Start up issue - Fuzzy grey screen & lines on blue screen

Hi
I have an issue where my Mac has recently had problems with starting up. I get the grey 'Apple' screen with lots of fuzzy lines. Sometimes it will progress to a login screen & sometimes will go to a plain blue screen with lines on it. It will always take 4-5 bootups before I can actually login to any user. Occassionally, once logged in, it will hang & need rebooting. Restarts seem to boot up okay without the fuzzy 'Apple' screen.
Is there a known virus/software/OS or harware issue that can cause this kind of problem?
Am waiting on anti-virus software so have no yet run a virus scan.
Regards
Kevin, UK
G5 1.8Ghz 20" iMac Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Hi ukbuzz
I'm not an iMac owner, but I note that there has been some discussion on the iMac boards about similar problems to yours. I suggest you repost your question to that board.
I hope your problem gets solved without too much hassle
Bob

Similar Messages

On start up I get grey screen with wheel turning but it goes no further

On start up I get grey screen with wheel turning but it goes no further

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
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.

Hi my iMAc 27 inch starts up to the grey screen with apple logo and loading bar underneath it loads halfway then freezes up and shut down after a while please help

Hi my iMAc 27 inch starts up to the grey screen with apple logo and loading bar underneath it loads halfway then freezes up and shut down after a while please help

Try the tips listed here Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup - Apple Support

MBP won't start up past initial grey screen!!!

My MBP just stopped starting up today. When I turn it on, it goes to the normal grey screen with the apple. Then, when it switches to the blue screen, it just gets frozen, and won't do anything. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions????

DiskWarrior would probably fix it. Did you try to fsck it?
1. Reboot/Startup holding your Command-S key down.
2. At the command line type the following and hit 'Return.'
/sbin/fsck -fy
3. After it has check/repaired your disk, type 'reboot' and hit 'Return' again. Unit should bootup normally.
-Bmer
Mac Owners Support Group
Join Us @ MacOSG.com
ITMS: MacOSG Podcast
 An Apple User Group 

Mac won't start up and shows grey screen

My mac won't start up this morning ? It has a full charge of battery and even plugged in it just shows the grey screen. Any help.

Please restart your Mac and hold the 'Option'-key to see your start-up discs. If you do not see any start-up discs it could be your hard disk cable that is faulty. This is a common problem with Macbooks, but I am not sure this issue has been fixed with the Retina models. I've had this problem with my 2012 Pro, and a new cable did the job. Very easy to do yourself!
You can also start Internet Recovery (need wifi or cable) and start up Disk Utilities to see if your hard disk shows up there.
Please let me know.

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?

My imac won't start up past the grey screen, apple and spinning clock

Hi there. First time posting - usually either apple support website or previous threads solve the problem. Alas, not this time.
I have an intel imac - can't tell you much about the details as I can't get any info out of it. I installed snow leopard about a year ago - no issue since then other than occassionally the screen goes black but nothing major.
Yesterday, I backed up to my usual passport backup and then today, it froze. I couldn't turn it off or restart at all so resorted to the power button. Since then, I can turn it on, it goes to the grey screen (no blue screen) and I get the apple logo and the spinning clock/wheel. For hours and hours....
So, I tried one of the apple support pages and worked through - peripherals, safe boot, NVRAM, PRAM, tried to reboot with mac osx disc (the original not snow leopard) - nothing. Absolutely nothing changes - same old grey screen, apple logo and spinning clock/wheel.
HELP - do I try and reboot with the snow leopard disc? I don't know what to do next - I am no techie so half the threads don't even sound like English to me.
Thanks in advance, hope you geniuses out there can help me out.
abcvic

Thanks for the reply.
I had tried to reboot with the original disc but it never worked. The imac just spits out the disc and eventually, I am back at the grey screen, apple logo and wheel spinning. I tried it one more time following your reply. Same outcome.
My instal disc 1 had the instruction re hardware test which I have also tried with no success. I can't remember if it came with a disc 2 though I seem to have a couple - I also have a macbook and that seems to be still alive even if it is slow.
I tried to reboot with Snow Leopard disc - power on, chime then hold down C key. Same old - grey screen, apple logo and wheel spinning. Disc spat out eventually.
Any other suggestions welcomed or I am off to Apple tomorrow.

IMac won't start up passed the grey screen

Last friday my iMac (late 2006, 24", 2.33 duo core Intel, OS 10.6.8) gave me the spinning beach ball.
Restarting resulted in: first the apple screen with the progress indicator, followed by grey screen..
That was it. It hangs at the grey screen.
I've been busy this weekend testing all kinds of ideas to get my imac to fully start up again.
I checked the RAM, it's fine.
I flushed NVRAM, wild guess, but nothing changed.
Starting up in safe mode doesn't work.
Starting up in recovery mode doesn't work.
On the upside, I was able to start my imac up in Target mode. Using the host computer and Disk Utlity I can see there's nothing wrong with the HD. All the data is still there!, so later today I'll make a copy of the complete HD, hoping/thinking that I won't copy whatever is wrong.
I had Disk Utility repair all the permissions.
I've used the host computer to reinstall the OS on my imac.
But on start up my beloved iMac still won't get passed the grey screen.
I'm thinking something goes wrong before my Mac even gets to the HD. Maybe it's the firmware, but I'm not really sure that firmware matters in this case. And I wouldn't know how to reinstall the latest version of firmware because my imac won't start up from it's disk drive
I'm thinking maybe something could be wrong with the graphic card's RAM, though on start up I can see the apple logo just fine.
I'm not able to start up from CD, I've tried that because I wanted to reinstall my OS (before I figured out how to do that in Target Mode) by putting the OS disk in my imac's own disk drive. Staring up with the C key still gets me the grey screen. Staring up with Option key shows no other option but the HD.
So is there anybody out there who has an idea that could help me further along?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Frank

Hi Jan,
If you have another firewire Mac you can check if the HD of your Mac is OK by connecting them with a firewire cable and use target-mode. That way I found out my HD was just fine.
It also offers you the chance to run a diagnostic program to check if anything else is fine. I used TechTool to do that. But everything checked out fine.
In the end I decided the problem is probably hardware. Some electronic part that broke. Very frustrating that some small transistor or so is keeping me from using my otherwise fine iMac.
I contacted a repairshop that also works for the local Mac retailer. They told me my iMac was concidered 'classic' and therefor it wasn't economically not worth the trouble trying to repair it.
I gave up, took two weeks to mourn the loss of my beloved iMac, and bought a Mac mini.
FrankV
Judging by your name I'm guessing I could've anwered this in Dutch.

My mac computer was frozen,then it had a question mark ? and does not start, still at the grey screen blinking with the mac logo,dont know if it is a lion,leopard or tiger

my mac computer was frozen, so my son turned off the computer and restarted again, then a questin mark showed on blank grey screen, then the mac logo comes up blinking and nothing happens. Don't know if it is still in the frozen stage. Please help me, don't know what to do?The version not too sure but i know it is more than 10.5 and 6. I turned off the computer many times and left it off for a while and turned it back on and it remains at the white screen with the mac logo blinking.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/8517/cant-boot-mac-only-shows-a-folder- with-a-question-mark
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3926554?start=0&tstart=0
How old is this Mac? It is also possible that the hard drive has failed. If nothing works, take it to the  Retail Store

Macbook not starting up, spinning on grey screen

Hi,
Before Christmas, I was entitled to a free battery from Apple. They told me to take my laptop to one of their external mechanics and they'd fit it for me while I wait. I did that and when I got home that day, I turned on the laptop but I was unable to get past the initial grey screen with the apple logo. The wheel would come up and just start spinning and spinning forever. I left it on for hours but still nothing.
Eventually, I discovered my hard drive may have got corrupted. How, I don't know, I'm inclined to blame the people who changed the battery as the minute they gave it back to me, it stopped working, but they're refusing to take any responsibility, neither are Apple.
I backed up the hard drive using disk utility and making a dmg of it but I'd left my laptop down in London for a few months so I didn't get around it sorting it until now. I've deleted the hard drive and re-installed OS Lion and the laptop began as if I'd just bought it. So I restored the dmg and now I'm back to square one, the spinning wheel and only being able to access disk utility by pressing CMD + R on startup.
I have so much stuff that I can't afford to lose on that dmg, what can I do to ensure I can get my laptop back to the way it was? If it's a lost cause, is there a way I can access the files and back them up one by one instead of as a dmg?
I have an appointment at the Apple Store on Wednesday but ideally I'd like to get this sorted myself so any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
EDIT: Should also add, I'm trying to load it up in safe mode by holding shift but when I do this, the spinning wheel doesn't even appear, instead, the laptop just turns off after about 20 seconds.

Just an update on this...
The guy at the Apple store felt it could have been a corrupt file on the hard drive that triggered after the battery swap. Personally, I don't buy this as it was working fine before and I did regular checks and scans on all my files to ensure nothing like this would happen but there you go.
Anyway, somehow he made it so I could access my files, something to do with partioning the hard drive and whatnot. So I dragged the files onto my external, restarted everything (i.e, clean OS reinstall) and dragged them back on. Not the most ideal way as I have to install all my apps again but it could be worse.
Moral of the story is: when all else fails, complain to Apple in-store and don't take no for an answer!

When I boot up my macbook pro, it takes forever to start and I got grey screen...Help Please.

Just a minute ago I tried to boot up my macbook pro...normally the grey screen pops up with the whirring wheel, and then my Lion log-in screen comes up and all is well. This time, however, the whirring wheel spun forever on the grey apple screen. Then the wheel stopped and it went to a solid grey screen with apple...and nothing for about 10-15 seconds. Eventually it came up. BTW, this was the 2nd time I tried to boot because the first time, the grey screen with the whirring wheel stayed up for several minutes so I rebooted.
Anyone know what might be wrong? Thanks so much for your input!

Just a minute ago I tried to boot up my macbook pro...normally the grey screen pops up with the whirring wheel, and then my Lion log-in screen comes up and all is well. This time, however, the whirring wheel spun forever on the grey apple screen. Then the wheel stopped and it went to a solid grey screen with apple...and nothing for about 10-15 seconds. Eventually it came up. BTW, this was the 2nd time I tried to boot because the first time, the grey screen with the whirring wheel stayed up for several minutes so I rebooted.
Anyone know what might be wrong? Thanks so much for your input!

Macbook wont start up, stuck on grey screen

I need some help, I woke my computer from sleep then decided to restart it because it wasnt restarted for a while and now when I try to turn it on it just loads a grey screen and nothing else.
I need someone to help me asap, I have a few assignments due tomorrow that are on this computer.
Thanks in advance
Oh I also dont have the Mac OS X CDs so I cant do anything that involves those, they are in a different country at the moment so its not an option...
EDIT: If I leave it on it seems to get REALLY hot
EDIT2: followed this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Turns out one of my peripheral devices is making it happen....which is extremely odd since I use the same devices daily and I have never had a problem
Oh well I guess I just have to look into getting a new laptop
Message was edited by: Jamilv

Without the Software Restore discs there's nothing you can do but take it in for service. The problem requires reinstalling OS X, and that requires the installer disc.

Magic Computar Machine wont start. (Stalls at Grey Screen)

A friend of mine is having trouble with a "beloved" 12-inch G4.
On startup computer makes chime noise, displays apple logo and grey screen and then forgets what its doing. There is no loading spinner, or further action. It just sits there.
We've tried reseting PRAM, booting in Safe Mode and booting as a FireWire drive. None of these seemed to work.
Additionally, the PowerBook's internal DVD-ROM drive does not work. We are trying to obtain a boot disk to see if it will work through an external FireWire DVD drive, but after reading all the warnings about disconnecting peripherals, we're not sure if this is even an option.
Aside from relegating this device from "laptop" to "doorstop" are there any other suggestions?

Additionally, the PowerBook's internal DVD-ROM drive does not work. We are trying to obtain a boot disk to see if it will work through an external FireWire DVD drive, but after reading all the warnings about disconnecting peripherals, we're not sure if this is even an option.
This is an option. You just need to be sure to disconnect it after it powers off. You'll know when it has powered off.

MacBook Pro 2011 AirPort Driver Issue Causes Grey Screen of Death

Hello, I'd like to report a problem with the AirPort driver. It appears that if you connect to an AdHoc source for internet connection, the computer after a few minutes will crash with a Grey Screen of Death. Upon reboot it says a serious error has occurred with a stack trace pointing back to the AirPort driver. I have all the latest patches installed as well. I thought this was a problem with my laptop so I exchanged it for another with and it exhibited the same problem.

Do you know if he submitted an error report after the crash? I got prompted but I didn't get a chance to because I wasn't in a WiFi zone and after reformatting the machine, I don't want to get another GSOD so I haven't connected to Ad-Hoc so I hope someone else was able to successfully report it.

Macbook Pro wont start up past the grey screen

The computer is only four months old, fans sound like they are working, and the screen stays on when the power cord is out. I put in the Mac Os X disk today so that I could reset the admin password and as the computer restart for the program it's been stuck on the grey apple screen. If you have anything I can try and do that would be great

I had the same issue. I would start up my MacPro Desktop, and nothing happened but for the startup chime and the screen going blank. No Apple, no Beachball, no Nothing. I even tried booting from my DVD, and that would not work. So... it was dead, dead, dead and I could not do a thing about it. I tried all the rubber chicken procedures such as booting with the shift key, disconnecting everything, even the keyboard in the end, and taking out two of my four hard drives, doing all the things that the Mac Tech Support (on the phone) advised me to do.
Mac Tech support tried their best and booked an appointment for me at the Bondi Genius Bar, and I sat on the stool fully expecting to hear the worst. It turned out that the culprit was a corrupt internal eSATA disk, and when it was removed, the computer started up beautiully and recognised my other system disks.
Funny, I had removed the disk with Snow Leopard on it, thinking that it was a corrupt System disk, but no, it was another disk which I had fortunately up the night before this happened! I noted that the Mac was taking an inordinately lengthy time to shut down after that, which made me rather nervous about the next start up.
The defective disk had no system on it, and therefore, I never even thought of taking it out. It seemed to an illogical thing to do at the time, as I did not believe that a disk with no system could cause any problem.
Now I am sitting at my trusty Mac Pro and it is working Better than Ever, and I replaced the faulty 280GB disk with a Samsung 500GB disk I took out of my slow as a wet week LaCie Big Disk Network Attatched Storage. I re-initiallised this disk and it is now working flawlessly as I have been copying data to the SamSung disk now.
So, the upshot of all this is, is that nowhere is there any reference to a single disk in a bay that can cause the whole Mac not to start up properly! My advice is to those with that problem, remove your disks out of the bays, one at a time to find out if it is a disk causing the problem.

Start up issue - Fuzzy grey screen & lines on blue screen

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for