grey screen with red apple logo won't boot up

I hope this is the correct spot to post this....My MacBook Pro won't boot up. When I turn it on it goes to a grey screen with a red apple logo and an bar under it. The bar goes about 1/5 over and then freezes. I have tried option command and 2 letter that i think are r and p. There was a picture of a computer (not 2 and not one that said repair) I clicked on it and nothing....... Help if possible Thanks so much.

Welcome to the Forums tommoe.

For any of us to assist in a meaningful way, we need to have some detail. For example: what model and year is your Mac; what OS are you running; how much RAM have you; have you recently upgraded your OS; when did this start, or in other words, how long since things were running normally?

Sorry to impose this tedium on you, but much as we love to help our colleagues, we need this info as a background upon which to base our suggestions.

Ian

Thanks for you kind reply, Ian. I wish I could help you more, but my computer won't start to let me get the info.... I do have the serial number not he back of the computer. My Mac book Pro is about 5 years old and I have updated to the most recent OS. I upgraded the computer when I bought it so I could add more photos. It happened 2 days ago. I pushed the power button and it just would not boot up. My computer has been slow for a while and a rotating circle continually pops up to aggravate me!

OK. So you are running 10.10.x (Yosemite) on a 5 year old Mac. First critical question: do you have a Time Machine backup? Or any other form of BU? I ask because I fear your Mac's HD may be on the way out.

What you could just try is: turn off your Mac if it's still hanging. Disconnect the power cable. Wait 15 minutes, reconnect the power and try to boot. This action resets the SMC. I'm not very hopeful, I admit, but it can do no harm and might just get things going.

Now that we've established as much as we can about your Mac in the circumstances, more senior members of the Forum may have further suggestions.

Ian

My computer was not connected to a power source so I just plugged in the power cord and booted it. No luck so far!! Thanks for the suggestion though! I do have a backup for the computer.

@tommoe

I've taken things as far as my experience allows. I'm still of the opinion that your Mac's HD is gone, but it's great that you have a BU (well done you; many don't!). In the event that you need to replace the HD, you can at least get your data back.

But before then, my more senior Forum friends need to chime in here. I'm sorry I can't take things further. I wish you luck.

Ian

sounds like a dead drive...

Boot to the recovery partition (hold command and R while starting), head into Disk Utility and try a repair on the drive.

I think you are on the right track with the dying hard drive and definitely try the Command + R to try Disk Utility to repair the drive.

If you could post back what Disk Utility reports that would be helpful.

Also I am wondering why the "red" apple logo???

Lisa

I started the computer while holding down the command and the r key. When the computer started up, I let go of the power button but kept on pushing the command r key for a few more seconds. The red apple logo came up again with a bar underneath that tried to load about 1/5 way again. Tried it 3 times and the same thing happened.

Sounds like time for a new hard drive. Since you have a backup it should not be too painful.

I would recommend if the rest of the computer is running good look into getting a new SSD from OWC or Crucial.

I am still puzzled about the red apple logo on start up and why that is happening. That is not a normal color - unless someone else has an idea or reason. Video/LCD issues possibly?

Lisa

lclev said:

I am still puzzled about the red apple logo on start up and why that is happening. That is not a normal color - unless someone else has an idea or reason.

Click to expand...

This was one detail that had me puzzled as well when reading the thread title and OP's first post.

Possible this computer was hacked/customized in some way. Like you said. No way the startup Apple logo should be red. This may or may not be an important detail in solving the problem. But a curious detail.

- Nick

If my computer was hacked, I probably do not want to use my backup that may include the virus, right?

tommoe said:

If my computer was hacked, I probably do not want to use my backup that may include the virus, right?

Click to expand...

You are getting too far ahead of yourself.

When Nick posted that, he would be meaning to look at that at a later date. We first need to work out what is wrong with the Mac first, as a Hacked Mac, wouldn't stop you starting up. That defeats the purpose as to what they are trying to do.


Lets try starting in Safe Mode

Start or restart your Mac.
Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press and hold the Shift key.
Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
After the Apple logo appears, it might take longer than usual to reach the login screen or your desktop. This is because your Mac performs a directory check of your startup disk as part of safe mode.

EDIT: Did you have File Fault activated on this Mac ?? I have just read somewhere, that a red screen was a issue with File Vault 2 being on ???

Hi TattoedMac Thanks for your comments! I started up in safe mode the way you stated. The red (horizontal lined) apple came up with the bar underneath it. After a while the screen turned gray with no apple or bar. That is where it is right now. It has been about 5 minutes like this so far. BTW I do not have a File Fault activated as I have never heard of it.......

still gray.....

The screen just went black

I restarted it and tried it again. I am at the grey screen

tommoe said:

If my computer was hacked...

Click to expand...

"Hacked" does not always mean "virus". In fact in this conversation…hacked probably has nothing to do with a virus. This was only a side-comment regarding the red Apple logo.

- Nick

ahhhh yes....

Well, my conclusion is, because you cannot start up in any of these modes, that, yes, you have a failed HardDrive.
I would look back at Lisa's post and look at getting another HD

lclev said:

I would recommend if the rest of the computer is running good look into getting a new SSD from OWC or Crucial.

Lisa

Click to expand...

All you will need to do then, is to install the OS X Yosemite on it, and restore from the backup.

EDIT: Personally, I would keep trying the restart holding ⌥ALT Key until you see a list of Drives/Partitions come up, until you receive a new HD. I have, in the past, had to restart about 10times at one stage for the ⌥ALT holding activated and showed all my drives. . . . You might get lucky, 1 time, where you can then go into the Recovery Partition, and repair the drive.

If your Backup, is a Bootable Backup from CCC or SuperDuper, boot into that backup, and then go into Disk Utility and repair the Mac HD from there.
If its a TimeMachine Backup, you won't be able too.

EDIT 2: You are still going to have to get a USB Stick with the OS Yosemite soon it, to install on a clean HD, and this is why I said to persist with trying to boot into the ⌥ALT mode to repair the HD so you can Download the Installer again.