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MacPro 4,1 starting with grey screen after SMC and PRAM resets

My Mac Pro (Early 2009) running El Capitan starts up with a grey screen, I have to do an SMC and a PRAM reset each time. Trying to wake it from sleep mode doesn't work when a password is required to wake it up, only after deactivating this feature waking from sleep is possible. With password required, either the password field remains inactive, or after typing in the password, it keeps spinning.

The only other flaw I noticed is that trying to generate a system report (from About this mac) causes beachballing with every else inactive and inaccessible.

EtreCheck renders nothing.

Any idea?

Thanks!

Posted on Jul 27, 2024 12:52 PM

52 replies

Jul 31, 2024 6:20 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

So I reckon. It would still be excellent to be able to use the Time Machine backup in some way. Ideally to restore the startup volume (on a new drive of course). Would that be possible somehow?

Jul 31, 2024 4:53 PM in response to Nikolai Franke

A drive that is damaged has been know to cause ALL kinds of problems when left in place.

Some of them just refuse to go quietly.

Jul 31, 2024 5:02 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I imagine. But it hasn't been left in place. I have taken it out as soon as I realised it was broken, and replaced it with the drive now carrying the system.

Jul 31, 2024 5:08 PM in response to Nikolai Franke

so has removing the damaged drive solved the issue ?

if not, I am not quite understanding it yet.

Aug 1, 2024 6:54 AM in response to Nikolai Franke

is your keyboard connected to a USB on the chassis, not to a display or any other USB hub?

to recognize those initial snag keys easily, there can be no intervening Hub.

Aug 1, 2024 8:30 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I did not know that. Now I connected both usb keyboard and mouse directly to the chassis, same the (otherwise) bootable usb stick, did an SMC and PRAM reset, no change.

Aug 7, 2024 5:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks so much for your patient help Grant, it finally worked!!

MacPro 4,1 starting with grey screen after SMC and PRAM resets