc to boot the Mac, that you
try and use the Disk Utility to repair disc; maybe more than once;
and do not try to just reinstall an Archive and Install. The HDD may
have corruption issues and it may need low-level zero-data and re-
formatting before a new system could go on there, if it worked at all.
{Even trying to reset PRAM/NVRAM and then seeing if you can get
the bootable OSX installer disc to start up the Mac could be OK.
Maybe that PMU reset, as a last resort? It probably won't hurt...}
A system on an external bootable enclosed hard disk drive could be
used by a tech or a prepared home-tech owner, and a clone of the
machine's system then attempted to be used to boot the ailing Mac.
If the optical drive and other components relying on the logic board
are dysfunctional due to a defect on that main board, most external
devices may also have a hard time trying to use these methods of
outside efforts to troubleshoot be nominally successful.
There may be a way a tech can use an second computer to get
data off the drive in your iBook, should it come to that, by using
the FireWire Target Disk mode and see if your iBook can start
and act like an external hard disk drive. A copy of the drive's
content or parts of it may be made by the second healthy Mac.
A clone (perhaps not bootable if data on it is damaged and not
recoverable) could be made if the second healthy computer has
a clone utility and also an external drive it can copy/clone the
iBook's drive content over to. This may be asking too much;
but the home user who has stuff on hand could do it shortly.
Anyway, there are some ideas online, if you can search google
and choose appropriate words; I looked but you may need to
read through several different source links to see if anything
sounds like it may work. re: iBook won't start past grey screen
Some users have tried resetting the PMU, others tried NVRAM
and PRAM; a few tried SafeBoot to see if the system was OK
enough to load in a reduced startup mode; maybe where the
system's own Disk Utility could be ran to at least fix permissions.
And of these, if it is truly a logic board or a failed hard disk drive,
they won't really do much. Probably no harm; and that is part
of what troubleshooting is all about, working with zeros and ones!
Good luck & happy computing!
edited to add a chapter.

MacBook Stuck on Gray Screen

I've been experiencing a major problem today -- very major as my MacBook won't start up properly. Long story short: today I downloaded iTunes 8 and began to run through the paces to use Genius (scan my computer, etc.). My computer was sluggish in responding and gave me the spinning rainbow wheel, so I left it and went to work. When I got home ten hours later, the rainbow wheel was still going and I was unable to force quit iTunes. So, I did a hard power off (pressing the power button). Sadness ensued.
My Mac will not start up past the chime and solid gray screen. The most exciting graphic I've gotten is that flashing question mark folder on the gray screen. Thus far, after reading up on these forums and around the internet, I have:
Tried to start up from my Leopard upgrade disc (no luck; solid gray screen)
Tried to start up from my original OS 10.4.9 disc (no luck; solid gray screen)
Tried to re-set my RAM (take them out, put them back in) and then restart my computer (no luck; solid gray screen)
Attempted a PRAM reset (no luck; solid gray screen)
Attempted a safe mode start (my computer DID chime twice -- then solid gray screen)
After all of the above, with absolutely no luck, I'm at wits end. Leaving it be gives me that flashing folder after 5 or 10 minutes, then my computer automatically shuts down. The only strange thing to happen to my computer lately has been the above mentioned iTunes 8 challenges. My computer sits on my desk plugged into my external hard drive all of the time -- it never leaves my apartment and is taken care of with kid gloves. All I can think of right now is thank goodness for Time Machine and my external HD...
Now here's the truly sad part: my computer is 14 months old, out of warranty. As a guy who's had a Mac laptop since 2001 (Titanium PowerBook, then MacBook) after having Apple/Mac desktop after desktop (IIc+ anyone?) I've never had a problem like this and am my wit's end. The nearest Apple store is over an hour away from me (and I work long hours during the week) and there are no authorized repair shops within a 45 minute drive (again--the working during the day thing gets me here) I don't know what to do.
Anyone have any ideas? Or is my precious Mac dead?

I've read through everyone's response and the situation you guys described happened exactly to me!! My macbook is just over a year old so no warranty for me either.
Long story short, I was upgrading my Itunes and decided to install this "genius" bar (pun intended, not so genius afterall). Genius was taking forever and it seemed like my macbook had froze as it wasn't responding. So, I shut it down and started it back up. It didn't start to OSX, instead I got the flashing folder with the question mark on it.
I've tried multiple "fixes" (including DiskWarrior, resetting the PRAM, restarting with the Leopard DVD, and lastly, even smacking the drive to see if I can "unstick" the head of the HDD) but none of them worked.
So, I had to go out and get a new HDD. I'm reinstalling OSX as we speak.
I wonder if Apple will look at this situation and perhaps provide us with some compensation for this. It seems to be more than a coincidence that this scenario has happened to more than a few of us (not even including the people that are only reading this and hoping for a resolution).

Gray Screen Shade of Death

This is a first for me. I've had a brand new Mac Pro for 2 weeks. Twice now I've been just getting started and I've gotten the gray screen shade that descends upon my monitor with the message (in 4 different languages) that says "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button." I typically am running the same apps, so I haven't been able to isolate it that way, plus it's only happened twice. In fact, after the restart, I fired up the same apps all over again (Quicken, TurboTax, Entourage, iTunes, Safari). Here's the kicker: I used to do all of the same things 3 weeks ago on a single proc 1 GHZ G4 with only 2 GB of RAM.
Environment is as follows: OS 10.5.1 (Leopard), 4 GB RAM, (2) 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon.
Anyone seen anything like this or have any clues?

Not very encouraging to see the lack of replies. I know this was posted quite awhile ago and I'm thinking that you're issue should have been solved by now. If so, could you post a follow-up of your results?
I'm having a similar issue but its a bit backwards from yours in that I'm having the same gray screen issue on my old 1GHz G4 2GB RAM after running a boatload of system updates to an already updated 10.5.2 system.

15" i7 Macbook Pro from early 2011.takes the mac laptop two or three tries to boot successfully. It would turn on, show gray screen, shut down, turn on again, show gray screen, shutdown, and then turn on, show gray screen, before it can finally get

Hello All,
I have a 15" i7 Macbook Pro from early 2011. The past few weeks, it has been getting increasingly difficult to get on my computer. It takes the mac laptop two or three tries to boot successfully. It would turn on, show gray screen, shut down, turn on again, show gray screen, shutdown, and then turn on, show gray screen, before it can finally get to the dark gray log-in screen. Even when I finally get logged in to start working, thinking it would be okay now, it shuts down randomly.
I've ruled out the possibility of a software problem because I've just done a clean re-install of Mac OS X Mavericks on my computer just yesterday.
I did upgrade the RAM recently, about a month and a half ago, from 4GB to 16GB, I went to the apple store four days after that upgrade to have them do a hardware test, and clean the inside of my laptop, which helped with previous heat issues. When they did the hardware test, the hardware was all registered as fine from their system.
I've tried resetting the SMC, PRAM, and doing the internet recovery hardware test, but to no avail. I thought I could at least find out what parts needed to be replaced from the hardware test but it seems that when the hardware test is almost finished, the computer just shuts down, So I am unable to see the results.
My computer is also having battery issues, under battery condition, it says "replace now," parts have been ordered, waiting for arrival. But if the battery health is low, it should still boot up fine, it would just hold a significantly less charge.
Could this be a hard drive issue?
Has anyone had similar symptoms and how was it resolved?
Does anyone know what I can do to alleviate this issue?
I haven't had time to take it to Apple because I'm currently taking a 21 credit semester academically. I'm an art and design student so my computer is basically the bane of my existence. Help! Any constructive advice is welcomed!
Thank you so much for your input!
-Christina C.

Problem description:
The Hard Disk is failing.
EtreCheck version: 2.0.11 (98)
Report generated November 4, 2014 at 7:59:28 AM EST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,2
1 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core
16 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 512 MB
Color LCD 1440 x 900
AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 1024 MB
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 0:3:43
Disk Information: ℹ️
TOSHIBA MK7559GSXF disk0 : (750.16 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
HDV4 (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 749.30 GB (712.10 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/fileshield/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.AvastFileShield (2.1.0 - SDK 10.9) Support
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/proxy/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.PacketForwarder (1.4 - SDK 10.9) Support
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.userinit.plist Support
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[invalid?] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.init.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.uninstall.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.update.plist Support
[invalid?] com.perion.searchprotectd.plist Support
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[invalid?] com.avast.home.userinit.plist Support
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
[invalid?] com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.autostart.plist Support
User Login Items: ℹ️
None
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 10.1.1 Support
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
User Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
TroviNPAPIPlugin: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9 Support
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: Unknown
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
Avast Online Security
Trovi Search for Safari
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
None
Time Machine: ℹ️
Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      16% mds
      7% WindowServer
      1% loginwindow
      1% fontd
      1% com.avast.daemon
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
120 MB com.avast.daemon
86 MB Google Chrome
52 MB Finder
52 MB WindowServer
41 MB Google Chrome Helper
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
13.45 GB Free RAM
1.34 GB Active RAM
944 MB Inactive RAM
1.43 GB Wired RAM
1.11 GB Page-ins
0 B Page-outs

Macbook Pro takes long to boot up, Freezes easily, Gets Gray Screen saying restart

I've had my Macbook Pro 13 since November 2010, I am still running Snow Leopard, never upgraded or anything. Since last March, my computer takes a long time to turn on, get to the screen where I log in. If I click anything when it gets to the screen right away, I can't click anything, the mouse moves, but nothing responds. I have to wait a good 15-20 minutes before I can click anything. I usually turn my computer on, and leave, come back 25-30 minutes later, and log in. When I have over 3 applications open, ex Firefox, MS Word, Spotify, my computer lags, and sometimes freezes. The freezes last from 30 seconds, to me having to restart the computer. Sometimes the computer freezes randomly when I'm just browsing. Around 70-80% of the time, when I play a video, using flash player like youtube, my computer lags, and after watching a video or 2, the computer freezes. Most of the time, the freeze stays frozen, and around 10 minutes later my mouse can move, but the screen is frozen, and the rainbow loading symbol starts. I just restart the computer. Sometimes, around once every 2 days, or sometimes it happens around 10 times in a couple of hours of me using the computer, my computer gets a gray screen that descends down the screen, it says in multiple languages that I have to immediately restart my computer by pressing the power button down and then pressing it again. Oh, and the bottom of my computer always gets really really hot when I use it.
It is a huge hassle, I can still use the computer, but I would love it if my computer was fixed.

I am still running Snow Leopard, never upgraded or anything.
What about updates? Check software update.
How large is your hard drive and how much hard drive space do you have left?
Shut down your computer and disconnect all peripherals (keyboard & mouse if pertinent) from your computer. Now reboot.
If the Mac starts up normally, shut it down again and then plug in one of the peripherals (keyboard or mouse first) and start up your computer again. If it does so successfully repeat the process, adding one peripheral at a time until your Mac acts up. At that point, disconnect the last peripheral you added, reboot your Mac and search the peripheral vendor's website for an updated driver.
If no driver exists or the problem remain after installing the new driver, try a different cable or a different port on your Mac.
If none of the above works, again disconnect all peripherals from your Mac, hold down the "shift" key to start up in "Safe Boot" mode.
If the Mac starts up correctly, restart without pressing the "shift" key.
If your computer still does not start up properly, shut it down and restart it while holding down the Apple+Option-P-R keys; keep holding "all 4 keys" down until you hear the startup sound "twice."
If none of the above work Disconnect all peripherals from your computer. Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.
Select your language.
Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.
Select Disk Utility.
Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.
Click Repair Disk.
(If Disk Utility cannot repair, you will need a stronger utility (3rd party) - Diskwarrior or Techtool PRO)
Restart your computer when done.
Repair permissions after you reach the desktop-http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751 and restart your computer.
Remove any 3rd party ram.
Reinstall Snow Leopard - This will install a "fresh" copy of Snow Leopard without archiving old system files but leaves the rest of your files in place.
Oh, and the bottom of my computer always gets really really hot when I use it.
User Tip: How to deal with MacBook Pro and MacBook heat?
Per your user manual: Do not operate your MacBook Pro on a pillow or other soft material, as the material can block the airflow vents. Never place anything over the keyboard when operating your MacBook Pro. Never push objects into the ventilation openings.
From MacBook Pro: Care, Use, and Safety Information
For prolonged use, place your MacBook Pro on a flat, stable surface. Do not place your MacBook Pro on your lap or other body surface for extended periods of time. Prolonged body contact can cause discomfort and potentially a burn.

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

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

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

My MacBook Pro won't boot on the Mac side I get the gray screen and then halfway through the bar loading it turns off?

My MacBook Pro was downloading apps from iTunes and I shut the computer down at my I laws house or so I thought? When I pulled the computer out of my backpack it was still on? I tried to login and it kept spinning so I turned it off and now I only get a gray screen. I can boot it in the windows side and have an external hard drive with time machine backup on it but don't know how to load it without getting onto the Mac side?
Please help!

turn off the mac completely
as soon AS you hit power button press following 4 keys
Option + Command + P + R
that should reset it

On Gray screen boot up I get a filefolder with a ? in it. FLASHING!!

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