Magicalfox99
Level 1 (2 points)

Q: Load bar at start up, then shut down. HELP NEEDED URGENTLY!!!

I've had my MacBook pro for almost two years now (it's the late 2011 model) and since this morning, the progress bar has been coming up, as well as the spinny wheel thing, on the start up grey screen.

 

[img]http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20091030/MacFirmware.png[/img]

 

When it gets to the end of the load bar, it just powers off the laptop, and as I've already said, this has only happened today. I've been into Apple and booked an appointment at the Genius Bar, but this isn't until next Friday and I need my Mac ASAP.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, is it easy to resolve by yourself, or will you have to pay Apple to do it for you, and if it's the latter, how long will it take?

 

Thamls in advance. ~ Tom

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Jan 25, 2014 11:17 AM

by Melophage,Apple recommended
Melophage Melophage
Level 5 (7,161 points)
A:

Tom,

 

you can try this in the interim: boot into your MacBook Pro’s Recovery mode by holding down a Command key and the R key as it starts up. When the Mac OS X Utilities menu appears, select Disk Utility. On the left-hand side of the Disk Utility window, select your internal disk’s boot partition (typically called “Macintosh HD”). On the right-hand side, press the Verify Disk button if it’s not greyed out; if it is greyed out, or if it reports that it found errors, press the Repair Disk button. Once the verification/repair is completed, exit Disk Utility and select Restart from the Apple menu to restart into normal mode. Do you still get the same grey screen + progress bar + beach ball of doom?

Posted on Jan 25, 2014 11:33 AM

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Magicalfox99

Q: Load bar at start up, then shut down. HELP NEEDED URGENTLY!!!

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Melophage,Apple recommended

    Melophage Melophage Jan 25, 2014 11:33 AM in response to Magicalfox99
    Level 5 (7,161 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 11:33 AM in response to Magicalfox99

    Tom,

     

    you can try this in the interim: boot into your MacBook Pro’s Recovery mode by holding down a Command key and the R key as it starts up. When the Mac OS X Utilities menu appears, select Disk Utility. On the left-hand side of the Disk Utility window, select your internal disk’s boot partition (typically called “Macintosh HD”). On the right-hand side, press the Verify Disk button if it’s not greyed out; if it is greyed out, or if it reports that it found errors, press the Repair Disk button. Once the verification/repair is completed, exit Disk Utility and select Restart from the Apple menu to restart into normal mode. Do you still get the same grey screen + progress bar + beach ball of doom?

  • by Magicalfox99,

    Magicalfox99 Magicalfox99 Jan 25, 2014 12:03 PM in response to Melophage
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 12:03 PM in response to Melophage

    Firsty, thank you for your reply. It's coming up with:

     

    Error: Disk Utility can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed up files.

     

    How do I go about doing this?

     

    ~Tom

  • by Melophage,Apple recommended

    Melophage Melophage Jan 25, 2014 1:09 PM in response to Magicalfox99
    Level 5 (7,161 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 1:09 PM in response to Magicalfox99

    Tom,

     

    you’ll need to use a bootable external drive to be able to back up what you can. Alternatively, if you have access to a FireWire 800 cable and another Mac with a FireWire 800 port, you can boot your MacBook Pro in Target Disk mode to have it act like an external hard drive to the second Mac, and copy what you can to the second Mac. Once you’ve salvaged what you can, boot into Recovery mode again and run Disk Utility to erase your internal disk, then shut down. When you power up again, OS X Internet Recovery will kick in, reïnstalling your MacBook Pro’s original version of OS X — probably Lion — from Apple’s servers. (If you can, connect via Ethernet cable rather than through wi-fi, to minimize download time.) Once it’s been reïnstalled, you can run Software Update to get it up to 10.7.5, and from there you could redownload and reïnstall Mavericks.

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Jan 25, 2014 1:16 PM in response to Magicalfox99
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 1:16 PM in response to Magicalfox99

    Get an External drive and install OS X on that and or restore to that external from your time machine backup.

     

    Your internal drive has failed and will need to be replaced. you can do that yourself if you are out of warranty or have Apple do it once you take it in if you still have a warranty on the system.

     

    But for right now your only 2 options are to make an external drive as you boot/running drive or replace the internal drive yourself today or tomorrow. With either you'll need to reinstall OS X and programs or restore from a Time Machine backup to either of those 2 options.

  • by Magicalfox99,

    Magicalfox99 Magicalfox99 Jan 25, 2014 2:13 PM in response to LowLuster
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 2:13 PM in response to LowLuster

    I have no idea what you mean, so I think I'll just wait 'til Friday, and use my PC desktop for the time being. I've installed some apps (some quite expensive too), does that mean I'll lose them and have to repay for them?

  • by LowLuster,Helpful

    LowLuster LowLuster Jan 25, 2014 2:20 PM in response to Magicalfox99
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 2:20 PM in response to Magicalfox99

    What I mean is your internal drive has failed.

     

    With any Mac you can connect an external drive and use either the original system discs that came with your Mac (If it came with discs) or the Online Internet Recovery system to Reinstall OS X on that external and or Restore from a Time Machine backup you made previously to that external and run the system from that external drive.

     

    As to your programs if you have the license keys for them you can reinstall them. If you don't have the license keys you might be able to get them from the vendor. That is something you would need to contact the vendor about.

    If they were downloaded from the Mac App Store once you sign in to the MAS with the same Apple ID used to buy them they will be available for download and install.

    Magicalfox99 wrote:

     

    I have no idea what you mean, so I think I'll just wait 'til Friday, and use my PC desktop for the time being. I've installed some apps (some quite expensive too), does that mean I'll lose them and have to repay for them?

  • by danfromshady,

    danfromshady danfromshady Sep 14, 2015 3:22 AM in response to Melophage
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 14, 2015 3:22 AM in response to Melophage

    this worked for me in similar situation!  thanks!

  • by Laura-Erika,

    Laura-Erika Laura-Erika Mar 14, 2016 12:39 PM in response to Melophage
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 14, 2016 12:39 PM in response to Melophage

    I have the same issue, but the verification didn't take the progress bar away.  My issue started when the system restarted from the upgrade to the newest iOS.  Any ideas on what else might help?

  • by PavelVK,

    PavelVK PavelVK Jul 11, 2016 7:35 PM in response to LowLuster
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jul 11, 2016 7:35 PM in response to LowLuster

    HI LowLuster,

     

    I hope this message will find you sooner then later. I just tried to turn on my Mac Pro 2012. It has 4 DDRs in it and two SSDs on PCI card. One SSD has system and the other one was Fresh, hadn't use it yet. Same issue. Startup bar goes to about 80% and shuts down my Mac. Tried all the steps described here but cannot get to the disc utility panel. one of the DDRs snide has my time machine that backs up everything. Is there any way to access it without removing it from my Mac? Any other steps?

     

    thank you