macbook stuck on apple screen / spinning wheel

Question

macbook stuck on apple screen / spinning wheel

macbook stuck on grey start up screen, with spinning whee, i have been surfing around all night looking for a fix - i tried to start it from the snow leopard dvd but after hearing internally try to load twice it just spits it out

- i tried command+v and all the other things - any ideas what is wrong??????

macbook 2.1, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Apr 10, 2011 7:34 PM

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Answer 1

TeenTitan

Level 4

2,640 points

Apr 10, 2011 10:53 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

HI Peeta101,

Have you tried SafeBoot?

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Answer 2

Apr 11, 2011 2:46 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

i did, the actual progress bar at the bottom of the safe boot screen ran for about 2 minutes or so, then it finished and the machine went back to the same spinning wheel for about 2 hours or so until i stopped it

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Answer 3

Eric Ross

Level 6

11,807 points

Apr 11, 2011 2:54 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

You need to try to start your system from the original Mac DVD that came with your computer. Then go into disk utilities to repair your startup drive. You can also hold down the option key when starting your computer and it will let your select your startup disk.

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Answer 4

Apr 11, 2011 5:35 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

thanks for the reply - i tried to re-laid snow leopard holding the option button when it starts, it just spits the disc out after trying to read it about 3 times ( i could hear it spinning and clicking)- i actually tried to load a leopard disc as well with the same results, just spits the disc out - but then strangely enough i put in a microsoft office disc just to check the drive and it loaded and spun fine!!

its like the machine doesn't want to accept its own OS, there is something very odd going on...im thinking a virus of some sort - problem is i cant lose the info on it, any help would be great

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Answer 5

TeenTitan

Level 4

2,640 points

Apr 11, 2011 5:41 PM in response to Eric Ross

I would ask the same question as Eric; have you tried repairing the disk using disk utility on the system disk? Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck covers the same troubleshooting step as Eric suggested. I though I would add the link, because it offers additional information about running disk repair. As well as an alternative method for running disk repair; incase you do not have the system disk for the computer. It also explains what to do if the disk will not repair.

cheers,
-TT

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Answer 6

Apr 11, 2011 10:59 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

thanks so much for that link, just tried every step on there twice

still nothing, i even got the " system appears to be ok" prompt - it still wont load the OS, im starting to think this drive is just dead!! my only real question is how could such damage just happen

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Answer 7

Apr 23, 2011 2:08 AM in response to peeta101@aol.com

Ok, I had this problem and it worked for me!!!

So switch the mac off, then switch it back on again but as soon as you have switched it on hold down the Apple cmd button + S, untill the booting screen comes up.

Once that has loaded

type:

/sbin/mount -uw /

then type:

chmod 775 /

then type:

exit

this re-boots the mac. should work!!!

hope it helps!

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Answer 8

May 10, 2011 1:03 PM in response to chickenstew

Thank you chickenstew! I just had this problem and this command line code worked for me 🙂

Cheers,

Rich

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Answer 9

Dec 22, 2011 11:49 PM in response to chickenstew

I had the exact same problem and you just saved my life.

Thank you chickenstew 🙂

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Answer 10

Jan 31, 2012 2:13 PM in response to chickenstew

Worked for me thank you so much!!! Apple wanted to replace my HDD for $200

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Answer 11

Feb 1, 2012 3:43 AM in response to chickenstew

Great response chickenstew!!

Worked for me! Just had to issue an fsck command before the mount:

/sbin/fsck -fy

Regards

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Answer 12

nanikai

Level 1

0 points

Mar 24, 2012 3:30 PM in response to peeta101@aol.com

Thank you chickenstew! It worked!!

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