Screen issues on startup - won't let me boot up

With several applications open, my Macbook Pro "froze up" on me last night.
Upon trying to restart, the start up sound came on and the screen is a shade of magenta with verticle thick and thin verticle lines running across it. After about 30 seconds, the Apple logo goes away and it says I need to restart my computer. Upon trying to restart, I get the same screen.
Any thoughts on how to resolve this on my own without going to the Apple store? I already tried resetting the PRAM and that didn't help. The laptop is fully charged. I have had it for a year and a half and this is the first issue I have had with it.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Try and reset the SMC controller and run the hardware test that's on the install DVD. If the internal HD wont start, it would be interesting to know if a DVD can.
The colour of the screen sounds like a GPU issue, but if it's memory that's failed, I wonder if pulling one or other of the modules installed in your machine might help.
I've never come across anything like this before though.

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Installed Trend Micro Smart Surfing on new MacBook Pro and now it has caused error that won't let computer boot up. How do I get it to a point that I can delete program?

Installed Trend Micro Smart Surfing on new MacBook Pro and now it has caused error that won't let computer boot up. How do I get it to a point that I can delete program?

Try booting up in Safe mode (holding down the Shift key while booting). If the software came with an unistaller, use it to remove alll traces of the software - it's nothing that you need and, as you've experienced, can do more actual hard than good (as is the case with most software of this type). When you're booted in Safe Mode, if you can't run an uninstaller, at least check to make sure that there are no Trend Micro items that are set for automatic log in, at least.
Clinton

I took the system file out of the system folder on os 9.2 can't boot to put file back in machine also has osx 10.2 but won't let me boot to either need os 9 compatible boot disk I think?

I took the system file out of the system folder on os 9.2 can't boot to put file back in machine also has osx 10.2 but won't let me boot to either need os 9 compatible boot disk I think?

If the OS X 10.2 on the hard drive is/was bootable, try this -
Restart or boot, then immediately press the X key, keep it held down until you know the machine has started to boot using OS X. This is a hardware instruction to the Mac to boot using the first usable instance of OS X it finds.
Once booted to OS X, you should be able to move OS 9's System file into OS 9's System Folder.
Note - in general, unless you know for sure what you are doing and that the results are desired, do not relocate or rename files in OS 9's System Folder or in OS X's System or Library folders.

I have the iCloud backup screen up and it won't let me do anything. It's stuck and I can't shut the ipad down or use the screen at all.

The iCloud back up screen it on my ipad. It won't let me do anything, turn it down or use any of the screen. I have even tried to force shut it down but it won't let me use the screen at all. I plugged it into my main computer to do a backup and it's still stuck.
Help

It's rude not to share your solution and then mark your answer as correct so that it may help others. So in case anybody else reads this ....
Reboot the iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons.
That will get you out of that backup screen. There is a reason that screens shows up. You haven't backed up your iPad! Make sure you backup regularly!

Mozila crashed suddenly and now it won't start. it shows white screen only. It won't let me reinstal it, sys shows that every .exe file is corruped.

I was listeninig songs on youtube and mozila and whole sys just crushed. I recovered sys but after that mozila won't work. It lifts up just mozila frame and it just won't work. It won't let me reinstall it too. I downloaded about 10 instalations and for every it gaves me notification that file is corruped.
I didnt uninstal it for not to lose all the bukmarks.
Help me, what to do.

Try this. It worked for a few users after a drop.
Turn the iPad over and give it a very HARD slap on the back. May take several slaps.
 Cheers, Tom

Restart Problem-- Won't let me boot my computer up anymore.

I downloaded an update, and it prompted me to restart my computer. When I did, this error message comes up, and it won't let me reboot my Macbook. It just stays on this screen, no matter what I do.
I've also tried to re-install OSX by using the original boot disks, but I get the same screen each time. Here are links to the screen I get each time I reboot.
error message:
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q23/z3nbrain/?action=view&current=screen1.jpg
the second one is of the full screen, but the error message is the same: http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q23/z3nbrain/?action=view&current=screen2.jpg
Is there anything I can do to get around this? I've a lot of files on my HD that I'd like not to lose, but I'm afraid my only option is getting a new HD or a completely new MB. Btw- If I can't figure out how to do this myself, I'll be taking it to a Genius Bar-- will they be able to fix this problem, or would it require me to actually ship my laptop directly to apple?

This is unashamedly lifted directly from MacFixit.com - hope it helps
"Problems starting up after Apple's February 15th updates (Security Update 2007-002, DST, Java R5): Fixes
Yesterday Apple released a slew of system component updates via its Software Update mechanism and as standalone downloads yesterday, including:
* Security Update 2007-002
* Daylight saving time update (2/15) for Mac OS X 10.4.8 and 10.3.9
* Java for Mac OS X 10.4 Release 5
* Java for Mac OS X 10.3 Update 5
Several users are experiencing relatively serious issues after applying these updates, including startup stalls, repeated kernel panics at startup and more. Unfortunately, since Apple released the updates simultaneously and many users applied all the updates in a single session, it is difficult to decipher the culprit(s) in most cases. It should also be noted that the updating of specific system components may not be strictly at fault in some instances -- instead, the update process itself may introduce issues or uncover preexisting problems [See this article on direct and indirect causes of issues after system updates for more].
That said, there are a few common workarounds that prove highly effective in resolving the most prevalent startup issues post-system-update, as follows:
Disconnect external devices/internal cards Try removing any FireWire, USB or other external peripherals then re-attempting startup.
Failing that, try removing all PCI cards, ExpressCards or any other internal hardware that did not ship natively with your Mac.
Disconnect network cables The cause for delay in some instances of this issue may be network related -- as Mac OS X tries unsuccessfully to ping an active connection. Temporarily disconnecting any ethernet cables -- then re-connecting them once Mac OS X has started up -- may resolve the delays.
Delete Caches/.plist files If you experience startup problems, first try starting in Safe mode (hold the "Shift" key while you startup), then delete some cache and .plist files to make sure their corruption isn't at fault.
This can most easily be accomplished with a shareware utility like Tiger Cache Cleaner or Panther Cache Cleaner, but also bears a manual process which involves dragging the following files to the trash:
* com.apple.kernelcaches (a folder in /System/Library/Caches)
* Extensions.kextcache (a file in /System/Library)
* Extensions.mkext (a file in /System/Library/)
* com.apple.ATS (a folder in /Library/Caches/)
* com.apple.loginwindow.plist (a file in /Library/Preferences/)
* Files that start with com.apple.LaunchServices (in /Library/Caches)
You will be prompted to enter your administrator password when dragging these files to the trash. You may need to restart after moving them to the trash.
Check for problematic login/startup items Startup in safe mode (hold the "Shift" key while you startup))
Next, go to the Accounts pane of System Preferences and click the "Startup Items" tab. Select all the login items and click Remove, then restart.
Also, check the /Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems folders and remove any third-party items.
Look for problematic kernel extensions Boot in Safe mode, and look in the folder /System/Library/Extensions for any third-party kernel extensions (files that end in .kext). Remove the kernel extensions and check for persistence of the issue.
Repair drive damage In the case of drive directory damage or problems with permissions, the solution is usually to use Apple's Disk Utility to repair the disk. Of course, you won't be able to perform this operation normally (simply launching the Disk Utility application, located in Applications/Utilities, and initiating a disk repair) if your system will not startup. So two options exist:
Insert your Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) media (DVD or CD) and restart the computer while holding down the "C" key. Once the computer has booted from the installation disc, select "Utilities" from the menubar and open Disk Utility. Repair the disk, then quit Disk Utility and restart your system.
Alternatively, you can repair the disk while booted in single user mode if you do not have access to a retail Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) DVD/CD. To startup in single user mode, hold down the "Command" and "S" keys simultaneously at startup. Once properly booted, type the command fsck at the prompt. Repeat these process until no errors appear.
Uninstall the update(s) An extreme measure is uninstallation of the most recently applied update(s).
This can be accomplished via the following process; adapted from our tutorial on reverting to a previous iteration of Mac OS X. Note, however, that reverting your system will remove any refinements brought by the update and leave your system open to potential vulnerabilities.
First, make a backup of your current Mac OS X installation with the Security Update applied, problematic as it may be. If there is an issue along the way, your valuable data will be safely intact in its current form.
Next, you'll need to perform an Archive and Install process to remove all of the Security Update's (and potentially problem-causing) components, and replace them with the components of a fresh copy provided by the Mac OS X disc that shipped with your system, or a retail Mac OS X disc. Unfortunately, this means you will lose some system settings and some or all third-party system add-ons.
To begin the process, insert your Mac OS X CD or DVD, as indicated above. Restart your machine and hold down the "C" key to boot from the newly inserted disc. Follow the on-screen instructions, and after accepting the license agreement, click "Options." Select "Archive and Install," and check the "Preserve User and Network Settings" option if you'd like to do so.
After the installation process is complete, you will be left with an earlier Mac OS X system that (hopefully) does not suffer from the problems generated by the Security Update. Use Software Update or Apple's download page to download the update that brings your system to a state directly prior to the Security Update
MacFixIt reader Paul Honis is among the many readers who found success with the aforementioned fixes. He writes:
"I installed today's three updates this evening and got an unresolved Kernel Panic on the restart. A second restart yielded the same result. I restarted in single-user mode, ran fsck which took longer than usual, unplugged all USB and FireWire devices including the keyboard and mouse and restart succeeded. Re-plugged the keyboard and mouse and after successful reboot I can now run iCal, Safari and Mail."
Feedback? [email protected]."
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HP Officejet Pro 8500 A909a won't let computer boot up

I have an Officejet Pro 8500 A909a series connected to my HP computer running Windows XP Home. It was
working perfectly. Now it won't let the computer boot while it's connected to the computer. I can unplug the
USB cable from the computer and it boots fine. I can then plug the USB back in and the printer prints fine. I
ruled out bad USB ports as everything else USB works fine in the same ports. I put a brand new cable on and
had same results. I rebooted the printer and computer, with same results. I uninstalled the printer and drivers and
reintsalled with same results. Computer freezes at the screen where it askes you to use the up and down arrows
to select OS or wait for it to count down to 0. With printer unplugged it boots perfectly. This just started about
4 days ago. New printer. HP Support was at a loss when I did the live chat. Can anyone help?
Message Edited by ComSource on 06-15-2009 07:14 AM

Hi,
The problem seems to lie in the installer, which has an unusual bad behaviour. The installer puts the 8500 a909a in the list of USB bootable devices. (Not good!!!)
When the printer is disconnected it isn't a problem. When the printer is connected the computer tries to boot from the printer and the computer hangs.
When I found the printer in the BIOS list of USB bootable devices I DISABLED that item in that list. Then it booted normally.
But now the BIOS takes an extra 30 seconds or so but boot up seems to be preceeding normally.
The guys on the CHAT and PHONE lines didn't even imagine the installer might be a problem so their advice was useless. They were blaming the computer. More importanly, they didn't have a way to escalate the problem. They had no capacity to respond in a flexible manner. It was like dealing with unhelpful staff in the county clerk's office.

HT201262 Blue/Gray Screen Stuck on Startup: Best Actions In Safe Boot?

My husband took his MacBook Pro into the Apple store for this problem a few weeks ago, but the blue/gray screen stuck on startup is back.
We stabilized the system last time from running diagnostic utilities (Apple, Onyx) in safe mode. Is there anything else we should be doing for self help? He's upgraded to Mountain Lion and made all OS updates. Advice is welcome.

See OS X Mountain Lion- If you see a blue screen at startup. I suggest the last recommendation - reinstall OS X:
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Stuck on startup screen; locked firmware (password) won't allow CD Boot...?

When the system began to act strange, I tried to install with a 10.5 Update/Install Disk. When the software wouldn't install ("You can not install this software on this disk."), I restarted the drive, but nothing happened. I ran Disk Utility from the 10.5 CD. I repaird the HD, and restored the permissions by pressing the "Repair", and "Repair Permissions" buttons. When it indicated that the hard drive was "OK", (using the 10.5 Install Disk,) I set the firmware password locking it to keep others from starting with a CD.
Now, the startup screen will not display any users; the blue "load" indicator will not complete, and appears to be stuck. First I tried holding down the "C" key, but it wouldn't start from the CD. Then I tried re-setting the PBG4 to factory settings by holding down the option, command, "P" and "R" keys, but it won't make the second "reboot" sound, and continues with the blue "start-up" indicator. (I'm in real trouble, because I'm supposed to have my College Papers ready by this weekend, but they're stuck on my computer.) Does anyone have any sollutions??? Pleeeeeease help; I'l l b u y y o u s o m e c a n d y!

Welcome to the Apple discussions.
Usually you get a 'can't install on this disk' when you try to use a gray-faced system disk from another system, like MacBook or iMac or other non-Powerbook. Those disks are locked to the systems they are distributed with. The only way to upgrade to 10.5 is with a black-faced retail disk.
Have you tried starting the system holding the alt/option key down? That should prompt you for the firmware password, then give give you a choice of device to boot from.
You didn't indicate why your system was beginning to act strange, so don't know if that has any bearing on your current start issues.

HT1977 My Computer crashed so I have had to download iTunes all over again. The problem is now I can't sync my Apps to my iTunes. It doesn't let me arrange them or anything when plugging my iPad in. The screen is greylike and won't let me select anything

Hi Guys,
My computer crashed and I lost everything. I got a new one and downloaded itunes all over again. When I plug my ipad in even after authorising my computer it will still not let me edit anything on the ipad. The screen is grey like on the ipad section and i cant select an app or anything. I have transfered purchase apps but all it does is take movies and tv shows accross. It wont transfer the apps into itunes. Please help

As far as I know, iTunes will still not change anything until you click on Apply in the lower right corner. I fiddle with my settings all the time - just so I can get a sense if what to expect should I make any changes - and I have never seen anything happen to my configuration unless I click on Apply in the lower right corner of iTunes. Not only that - you have turned off auto sync so as far as I know you still have to click on sync or apply in order for the iPad to sync with iTunes.
That doesn't mean it will not happen, I've never seen it happen - is all that I'm saying. I'm sorry but I'm not sure what will happen, but the only reason that I can of why the apps will not transfer is because of the manual manage setting. I could be wrong about that as well.
Look at this discussion - which I have referred quite a few users to read. I know this process has worked for a number of people that have read it and used the instructions in it. Maybe we are missing something - what that would be - I'm not quite sure, but take a look.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3305461

Ipad screen not responding. Won't let me restart?

IPAD 1 just died. No screen, and I am unable to get it to turn off or on. Tried holdong the home button and sleep button for a few minutes but nothing. When I plug into charger, it makes the noise that shows its charging but the screen is blank

See the very last part of this support article about restoring the iPad.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3281

My iMac has a blinking question mark folder on it and won't let me boot.

I have a late 2009 27 inch iMac whos hardrive failed a while back. A couple days ago i decided to pop in a new hard drive in it, the same brand, just different capacity. I wanted to put windows on it, and tried to boot it with pressing c on the keyboard at startup but encountered a few problems.
When i power on my imac the screen is just a blank white screen for about 20-30 seconds. During this time, any devices plugged into the USB ports do not work. My mouse is not lit up, and my keyboard will not react to pressing caps lock, num lock etc. After that 20-30 second period the folder with the blinking question mark on it pops up. I tried holding C, as well as windows key and C but nothing seems to make the mac recognize i want it to boot from other devices.
The hard drive i installed is empty (obviously) So i'm not sure if its an issue with the way I installed the hard drive (pretty sure i did it right) or another issue that may involve trying to put windows on it. Also worth noting is im using a normal USB mouse, and a normal USB keyboard, not mac devices. I'm willing to put OSX on this computer if its necessary to make it work, but right now all i can get on it is that white screen and then the blinking folder. Does anybody have any idea how to fix this?

Drive Partition and Format
1. Boot from your OS X 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. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
When formatting has completed quit Disk Utility and install OS X.

MacBook air rebooting from Find My iPhone Lost Mode won't let me boot up, even when holding Option upon booting up

Using Find My iPhone, I set my MacBook Air I thought was lost to Lost Mode. However, when it was returned to me, upon booting up, it showed a flashing folder with a question mark. After some research I found out you were supposed to hold Option upon boot up. This resulted in a password screen, where I entered the passcode I have entered with Find My iPhone, however I cannot access any WiFi network, as it doesn't show any and being next to my router and putting in the details isn't accepted, and booting up from Macintosh HD just results in a dark grey screen.

I resolved the issue. After launching from Macintosh HD, I held down Shift, and then it prompted me for my PIN, which was the same as the code I entered on Find My iPhone, and then it relaunched and let me log in. I don't know if this is a bug or not, but it seems very inconvenient and not intuitive if it's intended.

10.4.7 update won't let g5 boot past spinning wheel

I was asked to migrate this to a new post:
My 10.4.7 update made my g5 dual 2.0 unhappy-spinning wheel and shut down syndrome.
Things i did:
-Booted from disk,repaired permissions and volumes(it was OK anyway)
deep-cleaned cache using COCKTAIL
-reinstalled 10.4.7 again
-pulled the power cord(PMU reset)Why? Because the PMU always bricks this machine
-Zaped PRAM(why I dunno, it works sometimes...)
-Selected Harddrive as start up disk and rebooted
-unplugged all peripherals
-after 1 minute, same problem!
The only thing that works is to hold the OPTION KEY down and select the harddrive as the boot drive. So the computer is now totally confused it seems. It's a pain to do, but I can get it running. Everytime though??
I feel sorry for the average Joe Blow that gets an auto-update that bricks their machine.
What's next-I did this:http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/repairprocess.html and there aren't any bad sectors.
ARGH-Thanks to whomever suggested the OPT key. That at least gets me running .
10.4.6 did have a VPN software installed though. It doesn't start the application on boot though-would this affect it?

Do this. If you can - get into the prompt at boot. if not you can run the command from within OS X's terminal.
1. Hold Down Apple+S to get to the shell
2. Do an FSCK - f
3. Once that is complete type in this command: (you need to know the label name on your disk...
sudo bless -folder '/volumes/yourdrivename/system/library/coreservices' -setOF
You have to type it in exactly as it is above. this will "bless" the drive and should fix it..I've had this same problem many times..This usually fixes it.
You can also run this command from the terminal and you dont need to be logged in as root.

HDD presence won't let SSD boot

In a 2012 Late Mini I installed an SSD and cloned the HDD so it would also be a Starup. If the HDD is removed it boots happily and all is well. But whenever both are in Mini the SSD boot always fails and backs off to HDD. Starup in preferences or ALT choosing on bootup has the same results. Any hypotheses? Otherwise, both disks function perfectly; Verify; etc. Thanks...

The instructions from OWC are quite helpful although I first used ifixit's instructions because I got the kit there. I sidestepped the SSD fusion-confusion problem by using Disk Utility and Carbon Copy Cloner when the SSD was in an external enclosure.
The SSD and HDD are now functioning perfectly. A support message from ifixit suggested that I swap the drives.
One thing that mislead me was that if you watch the instructions from either OWC or ifixit the SSD is always put in the secondary bay and the HDD in the main bay. ifixit support said that when users have problems that sometimes a swap does the trick. I don't have an adequate explanation for any of this. The SSD is a Samsung 840 Pro 512GB.
Another point of confusion is that people talk about the top and bottom bays. That means if you have the Mini open (it's upside down) then the terms are swapped (or are they?). In any case, I prefer "main bay" which is the one you have easy access to when you open up the machine. To access the secondary bay you dismantle the machine.

Screen issues on startup - won't let me boot up

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