G4 17' won't boot, flashing question mark folder with complications

I'm editing a final cut pro project, due to air on friday at noon and during conversion in compressor to dvd format, final cut quits then the computer freezes up. On a hard restart I get the flashing question mark folder.... i know what that means
I was able to boot up after a couple of tries from the os 10.4 (tiger) cd and the hard drive shows up but disk utility can't make the repair. This is the error i get:
booted with the tiger os cd and got to the disk utility. the hard drive does show up with some generic-y looking name. I try to repair the disk and get this error (in red):
Invalid node structure
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
then it says:
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
g4 powerbook 17" Mac OS X (10.4.9)
so then i get the bright idea that i will change the startup disk to network drive and try to start from another drive on the network. it tries to find it then goes back to the flashing question mark. I've restarted holding the c key down with the tiger cd back in there and it is spinning but it never reads it.
any ideas? I REALLY need to salvage this film if possible.
thanks!!!!!
donna
Has anyone seen this before? What is my next step--short of erasing the drive. i really need to get this project off.
thanks in advance for any and all help!!!!!
g4 powerbook 17" Mac OS X (10.4.9)

i'd try disk warrior except that i cant get it to boot from ANY cd right now EXCEPT apple hardware test. and i have NO idea what to do with that.
I've tried booting in option mode and all i get is the little restart button and the forward arrow button but NO drive options
it won't pick up my other laptop in target mode
i've even put in Norton Utilites 8.x and it won't boot up from that either.
i've zapped the pram--nothing
know of any other boot tricks or shortcuts?
donna

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IMac won't boot - flashing question mark folder

Hi, I was having performance issues with my iMac, so after searching for a resolution, I followed some suggestions to reset the PRAM and SMC....after resetting the PRAM it will not boot up at all! The startup sound chimes, then a blank grey screen briefly before a flashing question mark folder appears. Nothing happens..... I have the install cd, but there is a CD in the drive and I can't get it out. Help!!
Thanks in advance....
Andrea

HI Andrea,
To get the disk to eject, start the iMac while holding down the mouse button.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Try booting while holding down the Option key.
Carolyn

Won't boot, flashing question mark on screen

My Power book G4 won't boot up, all it does is give me a small folder icon with as flashing question mark on top of it. any ideas.
It was working fine, doing a capture with FCP 4.5 then it locked up with the spinning ball, I did a force quite, but the whole system needed a reboot, It never rebooted. I need help.

See the link in posting #3 on this thread. I got a "solved" point for it, and have given it as advice before:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5261554

No Boot: Flashing Question Mark Folder

So I have had this problem before and took it to the apple store, where they fixed it, but now the problem is back again.
When I try to start up the machine, all I get is a folder with a flashing question mark in the middle, as though it does not detect my hard drive.
When I book into the OSX Install DVD, and go to Disk Utility, it does not see the hard drive.
The problem happens when my osx freezes, and I do a hard-shutdown.
I took it to the apple store once, and they fixed it, without losing any data, but I do not want to go back to them, as that takes time out of my day.
Is there anything I can do to fix the issue myself?

Hi nxd,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
It definitely sounds a bit more serious this time. I'd imagine that last time they just reinstalled the OS and had you on your way. The folder with the question mark indicates that the startup sequence can't find an appropriate boot volume (your HD). From my experience this means one of two things and more often the latter:
1.) Somehow the OS was corrupted and an archive & install is necessary to restore order
2.) The HD has failed and requires either a repartition (followed by an install) or the drive itself has failed and requires a replacement.
The fact that you can't see your HD in Disk Utility off the restore disc is not a good indication. If the OS needed to be reinstalled you'd see the HD here, at the very minimum. The good news, I suppose, is that you can at least boot off the restore disk. I've seen many a failed/failing HDs prevent the system bus from evening reading the optical drive.
With all this being said, I'd really recommend getting the machine to an Authorized Service Center (or Apple Store) and have them take a look at things. The HD may require replacement, which would also result in the very high potential for data loss.

Same problem, old topic - won't boot get question mark folder

I have a G4 14" ibook that has stopped working. When I boot I get the folder with the flashing question mark. here are some specifics:
- fan starts then stops
- hard drive starts up
- pram has been reset
- booting in target mode allows hard drive to function properly on my imac (not a hard drive or hard drive connector problem)
- removed logic board and had a circuit technician inspect all solder joints under very high mag with no problems evident
- replaced logic board with a known good logic board and have the same problem
I really could care less about the computer at this point as it has run its course, but it is now one of those things that if I don't figure out the problem I'll begin loosing sleep.
If anyone has any other ideas, I'd enjoy attempting them.

If the optical drive on the iBook G4 is failing, the only way to load 10.3 on a G4 14" (assuming it came with 10.3 or less), is via another PowerPC Mac, or an external Firewire optical drive.
Three facts to keep in mind:
1. Macs can't boot an older operating system than shipped with them.
2. All Macs shipped with system specific discs, which if lost need to be replaced either by calling AppleCare, or the last seller if non-Apple authorized for those discs if Apple no longer has them.
If you lost the discs, and bought from an Apple Authorized seller, and AppleCare no longer has them, obtaining them is very difficult, and it is best to piecemeal get the separately sold operating system, and applications. Keep in mind for machines like the iBook G4 that's the only way to install Classic on them. Elements of iLife may have been included depending on age:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1490798&tstart=0
Newer versions of iLife may install depending on system requirements:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA27615
http://www.apple.com/ilife/systemrequirements.html
Appleworks never was sold with the retail installer discs, though a retail version may be available that will work on it.
Hardware Test never was sold with the retail installer discs.
3. Macs can install operating systems newer than them which are retail (non-OEM, non-Update, non-DropIn, not labelled for specific Mac).
Message was edited by: a brody

Mac book won't boot, flashing question mark

i have a mac book, dont know what OS but it says 2007 model no. A1181 on the back.
when i turn it on it just flashes with a picture of a file and a question mark inside it, it does not go away or boot up.
i have read this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
but it does not explain what i have to do if the OS does not boot after the question mark is displayed.
what do i have to do to get it working again? if this is the wrong section please move it thanks.

this shows up when a bootable drive cannot be found, the boot drive is damaged, or the internal drive doesn't have an os installed at all.
how long have you owned the mac? pull the battery out & look for the serial tag in the battery bay. did you have a 60gb or 80gb drive?
you can try the suggestions in that KB article, but I fear that the drive has totally failed on you. there was an issue with these hard drives, the heads ruin the surface of the platters, making the drive totally useless & data recovery impossible.
hoping you had some sort of recent backup.

IMac will not boot - flashing question mark folder

Hi Everyone,
This evening I did the update for Xcode on my iMac (purchased in 2012, new one with no DVD drive). I attempted to restart the iMac and the folder with the question mark inside it started flashing and would not stop.
I have launced Internet Recovery with Disk Utility and verified the disk, and the result was "The disk appears to be OK", (this filled me with hope...). I selected the Startup Disk and I got the same result. I removed all the external peripherals and that did not solve the problem. I don't have a Time Machine backup of this Mac as it failed every time I tried to run it to my NAS drive. I have all of my iPhone app work on this iMac and don't really want to wipe my HDD. I have tried everything I can see that the forums and Google suggest... does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Ed
P.S. Disk Utility showed all available space as over 400 gigabytes... so I am pretty certain that it is not a disk space error.

If you have a USB full installer, then you can boot from it by holding the alt key at startup and selecting the usb. Once it loads, you'll be presented with a menu allowing you to select (reinstall the OS). This will then allow you to select (Macintosh HD). It will reinstall the OS without prompting you to run setup assistent or anything like that. You'll just reboot into the login screen.
You're on OS 10.8.5. You'll need a full copy of 10.8.5 (it's almost 5GB) restored to a 8GB usb.
You can do internet recovery. It's like having a full installer but the files are downloaded from the internet. When you used internet recovery to check your disk, there should have been an option to reinstall the OS as well. It is doing the same thing via the internet that I described using a USB.

Emac won't boot up - question mark folder

An emac (G4/1.25ghz/256/combo) that I am borrowing will turn on with a chime but will not start up. I have a gray screen with the purple folder flashing a question mark / finder icon. I tried starting up in safe mode and command-option-p-r mode but same thing. I tried target disk mode. The e-mac showed the target disk mode logo but I could not see it on my macbook pro. The original owner doesn't have the original disks and knows very little about the computer (as his it was his office assistant's). What else should I try? Will taking the battery out and resetting possibly help? Will I lose any data if I do this?
I only need to pull the photos off the computer (and the owner says I could recycle the computer if need be). There are thousands of photos that are only partially backed up due to a recent corruption of that iPhoto library. In fact, I was in the midst of repairing this file and almost done. Help. Apologies but I don't have all the specs of the computer as I was borrowing it and may have inadvertently killed it!

It could be the dreaded logic board failure that affects many USB 2.0 eMacs except for the 1.42G versions. See if the serial number is in the ranges listed in this Apple article:
http://www.apple.com/sg/support/emac/repairextensionprogram
The program expired last summer so the owner is on his own if he wants to pursue it. The cost of the repari probably exceed the value of a used eMac.
If he plans to recycle the computer, the only option is to remove the HD and connect it to another Mac. This gadget is what I use for that procedure:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/U2NV2SPATA/

Macbook 2010 won't boot - flashing question mark, prohibitory sign then Apple icon

Okay so some of this is my fault. We'll get to that later.
A few months back this Macbook my uncle gave me (without the Mac OS X Installer DVDs it came with) failed to boot - displaying the spinning gear/Apple icon/grey screen so many others have experienced.
I've done everything that could be done without the Installer DVDs - reset the PRAM, the SMC, attempt to go into Safe Mode (failed - only displays the progress bar until it fills up then back to the grey screen)
I've also done fsck -fy and it would always return to either "FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED" so I'd run it again to receive the result "The volume Impala appears to be okay", but whenever I would hit "reboot" it's like nothing ever happened.
I got a hold of a(n illegal) copy of someone else's Installer DVDs from the net - not so I could install that but so I could load DiskUtitlity from a bootable flash drive to transfer files to my external HD by the restore option in DiskUtility - worked for a bit (ran verify permissions, repair disk permissions, the whole shebang) but then failed, was only able to copy the "Applications" folder by restoring the volume to the external HD I had plugged in, and nothing else.
So when just this afternoon, I was fiddling with the prompt that displayed whenever you entered single-user mode, trying to move documents from inside the Documents folder into the Applications folder (because I thought that if I did "restore" all over again it would copy needed files into my HD like it did the last time - the /Volumes directory disappeared.
What could have caused this? I know that this is what's causing the flashing, alternating icons during attempted startup, but I swear that I didn't even think of doing anything to modify the /Volumes directory. One minute I was entering files /Volumes just to fiddle with it, then proceeded to go in deeper to cp or mv files into the /Applications directory, the next it was gone.
What should I do? I contacted the local Power Mac Center nearby to check if they're carrying the Mac OS X Snow Leopard Installer DVDs but I'm pretty sure that those things are limited now to the U.S. and the U.K.?
Please send help/advice, I'm broke and pretty much very very desperate.
Thank you for your time.

and also we have this older MacBook (2007 I think) that flashes the prohibitory sign (circle with slash going through it) whenever I try to boot it - started doing that a few days ago and I swear on both laptops that there are no peripherals that are plugged in except for the MagSafe (this older MacBook has no batteries installed since the last one shot out two years ago and we haven't had the money to replace it..)
Could the MagSafe be the problem? Because I haven't been doing anything dangerous on this older one (even cleared out some old files/videos to free up disk space) but still, it went ahead and got into a coma.
I can only access it via Safe Boot (pressing shift right after I power it up) and thankfully, its FireWire port using Target Disk Mode.
How I wish I could use Target Disk Mode on the later (2010) model, but alas, the only solution is to purchase the Installer DVD - only the Apple Reseller I contacted hasn't contacted me back yet.

Flashing Question Mark Folder on Start-up

I recently starting having administration issues with my Mac Mini.
I went to update to OS 10.5.7 and when the administrator box came up asking for my password, my name was missing. After putting in the correct information, was unable to update, but received the message what my clue to password was.
Anyway, I performed a safe startup, changed the password and tried again. Same issue as before. So I started up from the Start Up Disk, and ran Disk Utilities and verified the disk and repaired any permission issues. When I started up my Mac Mini from the hard drive, I still did not have my administrator password working.
At this point, the start-up ping is gone.
I reset the Pram and had the same issue. So, I saved all important files to an external hard drive and tried to do a clean install. I was unable to do the clean install.
I removed the hard drive from my Mac Mini and installed it into a friends Mac Mini. I had complete control of my computer with no administrator password issues, the ping was there, and I could reload all saved items and still not have any issue no matter how I started up the computer. I then performed a complete erase and reinstall and still had no problems.
I reinstalled the hard drive into my Mac Mini, and I now have the Flashing Question Mark Folder with gray screen on start-up and no ping. Can't fire wire to start up, can't clone, can't start-up from disk, safe mode, etc..
Any ideas would be helpful. Most likely I will be going to the Apple Store and seeing what they can do.

generally, the flashing folder mark means it can not find the startup drive.
if you hear those kind of noises your hard drive is most likely dead. while this is almost certainly true you can try booting from the install DVD and see if the drive is visible in disk utility. if you can't insert the DVD try this. reboot and hold option at the chime. this should boot you into startup drive manager. there you should be able to insert the DVd and choose it as the startup drive. boot from the DVd and once past the language screen start disk utility from the Utilities menu at the top. see if it detects the internal drive. if it does, try repairing it. if it doesn't the drive is dead.

How do I fix the GRAY boot-up screen with FLASHING QUESTION-mark FOLDER?

When I turn on the MacBook Pro laptop, I opened up the Safari Browser and its when the problem started. It was stuck on an loading infinite loop. I decided to force quit the application and/or turn off the mac by the Menu options, It did not work. So I did a "Hard" Shut-down and restarted the Mac, the Boot up screen stood gray for like a minute until the Flashing ? Folder icon showed up!.
My sister's laptop's warranty is expired so I wonder how can I fix it without having to spend too much money on a simple troubleshooting tip.
How can I download/create a boot-up Disk/Flash Drive so I can reset it to factory settings?
I cannot access the laptop because It's kind-of software bricked if you ask me. Also, I do not know how to check the Mac OS version outside of the "About Mac" menu. I do have another Mac which is a desktop computer with a CD drive.
I would appreciate some expertise on this issue a.s.a.p. Thank you!

Ok, now I am stuck:
Why does my Mac boot its OS from the Flash Drive instead of the INTERNAL HARD DRIVE???a
If I start up my MacBook Pro, It will have the flashing question mark folder UNLESS i plug in the OS-Boot flash drive. When I at the desktop screen and work on a program, When I unplug the Flash drive, THE OS WILL CRASH AS IF I TOOK it's soul (OS x Lion) out of the body (MacBook Pro Laptop)
this is frustrating because when I did the INTERNET RECOVERY, When I install OS x Lion, the Flash Drive only show up as an option as opposed to the HDD.
I cannot format the hard-drive in DISK UTILITY because it's grayed out. This is just frustating. I never had problems with PC Windows OS recovery but this (Mac OS).

Mac mini (late 2012) when booting shows flashing question mark folder

Hello, so after installing software update to my mac mini *late 2012* it froze for few mins so then I rebooted it and now it wont boot it shows flashing question mark folder, I can't use the boot buttons because it asks me for a frimware password and I dont remember setting one up so how can I fix it .

If you need to reset the firmware PW see:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57542601-263/efi-firmware-protection-locks- down-newer-macs/

Boots to flashing question mark folder and disc utility cannot locate internal hard drive

Bottling my MacBook Pro I end up with a flashing question mark folder. I reboot holding the option key to select discs and there were no options at all. I plug in an Ethernet cable and it shows a internet recovery option. I click and it downloaded a temporary recovery mode. From there I open disc utility but it doesn't find any internal hard drives. I reset the pram and I still get the flashing question mark folder. Thinking it was my internal hard drive that failed I bought and replaced the internal hd with a new one and repeated all the processes and still no internal hard drive was found. I'm stuck with the flashing question mark folder. Therefore I've concluded that it was my MacBook pros internal hard drive CABLE that had failed. Does anyone know of any other possible problems that is causing this for my MacBook Pro or know of any solutions? Or is replacing my internal hd cable the only solution? Please help!

It was the internal HD cable. I replaced it and now my MacBook Pro works

Macbook pro flashing question mark folder, won't recognize hard drive

My 2010 macbook pro froze and after restarting I was greeted with a flashing question mark folder. I then restarted again and held down "option" key and went into Mac OS X utilities then into disk utilities. In disk utilities, my only drive options are "superdrive" "disk0" and a subfolder of "disk0" labeled "Mac OS x Base system". My hard drive is no where to be seen. I also tried to install a new hard drive but the same thing happened, the computer could not recognize that there was a hard drive present. What can I do to fix this??

Hi bigdubee,
The exact same thing happened to my 2010 MacBook Pro today. Restarting with the "option" key held down, I get only 2 of the 3 options you listed in disk utilities ("disk0" and a subfolder of "disk0" labeled "Mac OS x Base system".
Did you take your Macbook Pro to the Apple store? And were they able to fix it?

Hard disk in mums macbook failed, bought a new one, formatted it first. Have tried starting it with every possible key and I either get flashing question mark folder or a cursor.

Hard disk in mums macbook failed, bought a new one, used sata adapter cable to format it for mac first. Connected it and have tried starting it with every possible key combination and I either get flashing question mark folder or a cursor. A disk is stuck in it so I can't boot from OSX, and yes I have tried every option of starting to try and eject disk but none work. HELP ME!

Five ways to eject a stuck CD or DVD from the optical drive
Ejecting the stuck disc can usually be done in one of the following ways:
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the
      left mouse button until the disc ejects.
2. Press the Eject button on your keyboard.
3. Click on the Eject button in the menubar.
4. Press COMMAND-E.
5. If none of the above work try this: Open the Terminal application in
      your Utilities folder. At the prompt enter or paste the following:
        /usr/bin/drutil eject
If this fails then try this:
Boot the computer into Single-user Mode. At the prompt enter the same command as used above. To restart the computer enter "reboot" at the prompt without quotes.
If you have a 2010 MBP or later, then you can use Internet Recovery. Start by rebooting the computer. At the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION-R keys until a Globe appears in the upper part of the screen. This process can take upwards of 15 minutes to get connected to the Apple network servers. You should eventually see the utility screen of the Recovery HD. You may now go about the process to install Mountain Lion:
Install Lion/Mountain Lion on a New HDD/SDD
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your external hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

G4 17' won't boot, flashing question mark folder with complications

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