Macintosh iMac Boot Issues
From Free Knowledge Base- The DUCK Project: information for everyone
- Gray Screen Startup
- Mac Stalls on Gray Screen
The problem is characterized by the display changing from the blue screen that occurs at power up to a gray screen (or black on more recent models) and delayed or froze on said screen.
possible culprit: bad device or peripheral
Disconnect all external peripherals, and keep them removed for the duration of these steps unless otherwise noted.
- Turn off your Mac by pressing and holding the power button to force it down.
- Make sure you remove the Ethernet cable, audio in/out cables, headphones, and any other peripherals.
- Restore power, turn the Mac back on again