I'm getting the grey screen when I try to boot. Hard Drive?

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MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011

Model A1286. Released February 2011 / 2.0, 2.2, or 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 Processor

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Kim Schile @kimschile

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Posted: Oct 10, 2015

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I'm getting the grey screen when I try to boot. Hard Drive?

I'm getting the grey screen on startup, after the logo and loading ring for a few seconds. I can't access disk utility, or internet recovery mode. Can't safe boot. Single-user mode "fsck -fy" reboot attempt did not work. Resetting NVRam and System Management Controller did nothing.

2011 15" Macbook Pro

Is it my hard drive?

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4 Comments

Lets try getting the system into Target Mode by holding down the T key during the restart. Are you able to get that far? Reference: Startup key combinations for Mac

Oct 11, 2015 by Dan

Is one of your screens like one of these? About the screens you see when your Mac starts up

Oct 11, 2015 by Dan

I can start into target disk mode, and used that to back up my most important files onto a separate computer.

The Screen I get to on regular startup is the apple logo with spinning wheel (not rainbow wheel). It lasts for less than a minute before changing to a totally grey, unresponsive screen.

Oct 11, 2015 by Kim Schile

It therefore may be your hard drive, if a replacement doesn't work try the hard drive data cable - which can be replaced fairly easily (ifixit have a guide). It has worked for me in the past.

Oct 11, 2015 by [deleted]

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Lets try getting the system into Target Mode by holding down the T key during the restart. Are you able to get that far? Reference: Startup key combinations for Mac — Dan
Is one of your screens like one of these? About the screens you see when your Mac starts up — Dan
I can start into target disk mode, and used that to back up my most important files onto a separate computer.

The Screen I get to on regular startup is the apple logo with spinning wheel (not rainbow wheel). It lasts for less than a minute before changing to a totally grey, unresponsive screen. — Kim Schile
It therefore may be your hard drive, if a replacement doesn't work try the hard drive data cable - which can be replaced fairly easily (ifixit have a guide). It has worked for me in the past. — [deleted]