HELP.Question for Mac users

[romantico]

I'm having to post this on my cel phone which sucks. I've. Had my MAC for 3 years & love it but 2 hours ago it froze on me.This has happened before but not often.I got the rainbow ball spinning & it was going away.So,I unplugged it.When it starts up the screen is white with the Apple logo and dots spinning in a circle.My desk top with icons and such does not come up.The screen just stays white.Tomorrow I plan on calling the Apple store where I bought it to see if they could help.Has this happened to any Mac users before?Any suggestions what this could be or how to fix?Iknow DU has a forum for Mac users but I don't have access.Thanks in advance.

[Haole Girl]

1. I'm a Mac user

Never had that problem, though.

You might try going to the Apple support site: http://www.apple.com/support

Good luck! :hi:

[Twillig]

2. Try to startup in safe mode

Hold down the Shift key at startup.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1417
Apple support:

Resolution
Try a Safe Boot

If you're using Mac OS X 10.2 or later, you can start up your computer in Safe Mode, which includes an automatic disk check and repair. If you're using Mac OS X 10.1.5 or earlier, skip to the next section. A Safe Boot, which starts up your computer into Safe Mode, may allow you to start up your computer successfully using a reduced version of the system software. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start up in Safe Mode.
2. After the system has fully started up, restart your computer again normally.

If the computer successfully restarts, you do not need to do any more troubleshooting. If the issue persists, try Disk Utility.

If that doesn't work try to startup from the system install disc. Hold "C" at startup.

Try Disk Utility

1. Start from your Mac OS X Install disc: Insert the installation disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk

[Dappleganger]

3. Probably a failed hard drive.

Hope you backed up everything. If not, keep the drive when it gets replaced and see if you can put it inside of an external hard drive enclosure then explore it later on when your Mac is up and running with a new drive.

The white with the Apple logo could mean the entire drive is bad or is going bad, in my experience. Sometimes your drive can be saved with Drive Genius (performed by the Mac help desk) just enough to get what you need off the drive. Sometimes drives go all at once and sometimes it goes in and out, but better to be safe than sorry.

If you need help with a backup scheme send me a PM. I use SuperDuper on a scheduled basis plus a nightly Dropbox backup of essentials.

[struggle4progress]

4. 1. Please tell me you've been doing some sort of regular backups,

with (say) Time Machine
2. Next, please tell me you have the original install disks and can find them easily
3. It might help to know: (A) what Mac you're using (iMac? white Macbook? what?); and (B) what version of OSX you're using (Leopard? Snow Leopard? what?)

There are probably some standard things to try, but they might vary with model