[swordfish86]

Hi there,
Ok heres my story, a few weeks ago I recived my first mac pro, to replace my aging 1.6 ghz imac g5, when I set it up everything seemed great at first, until a few days later when after doin my updates and finally loading all my software ect on, it decide to give me a gray screen everytime I turned it on (no apple logo or loading wheel, just blank gray) forcing me to turn off, it loaded up normally about 1 in 20 times.
When I managed to get it loaded up I did verify in disc utility, apple hardware check (not just the quick one), and took all the wires out and held down the power button till it beeps (not sure what this does but was advised to do so by applecare) everything said it was fine and it still persisted to give my the gray screen.
I then just decided it was some bizarre freak fault so i sent my mac back to apple and they gave me a brand new machine.
My new machine arrives, great! Well not exactly, as soon as I turn it on it starts grey screening exactly the same as before, I did all the checks exactly as before, and same again they all pass no problem, yet it still does the grey screen thing.
So I phone apple yet again and they arrage to replace my machine yet again.
Ok, so here we are, today I recived my third mac pro, I turned it on and it seemed great, I did my updates and as soon as I restarted BANG grey screen, I was sooo annoyed, I phoned apple to give them an ear-full but I actually got through to a really helpful guy who told me to strart-up holding command, P + R to reset the PRAM, and then when I got it started to go into system prefs, and startup disc, and select my disc.
Well I have now had the machine running fine since, for about 6 hours and have restarted about 15 times just to keep checking, and it has started perfectly every time, I have also done the hardware checks ect as before, and all passed.
The thing is I still don’t trust it, as the other two machines would just be fine and id be on the net or something and it would go to a gray screen, I use this for work (graphic designer,illustrator) and my most important asset I a computer, even more than speed and power, is RELIABILITY, I want to be able to trust my mac to start up every time, an not shut down on me (esp after paying over £2000) just like I trusted my old imac.
I was just wondering if
(a) anyone else has had this issue (there must be if I have had 3 macs that have)
(b) if so how have you solved it
(c) do you think this is going to be a reliable computer now I seem to have solved this issue (touch wood)

the specs are 2.66ghz, 2gb, 250gb and no 3rd party hardware

I would really appreciate any, help, or advice

Thanks a lot
J

[brokenjago]

I have had no such issues.

[dimmer]

It sounds like something in your application transfer caused the system software to get a little confused. How did you move the old stuff over? Migration Assistant or something else?

Resetting PRAM and selecting a startup disk are pretty common 'mythical incantations' used for boot problems (see also: start up in single user mode, repair permissions, et al.)--these will often fix problems without explicitally identifying just what was wrong to start with.

If your system is running stable and booting OK now, you should be good to go.

[swordfish86]

all i did to move it over was using dvds for itunes library, and music ect, my lacie HD for my work, then just all my, software cds, and downloads ect, yeah im hoping its sorted now, still v strange though, and slightly annoying that the first machine was prob ok, but yeah its been booting fine all day so i have my fingers crossed, tanks for the advice though, im sure this must have happened to loads of people

[jamil5454]

It sounds to me like some sort of software configuration problem. The chances that you'd get two (much less three) bad machines in a row are extremely slim.

Try installing a clean system, applying all the updates, and THEN install your software one app at a time.

[mduell]

Have you tested the display with another computer?

[blicked]

try rebooting it without your ipod attached- the same thing happened to me a bunch of times.

[swordfish86]

Hmm, i might have figured out what it is, is it possible that after the update, for some reason the machine is trying to boot form the ipod becuase i had not specified which disc to boot from in system prefs? this must be the case becuase as soon as i have specified which disc to boot from, it has been working fine!! and the only other disc it that in the ipod, and like others have said, when then unplug the ipod (or specify the boot disc) the problem stops. so 3 more questions

(a) is this likely to be what is happening?
(b) now i have corrected it, will no lasting damage have been done to either the mac pro, or ipod
(c)if anyone has tried specifying thee disc in system prefs, has this corrected your problem too

sorry if im talking rubbish, its just a thought i had after i had a simelar prob with my remote for my macbook, it kept interfering with my ipod in its universal dock, but this stoped as i specifically linked it to my macbook (kind of simelar )
thanks anyway your advice has been great