Grey screen on start up - no solutions work?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Grey screen on start up - no solutions work?

Ever since I upgraded to El Capitan my iMac has been a nightmare and it was fantastic before! This week it's stopped loading up altogether; if I start it normally it brings up a loading bar then just gets stuck at the end, if I load up in safe mode it bring up the loading bar then once loaded the screen just goes grey.

So far I've tried every solution I could find online, resetting the PRAM, resetting the SMC, disk repair and first aid under disc utilities when starting up in recovery mode, reinstalling the OS X (didn't work - got stuck on 0 seconds to go). I'm at my wits end and have absolutely no idea what to do next to resolve this! Any ideas? Thanks.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Aug 4, 2016 9:09 AM

Reply

Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Aug 4, 2016 9:15 AM in response to lolsapple

Hi lolsapple, Do you have another bootable startup disk? If so try booting from that and download and run EtreCheck. It is a diagnostic tool that's very useful to us in finding problems. Also it will give us further specs on your Mac. After it runs post the log file here. It will contain no personal information.

Do you have another bootable startup disk?

Edited by myself.

Reply

Answer 2

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Aug 4, 2016 9:19 AM in response to lolsapple

- When you did this "starting up in recovery mode, reinstalling the OS X (didn't work - got stuck on 0 seconds to go)."

did you format/erase the startup disk and install OSX? Or did you just try to reinstall OSX on top of existing installation?

- Did you successfully repair/first Aid the startup disk?

- What model iMac?

Reply

Answer 3

lolsapple Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 4, 2016 9:30 AM in response to macjack

Hi, thanks for your reply. I don't unfortunately, I've only got an external hard drive but it won't seem to recognise that either!

Reply

Answer 4

lolsapple Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 4, 2016 9:35 AM in response to lllaass

I tried to reinstall over the existing installation, a guide I read on here said that would replace it safely and not erase any files/folders; would it be best to erase and reinstall?

The the disc repair/first aid said it worked successfully with no issues but it doesn't appear to have changed anything.

I can't remember the model info off the top of my head but I'll try and find out! Thanks.

Reply

Answer 5

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Aug 4, 2016 9:41 AM in response to lolsapple

If you have acess to another Mac you can try starting up your Mac inSafe Mode.

Restart holding the "shift" key.

(Expect it to take longer to start this way because it runs a directory check first. Also give it a little time after start because it runs some maintenance routines in the beginning.)

Now, your Mac will be recognized as a connected hard drive. Or not, if it is a hardware problem

Reply

Answer 6

lolsapple Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 4, 2016 10:07 AM in response to macjack

I don't have access to another Mac unfortunately. Safe mode wont load up, it just goes from the loading bar to a grey screen. I've even left it overnight before now and it was still on the grey screen in the morning. I can only assume now there must be some sort of hardware issue as nothing else seems to work. It's very frustrating!

Reply

Answer 7

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Aug 4, 2016 1:54 PM in response to lolsapple

Try running Apple Hardware Test

Using Apple Hardware Test - Apple Support

Just not that if it reports no problems found that does NOT mean there are no problems.

If you have a backup you can try booting to Recovery

About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

and formatting/erasing the startup disk and reinstalling OSX

Reply

Answer 8

lolsapple Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 4, 2016 1:57 PM in response to lllaass

I tried the hardware test but it didn't work, just loaded up with the load up bar and then froze again. Im admitting defeat and think it's time to take it in for repair.

At last attempt of loading up it looked like this...

Thank you all for all the advice anyway though!

Reply

Answer 9

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,656 points

Aug 4, 2016 2:21 PM in response to lolsapple

Looks like your graphics card has gone bang.

Reply