Imac stuck on Loading screen

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

Hi I have an Imac that I bought in 2007-2008 I think it's running leopard and I made updates here and there I couldn't tell the version it is.
It doesn't start and it is stuck on the apple logo with the loading circle.
I borrowed a disc of snow leopard 10.6.3 from a friend, read online I need to press command S or command V I made both of these and now I have a black screen with coding similar to this image.
http://i.stack.imgur.com/0FxDv.jpg
I left it like this for a while and some other lines appeared but now nothing is happening.
Any ideas?

Thanks in advance
Grendeb

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
I borrowed a disc of snow leopard 10.6.3 from a friend, read online I need to press command S or command V I made both of these and now I have a black screen with coding similar to this image.

First we're not really supposed to "borrow" OS install disks. Each of us is supposed to purchase our own.

Second…is this a gray colored disk or a whitish one with a picture of a Snow Leopard on it?

Third…I'm not sure what was trying to be done with by using the commands "command + s" or "command + v"…but these are not usually commands used when installing an OS. What you want to do is…boot the computer from the OS install disk…by simply pressing the "c" key during reboot (with the OS DVD in the optical drive).

HTH,

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

pigoo3 said:
First we're not really supposed to "borrow" OS install disks. Each of us is supposed to purchase our own.

Second…is this a gray colored disk or a whitish one with a picture of a Snow Leopard on it?

Third…I'm not sure what was trying to be done with by using the commands "command + s" or "command + v"…but these are not usually commands used when installing an OS. What you want to do is…boot the computer from the OS install disk…by simply pressing the "c" key during reboot (with the OS DVD in the optical drive).

HTH,

- Nick

1-I lost the disk so...
2-I couldn't tell if it's gray or with an image as I can't pull it out now.
3-I was trying to access disk utility to repair the disk since it's stuck and I red I need to either press command s or v and was able to get the first image with a choice by holding alt. I've chosen repair disk but now nothing is happening.

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
1-I lost the disk so…

Purchase another one.

Grendeb said:
2-I couldn't tell if it's gray or with an image as I can't pull it out now.

Maybe you could have looked at it before sticking it in.

Gray disk or a white disk with a picture of a Snow Leopard on it are pretty different.

Grendeb said:
3-I was trying to access disk utility to repair the disk since it's stuck and I red I need to either press command s or v and was able to get the first image with a choice by holding alt. I've chosen repair disk but now nothing is happening.

Not sure where you read all this. As I mentioned above. Just needed to press "c" to boot from the OS DVD.

When you are done trying things on your end…and you are ready to be helped…let us know.

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

pigoo3 said:
Purchase another one.

Maybe you could have looked at it before sticking it in. Gray disk or a white disk with a picture of a Snow Leopard on it are pretty different.

Not sure where you read all this. As I mentioned above. Just needed to press "c" to boot from the OS DVD.

When you are done trying things on your end…and you are ready to be helped…let us know.

- Nick

Sorry for the missunderstanding
I did press C and went through the installation process I now have the desktop and few options I would like to restore my old disk in order to keep all the files I had. Any thoughts?

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
I did press C and went through the installation process I now have the desktop and few options…

Are you saying that the install of Snow Leopard went ok? If so…congrats.

Grendeb said:
I would like to restore my old disk in order to keep all the files I had. Any thoughts?

Thoughts…yes. I have no idea what you mean by "restore my old disk"?

Up to now all I/we knew is that you were working with a 2007/2008 iMac…and trying to get its internal disk (hard drive) to work so you could boot the computer. Now you mentioned "restore my old disk". What disk is this?

Sorry for being terse. But you're asking questions about details that haven't been mentioned yet. Remember…we can't see what's going on. All we know is what you write in this thread.

Thanks,

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

pigoo3 said:
Are you saying that the install of Snow Leopard went ok? If so…congrats.

No but I was able to get out of the loading screen by holding C.
Now what's happening, I start the computer without holding/pressing anything it loads and asks me what language to select.
Then it asks me
''install mac OS X to setup the installation of snow leopard click continue. To repair your disk using disk utility, restore your computer from a time machine backup, or perform other tasks utilities, choose and option from the utilities menu'' If I click on continue it loads searching a disk where to install the program but can't find anything.

I read that with the first problem I had (gray loading screen) I needed to access Disk Utilities and repair disk so I could use the computer without loosing data, at least that's what I've found.

Now I have the menu bar on top of the screen and can choose a few options from Mac OSX Installer, File, Edit, Utilities, Window and the Install Mac OS X that I mentioned.

I hope this is precise enough for your recommendation.

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

We still haven't verified what Snow Leopard install disk is being used.

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

I'm pretty sure it had the leopard on it.

chas_m · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
pigoo3 said:

Then it asks me
''install mac OS X to setup the installation of snow leopard click continue. To repair your disk using disk utility, restore your computer from a time machine backup, or perform other tasks utilities, choose and option from the utilities menu'' If I click on continue it loads searching a disk where to install the program but can't find anything.

I read that with the first problem I had (gray loading screen) I needed to access Disk Utilities and repair disk so I could use the computer without loosing data, at least that's what I've found.

Now I have the menu bar on top of the screen and can choose a few options from Mac OSX Installer, File, Edit, Utilities, Window and the Install Mac OS X that I mentioned.

Click to expand...

Okay, now we're getting somewhere at last. At this stage, I would suggest that you try an option from the utilities menu as suggested by the program desk. The fact that the snow leopard install disk can't see your hard drive is a bad sign, but perhaps a run with disk utility will help.

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

Thanks.
I entered the utilities disk and I can click on the top one 1TB ST3... or the second one bellow but it's kind of light gray kind as if I can't select it.
I clicked on the top one and it loads forever before having any options like it's supposed to.
I don't know if it has something to do with the fact that I have 800+GB or that it's simply blown up.

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
I'm pretty sure it had the leopard on it.

I'm sorry…but shouldn't the answer be more definite?? "Pretty sure it had the leopard on it".…does not sound like a very confident answer. Isn't this disk right in front of you to look at?

It's important to know exactly what install disk that's being used…so we know that we are not trying troubleshooting steps based on something we are not sure about (what install disk is being used). It really should not be this hard to answer a VERY easy question (What disk is being used??).

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

Like I said previously I am not able to remove the disk.
I am very confident it had an image on it.

pigoo3 · Jan 20, 2016

Grendeb said:
Like I said previously I am not able to remove the disk.

You never said you were not able to remove the disk previously…you said back in post #3 "…i can't pull it out now.". There is a difference.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time. Just want to know the exact disk that's being used…so we can be sure the proper disk is being used.

If you are "not able" to remove the disk. Maybe we need to try to remove it…there are ways to try.

- Nick

Grendeb · Jan 20, 2016

shoot

Grendeb · Jan 23, 2016

Any updates?

chscag · Jan 23, 2016

How to eject a stuck disk from your Mac

Imac stuck on Loading screen

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