White Screen and mouse movement reveals desktop

Occaisionally when my iMac awakes from screensaver and/or sleeping all I see is a white screen. When I move the mouse or use the trackpad the cursor reveals swatches of my desktop. The desktop still functions once I can see where to click. Any ideas on what causes this or how to fix it?

Hello,
See if it's related to this...
The 2012 macs (and later apparently) not waking normally from sleep after hours being in sleep. (noted here ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/archives/feb13/022813.html#2012macswontwake
"Why 2012 iMac/2012 Mac Mini won't Wake After Hours of Sleep (Hibernates/Powers Off)")
The sleepimage file still reappears even if never slept. Delete it (hibernate off, etc) - within minutes its back.
A note on that here - http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/Chameleon_SSD_Optimizer.html
About iMac sleep...
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1529750
Try this: "sudo pmset autopoweroff 0" and "sudo pmset standby 0"
http://xlr8yourmac.com/archives/sep13/091313.html#10.8.5SleepEjectTip

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When I power up my mac, I see the white screen and the apple icon. After a few seconds of powering up the screen goes dark. Yet I still can the mouse arrow but nothing else.

When I power up my Imac, I see the white screen and the apple icon. After a few seconds the screen goes dark. I am able to still see the mouse arrow as I move it around. But nothing else. What is the problem and how do I recover?

Try this from another user:
1. Shut the computer down by holding the power button for 10 seconds
2. Restart the computer and press shift at the same time until you see the progress bar start moving
3. Once you reach the point where your screen goes dark and you see the cursor, type the first letter of the username for your computer, then hit Enter, then type your password, then hit Enter.
4. After a moment, you should see the spinning beach ball
5. Your screen should then move on to something along the lines of "Completing OSX Installation" (I can't remember the exact wording). Let it finish. After that it should go to your normal desktop and the issue should be fixed. (If your screen goes pitch black during this process, hit the space bar. I thought it wasn't working, but the screen was just sleeping).

When i turn on my computer it freezes in the white screen and the spinning wheel and it won't move from there ... I have turned it off and on several times and took out the battery and it keeps on doing the same thing again what can i do ???

when i turn on my computer it freezes in the white screen and the spinning wheel and it won't move from there ... I have turned it off and on several times and took out the battery and it keeps on doing the same thing again what can i do ??? please i need help with this and how can i fix it

Here is some pertinent information and how-to's from Apple:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Post back if these troubleshooting steps do not work.

Trying to start my IMac click on my admin icon and enter the correct password but then flashes to white screen and back to sign in, my desktop wont come on ... help!!!!

Trying to start my IMac click on my admin icon and enter the correct password but then flashes to white screen and back to sign in, my desktop wont come on ... help!!!!

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.
When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu. Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow instructions in the dialog window that will appear.
Or see Reset a Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Password and OS X Lion- Apple ID can be used to reset your user account password.

I downloaded the new itunes update and now no videos will play. I get a white screen and no sound. also a bunch of songs i have purchased no longer play.

i have a bunch of files that can't be located and some songs that i purchase that when you click on them they skip to the next song. also all my videos, movies and tv shows i purchased come up with a white screen and no sound they show they are playing

"Add Folder to Library" is still where it always was, in the File menu.
The new "innovation" is that the File menu is hidden by default! But you can reveal it by using CTRL+B.

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
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 in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

White screen and flashing power light?????

I've had this macbook pro for 8 months now. No problems with it so far. Today i was live streaming some tv shows and the computer froze, however i was able to move the mouse. I manually turned it off and now when i turn it back on i get a white screen and the power light flashes. After waiting a few minutes it still does this. Every time i turn it on and off it does the same thing. I'm not too good with fixing comps, does anyone know what this means, whether its serious and how i can fix it????
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!! Im in panic mode i really need this computer for my studies.
thanks!

White screen, or gray? If it's gray, and the latch light is flashing, either 1 flash per second or a triple-flash-pause-repeat, that indicates a RAM issue. Try uninstalling and re-installing the RAM (sometimes they become loose). Instructions are here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1270

Recently when clicking on Safari, it refused to open saying there were some components damaged. It was suggested I backup, remove OSX and reinstall. Now all I get is white screen and apple logo when starting. What to do?l

I Have an iMac desktop purchased in 2010 with OS X 6.1.6 and Snow Leapard. Recently after starting up, I was not able to open Safari. I checked for updates and all was well. I tried again and got a message saying Safari could not be opened because some components were damaged. After using Disk utilities to try and repair, it was suggested I uninstall OS X and reinstall from the disk. I did not at the time because I wanted to backup some info to a USB drive. But now when I startup all I get is the white screen and Apple logo and the loading symbol. What happened and How can Imfix it? I am not very tech savvy and don't know where to turn!

Hi nancy mfromamity harbor,
Welcome to the Support Communities! It sounds like reinstalling the Snow Leopard operating system is your next step. This should not affect the documents and data that you currently have on your iMac. I'll include the information to show you how below.
Mac OS X 10.6: Reinstalling Mac OS X
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH6606
Under some circumstances, you may need to reinstall Mac OS X. You can reinstall Mac OS X while keeping your files and user settings intact.
Note:To reinstall Mac OS X from another computer on your network, see:
Using another computer’s DVD or CD drive
To reinstall Mac OS X:
Insert the Mac OS X installation disc and double-click the Install Mac OS X icon.
Follow the onscreen instructions. In the pane where you select a disk, select your current Mac OS X disk (in most cases, it will be the only one available).
If you want to control which parts of Mac OS X are installed, click Customize, and then select the parts you want to install.
To start the installation, click Install.
If you purchased a standalone version of Mac OS X, these installation instructions are in a PDF file located on the Mac OS X installation disc.
If you need to reinstall the version of Mac OS X that was on your computer when you purchased it, or if you need to restore all the software on your computer (including Apple software, third-party applications, and other printer drivers), refer to the documentation that came with your computer.
If you need to reinstall Mac OS X and you’ve been using Time Machine to back up your applications, files, and user settings, you can easily restore this information from your Time Machine backup disk after you’ve reinstalled Mac OS X.
Nancy, here is the contact information if you need technical assistance to get your iMac up and running.
Intel-based iMac - Contact Support - Apple Support
http://www.apple.com/support/imac/intel/contact/
Good luck!
- Judy

Why do I get a white screen when playing movies?

Recently, for no apparent reason, when I play movies on my AppleTV 1st gen, the screen is completely white, no picture or sound. When I play TV shows, everything works like a charm. But whether they are movies I already own, or movies I rent, there is only a white screen and no sound. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
AD

Try restarting the Apple TV by removing ALL the cables for 30 seconds, or resetting it using the reset option under general.

HT1338 i cant get in to os system. the screen just stuck in white screen and apple logo

i can not get in to my os system. the screen just stuck in white screen and apple logo

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 boot failure is to secure your 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 your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into 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.”
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot 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.
c. 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
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot 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.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot 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 your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot 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, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot 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 reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your 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 reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a backup.
Step 8
A dead logic-board battery in a Mac Pro can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

Downloaded the installation program, execute it and the screen and mouse blink intermittently and does not open the installation program. The computer is new, windows 7 professional 64 bit SP1.

run the CreativeCloudSet-Up program, screen and mouse blink intermittently. And the program does not open. My computer is new, freshly removed from box. Windows 7 pro 64bit SP1

Jorgeb55956766 I am sorry that you are facing difficulty installing the Creative Cloud Desktop application. Have you utilized the steps listed in Error: "Failed to install" | Creative Cloud Desktop to reinstall the Creative Cloud Desktop application? If so do you receive any specific error messages?

My ipod touch 4th gen froze! blank white screen and doesn't respond when turned off, or connected to my laptop

my ipod touch 4th gen froze! only blank white screen and doesn't respond when turned off or connected to my laptop!

First, try a system reset. It cures many ills and it's quick, easy and harmless...
Hold down the on/off switch and the Home button simultaneously until the screen blacks out or you see the Apple logo. Ignore the "Slide to power off" text if it appears. You will not lose any apps, data, music, movies, settings, etc.
If the Reset doesn't work, try a Restore. Note that it's nowhere near as quick as a Reset. Connect via cable to the computer that you use for sync. From iTunes, select the iPad/iPod and then select the Summary tab. Follow directions for Restore and be sure to say "yes" to the backup. You will be warned that all data (apps, music, movies, etc.) will be erased but, as the Restore finishes, you will be asked if you wish the contents of the backup to be copied to the iPad/iPod. Again, say "yes."
Finally, if the Restore doesn't work, let the battery drain completely. Then recharge for at least an hour and Restore again.

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

You are using Snow Leopard so you have no OPTION+R shortcut. You need to boot the computer from your Snow Leopard DVD or USB flash drive.
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
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. 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 installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

20" Imac has white screen and freezes at start-up

my 20" imac will not start....help...All I get is a white screen and tone at start-up then it stays white. I tried hooking up a bootable firewire drive and pressing the alt/option key at start up nothing. I also tried the command/option/p/r at start up, it will reboot to the same screen. I also tried running the hardware diagnostics at start-up...no response. Computer was purchased on Nov .4 2007, warrenty just expired.
Help......Please....

I had the exact same problem today. My iMac 20" (iMac 8,1) would't boot any more, staying stuck on a white screen immediately after the normal start-up chime. Nothing worked (no safe mode, no DVD boot, no disk selection icon when starting with alt pressed, no Apple hardware test, no parameter RAM reset, power management chip reset had no effect, no verbose mode, not even open firmware).
I browsed the forums, but what I found didn't help, so I was about to stop trying and have it fixed by Apple. But my son told me he had noticed that after "a long time" (he's 4...), a folder with a flashing ? would appear. I figured that wouldn't happen in case of a severe hardware failure, so I tried one last thing: I hooked up an old PowerBook in target disk mode via Firewire and restarted the iMac. I tried several times (with and without alt pressed), but nothing happened (when pressing alt, a functional mouse pointer would appear, though).
Then I restarted a last time and left the iMac sit there on its white screen for about 20 minutes... and that's when the miracle happened: it finally booted off the target-disk mode PowerBook's system!
I ran Disk Utility, which saw the iMac internal HD as disk2s0 (or something like that), and launched the disk repair process. After about three error-ridden verify-repair cycles, the green ok message finally appeared and the volume mounted as if nothing had happened. I rebooted off the internal disk without a glitch, and I still have to find damaged or lost files.
I guess I was lucky that my HD problem was benign enough to be cured by Disk Utility. But even if that had not been the case, at least I'd have known that the HD failed, and maybe I could have saved some files using recovery software. Whatever the case, if you've got an external bootable drive, it's definitely worth trying before handing your iMac over for (usually horribly expensive) repairs.
Good luck!

Each time i press the power button i just have a blank white screen, and intermittent sounds/tone. No apple logo, or spinning circle.

Each time i press the power button i just have a blank white screen, and intermittent sounds/tone. No apple logo, or spinning circle.
I used to install the rEFIt to boot with win7. When I deleted win7, I didn't uninstall rEFIt. Nothing wrong with it. One day after I watched movie in full screen,I pressed esc to quit. Then I found the touchpad didn't work. I can't turn off air. I just pressed power button for a little while. It rebooted, then my nightmare just began...
I have tried everything, PRAM, command+R, literally everything. No change.
But when I plug a CD-ROM with USB, I can only here one BONG, just once, then white screen, Like waiting for something...
I took it to a service center in China, they told me the CPU had broken. SInce it's one month out of warranty, they wanted to charge me for like $250....
I really don't think that's CPU's problem. I checked the history, it seems like somebody else also had the problem before.
Can anyone give me some hints??? Thanks!!!!!! Or I have to take it back to America to check....

Impossible, there are zero, as in none, zip, nadda viruses for OS X. If you have viruses on it they are for MS Windows and will not affect OS X. I suspect the hard disk has crashed, if you have backup then it's not a big deal to have it changed, just take it into your local Apple Store or AASP for service. If you have not been backing it up you may be in for a painful lesson on why backup is critical.

White Screen and mouse movement reveals desktop

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