Windows 2003 R2 Gray Screen Hang on HP DL380 G5 when restarting or shutdown after Nov/Dec 2011 Windows Update

I’ve 4 identical HP DL 380 G5 Servers with Windows 2003 R2 Std. The 4 machines have the same Windows driver version and motherboard BIOS version. 2 have no problem. 2 have problems after Nov/Dec 2011 Windows Update!
After running for a few days from power-up, the 2 problem servers will hang at gray screen during restart. After clicking for restart,
- The Event Log service will stop normally so there is no more error log can be seen!
- The IP ping to the server can still work. The mouse pointer in Windows can still be moved.
- The Windows shutdown gray screen can be shown.
- [Ctrl-Alt-Del] has stopped to function.
Then the system just freezes at that status. I can only cold-boot the system!
After power-up again, I can do the Windows restart / shutdown normally! But after a few day of running, the above symptom repeats! The symptom happened since I installed the Windows Update in Dec 2011. It didn’t happen before that!
Anyone can give a hint on how to diagnose it?

Hi,
In order to troubleshoot the server hang issue, you can first preform a clean boot on the problematic system.
Steps:
====================
1. Click Start->Run…->type
msconfig and press Enter
2. Click Services tab and select Hide All Microsoft Services
and Disable All third party Services
3. Click Startup tab and Disable All startup items
4. Click OK and choose Restart
5. After reboot, check whether the problem still occurs
If the server hang on issue still continues in clean boot mode, for the further troubleshooting, you may check in the Task Manager to see which process takes the memory resources.
Meanwhile, you can also use reliability and performance Monitor to track down what cause the performance issue.
Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755081(WS.10).aspx
Windows Performance Monitor
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749249.aspx
Best Regards,
Aiden
Aiden Cao
TechNet Community Support

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Interval Since Last Panic Report: 517878 sec
Panics Since Last Report:          1
Anonymous UUID:                    A33A06A7-35F6-4227-8031-16A17AF70948
Thu Sep 15 16:57:38 2011
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff80002c268d): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f80ebcfb0, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0x0000000000000000, CR3: 0x0000000000100000, CR4: 0x0000000000000660
RAX: 0xffffff806b4df004, RBX: 0xffffff8000000000, RCX: 0x0000000000000000, RDX: 0xffffff80000000e0
RSP: 0xffffff807f40bce0, RBP: 0xffffff807f40bd10, RSI: 0xffffff8000000000, RDI: 0xffffff806b4da004
R8: 0x0000000000000001, R9: 0x00000000080e9bba, R10: 0x000000008f804126, R11: 0x00000000008f8041
R12: 0xffffff806b4da004, R13: 0x0000000000000000, R14: 0xffffff806b4da004, R15: 0x0000000000000000
RFL: 0x0000000000010282, RIP: 0xffffff7f80ebcfb0, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000000
CR2: 0x0000000000000000, Error code: 0x0000000000000002, Faulting CPU: 0x0
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff807f40b9a0 : 0xffffff8000220702
0xffffff807f40ba20 : 0xffffff80002c268d
0xffffff807f40bbc0 : 0xffffff80002d7a3d
0xffffff807f40bbe0 : 0xffffff7f80ebcfb0
0xffffff807f40bd10 : 0xffffff7f80eeb559
0xffffff807f40bd50 : 0xffffff7f80ebd9f1
0xffffff807f40be80 : 0xffffff7f80eb612d
0xffffff807f40bec0 : 0xffffff7f80e76936
0xffffff807f40bef0 : 0xffffff8000639626
0xffffff807f40bf30 : 0xffffff80006383a0
0xffffff807f40bf70 : 0xffffff8000638244
0xffffff807f40bfb0 : 0xffffff8000820057
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.driver.AirPort.Atheros40(500.55.5)[01000ACB-C064-3F42-820F-BDE2008267 25]@0xffffff7f80e57000->0xffffff7f80f96fff
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)[95ABB490-3AB5-3D5E-9C21-67089A9AE6A1]@0xffff ff7f80821000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family(400.40)[78A58272-2170-3068-9C63-88301C99C406]@0xf fffff7f80e1f000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(2.0)[59A00F6B-3710-3E07-9921-70C45782FF8C]@0 xffffff7f8091d000
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Boot args: 0x0
Mac OS version:
11B26
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 11.1.0: Tue Jul 26 16:07:11 PDT 2011; root:xnu-1699.22.81~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: D52AAB80-B2BC-3C6E-BBEA-78BD28064998
System model name: iMac10,1 (Mac-F2268CC8)
System uptime in nanoseconds: 65442456033032
last loaded kext at 65425304353727: com.apple.iokit.IOAVBFamily    1.0.0d22 (addr 0xffffff7f80796000, size 36864)
last unloaded kext at 65205919342983: com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController    1.0.0d5 (addr 0xffffff7f8078d000, size 20480)
loaded kexts:
com.parallels.kext.prl_vnic    6.0 12094.676494
com.parallels.kext.prl_netbridge    6.0 12094.676494
com.parallels.kext.prl_usb_connect    6.0 12094.676494
com.parallels.kext.prl_hid_hook    6.0 12094.676494
com.parallels.kext.prl_hypervisor    6.0 12094.676494
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCDC    4.1.15
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor    1.9.4d0
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch    66.3
com.apple.filesystems.autofs    3.0
com.apple.driver.AGPM    100.12.40
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver    122
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA    2.1.1f12
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver    2.1.1f12
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC    1.59
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient    3.5.9
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl    1.0.24
com.apple.kext.ATIFramebuffer    7.0.4
com.apple.ATIRadeonX2000    7.0.4
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight    170.1.9
com.apple.driver.AirPort.Atheros40    500.55.5
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin    4.7.0b2
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC    1.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet    1.0.0d1
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X    7.0.0
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver    1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController    309
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless    1.0.0d1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib    1.0.0d1
com.apple.BootCache    32
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader    3.0.0
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient    3.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage    2.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI    4.8.6
com.apple.nvenet    2.0.17
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort    2.1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM    1.5.0
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC    1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub    4.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI    4.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI    4.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET    1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons    1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS    1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC    1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC    1.5
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient    166.0.0
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall    3.0.30
com.apple.security.quarantine    1
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement    166.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAVBFamily    1.0.0d22
com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController    1.0.0d5
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard    152.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard    152.3
com.apple.driver.AppleMultitouchDriver    220.62
com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver    2.5f17
com.apple.kext.triggers    1.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager    2.5f17
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily    10.0.5
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib    2.1.1f12
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController    1.0.10d0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP    2.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert    1.0.3
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport    2.3
com.apple.kext.ATI4600Controller    7.0.4
com.apple.kext.ATISupport    7.0.4
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController    2.1.1f12
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily    2.1.1f12
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family    400.40
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily    4.7.0b2
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI    1.0.10d0
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface    80.0
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily    2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC    3.1.1d2
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily    1.8.3fc11
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib    1.3
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController    2.5f17
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController    2.5f17
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily    2.5f17
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver    4.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice    3.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass    3.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub    4.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite    3.9.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice    3.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily    1.6
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily    1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily    1.7
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter    403
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI    2.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily    3.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily    4.4.3
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily    2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily    2.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient    4.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily    4.4.0
com.apple.driver.NVSMU    2.2.9
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime    1.5.0
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily    1.7.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily    1.1
com.apple.security.sandbox    165
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch    1.0.0d1
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet    7
com.apple.driver.DiskImages    326
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily    1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore    28.18
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform    1.4
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily    2.6.5
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily    1.4
System Profile:
Model: iMac10,1, BootROM IM101.00CC.B00, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 3.06 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.52f9
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4670, ATI Radeon HD 4670, PCIe, 256 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x802C, 0x31364A53463235363634485A2D3147314631
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x802C, 0x31364A53463235363634485A2D3147314631
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x168C, 0x8F), Atheros 9280: 4.0.55.4-P2P
Bluetooth: Version 2.5.0f17, 2 service, 19 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: ST31000528ASQ, 1 TB
Serial ATA Device: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5680H
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OS hangs at loading progress bar when restarting after Security Update

I've searched for other people who have had issues with the Security Update, but my issue doesn't seem to have been solved. Here's the story:
Just installed the new Security update. Shut the computer down for the night, started it up, and halfway through starting up it restarted itself again. It got past the grey Apple, the blue progress bar started loading, got to the end, but doesn't go anywhere. I've let it sit for 15 minutes, but no progress. The internal fan sounds like an airplane taking off, it just keeps going faster and nothing happens. Tried rebooting in safe mode, but it got hung up on the grey Apple and spinning wheel of death.
Anything I can do from the Terminal to fix this?
Thanks guys!

cPants:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Have your tried:
Repair Disk
Insert Installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel, and report if it says anything but Verified)
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.
If DU reports errors it cannot repair you will need to use a utility like Tech Tool Pro or Disk Warrior
Good luck.
cornelius

Forzen gray screen at boot

I'm using an iMac that was new in Dec '12. 27-inch I think it's still the current model.
Lately I've been getting long if not terminal hang-ups at boot on the plain gray screen.
The only system maintenance I have with this Mac is to confirm and correct my preferences on the main drive, through Disk Utility. I know there is much more to clean up in the system.
What program should I be using to do this with?
I used to use Onyx, but that is now only a pay program now. If I must use a pay program I want to get the best value for the program.
So my question is two questions.....
1. Are there free programs that will clean up the caches and whatever else needs attending to?
2. What is the best pay program for maintaing a Mac?
Thanks

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. 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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. 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
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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.

Gray screen won't load

My computer will turn on but goes to the gray screen with the apple and loading symbol. It stays on this page. Won't take me to log in. What should I do?

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
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.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
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
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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.

No start up log in then goes to gray screen

No start up log in then goes to gray screen

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. 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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. 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
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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.

Computer turns on and goes straight to gray screen telling me to restart.

I just finished installing Leopard on my computer and I decided to do a software update. While the computer was restarting it stayed at a blue screen for a while downloading files. This was taking too long and I had a paper to do so I manually shut down the computer. Now whenever I turn my computer on it goes to a gray screen and tells me I need to restart.
If anyone could help I'd really appreciate it

Will it boot in Safe Mode? See
What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? (Mac OS X)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107392
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Will your Mac boot using the Leopard install DVD? If so, you probably need to do a reinstall of Leopard. When you reinstall the OS, do it via Archive & Install. See About the Archive and Install feature http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710
Be sure to select Preserve Users & Settings. Also, repair permissions before and after the install.
A couple of Tips.
1. Before you install an update, ALWAYS repair permissions using Disk Utility. (Did you do this?) Then after the update is installed, repair permissions again.
2. I only use the Software Update window to determine what System related software is available for update. I don't use the auto update feature because there could be the possibility of a data "glitch" during download, which results in system startup/operational problems. Then I go to Apple site & download the update file. Then I install it.
For an update to an application, like iTunes, I use the auto update. If there is a problem with the update, you can reinstall the application, but it doesn't cause startup problems.
 Cheers, Tom

My MacBook Air can't get past the gray screen with the apple logo. What's the fix?

My MacBook Air can't get past the gray screen with the Apple logo, so I can't login. Does anyone know the fix for this?

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 Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
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 by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
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.
Before reconnecting 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.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
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, 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 above for instructions.) 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 produces. Look for the line "Permissions repaired successfully" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to 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.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
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
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.

Gray screen at startup - Help needed

Last night during a boot-up on my MacBook Pro, I powered the system down by holding down the power button. (I had wanted to boot to Windows and had forgotten to hold down option) When I restarted with the option key pressed, all I saw was a gray screen.
I've tried seemingly everything - putting in install CD and holding down C; install CD and holding down D; safe mode, verbose mode, single user mode; SMC reset; NVRAM reset.
All of these just give me a gray screen. The only two exceptions: holding down option upon startup does put a moveable mouse arrow on the screen. Also, when trying to reset the NVRAM, I never heard the two beeps -- the computer just started turning itself off and on (over and over until I released the keys).
Any suggestions for other things to try?
thanks!

I recently had the same problem. I was playing a certain MMO, when it suddenly froze. I was in fullscreen mode, and none of the key-combos would exit or minimize, so I held down the power button to shut it off. When I tried to turn it back on, it made the "ding" noise and got stuck at a gray screen, no apple logo.
I did everything I could think of, even tried booting from the CD, even plugging the HD into another computer(which failed to recognize it).
Anyway, what I wanted to say was, I got frustrated and left the CD in the drive when it was stuck on the gray screen for about 5 minutes, and when I came back, it had booted from the CD. Why it took so long, I have no idea.
I managed to run the disk utility and did a "verify disk." Here's what it said:
Verify and Repair disk "disk0s2"
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Invalid node structure
Invalid B-tree node size
Invalid node structure
Invalid B-tree node size
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
Sounds like a messed up HD to me. Is there any way to salvage the info on it? Or is the file structure too messed up for that? Also, I'm hoping this isn't a physical problem...
I'll postpone reformatting and reinstalling until I try to salvage what I can.

Mac Mini won't boot, distorted startup chime, gray screen

Hi all --
I've seen similar posts (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12170891&#12170891) but thought I'd start a new one, mainly because I haven't heard anyone mention the startup chime.
I woke up my 2007 stock Mac Mini Friday morning and the cursor was frozen. Unplugged and replugged the mouse to no avail. Couldn't force quit, so I had to power down. Restarted with a badly distored startup chime (not "speaker breakup" from excessive volume, just distortion, and some "stuttering") and a gray screen that didn't go away. Restarted many, many times. Inserted Snow Leopard DVD to run Disc Utility but it wasn't recognized -- just a gray screen. Tried resetting the PMU and SMC with no results. Tried booting into single-user mode (with a wired USB keyboard) to eject the DVD, but no luck. Tried open firmware, but nothing. Once in an while I would get the Apple icon and a spinning progress bar that never went away.
Took it to the Genius Bar, where they tried to boot from a Firewire drive, with no success. The best they could do was tell me my 17-month old Mac was out of warranty. That confirmed, I took it home, cracked it open and removed the Snow Leopard DVD (with a credit card) to insert the install disc it shipped with. That didn't work. A couple of times it looked like it would, but then after the spinning bar I got the multilingual system bomb message. Tried to run Hardware Test, but nothing. Put in original Disc 2... and that gave me a flashing folder! Progress! Forced the DVD out and slipped in Disc 1. That started to read, and then I got some kernel-panic looking text and a shutdown. My last attempt was to create a USB boot drive from the original install discs, but my old Sawtooth won't let me run the installer.
Is there any hope at this point? I just bought the thing last May, so I've had it less than a year and a half. The distorted startup chime makes me think the logic board is fried and no amount of fooling with the startup drive will make a difference. The only thing out of the ordinary in this case was that it went to sleep last Thursday night with a DV camera hooked up via Firewire.
I'm not thrilled about giving Apple any more money for another Mini, but I'm heavily invested in Logic Studio so I don't have much of a choice of platform.
I'm pretty sure I'm doomed, but I thought I'd post anyway. A quick internet search shows I'm not the only one with the gray screen of death on a fairly new Mini. Thanks in advance for any pointers.

Thanks.
The Genius was able to get to the Apple logo and spinning... thing (what used to be the beachball). His theory was that as long as the Snow Leopard disc was in there, the boot process would never get to the Firewire port. Once I got home I literally pried the Snow Leopard disc out and put in the original install disc. But any progress whatsoever ends in the system bomb message.
Thing is, I had tried to eject the disc by booting with the mouse button down. But on restarting, the laser in the optical mouse flashes quickly, once. I don't think the USB ports are going "live" at all... so I can't get into single user mode, safe mode, hardware test, anything. The Genius' keyboard was no help in that regard. So yeah, I suspect a hardware problem.
A search of "gray screen of death" shows this happening to a lot of models.

I get a gray screen with the apple logo at start up and the trackpad doesn't work

My MacBook Pro has run fine until yesterday. It froze and wouldn't receive commands from the trackpad. I was still able to move the cursor but clicking or tapping the screen did nothing. I tried restarting but got the gray screen with the Apple logo and the spinning wheel. To get pass this I have tried resetting the NVRAM/PRAM and performing the safe boot. I also tried using the Disk Utility at start up but since I can't use the trackpad it was unsuccesful. I got pass the gray screen once performing the safe boot and restarted and everything run fine (including the trackpad) for about 20 minutes before freezing again. Now I'm back at the gray screen again and can't seem to get pass it again.
Any advice what should I do next?

I would back up the files and start looking at the HDD. Open DISK UTILITY>FIRSTAID.
Ciao.

Gray Screen After Erasing Harddrive & Resetting NVRAM/PRAM (Clean Install)

I have a mid-2011 iMac (with Mavericks OS), and am doing a clean install before giving my computer to a relative. I performed a secure erase of my entire harddrive (using disk utility), reset the NVRAM / PRAM (but it only chimes once even after I tried several times), and now I get the grey screen even when I try to boot from CD, safe boot, or any other commands. I can't even get back into the disk utility. Can someone please help?
On a side note, I have the install DVD in the DVD drive and I can't get that out.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I am trying to install from the original DVD (which is the DVD that is currently in the drive), but I am not able to boot from it even if I hold down "C" when rebooting the computer. Instead, when I hold down "C" it just shows the gray screen with the "Apple" icon. When I let go of the "C" key, it goes shows the "No" Symbol and doesn't do anything.

Transparent gray screen

Randomly, the transparent gray screen appears and displays the message to restart holding down the restart button. Once I do so everything works fine again. This usually happens once a day. I tried the Hardware Test and everything is find. My iBook has OSX 10.3.9. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!

You're welcome.
Thankfully most KPs are easily solved. If you have additional RAM I would remove it first and see if that's the cause. Because your KP's are ramdom the Hardware Test disc will probably not find a problem with the RAM.
John

Aperture - gray screen instead of pic?

Not sure what happened but suddenly when I click on a pic instead of enlarging it I get a blank gray screen. Any ideas? I tried restarting.

Do your images in the filmstrip show any of these badges?
We will need more information, to understand what is happening when your screen went grey.
Which view are you using, when the problem occurs? And what is your Aperture Version?
Regards
Léonie

Power mac G4 hangs at startup with gray screen

Hello all,
I have a Power mac G4 - mirrored drive door model. 512mb of RAM; 833mghz - about 50+ gigabytes of storage remaining.
I recently starting using this mac again, here is what happened:
Power mac G4 was running 10.2.1 - had never been updated; it also was capable of running classic os9 (even though I never used it)
Started using machine again a few weeks ago; let "software update" install 10.2.8 update - everything worked fine
Put computer into target disk mode to transfer files to my new macbook pro (13") - using firewire connection
While trying to connect (migration assistant) - window froze will calculating the amount of space that the "user" on the power mac totalled - power mac appeared to be frozen
Did a hard reset / power down of the power mac G4
Upon restart, power mac G4 goes through all start up functions up to gray screen with apple logo (with spinning wheel) and then goes to a darker gray screen (without the logo) and spinning wheel
Dark gray screen with spinning wheel hangs indefinitely - I've let it stay there for hours on end hoping it will resolve but it doesn't
Here's what I have done so far:
Placed power mac G4 into target disk mode again in conjunction with macbook pro
I can see all the files on the power mac G4 (and have already copied them to the macbook pro) - so I don't think the hard drive is damaged
Disconnected all non-apple peripheral devices - only had a card installed in the back - but took that out - issue persisted (did not replace card in back)
Removed one non-apple RAM stick - issue persisted
Replaced non-apple RAM stick and removed apple RAM stick - issue persisted
Reset PRAM
Started computer in single-user mode
used fsck and tried to have system check/fix issue; no matter how many times I re-run the command to repair it never comes back with a message saying no issues found - instead it keeps returning with a message saying that the issue was repaired "system modified"
Started computer in verbose mode
startup seems to hang when this appears:
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: (ipc/send) invalid destination"
"LayState: cannot map display interlocks."
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: kCGErrorFailure: CGSNewConnection"
"Cannot connect to server"
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: kCGErrorInvalidConnection"
"Connection called with invalid connection"
Tried re-installing with system discs
The only discs I received with the power mac G4 when I purchased are orange and say "SSW version 8.6" on it" ("iMac Software Restore" and "iMac Software Install")
Computer does not respond when holding down "C" key at startup with either disc in the drive
When holding down "option" key at startup, the computer shows the bootable choices as ONLY the internal HD - not either of the CDs I mentioned above; I wonder if it no longer recognizes the original CDs because I updated to 10.2.8 from 10.2.1 before the issue?
I also have an install disc for OS X 10.4.7 - for a friend's iMac (G5)
When holding down "C" key at startup with the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive I get a kernel panic
When holding down "option" key at startup, the computer shows the bootable choices as the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive AND the internal HD
When I choose the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive I get a kernel panic
When I choose the internal HD the startup hangs at the gray screen I mentioned above
At this point, I don't know what else to do. I believe the computer is still good because I can see everything on it when I put it into target disk mode; it just refuses to make it through the startup/login process. I have read discussion threads that suggest re-installing the OS using another computer - but I don't know how to do that. I also wondered if there was a way to tell the computer to re-install the software using the original CDs - but from the command line (in single-user mode)?
Someone - PLEASE HELP!

Sorry, SU Single User Mode, OF Open Firmware as these 2 where mentioned before.
As a test, let's try disconnecting the HD & see if it booys to any mode without it attached.
It could be the User's files or login messed up, if you want to try something a little more desperate...
Reset OS X Password Without an OS X CD...
http://theappleblog.com/2008/06/22/reset-os-x-password-without-an-os-x-cd/
It'll boot like a newly setup Mac, but all your stuff should still be there once filling out the stuff.
Except you could just use Target mode and move or rename that file.

Windows 2003 R2 Gray Screen Hang on HP DL380 G5 when restarting or shutdown after Nov/Dec 2011 Windows Update

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