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Stuck on Gray Wheel (Know what to do but need your help)

S

svcghost

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 4, 2010
39
2
Hey guys,

So the other day I got the gray wheel upon startup after an update and couldn't get past it. I tried all the troubleshooting steps in order and only when I archive and installed did it finally work again. You can imagine how annoying this was..

So now, a few days later, after an update again (Whatever the most recent Software Update was), I restarted and BOOM, gray wheel AGAIN, can't start up. Tried all the troubleshooting and now I am forced to Archive and Install again.

Anybody know why this may be happening to me? I'd really like to figure out why and really want to avoid it happening a THIRD TIME.

Now I do have RAM from a 3rd party, but it has never caused me trouble at all until now (I've had it in here for like 5 months). So, it's not the RAM right??
 
svcghost said:
Hey guys,

So the other day I got the gray wheel upon startup after an update and couldn't get past it. I tried all the troubleshooting steps in order and only when I archive and installed did it finally work again. You can imagine how annoying this was..

So now, a few days later, after an update again (Whatever the most recent Software Update was), I restarted and BOOM, gray wheel AGAIN, can't start up. Tried all the troubleshooting and now I am forced to Archive and Install again.

Anybody know why this may be happening to me? I'd really like to figure out why and really want to avoid it happening a THIRD TIME.

Now I do have RAM from a 3rd party, but it has never caused me trouble at all until now (I've had it in here for like 5 months). So, it's not the RAM right??
Click to expand...

I think after my last update it took a really really long time to boot agin. I was worried something was wrong. But I did resist the urge to mess with it and eventually it booted fine. What version are you running now?
 
I don't know man the mbp wasnt making any noise (usually it makes SOME noise upon boootup) and I waited about 20 mins and it was still stuck. How long did it take yours?

Well I already started the archive and install which looks like it'll take another 30 mins. Ill be running 10.6 because I'm using the Snow Leopard CD.
 
svcghost said:
I don't know man the mbp wasnt making any noise (usually it makes SOME noise upon boootup) and I waited about 20 mins and it was still stuck. How long did it take yours?

Well I already started the archive and install which looks like it'll take another 30 mins. Ill be running 10.6 because I'm using the Snow Leopard CD.
Click to expand...

it was my update to 10.6.7 I dont remember exactly but it was a very long time, I think its a big one
 
Just waiting here for this damn installer. The bar is all the way loaded but it says about 17 mins left and inreasesa minute every minute so now it says 18 mins left.. what the fuuuuuuuuuuuu this is sooo grivating
 
svcghost said:
Just waiting here for this damn installer. The bar is all the way loaded but it says about 17 mins left and inreasesa minute every minute so now it says 18 mins left.. what the fuuuuuuuuuuuu this is sooo grivating
Click to expand...

next time you do the update try to be a little more patient, doesn't seem to be one of your strong points...watch some tv or something lol
 
The archive and install "time remaining kept increasing by 1 every minute" after 2 and a half hours of waiting nothing.. so now what? I lose all my data?
 
Guys, any tips on how to avoid this from happening a third time? It finally completed, the archive and install.
 
svcghost said:
Guys, any tips on how to avoid this from happening a third time? It finally completed, the archive and install.
Click to expand...

Ok, so now your all back to before the update with all your data? what is your current version and what is the update?
 
c7aea said:
Good so your all set then, or is it saying there are more updates that it wants to do? was it updating to 10.6.7 that took a long time?
Click to expand...

Clicked Software Update again and it says there is a Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 4 (Version 1.0) (Size 78.2 MB) .

I think this is probably the one I downloaded last time and then shut down my computer and tried to turn it back on and got the gray wheel. The gray wheel then stayed there for like 25 mins at which point I started troubleshooting because there is no reason to be spinning for 25 mins without any sign of it installing / running scripts.

Anyway, should I just not install this Java update then? Is it the culprit? Or maybe there's another reason why my MacBook Pro has been failing. I'm afraid to shut down my macbook now or even restart.
 
I dont think a java update would cause the problem. right now i am running Java SE6 V1.6.0_24 A quick look online shows that was released on march 9 2011. I did that update with no problems. Does it even ask you to reset after that update?
 
No it actually didn't ask me to reboot or anything, but I installed the update and decided to shutdown my MBP and go to bed because it was running pretty hard all day. Then when I tried to boot it up again, that's when the gray screen got stuck.

Anyway, regardless, I should be able to shut down my MBP and boot it up without problems. I just wish I knew why it happened twice so I could avoid having to archive and install again. Oh well, guess I'll just never shut down or restart my MBP willingly again.
 
svcghost said:
No it actually didn't ask me to reboot or anything, but I installed the update and decided to shutdown my MBP and go to bed because it was running pretty hard all day. Then when I tried to boot it up again, that's when the gray screen got stuck.

Anyway, regardless, I should be able to shut down my MBP and boot it up without problems. I just wish I knew why it happened twice so I could avoid having to archive and install again. Oh well, guess I'll just never shut down or restart my MBP willingly again.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear your still having the problem... I would think that what you have done would solve it.

There are a few simple things you can try
Resetting the PRAM and SMC
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

Also maybe take out your ram and then put it back in.

Another help page http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1365
Other then that im not sure I can really help...Sorry
 
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