Mac OS X Displays Gray Screen on Startup: How to Fix

Mac OS X is the most secure operating system in the world of computer, today. However, various internal resources, such as hardware or software errors, improper shutdowns, power failure etc. cause errors and corruptions in it. These factors affect normal startups and even internal processing, which result in further corruption of file system and hence, the data.

Problem Indications

Mac OS X displaying Gray screen on startup is a commonly seen issue that affects the normal startup of your Mac and does not let it boot to desktop. Moreover, continuous spinning gear, a folder with a question mark flashing on it, and a spinning globe may also lead to this gray screen error. In case you are suffering from this annoying situation, you may try the resolutions under mentioned:

Resolution

Note: Detach all peripheral devices i.e. printers, external hard drive, USBs, etc., before proceeding.

• Restart your Mac (forcibly, if necessary).
• If you are able to boot it normally, then one of the peripherals was causing the issue.
• Attach these peripherals one by one and test the startup.

However, if it does not resolve the issue, try Safe Boot.

• Restart your Mac and hold the shift key instantly (Safe boot takes more time than a normal startup, as it performs disk check).
• In case it starts fine, try rebooting normally.

In case safe boot does not resolve the issue, or the issue persists on normal startup, try resetting PRAM.

• Restart the Mac.
• Hold Command (⌘), Option, P, and R during startup and release after hearing the startup tone twice.

This probably fixes the issue, but if the issue persists, try this.

• Insert Mac OS X install disc and reboot it.
• Hold the C key and select Disk Utility in the Utility menu, when started (It is not possible to boot from installation disc, if still getting gray screen).
• Repair disk as well as its permissions (If repairing throws error, retry repairing).
• Restart the Mac.

Proceed to next step, if the issue persists.

• Make sure the RAM installed on your Mac is not a third-party product. Replace it with Apple RAM, if it is non-Apple.

Perform a clean Mac OS X installation, if the issue does not resolve from above discussed operations.