Here are some troubleshooting steps:
Resetting PRAM
Shut down your Mac..Locate the following keys on the keyboard:
Command (⌘),
Option, P, and
R.
- Turn on your Mac.
- Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys immediately after you hear the startup sound.
- Hold these keys until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for a second time.
- Release the keys.
Safe Boot
MacBooks running OS X 10.2 or later can start up in Safe Boot Mode to run an automated disk check and repair utility. Safe Boot also disables any non-critical system processes and allows you to determine if your spinning wheel is the result of a new application causing problems on your system.
Hold down the "Shift" key as soon as you start your MacBook. When the Apple logo appears, you can release the Shift key. Wait for your computer to finish running diagnostic tests and repairing the disk and permissions, if necessary. Then, reboot your computer normally to see if Safe Boot resolved your problem.
Disk Utility
For OS X Lion and Mountain Lion users, try booting into the Disk Utility. Hold down "Command-R" until the Apple logo appears. When a list of options appears, launch Disk Utility and open the First Aid tab. In the First Aid tab. If you have El Capitan it will do First Aid for you, If you have an older OS, you can verify and repair disk permissions and verify the hard disk. If the hard disk reports any errors, select the repair option to mark bad sectors of the hard disk and attempt to repair corrupted system files.
Recovery Console
Launch Recovery Console by holding down "
Command-R" while booting your computer on Mac OS X Mountain Lion and Lion. When you are presented with a list of options, select the "Reinstall OS X" option and follow the prompts to reinstall your operating system while preserving your data. You should create a backup image of your computer by launching Disk Utility from the list of recovery options, select your hard disk and then click "New Image." Make sure you have an external drive connected to your hard drive that is large enough to hold the entire computer image. If needed, you can use this image to reinstall your entire operating system.
Single-User Mode
Try starting your MacBook in single-user mode to run Terminal commands if you were unable to access Disk Utility. Turn your MacBook on and hold down the "
Command-S" keys. Once single-user mode opens, type the command "
/sbin/fsck -fy" into the command line and press enter. The command prompts the computer to conduct five phases of repair and then provides you with statistics on your disk use, fragmentation and whether the utility has altered, repaired or fixed any problems on your computer. If you get a prompt that the file system was modified, you need to type the command into the command line again until your disk has been repaired.