Macbook Pro stuck at Apple logo

[hcotto]

Ok 2 nights ago i did a system update. there was supposed to be 7 updates installed. At the end of the installation the computer said there was an error, and ever since i have not been able to boot into the Mac side of my computer.

It gets stuck at the grey Apple screen and the little circle spins at the bottom forever.

I can however load up into the Windows XP side (which i am currently on) and i can see all my files and documents from the Mac side just fine, if i browse through the hard drive at My Computer.

I recently moved to FL and of course i wasnt thinking so i left my 2 install CDs that came with the computer in another state.

Yesterday i downloaded a version of Snow Leaopord, and it currently sits on my Win XP side. It is a 7GB file though and my DVDs only hold 4GB so i can not burn it, to the install a fresh copy on the Mac side.

Anyways, i am hoping i can somehow fix the problem. I am hoping to fix the issue without having to reinstall the OS and lose all my files and information. I jsut recently moved to MACs from PCs (2 months ago) and in the process transferred all my files from my PCs to my new MAC without (of course like an idiot) backing up to an external HD.

Any help would be appreciated. Ive tried booting in verbose mode, by holding down command-v but once on the black screen a bunch of stuff comes up and i get completely lost.

I have a late 2009 Macbook Pro 13", 2GB RAM 160gb HD.

thanks

 

[Paulywauly]

I'm sure your going to need a snow leopard DVD, if you haven't got one your going to need to find one, luckily it isn't all that expensive! When you do put the disc in and boot from it run the disc utility and repair the disc

 

[Detrius]

That stuff that comes up when you boot in verbose mode is the key. Do you see anything that says:

disk0s2: I/O error

(maybe with a different number)

 

[Velin]

If you are worried about the data, don't forget about Mac's ability to access another computer via Target Disk Mode.

Using a firewire cable and another Mac as the host, you can make your Macbook pro the "target" and copy everything onto the host computer, an attached backup drive, whatever you want.

In fact, after you save the data, you can even reinstall Snow Leopard on your frozen Macbook Pro while it's in target disk mode using the Disk Utility -- you may even be able to do that using the 7GB Snow Leopard copy you downloaded (though I've only done a Target Disc Mode install using the Snow Leopard disc).

Macs will give you lots of ways to tackle this problem, including saving all your data and doing a fresh Snow Leopard install, all without having to ever boot your Macbook Pro into OS X.