mdpemberton

Q: MBA progress indicator flashing and then crashes

I have a 2013 Macbook Air 13". I downloaded El Capitan last week and when I tried to reboot after installation my computer keeps "crashing". When I press the on button it goes from black to gray and then flashes on the progress indicator screen before shutting off and starting the process all over again on its own, and will keep doing that until I turn it off (to get the computer to power down again I have to hold the power button for 5-10 seconds). I've plugged it into the charger several times and tried starting it, but the same thing happens even though the green light is on the charger. I've also tried safe restarting it with no luck. Not all of my files are backed up from my computer and I don't want to do anything to loose the data. Does anyone know what could possibly be going on with it? I've searched other discusions, but they're either way too technical for me to follow or its just stuck on a gray screen.

 

Thank you in advance,

Misty

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013)

Posted on Nov 2, 2015 11:39 PM

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Q: MBA progress indicator flashing and then crashes

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  • by pedro d,

    pedro d pedro d Nov 4, 2015 1:41 PM in response to mdpemberton
    Community Specialists
    Nov 4, 2015 1:41 PM in response to mdpemberton

    Hi mdpemberton,

     

    It sounds like your MacBook Air did not finish installing El Capitan.  Is your MacBook Air connected to any peripherals (an external monitor, printer, USB hub, etc.)?  If so, disconnect them before restarting.  What happened when you started your computer in Safe Mode?  Did it behave exactly the same way as you describe above?

     

    If you are not getting past the grey screen, that means the computer can't find the startup (boot) disk.

     

    About the screens you see when your Mac starts up
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204156

     

     

    When you first turn on your Mac, the screen is off (black) and you hear a startup chime. Your Mac initializes its BootROM and memory (RAM). It then performs a power-on self test (POST) and a BootROM test. If you hear additional beeps or chimes at this point, this indicates a possible hardware issue and startup halts. If you've added memory to your Mac, check to make sure it's installed properly.

    Blank screen

    After the power-on self test is complete, your Mac sends a video signal to your connected displays. The display screen might appear black or gray at this point in the startup sequence and the display's backlight should turn on. If you don't see an image appear on your screen after a few moments, try turning up your display's brightness. If you're using an external display, make sure it's connected properly and turned on.

    Apple logo

    When you see the Apple logo appear, it means that the computer has found the startup file "boot.efi" on your startup disk. This tells your Mac where to locate the System folder on your startup disk.

     

    OS X El Capitan: If you see a gray screen at startup
    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21899?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

     

    OS X El Capitan: Reinstall OS X
    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21976?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

     

    Use the built-in recovery disk to reinstall OS X while keeping your files and user settings intact.

    Important:    You must be connected to the Internet to reinstall OS X.

    1. In the menu bar, choose Apple menu > Restart. As your Mac restarts, hold down the Command and R keys until the Mac OS X Utilities window appears.

    2. Select Reinstall OS X, then click Continue.

    3. Follow the onscreen instructions. In the pane where you select a disk, select your current OS X disk (in most cases, it’s the only one available).

     

    Hope this helps.