Apple MacBook Pro Notebook Logo
Jason Posted on Aug 28, 2012

My MacBook Pro is stuck on the grey start up screen with the apple logo and a spinning circle. Sometimes it gets to a probationary circle with the spinning circle.

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  • Contributor 5 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 02, 2012
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Unfortunately, this sounds like a problem with your hard drive/ logic board. To Fix This You Will Need To Go To The Apple Store And They Will Most Likely Have To Replace Or Repair It. the Process Takes About 2 Days - 1 Week (Just To Set Expectations.) :(

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 206 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 02, 2010

SOURCE: Grey Screen Apple Start up issue

It appears there may be a possible startup item or issue with your firmware, which may be causing this issue, so I am going to provide some procedures in order to help you resolve this gray screen issue. But first, let me help you remove that disc first:

font.f1 {font: 13.0px Myriad Pro} font.f2 {font: 14.0px Myriad Pro} Procedure #1 - Ejecting CD from drive
Here are some steps I recommend you try to resolve the issue with the disc not ejecting properly

• Reboot your Mac
• Hold down your Mouse button(s) prior to the Apple Chime
• Keep holding the mouse button down while your Mac boots up
• The disc should eject before you reach your Desktop
• When it does, simply release your mouse buttons.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If this does not help resolve ejecting the disc in your Macbook's drive, you are going to have to take more of a command-line approach:

font.f1 {font: 12.0px Helvetica} -EJECTING DISC USING TERMINAL-

From your Desktop:
•Click anywhere on a blank space on your desktop. Now you should see Finder listed near the Apple menu icon.

• From the Finder menu, click on Go, then Utilities from the
drop-down menu. This will take you to your Utilities folder.

• Locate and open the Terminal utility
• At prompt, type: drutil eject

• Now
press the Return key on your keyboard

(NOTE: If you have a CD/DVD drive with a tray, type: drutil tray open press the Return key on your keyboard )en
• This command line should eject the disc from the drive, unless there are mechanical issues with the drive within your Macbook.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
At this point the disc should be ejected from your Macbook. If this is the case, then I will now need to direct you back to Safe Boot mode, but with a little twist, from what you may have tried when you last when to Safe Mode:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I am going to have you take your Mac into Safe Mode to see if we can't remove a possible folder(s) that may be affecting your Mac's start up function.

Try these steps:
-SAFE BOOT MODE-
• Reboot your Mac
• Upon restarting your Mac, press the Shift key.
• Hold the Shift key until you see a White Screen with Gray Apple icon and eventually a spinning gear.
• When you see the Spinning gear, release the Shift key.
• Allow the Mac to continue booting up. Also this may take a little while.
(NOTE: this may take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to load to the Safe mode screen depending on the performance of your Mac, but if it exceeds this time, shutdown your Mac and try just once more. It may have just frozen up the first time around for you.)
• You are going to enter the Safe Mode (which looks like your main desktop environment the only difference is certain start up items are disabled.)

• Once within the Desktop in Safe Mode
• From the Finder Menu, click Go> Go to Folder
• Type in this line: /System/Library/StartupItems
• This path, is going to take you to the System Library folder which has all of your Mac OS X Startupitems.
• Remove all of those folders to the Trash.

*Reboot your Mac normally and see if you can access your normal User desktop environment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post back to me, if these particular Safeboot procedure does not help. Thanks!

Regards,

-Mactechtrainer



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Lee A.

  • 4472 Answers
  • Posted on May 29, 2011

SOURCE: My MacBook Pro keeps on

First off do you know what version of your OS you have? Once I have that information I can assist you further.
Thank you,
Lee

Anonymous

  • 3 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 12, 2008

SOURCE: macbook Startup Never ending Apple Logo and Circle

try holding down the alt(option) key when starting up it should give you a list of startup options, it sounds like you dont have a astartup disk (an operating system) installed.

Anonymous

  • 9 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 16, 2011

SOURCE: when i turn on my

did you install anything new or damage your comp?

Anonymous

  • 160 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 13, 2011

SOURCE: Hi My Mac Book Pro

Have you tried booting from an install disc? Or in safe mode?

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