Archived - MacBook Air (Mid 2011): Gray screen, black screen, or prohibitory sign on screen at startup
Products Affected
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011), MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011)
Symptoms
If you try to install a version of OS X (Snow Leopard or Lion) that was released before MacBook Air (Mid 2011), these symptoms may appear:
- The computer begins to start up normally to a gray screen with the Apple logo, then switches to display a progress indicator (a spinning gear) for a few seconds. Then the built-in display changes to black and the LCD backlight remains lit. This symptom usually appears when you attempt to start up with a version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or earlier.
- A prohibitory sign (a circle with a line through it) appears on the screen. The computer then powers off after about a minute. This may occur if you install a version of Lion other than the version originally installed on your MacBook Air.
Resolution
Reinstall the proper operating system build by restarting the computer while pressing and holding the Command and "R" keys. The right revision of Mac OS X for this computer should be available for installation through the Mac OS X Utilities pane that opens.
Additional Information
You can verify if the wrong version of Lion is installed (as in the second symptom) by starting the computer in verbose mode:
- Shut down the computer.
- Restart the computer while you press and hold the Command and "V" keys.
- The text on the display should say, "This version of Mac OS X is not supported on this platform!".
Exit verbose mode by pressing and holding the power button until the computer shuts down.
For additional information about how to reinstall OS X Lion, refer to the Users Guide included with the computer or About Lion Recovery.
Never install a version of the operating system released before the computer.
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