I'm turning my Mac on and it is staying on the gray screen. I've tried unplugging for a few seconds and it is still not starting up...

Hi,

Try this : Plug your Mac, then press the switch button while 15 seconds, then release it.😉

Cheers

Your startup disk may have become corrupted or is going bad.

1) You should run disk utility

a) verify the disk

b) update your permissions.

2) Try a safe boot.

Shutdown your machine. Hold down the shift key. Poweron. Wait awhile Wait awhile while you harddrive

is being checked.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455

I suspect disk corruptions.

verify & repair your startup drive

To verify & repair you file system on the startup drive, you will need to run disk utility from you installation DVD.

This article will tell you how to get to disk utility. Once in a disk utility, you can go and attempt to recover the disk.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

To repair your startup drive, you will need to run disk utility from your startup DVD.
Mac OS X 10.4: About the utilities available on the Mac OS X 10.4 Install DVD

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2055

How to run disk utility from your startup DVD.

1. Insert your startup DVD into your reader. Power down your machine. Hold down to the c key. Power on your machine. This will bootup your startup DVD.
2. This will bring you to a panel asking you for your language. Pick your language.



3. You you come to the Install Mac OS panel. Do not install.
4. Click on Utilities menu item. This will give you a pulldown list of utilities.
5. Click on the disk utility.
6. You are now in disk utility. Pick your disk. Click on repair it should be on the lower right of the panel.
7. Once the repair completes successfully, you should update your permissions.