Folder with Flashing Question Mark on Startup

I tried pressing the option key and no startup manager appeared. I unplugged everything, which was not successful. I booted using the snow leopard DVD, went to the Startup Disk option and my hard drive is not an option (only the snow leopard DVD and a network startup (which has a question mark over it). Any thoughts? Thanks

Sounds like the hard drive has died. Does Disk Utility show the drive at all in the left-hand column, or is it completely missing from that list? If missing, your drive is completely dead. Hopefully, you have your data backed up, since in this case the only option for recovering data will be to send the drive to an expensive data recovery service, where they will tear it apart and read whatever they can (which may or may not be much or even anything).
You'll need to contact Apple for service if you're not comfortable opening up the machine and replacing the hard drive yourself.

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    iMac won't turn on. Only a clicking sound and a grey folder with flashing question mark.
    Help.

    Your iMac is actually turning ON as proven by the grey folder with the flashing question mark.
    The flashing question mark indicates that your system is unable to find a bootable volume. The clicking sound that you hear is probably coming from your hard drive while it tries to recalibrate. I suspect your hard drive has failed.
    What model imac do you have? If it's under warranty I suggest taking it in for service. Hopefully you've been maintaining a regular backup of your data as all users should. I lost my data once and it was a valuable lesson. I back up regularily now.
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    If your system has Lion installed then you can hold down the Command and R keys when you restart the system, then launch the Disk Utility application from the menu that appears.

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    I opened up Disk Utility but it only shows one of my two hard drives. I'm guessing it's toast. But before I go buy a new one, is there any value in going into an apple store and see what they can do?

    I have the same problem with my brand new Mac Pro. from the start, upon bootup, i see a flashing folder with a question mark. I've already sent this Mac back for service. I believe the problem may have something to do with the airport card i had installed. something about the OS trying to find the wireless network...i'm not savy at this, by any means and hope we both resolve this issue. Do you an airport card installed?
    I guess I'll be calling tech support again.
    j

  • Blinking folder with a question mark at startup.

    Dear all.
    I am a newby with Macs and I just found an iMac G3 266Mhz. (Why anybody would throw a Mac away is beyond me but anyhow)
    When starting up I just get a blinking folder with the question mark.
    I can start up with an CD of Mac OS 9.2 but when wanting to install the software I get an error message about my firmware not being up to date etc etc... when going through the things I have to do for an firmware upgrade I get an error message saying disk locked....By browsing through these pages I found that that was most likely due to starting up from the CD.
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    Hi Irol
    You're in a sort of catch 22 situation. You have to run the firmware upgrade while running from the HD.
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    Open it and locate a file called "System" - it will have the picasso face. Drag the file out of the system folder onto your desktop.
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    Now with one swift action - drag the picasso file and drop it onto the closed system folder - do it quickly so that the folder doesn't open. Then wait a moment.
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    Another alternative - but probably more difficult. is to run from an 8.6 or 9.0 CD if you can find one - ebay?
    Just to say - the flashing question mark is the system's way of saying "I cannot find a valid start-up folder"
    Hopefully one of the above will get you going.
    The fact that you can start the mac up from the CD says that the mac itself is OK - I wonder if it was thrown away because the owner couldn't sort it out.

  • Macbook has the folder with flashing question mark

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    As long as the parts were replaced by someone authorized to do the repairs, you should still be fine. This error indicates that they computer isn't able to find a disk to boot to.
    The "disk" to reload Lion is that internet recovery (also can be launched from command + r).
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  • File with flashing question mark on startup?

    So my MacBook Air just recently started this, with the white screen and grey box with a flashing question mark in it upon starting it up. Safe Boot did nothing, the question mark file continued to appear.
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  • Folder with a question mark at startup.

    I get this question mark along with a folder when starting up. I tried holding down the option key when turning on the power and then I get an internet recovery along with a globe. I click on the arrow below it and it takes maybe 15 minutes to start up. Then i get this disk utilities screen. I'm now unable to do anything. When going into disk utility, disk 0 shows with Mac OS X base system underneath it. All the clickable buttons are faded out. Is there something wrong with the hardrive? and where could i get this fixed? There isn't a warranty on it.

    Yes, there's something wrong with the hard drive.
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  • Folder with Flashing Question Mark

    I put a new HD in this MacBook, for the third time, in three years. This time it is a Seagate and not a WD as the other two were. This one is 500GB 300 MB/s.
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    Message was edited by: MegaByte

    I reseated the HD and the RAM, since I was there. It started up.
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    I ran Disk Utility, just to be sure. It had to repair some permissions, but that was about it.

  • HT1310 when i starst my mac i get a flashing folder with a question mark. i tried rebooting and holding the option button then i get 2 boxes, one with a refresh arrow and one with a forward arrow neither of them seem to do anything. now what

    when i starst my mac i get a flashing folder with a question mark. i tried rebooting and holding the option button then i get 2 boxes, one with a refresh arrow and one with a forward arrow neither of them seem to do anything. now what

    Here is an article that describes what it is supposed to do:
    Startup Manager: How to select a startup volume
    If no Volumes are shown, it is telling you there are no potentailly bootable Volumes attached. That means your boot drive has died or the bootable image on it is unrecognizable.
    What Mac Pro ? by year, GHz, number of processors, screen size?
    What Mac OS X ?

  • My iMac has a white screen with a flashing file folder with a question mark in the middle.  What does that mean?

    My iMac is completely unresponsive.  Whenever I restart it, it's just a white screen with a flashing file folder with a question mark in the middle.  What does this mean?

    this means the mac cannot find the startup disc. which more times than not means you need a hdd replacement.
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  • HT2433 My laptop opened with a grey flashing file folder with a question mark inside it .  How to to open my laptop!  I have tried fir e clising several times and restArting  nope nada!

    My laptop opened with a grey flashing file folder with a question mark inside it .  How do  I open my laptop!  I have tried force closing several times and restArting  nope !  nada!  Suggestions?

    That folder with the question mark icon means that the MacBook can't find the boot directory. That can either mean it can't find the hard drive or the Operating System data on the hard drive is somehow corrupted.
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    If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

  • G4 Dual with Flashing Question Mark folder

    Here's the issue. I got a new Mac Pro (awesome) and had the old G4 sitting idle on another desk for months, waiting to see if I needed anything from it before I wiped it clean. So today, I decided to wipe it. I inserted the Mac OS 10.5 install disc and performed a clean install.
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    You're in the Mac Pro section. Try the Power Mac forum for a better response.

  • Getting a flashing folder with a question mark when starting Imac.

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    Hi.
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    EDIT - disconnect the machines from each other first.

  • Turned my mac book pro on and a folder with a question mark just flashes

    TTurned my Mac book pro laptop on and all I get is a flashing folder with a question mark on the screen

    Have you tried to boot in Safe Mode (keep the Shift key down while booting, until the Apple grey backdrop, spinning gear and progress bar appear)?
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    That could suffice to boot your system, but still not the graphical user interface.
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  • Flashing folder with a question mark in it when starting up

    Hi, I own a white MacBook that is fairly new. When I boot it there is a flashing folder with a question mark in it. I read here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440 what to do.
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    Try booting in Safe Mode
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
    Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
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    When I start my computer it makes bad noises from the bottom right side. I fear that the HD is broken , it sounds as if it is working very hard, making scratchy and clicky noises.
    I also tried using the computer as a FireWire target in order to retrieve some data (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661). When I bootet the "broken" computer and held down T the FireWire symbol appeared on the screen. But on the host computer I could not find the target computer.
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