Fix gray screen mac

If the apple sign comes on the screen and the wait circle keep spinning then the harddrive needs removing and changing for a new one. I hope you use a backup system.

When you say "load up screen", I assume you mean the Apple boot screen (it has the apple on a gray background).

You might try resetting the PRAM on the macbook.
You can do this by pressing and holding the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

So, turn the macbook completely off. Turn it on and immediately press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys until the computer reboots and chimes. Once it chimes, release the keys. Your system should boot normally.

Boot up from the system disks that came with the computer. Put disk in drive and start up holding down C key. Troubleshoot from there.

If your computer boots to a gray screen on bootup and will not progress, follow the instructions in the following article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

try zapping the p-ram like this: power up, listen for chime, hold down control command P and R then wait for second chime. then release see if that fixes it.

--SAFE BOOT 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:

• 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.

This should help get your iMac G4 back up
and running.

Regards,

Mactechtrainer

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 Powerbook G4 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 Powerbook G4 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.

At times this procedure does help for gray screen issues so give this a try and let me know if this helps.

Thanks!

-Mactechtrainer

Try resetting your pram:

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.

Better Take It To Telus To Repair

sounds like your hard drive died, you should take it into a repair shop unless you know someone that can replace the drive and re-install OS X for you. you computer uses a 2.5" laptop hard drive.