Auseronafourm
Level 1 (8 points)
Notebooks

Q: Macbook Pro not starting, & not responding to startup key shortcuts

Hi.

My Macbook Pro started having a grey screen show up at boot and not start, simply showing a grey screen, with the fans running on high, then turning off. Before this it would start crashing when running applications it had no problem with running before.

 

Trying to run in safe boot, as well as using recovery mode does nothing, (thought they used to work), and the computer simply goes grey and turns off after a while.

I don't have any third-party ram or video cards or anything, and used many methods of starting up the mac that, after a while, just stop working, and I end up having to try something new.

 

Running the Apple Hardware test did not reveal any hardware problems.

Wondering how to fix this, and if it is a hardware or software issue.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Oct 19, 2016 3:04 PM

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Auseronafourm

Q: Macbook Pro not starting, & not responding to startup key shortcuts

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Carolyn Samit,

    Carolyn Samit Carolyn Samit Oct 19, 2016 3:07 PM in response to Auseronafourm
    Level 10 (124,361 points)
    Apple Music
    Oct 19, 2016 3:07 PM in response to Auseronafourm

    Hi,

     

    Check out this support article >   About the screens you see when your Mac starts up - Apple Support

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 19, 2016 3:21 PM in response to Auseronafourm
    Level 10 (271,794 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 19, 2016 3:21 PM in response to Auseronafourm

    Reinstall OS X Without Erasing the Drive

     

           Be sure to backup before proceeding.

     

    1. Restart the computer and after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears.
    2. Choose Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.
    3. After Disk Utility loads select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) entry from the side list.  Click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If Disk Utility reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button.
    4. When the process finishes, quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
    5. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

  • by Auseronafourm,

    Auseronafourm Auseronafourm Oct 19, 2016 4:06 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 19, 2016 4:06 PM in response to Kappy

    Hi.

    Thanks for the information, but as stated above, I can't get my computer to respond to the "Cmd + R" shortcut. It just ignores it and proceeds to go to the apple loading bar, wherein it reaches around the halfway point and then goes to grey.

    I was somehow able to start my computer, (this time by holding Alt/Option + Cmd, but next time this won't work), and am running disk utility's First Aid/Repair Disk right now, but I fear that if I turn off my computer to try and run Disk Utility, it will ignore it and I will be stuck again at the grey screen.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 19, 2016 7:58 PM in response to Auseronafourm
    Level 10 (271,794 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 19, 2016 7:58 PM in response to Auseronafourm

    It would help to know what version of OS X is installed? Usually, when shortcuts aren't working it may be because you are not running recent versions of OS X. Have you tried restarting the computer, then after the chime press and hold the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears.

    Boot Using OPTION key:

     

    1. Restart the computer.
    2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "OPTION" key.
    3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
    4. Select the desired disk icon from which you want to boot.
    5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

  • by Auseronafourm,

    Auseronafourm Auseronafourm Oct 19, 2016 8:29 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 19, 2016 8:29 PM in response to Kappy

    I have OSX Yosemite 10.10.5

    I have tried the boot manager method, with no success.

    I've cleared the NVRAM, used Solo user mode to enter in some code (which did work, but no longer fixes it), verbose mode once fixed it, but it doesn't do anything now.

    I also repaired the disk as best as I could with my computer working for the moment. However, the same things would show up in the repair even though I did it multiple times, they would not disappear.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 20, 2016 1:33 PM in response to Auseronafourm
    Level 10 (271,794 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 20, 2016 1:33 PM in response to Auseronafourm

    if your computer originally came with Lion or later then do the following. This is an Erase and Install.

     

    Install Lion Through Yosemite from Scratch

     

      Be sure you backup your files.

     

    1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the Apple logo appears. Wait for the Utility Menu to appear.
    2. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
    3. After Disk Utility loads select the volume (this is the indented entry, usually Macintosh HD) from the side list. Click on the Erase tab in Disk Utility's main window.
    4. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button
    5. When the process has completed quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
    6. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

     

    This will install the version of OS X you had installed.