Having that same start up loading problem everyone else has.

I have a 2 year old MacBook Pro.
Within the last week it started running slowly.
Then all of a sudden it would be stuck at the apple loading screen forever.

I did just about everything I could find on the Internet.
Now it takes about 5 mins to get through the loading screen and pops up onto the user log in screen. I type in my password and it'll suddenly turn the whole screen white for a few mins. Then it'll just go back to the log in screen, requesting my password again.
So I restarted it, again. Now instead of almost instantly bringing me back to the log in screen, it just sits there with a big white blank screen. But I can still see and move my mouse around just fine.

Does the mean I have operating system problems or hard drive problems?
I haven't tried to put in the start up discs you get with the Mac, because I really don 't know where they are at the moment.

Help?

Typically, that would be a failing hard drive.

You can try booting from your start up disc and run a Repair Disk from Disk Utilities. But, I never trust a drive once they exhibit this sort of problem.

And, while it may seem that there are a bunch of folks with failing drives out there, "everyone else" does not experience this.
I've only had it happen on my Windows machines... thus far.
Could be that "everyone else" could experience a failing hard drive at some point though.
It's always a drag when it happens to your own machine.

bobtomay said:

Typically, that would be a failing hard drive.

You can try booting from your start up disc and run a Repair Disk from Disk Utilities. But, I never trust a drive once they exhibit this sort of problem.

And, while it may seem that there are a bunch of folks with failing drives out there, "everyone else" does not experience this.
I've only had it happen on my Windows machines... thus far.
Could be that "everyone else" could experience a failing hard drive at some point though.
It's always a drag when it happens to your own machine.

Click to expand...

That sounds awful. When I locate those dics, I'll try it out. I almost wish it was windows because it would be way easier for me to fix. Macs are like machines from another world. Bleh. I think if I get a new computer, I'll go back to PCs.

Yeah. It might be a hard drive problem, because it exhibits the same problem in safe mode.
I had been hoping it was like other Macs and had been loaded up with too much junk.
I heard time machine might be helpful, but by the looks of things I might not even be able to access it.

If it's a failing HD, you best replace it.

I almost wish it was windows because it would be way easier for me to fix. Macs are like machines from another world.

Click to expand...

Are you referring to hardware or software?
Mac OSX is by far MUCH easier to troubleshoot and understand than any Windows OS.
Your particular MBP isn't any more difficult to change HD and RAM than a laptop made by HP or Sony or anyone else. There are YouTube videos on how to swap those components.

MYmacROX said:

If it's a failing HD, you best replace it.


Are you referring to hardware or software?
Mac OSX is by far MUCH easier to troubleshoot and understand than any Windows OS.
Your particular MBP isn't any more difficult to change HD and RAM than a laptop made by HP or Sony or anyone else. There are YouTube videos on how to swap those components.

Click to expand...

Oh excuse me. I didn't realize that I didn't have a right to an opinion.

Yeah. I can't even do a time machine back up or re-install my Mac OS X Lion (Mac OS X 10.7) on it. Unless time machine backups take forever to find or download. If so, i'll just let it dwindle on that page for a few hours. My Recovery HD and my Macintosh Hard Drive are both locked. The only thing that seems to be useable is my BOOTCAMP. Which I never really finished completing BOOTCAMP, so it tells me that "This disc is not formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)." And ever since I tried to manually repair the Macintosh had drive and it was unable to be repaired, it no longer appears as a disc to re-install Mac OS X Lion on.

So I'll probably be looking for a new hard drive tomorrow.
I'm not very tech savvy honestly.

Yep, a dead drive is a pitr.

With a failed hard drive, you would be in exactly the same boat, doesn't matter what operating system you have on it. You wouldn't be able to do a backup/reinstall from/to a dead drive with Windows or Linux either. Dead drives are operating system agnostic.

Well I just found something fun.
I can still connect to Safari and use it just fine if I access it from my utilities.
I'm not even sure how. It accesses the Internet just like normal. Lol.

Pikkchu said:

Oh excuse me. I didn't realize that I didn't have a right to an opinion.

Click to expand...

I didn't say you couldn't have an opinion. Or even that yours was wrong. I was stating my opinion based on years and years with Windows and currently 5 yrs with Macs.

Everyone has different skill levels, that's why I suggested YouTube tutorials.

A good attitude is probably one of the most important tools you'll need to "unlearn" bad Windows practices and get on the right track both with your Mac and with volunteers who are trying to help you for free.

Good luck!