Replaced fried hd with ssd, now stuck on grey screen, cd won't eject

Please help, I'm kind of freaking out. 2 days ago my computer wouldn't boot past the grey screen except for a message that said the master boot record was corrupted (I dual boot windows 7 with bootcamp). I put in my snow leopard cd and booted into setup. From there I ran disk utility and it said that the disk was corrupted, couldn't be repaired and that I should backup and reformat the disk.
I then tried to boot it as a target disk to salvage some of my files, but even though it would boot as a target, I couldn't copy more than a handful of files (using ditto, cp, and one other method). At that point I decided it was pointless and was going to reinstall os x and start over. When I rebooted into the install cd and tried to format the drive I got an error saying it couldn't be completed (something about a node). That's when I figured the hd was completely fried so I bought a replacement SSD.
After installing it, I tried to boot into the install cd again to format it and proceed. That's where I'm at now. The computer won't boot past the grey screen. The apple logo doesn't even come up. Ive held down the c key but it won't boot the cd. I have reset the PRAM (or whatever it's called when you press command shift p r). I've tried holding option (stays stuck on the grey screen), booting into verbose and single user modes (stays stuck on the grey screen), and running apple hardware test (stays stuck on the grey screen). Also, now I can't eject the cd when it boots (tried holding eject and also function+eject)
Please help, I'm freaking out at this point.

Thank you! But do you think that a defective cable would cause it to not boot the cd now as well as the HD errors?
Also, this is kind of embarrassing, but if my trackpad happened to be broken to where I couldn't click it (broke a while back, but I use an external mouse so it never really bothered me) can I hold down the mouse button on my external mouse at startup to eject the cd or does it have to be the trackpad. If not, is there another way I can eject the cd?
Thanks again!

Similar Messages

Downloaded OSX Mountain Lion on MacBook now stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel HELP?!?!

Downloaded OSX Mountain Lion on MacBook now stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel. What can I do, will I loose everything on my laptop?

ashg23 wrote:
Thank you, I have restarted but it is still stuck at the grey page with the spinning wheel? Any idea?
Have you started up holding down Command + R and attempted to install again?
Pete

Help-eMac froze during software update and is now stuck on Grey Screen!

So I recently moved, and was updating the software on my eMac. While it was updating, I was looking through some photos(probably my first mistake). When I tried opening one torwards the end of the update, my computer froze up. I waited a few minutes for it to resolve but ended up resetting the computer by holding down the power switch(second mistake?). When I restarded the computer, all I got was a grey screen. Now I'm stuck and don't know what to do. Can someone out there help me? I can't find my restart disc and tried the command,option,p,r-trick.
thanks for your time,
Andrew

MingusBass,
Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Ouch. As you've already discovered, running anything else while a system or security update is running is not a good idea. If you use the power button to force-restart a Mac while it's still at the "optimizing system" stage, stalled or not, it can damage the Finder and the startup manager / login items (e.g., leave the previous version marked .old without finishing 'blessing' the new copy).
Is it possible to borrow a second Mac with the same OS / security version, or a bootable external hard drive? It's possible to boot a Mac that crashed while optimizing the system in FireWire target disk mode and replace the damaged files (bear in mind, I say that as an interested observer at work several years ago and I can't swear I remember each and every step, other than replacing a Finder.old in the System folder).
You really need your OS X Install disc, which would let you do an Archive and Install. I'm doubtful if booting into single-user mode to run the Unix file system check utility fsck would help but you can always try it.

Wallpaper defaults to 'Galaxy' after log out + now stuck on grey screen

Hi all,
Hope someone can help with this one.
Basically, like many others, I've been trying to get around
the wallpaper problem that Lion has brought with it.
By this, I mean how if you change the wallpaper to a custom
image, as soon as you log out and back in it changes back
to the galaxy one from Lion.
So after searching the solutions on the forums I decided to
act on the following troubleshooting advice from a member
commenting on the problem... (advice I followed in bold)
(Originally posted by member: Ahmed21788)
One basic solution for this is to save your wallpapers in the HDD where you've installed the MAC OS X..
but I didnt want to save all my wallpapers in Native Mountain Lion HDD, so i figured out my perfect fix..!!
This is how i fixed..
I found this file in my Lion install drive.. autodiskmount.plist
Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/autodiskmount.plist
If you can't find it on your OS X Install Drive then you can make one by typing
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="0.9">
<dict>
<key>AutomountDisksWithoutUserLogin</key><true/>
</dict>
</plist>
rename ur txt file to autodiskmount.plist
save this in your MAC OS X HDD
Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/autodiskmount.plist
restart your system..
So... after following this advice I haven't been able to get my machine back on!
It just gets to the grey screen with apple and spinning wheel and goes no further.
It won't even safe boot.
However I did manage to get to repair disk permissions via cmd+option+p+r.
But when I restarted it still wouldn't go any further than the grey screen/spinning wheel.
Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Ben.

Hi keithos27,
I have a macbook pro early 2011 15" like you, and unfortunately something identical happened to me: "... the computer went black and an audio was stuck on a loop over and over..." - "...grey screen on for a few minutes and eventually the computer's fan spins up and runs at full speed".
I followed the article mentioned too, but nothing solved the problem.
Eventually I took the mac to the local authorized service provider. It turns out that the problem is due to the notorious GPU failure of the 2011 macbook pro.
It means that unless I replace the entire logic board, I end up with a marvellous piece of aluminium...
This is my experience, I can't say that's 100% your case. I hope it isn't. Try to check at an apple store.
Good luck!

Help, Mac Pro wouldn't start now stuck on grey screen

Hi,
My Mac Pro computer wouldn't start up properly. Sometimes I would press the button 30 times and still it wouldn't start.
I have taken it to a Authorised Apple shop and first of all had a new graphics board replaced.
A week later the same problem, it wouldn't start up, some times switch itself off so I took it back to the Apple shop where it turned on perfectly and the tests showed nothing wrong.
Week and a half later it happened again so I took it back and they gave me a new hard drive and memory cage.
Three weeks later, same problem took it back to the store and they found nothing wrong with it so I had to bring it back home.
Worked again for another week and then it wouldn't start a few times so I left it on and it turned itself off.
Today it is starts but gets stuck on the grey screen with spinning wheel and then turns itself off.
Please, please can anybody help. The Authorised Apple shop doesn't know what the problem is so has given up..
Best Regards..

If you unplug it from all power & peripherals like taking it in would do, wait a few hours & plug it back in does it work?
Is there an Uninterruptible Power Supply involved?

I accidently put vr files in trash but did not delete, now stuck on grey screen after battery dying! Help

I am not very tech savvy but recently used a program that tells you what programs and files are using up large amounts of space on your computer I think it was called disc utility maybe. I deleted a whole bunch of things but accidently deleted a folder called vr, I realised I made a mistake and went to remove it from the trash when my laptop died, now it won't turn on past the grey screen with the apple logo!
I didn't delete the files they are just sitting in the trash. Is there anything I am able to do? I don't have any install discs or anything or wifi at my house or have any computer knowledge really. Please help!

Thank you! But do you think that a defective cable would cause it to not boot the cd now as well as the HD errors?
Also, this is kind of embarrassing, but if my trackpad happened to be broken to where I couldn't click it (broke a while back, but I use an external mouse so it never really bothered me) can I hold down the mouse button on my external mouse at startup to eject the cd or does it have to be the trackpad. If not, is there another way I can eject the cd?
Thanks again!

Early 2008 MBP, replaced optical drive with SSD, now computer won't sleep.

So pretty much you know everything already, installed the operating system on the SSD everything works fine except the computer wont sleep.
Any help wouldbe great
thanks

I am about to do the same upgrade on MBP 13". Reading around the topic I think this problem is caused when the OS is running from the drive in the optical bay.
See extract from following link:
http://lifehacker.com/5541774/how-to-install-a-solid+state-drive-in-your-macbook
Update: It seems that connecting the SSD to the optical drive slot will give you problems waking from sleep, since the MacBook doesn't look to that SATA port for your main drive. I did not notice this before, as I don't sleep my computer. So, instead of installing your SSD in the Optibay, you'll want to disconnect your regular hard drive, install the SSD in that slot, and then install your old drive in the Optibay and continue as written.

Help! Upgraded to Lion now stuck on white screen and won't finish rebooting! What do I do?

Recently upgraded to Lion and tried restarting my computer this morning and it's stuck on the start up screen. Is there anything I can do?

The hatter has some good approaches for long-term stability.
To get around your current problem, try restarting while holding down the Shift key. This should run one pass of Disk Repair and start up with minimal extensions loaded. Log in and look around.Try a few things and see if your Mac seems "normal".
Then see if you can restart into normal mode.
Then decide whether you wnat to continue to be a guinea pig for testing Apple's newest software, or wait a while until it clams down a little more.

My iphone5s was accidentally disconnected while updating OS8.2 in my MacBook Pro and now it's stuck with an apple logo on its screen and won't turn on or off. What should I do?

My iphone5 was accidentally disconnected while updating OS8.2 in my MacBook Pro and now it's stuck with an apple logo on its screen and won't turn on or off. What should I do?

Connect to iTunes and restore. If you have difficulty, you may have to put the device into Recovery Mode. See the instructions in this support document. If you can't update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

I have a Mac book pro with regular drive, I want to replace the drive with SSD, so can I do t for Mac book pro purchased in 2012 and which SSD is recommended. I am looking for 500 to 700GB SSD.

I have a Mac book pro(13 inch non-retina, i7) with regular drive, I want to replace the drive with SSD, so can I do it for Mac book pro purchased in 2012 and which SSD is recommended.
I am looking for 500 to 700GB SSD.
Thanks

Upgrading your MacBook Pro with a Solid State Drive...
...call back with any questions.
Clinton

Fail to enter bootcamp win7 after replacing CD-Ron with SSD

I replaced CD-Ron with SSD.
I successfully enter mac on both HD and SSD, failed with enter win7 on HD.
It stops at black screen and a write bar shining on the corner.
Is it because the windows system can't find my CD-Ron?Then how?
Tks. ^^

So I try booting without the DVD player attached, and there is no Windows option or startup item.
I try booting with the DVD plugged in, but without the USB attached, and I get the Windows DVD to show as a start up option: I click it and it sits with a black screen and the blinking prompt.
I am seriously at a loss here folks. What the heck.
The machine sees the DVD.
It does not see or acknowledge the USB stick as anything past the BOOTCAMP function of putting files on it, but nothing happens with it past that.
Am I missing something in BootCamp? Am I missing an option?
Cello?
*** Report for internal hard disk ***
Current GPT partition table:
#      Start LBA      End LBA Type
1             40       409639 EFI System (FAT)
2         409640    975835479 Unknown
3      975835480    977105023 Mac OS X Boot
Current MBR partition table:
# A    Start LBA      End LBA Type
1              1    977105059 ee EFI Protective
MBR contents:
Boot Code: None
Partition at LBA 40:
Boot Code: None (Non-system disk message)
File System: FAT32
Listed in GPT as partition 1, type EFI System (FAT)
Partition at LBA 409640:
Boot Code: None
File System: HFS Extended (HFS+)
Listed in GPT as partition 2, type Unknown
Partition at LBA 975835480:
Boot Code: None
File System: HFS Extended (HFS+)
Listed in GPT as partition 3, type Mac OS X Boot

Hi, Hi, Hi I have the old MacBook Pro. Upgraded to Mountain Lion which completely wrecked the system. So downgraded to Snow Leopard. The updated the combo update. Now stuck on blue screen at start-up. Need help. Greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi,
I have the old MacBook Pro. Upgraded to Mountain Lion which completely wrecked the system. So downgraded to Snow Leopard.
Then updated the combo update. Now stuck on blue screen at start-up.
Need help. Greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Downgrade Lion/Mountain Lion to Snow Leopard
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer
      loads select your language and click on the Continue
      button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the
      Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the
      mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status
      of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then
      the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART
      info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on
      the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions
      from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS
      Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the
      partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on
      the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner.
If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.

Intel-based iMac stuck in grey screen with spinning wheel. SMC::smcReadKeyAction ERROR THOP kSMBadArgumentError(0x89)

Hi guys,
since yesterday my Intel-Based iMac doesn't boot normally, its stuck in grey screen with a spinning wheel.
Its an Intel-based iMac 21.5'' purchased in 2011, and i recently (2 months ago) upgraded it to Mavericks.
-2 weeks ago, i installed smcFanControl app
-Tried start up in Safe Mode by holding Shift but its not working. i think i hear fans are working more than they were before the problem occurs.
-entered Single User Mode and i get an error
SMC ::smcReadKeyAction ERROR THOP kSMCBadArgumentError(0x89) fKeyHashTable=0x0xffffff8029fa1000
-followed some instructions found online, but can execute the correct commands in SingleUserMode
tried to remove FanControl as explained here: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/110667/errorr-kernel-smcsmcreadkeyactio n-in-console
any ideas what may caused this and how can i fix this?
Thanks in advance

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, boot 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 10. 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
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 10
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 11
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 12
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.

Mac book air stuck on grey screen with apple logo and spinning wheel

I had a lot of tabs open and several applications as well. things really slowed up when I added El media player to the mix. finally computer froze completely and now can't get it to restart (stuck on grey screen) tried SMR plus PRAM procedures without success.

Hmm... try doing this:
1) Force your Mac to shut down by pressing and holding the power button for about 5 sec.
2) Start in Safe Mode. Press the power button to turn it on, and before you hear the Startup "Dummmmm" chime, hold down the Shift key. For a few sec, you won't see the Apple logo. Keep pressing the Shift key until you see it. If you press it after the Apple logo appears, start from Step 1 again.
3) This time, your Mac should take longer to boot. (Like a minute or 2 longer as it is going thru the necessary files to boot from, and not just everything like in Normal Startup mode; which caused it to hang)
4) Does your Mac boot sucessfully to the Login Screen or Desktop? The login Screen should show SAFE MODE in red at the top. The Desktop should have Sound disabled and seems a lot slower. If you see either of these, backup ALL your files (if you have not already done so) on to an External HDD. Create a new User Account in System Preferences>Accounts with about the same info as your current account (The name will have to be different though, if your previous account was John, this time, add your last name as in John Appleseed.) Make sure it is an Admin account. Then, login into the new account and delete your previous account. Copy all your files over to your new account and restart your Mac correctly by going to Apple Menu>Restart.
5) This time, don't press anything and let it boot normally. Does your Mac boot correctly? I hope that helps you a little. Get back to me if it does not work!

Imac 2008 stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel no discs I lost them

HI, I have a imac 2008 24" someone help please.stuck on grey screen with spinning wheel after 5 minutes mac just restarts again.I have no restore dvds as I borrowed them out and never got them back thanks

If you are in the US call Apple Customer Support 1-800-767-2775, provide the Serial Number and specifications of the Mac, and for a reasonable fee, they will supply a replacement set of system discs (if available).
The discs will be for the original version of the OS that was pre-installed when the Mac was manufactured.
If you are in another country:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57
Useful article here on the causes of the Spinning Beach Ball and how to troubleshoot it:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177479/Troubleshoot_the_spinning_beach_b all?taxonomyId=89&pageNumber=1
and also this:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html

Replaced fried hd with ssd, now stuck on grey screen, cd won't eject

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for