Won't go pass the gray apple screen

I just signed out an apple computer at work and I guess I should of checked it before I left but when I got home and tried to turn it on nothing happened. So I plugged in the power cord and tried again. This time the gray apple screen came up but that was it. I was hoping to work on it this weekend since it had word and pages I was going to convert some files. Any suggestions? Worse comes to worse I can just return it on Monday but really wanted to see if there was a fix I could do.

You can try resetting the SMC. Is the MacBook yours? If so, why don't you take it to the Genius Bar to see if the laptop could get fixed?
Regards,
bettyfromcalifornia

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MacBook won't load past the gray apple screen, what do I do?

A few months ago my cat peed on my computer and despite the battery no longer working the computer its self continued working fine after letting it sit a few days.
A few weeks ago I accidentally unplugged it form the wall forcefully turning it off, when I tried to turn it back on it wouldn't go past the gray apple logo with the spinning pinwheel.
I've tried to troubleshooting it numerous times but even after letting it safe boot all night I came to no avail.
All the suggestions I've gotten on other sites say I sould re-install the OSX server, the problem being I don't know how, or which OSX I have, they also say the memory will probably be erased, I can't have this happen because I have many things I wrote on there that I have no where else. I bought this laptop in the first few days of 2009.
What do I do without erasing the memory?

Hello,
Could someone help me, please? I apologize for the long message but I want to be as detailed as possible.
My MacBook (purchased early 2006, white 13", upgraded to Leopard about a year ago with no problems until now) will not boot past the grey screen and spinning wheel.
Here' are the list of 6 steps I've followed so far and still is not working. Oh, and I do not have any peripherals attached to my MacBook:
1. Reboot in Safe Mode: tried pressing down the Shift key before the powering up sound AND after the sound. Could not get into Safe Mode. Did this several times, holding the Shift key for as much as a minute or two. Nothing but grey screen and spinning wheel.
2. Reset NVRAM/PRAM: CMDR+POption: Computer restarted but still goes into Grey Screen, spinning wheel and stays there forever.
3. CMD +S: I read this online. Gave me a black screen with a lot of information, but I don't know how to read the computer jargon, let alone know what to do with said info.
4. Disk Utility Repair Disk : Inserted my Leopard install disk. Went to Utility Disk. Performed a Repair Disk and I did get two error messages, something related to id 70000452 should be id 70000450 ( I'm sorry to say I cannot remember the exact error messages). But it showed as repaired. When I did a 2nd Repair Disk, I got the message that the volume appears to be OK. Turned off and on again, nothing but grey screen and wheel.
5. Disk Utility Repair Disk Permissions: got several error messages and this time some could not be repaired:
-Permissions differ on system/library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents.... should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r--
I got this about 4 times.
-Permissions differ on System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/a/Resources/ DiskManagementTool has been modified and will not be repaired.
-Permissions differ on System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DesktopServicesPriv.framework/Versions/A/Resou rces/Locum has been modified and will not be repaired.
-SIUD file has been modified and cannot be repaired also shows twice.
I've read that these messages can be ignored. Is this true? I verified permissions after that, rebooted and still the same grey screen and wheel.
6. FINALLY: I tried to hook a FireWire from my notebook to my sis, iMac, and see if my HD shows up on hers so I can try to copy and save my pics and music. I was then planning to Erase and Reinstall. But my HD doesn't show up. I turned off both Macs and turned on, pressing T on my Notebook so it acts as a drive, but nothing shows up on my sis iMac. What am I doing wrong here?
And if it cannot be repaired, what do I do?
I'm an amateur photographer and would like to save all my pics, as well as my iTunes music. Much of everything else is just docs, and I think I backed the docs up, but not iTunes or the pics lately (not enough memory available in my flash drive). It also means I do not have a lot of RAM available (I know, I should've bought an external hard drive :o) to perform an Archive and Install.
Can I save my pics and music? Is it all lost? Help please?
Thanks
Andy

I have a PB G4 that won't start. It shows the gray apple screen, shows the blue screen, and then the screen goes black, and "sleep" light pulses.

I have a PB G4 that won't start. It shows the gray apple screen, shows the blue screen, and then goes black. The sleep light pulses. From there, I can't turn it off normally. I have tried restarting the PMU. And I have tried unplugging the ac adaptor and removing the battery. From there I have plugged only the ac adaptor in, and it will begin to start but do the same thing once it shows the blue screen.
I tried only using the battery (without plugging in the ac adaptor) and the same thing happens. I tried starting the computer while holding down CTRL, Option, P, and R, waiting to hear the start up chimes 3 times, and then holding Shift as it starts up. But I still get the black screen once I see the blue one, and the computer's sleep light pulses.
I need something very important from this computer. And was able to start it last night. I did not shut down the computer, and was going to take it to a friends to use his printer today. The computer was in sleep mode in the morning.
Thanks for any help!
Gina

What your describing could be a logic board or memory issue.
You did or did not hear 3 startup chimes? If you hear 3 chimes when you start it, that would indicate a memory problem. Try reseating the memory to see if that makes a difference. If you have 2 RAM cards, try one then the other in each slot. If you have 1 RAM card, move it to the other slot. Powerbooks can develop one bad slot.
You may need to pull the hard drive out of the Powerbook, put it into an external case, then read it from another mac.

My macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

my macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

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, 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 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 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.

I was updating my macbook pro and it restarted but didn't boot up. It made it to the gray apple screen with a spinning wheel underneath it. What do I do?

I was updating my macbook pro and it restarted but didn't boot up. It made it to the gray apple screen with a spinning wheel underneath it. What do I do?

This was happening to mine as well and I had to take it in a few times and they had to wipe it completely. If your computer is more that 5 years old, it may be that it is time for a new one. I suggest taking it in so they can diagnose it!

Powerbook won't get past OSX gray apple screen

powerbook pismo running OSX for years...much joy and happiness,
up to this point.
Upon starting up my powerbook, I get the good chime and then the gray screen with the apple but no spinning wheel at the bottom, it will go no further.
It just sits there with the gray screen and the apple. I've tried the following:
Safe mode
Reset pram
target mode from another mac shows the pismo hard disk. I can run disk utility on it and the drive is ok.
Still no startup.
Reinstalled the OS from the other mac using target mode and it installed ok. Still no further than the gray apple screen.
It will not start from DVD or from a firewire drive with the OS installed on it
It does see the system folder when I tell it to let me choose a system at startup. I choose it and we are back at the gray screen.
Is this a pram or firmware issue maybe a internal battery
I have other macs, and I can move on, but still would like to solve this puzzle.
Thank you very much.

zydeco,
I am not sure if I can help, but here are a few suggestions...
1. If you have the original software, you may still have the Apple Hardware Test CD. Disconnect all peripherals including a USB mouse, then see if you can boot to the CD.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112433
2. If you have the internal original AirPort card, remove this card and try starting. A bad card can prevent startup.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50028
If neither of the two suggestions help, please post back.

My Macbook pro won't get passed the grey startup screen

My apple macbook pro is not getting passed the gray screen with the apple and spinning circle. I have tried pressing comand-R or shift-command-v, and nothing happens what so ever. I listened to my hard drive, and it sounds fine. It sounds like it is running, and there is no clicking sounds from it or anything, and haven't been any at all. Nothing seems to make it respond

Direct you to the proper forum for MacBook :
MacBook Series Forums
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks?view=discussions
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os?view=discussions
http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro

On Startup, Stuck at the Gray Apple Screen & No Bootup

I used my powerbook last night and shut it down. Upon getting to work and turning it on, I haven't been able to get past the Gray Apple logo screen and loading dial.
I've been on several different boards and one gave me the steps to restart w/ the OSX install disk and hold "c". This worked, got me to the disk utility tool and I was successful in running a verification and repair. Here's the list of info it gave me:
Verify and Repair volume "Core HD"
Checking Journaled HFS Plus Volume
Checking Extents Overflow File
Checking Catalog File
Checking Multi-Linked Files
Checking Hierarchy
Checking Extended Attributes File
Checking Volume Bitmap
Checking Volume Information
The volume Core HD appears to be ok (in green letters)
So, from that, it "appears" to be ok, but I tried to do a restart from this area booting from the Core HD that contains my working content and I go right back to the gray loading screen.
_Any other advice before I take it to the Apple Genius Bar?_
_Possible issues to look for or tricks to try out?_
==========================
*Back info:* My battery has been going out lately and I noticed for the past week that I have to have my powersupply plugged into the powerbook in order to run (battery isn't keeping juice). So when I've had to disconnect the power supply to put the powerbook in my computer bag, the system shuts down and I have to restart w/ the power supply in.
_Could this have screwed up my HD or anything else?_
Thanks for any help in advance!
Rick in LA

*: SUCCESSFUL UPDATE! :*
So, I tried it all w/o success at home, but was optimistic since I could still see my files when running the disk utility.
I went to the Apple Store near my house and I explained the situation to the Mac Genius guy. Again, he was able to boot from another disk, but still not my internal disk.
Final Determination: Corrupted OS & the need to Archive & Reinstall OSX 10.5
*Result = SUCCESS!*
He said, that the OS must have gotten corrupted by way of an update that didn't fully take or a newly installed program that may have disrupted the system.
So, we reinstalled (took about an hour and some change), I got to play with all the new Apple toys and got access to my desktop again all for free. No charge and of course the customer service was friendly and accommodating.
So, I guess the stuck gray screen w/ apple logo could always mean a couple of things, but if the data is still there and you've run through all other options, you can always try an archive and reinstall. Worked for me and I'm posting this message from my operable Powerbook now.
Thanks for the helpful advice TJK. And thanks for sharing your experience Wim138. Hope this helps anyone experiencing the same issue.

My mac won''t go past the gray startup screen

I was using my ibook g4 (1.33GHz) yesterday to rip a dvd, safari was also running. the computer froze and black writing appeared on the screen at the left hand side. It said something about 'kernel', but as i don't speak computer language i just held the power button to turn off the computer, hoping it would be fine once i restarted.
I waited about a minute then i restarted but it wont go past the gray startup screen with the gray apple logo and the spinning progress wheel. I have tried to restart in safe mode and have also reset the PMU(power management unit) but still the same. I can't figure out what to do, and i really need to access files stored on my HD urgently. please if anybody can help me i''d really apprecite it,
thanks.
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Hi,
This article may help. What happened was a kernel panic. They can be caused by either hardware or software. Try the syeps outlined in the article and post back the results.
John

My MacBook won't go past the gray startup screen.

I shut down my MacBook pro during a software update because the update appeared to have frozen. When I tried to reboot my computer afterwards, it would go to the gray startup screen with the spinning gear and not progress any further. I have tried multiple times to restart it, each time getting the same result, I have also tried starting it up holding down shift, another time holding down control option p r, and also holding shift. Each time gave me the same result of freezing at the gray screen. Any idea on what I can do to resolve this problem?

Hi,
This article may help. What happened was a kernel panic. They can be caused by either hardware or software. Try the syeps outlined in the article and post back the results.
John

My G5 shut down + when it restarted it won't go past the grey apple screen

here's a general rundown of how I got to this point...
last yr the hard drive on my '05 G5 went, so i had it replaced (6-7 months ago) and for the last 2-3 months i've had problems with involuntary shut downs (cut to black) it started happening once a day and then there were days where it would happen more often and then less often and eventually got to a point where it was happening every 5-20 minutes, so i brought it in to get looked at and was told that it was the power supply that was malfunctioning. I mentioned that I would likely be buying a new mac in the coming weeks ( i did yesterday) and was told that I should be ok between now and then without having it fixed and then when i did get my new computer they would transfer all of my old data onto the new computer and would be installing the new power supply before selling it to a local school. then, 3 days before I was going to get my new mac, it shut off yet again, but when it rebooted it never went past the grey apple screen. after 4 or 5 minutes the fan comes on and is amazingly loud and this is where it stays until i shut it off. i'm not sure if this is simply the power supply finally going going gone or if this has something to do with the very new hard drive or who knows what else; i just want to get my info from the old computer onto the new and hopefully get the couple hundred dollars that i was told my g5 was worth. is there something i can do to get past the grey screen before i bring it in?
thanks in advance,
Jeremiah

I doubt that your data have been lost, the hard drive should be fine. Too bad that you're going to sell it, you could have used the hard drive in an enclosure to back up your new computer to. Please remember to make frequent backups/clones, I use SuperDuper! and it works perfectly. I have used it to re-clone a drive from the external when things have gone bad, you can also boot from a SuperDuper! clone.
Anyway, let us know how things go, I'm pretty sure your drive will be fine.

My G-5 Won't go past the Grey Apple Screen......HELP HELP HELP

I have a G-5 PowerMac.
Its about a year old.
I have used it more than sparingly. I bought it for video editing and have no other programs installed on it that didn't come with the computer besides Final Cut Pro
I tried to turn it on this morning to edit a project i'm working on and the thing just wont get past the Grey Apple Screen.
I really need help here. My hardware warranty runs out on December 31st and I dont have money for the Applecare $250 is really steep.
Help me turn the thing back on and get my editing going please
Email me at [email protected] if you can help me out
thanks
Chris
Power Mac G5 Dual Processor Mac OS X (10.4)

Hey Cris
I just got thru the same problem. My G5 was only 30 days old. I contacted Apple and after many phone calls I ended up purchasing the Applecare.
The parts were on back order for two weeks and they ended up replacing the logic board and the processor.
Good Luck!!!

I can't get past the Gray apple screen during start-up Help!!!

I went to open my system pref. folder and when it wouldnt open I restarted it and now I can't get past the first screen of the Gray screen with the apple in the middle and the little spinning circle under it. Can anyone help me? have had several problems with this computer!!! I just had to have a whole new harddrive put in about a month ago.
powerbook g4 15 inch Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Welcome to the Discussions!
The first thing to do would be to boot from your original Disk 1 by:
1. Inserting the disc, pressing the power button, and immediately after the startup chime, press and hold the C key until you see the spinning gear icon appear on the grey splash screen.
2. After the machine has booted, pick your language, and when the Installer window appears, do not press Continue, but go to the Utilities menu in the menubar and open Disk Utility.
3. In Disk Utility, choose your normal startup volume in the pane on the left and then click Repair Disk. If any errors show in the window, run Repair Disk again until you see 'The volume appears to be OK' in green.
4. Quit Disk Utility, quit the installer and attempt to restart into your regular startup volume.
Please update your profile so we have a clearer picture of your particular machine.
Joe
<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/joeuu/.Pictures/groundzero5.jpg"width="20"

Mac mini wont get past the gray apple screen

recently i bought a mac mini with intel i5 processor and os lion installed, it was perfectly running until today it wont start or rather get past the initial apple sreen with the spinning gear. yesterday i connected an external usb drive 1tb to use as backup disk and store my songs for itunes. today i cant use it , ihave tried safe mode booting , pressing command, option , p and r keys during startup, removing the power cord then reattaching it. anybody have a solution.

i have tried removing the external drive but still problem persists

Quicksilver won't startup... just the gray apple screen.. i have read other

My computer was working fine earliert today running 10.4.7. Then I got the new Sonnet 1.8 DUAL upgrade which needs OS9 to run which is not installed since my original HD crashed a while back and when I replaced it I did not reinstall it. I have replaced the clock battery and I can boot from a CD and I installed OS9 using my original CD. It installed fine but now neither OS will boot from that drive. I have tried to zero the data and reformat and reinstalled... still nothing.. I reset nvram.... still nothing. I had both Drive Genius and Disk Utility look at it and both say it appears fine.
Any suggestions?
Jay

Hi again, I just reread your post, maybe I miss understood when said "that drive". If there is only one drive, try a PMU reset. I this does not change anything try the Startup Manager and see if you can select the startup drive from there.
Also make sure you have the Mac OS 9 driver installed, you can check this in Disk Utility.
Joe
Power Mac G4 Gigabit Ethernet Mac OS X (10.3.9) 1.5 GB Ram, ENCORE/ST G4, Tempo SATA, ATI Radeon 9000, Adaptec 4000

Won't go pass the gray apple screen

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