Instead of an apple, I get a file folder with a question mark!
Hi. I turned on my MacBook today, and instead of the apple popping on to the screen after a few seconds, I got something that looks like a file folder with a question mark in the middle of it. Then it starts to flash! Turned it off with the power button, tried again a few times...same result. Anyone know what to do? Thanks
If the computer starts up after a brief delay, you probably just need to reselect your startup volume. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Click Startup Disk and select the the desired startup volume.
If your computer does not start up, try repairing your startup disk and reselecting your Mac OS X startup volume. Click the link below for the webpage with detailed instructions.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
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i recently purchased online and no software was sent with computer.just wondering what i can do to get up an running
Ask the seller for it, or phone AppleCare and order replacement disks, or buy a retail DVD which is newer than the computer but no newer than 10.5.6 from a source such as Amazon or eBay.
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Restart holding down cmd-opt-r. It will boot to Internet Recovery. From there you can reinstall the original shipping OS or restore from Time Machine.
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I have a first gen MacBook pro with intel chip. All of a sudden when I try to start up instead of the apple logo I see a file folder with a question mark. Phone support wasn't much help since it is a older machine. It's either a software issue or the hard drive went. Any ideas on how to fix if it's a software issue would be appreciated. Thanks a lot.
Thanks I tried that and when I click repair it tells me
Invalid volume header
Checking hfs plus volume.
Invalid b-free node size
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Error: the underlying task reported faliure on exit.
1 hfs volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error. -
Hello, My mac mini will not boot. When I turn it on, I get the chime, then the white screen, then the apple symbol, then a file symbol with a question mark, then the white screen and then it stays like that.
Is this a bad hard drive?Sounds like it. Try booting from your OSX restore DVDs - startup and hold down "C". This will take AGES! Then run Disk Utility from the menu.
The flashing ? means your system is corrupt, dead, not there, on a dying HD, etc... -
Hi Everyone, I have tried all the solutions mentioned by apple and still have a white screen with a blinking file folder with a question mark in the center, anyone have any ideas or experienced this?
Nooo or you would use OS X Recovery Mode: Disk Utilty and then Startup Disk.
Mac OS X & Mountain Lion Community
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/os_x_mountain_lion?view=discussio ns
Recovery Mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
ExpressLane
https://expresslane.apple.com/
Mac OS X Help
http://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/
Isolating Issues in Mac OS
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1388
https://www.apple.com/support/osx/
https://www.apple.com/support/quickassist/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/help/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/tour/
Get Help with your Product
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304725 -
When I went to turn the desktop on, the start up sound came on. Then the screen was white with an icon flashing. The icon is a file folder with a question mark on it. I cannot get it to fully turn on. HELP
Run a disk repair tool on the hard disk or install a new OS.
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My probably 10 year old MaycBook died. It won't start. When I press the power button, it gets power, but it only lights up and a scratching noise starts like something is spinning. A file folder with a question mark periodically flashes... Help!!!
You don't have a Macbook if you are running OS 9 and it's 10 years old. The first Macbook is an Intel Mac that came out in 2006 running 10.4.x. You most likely have a Powerbook. Try posting in the Powerbook forum.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac -
File Folder with a Question Mark Blinking-HELP!!!!
Its been like a day and half since i last used my macbook, and all of a sudden it won't work.
It still turns on but it goes to a white screen and stays that way for about 20 minutes. Then a file folder with a question mark in the middle shows up and blinks. It doesnt go away at all. The only way for me to make it go away is to either turn it off or to push the eject button, and now it just turns off all together.
When all this started happening it took a long time for it to even go to the home page, but it didn't go to the desktop screen. It would take a long time on the screen when it first turns on then a a lonnnnngggg time after that it would go to a light blue screen and then a longgggg time after that a pointer would show up, and thats all it would do.
Do I need to get the software that first came with it and put it in and see if it fixes the problem or what?
WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!? please help.You have corrupted system files. The following is a solution:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update. -
On a macbook I purchased secondhand hard drive got corrupted and I started to get the flashing folder with the question mark, I purchased a new hard drive and snow lion install DVD I installed the hard drive and tried disc but kept getting blinking folder
Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We're users here and do not speak for "Apple Inc."
Power on the computer and insert the DVD immediately.
Hold down the 'C' key to boot from the Snow Leopard DVD.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1533
After selecting the appropriate language, if necessary, select Utilities, and Disk Utility.
You'll likely need to partition and format the new drive before it's recognized.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/0/MA161/en_US/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY .pdf
(Yes, these instructions ARE 7 years old, but the procedure is the same for installing from DVD media.) -
MacBook Air will not power on or reboot. A file folder with a question mark in the center of it appears. What is the problem?
Go step by step and test.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440
Startup Manager to select Startup disk.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310
Repair Disk
Steps 2 through 8
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836
Reset PRAM.
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
Reinstall OS X
If this does not help, contact Apple.
Best. -
I had to restart my iMac and when it came back on the screen shows a file folder with a question mark. What should I do?
Did you move any system files? It's looking for the system folder. You can startup from the system CD by inserting the CD and restarting the computer and at the same time hold down the C key. The computer will boot from the CD. At that point run the disk utility and check your hard-drive. It the problem persists then do a fresh clean install of the system folder and that should help you get back on track.
Good Luck. -
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.
With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option Key until the Install Disk shows up) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7, 10.8 or 10.9 partition.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead. -
HT3964 What does a file folder with a question mark that appears upon startup?
What does a file folder with a question mark which appears on startup mean??
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.
With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option Key until the Install Disk shows up) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7 or 10.8 partition.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead. -
What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate?
What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate? I cannot get past it or do anything with the unit.
glamiera wrote:
What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate?
That's the firmware telling you it can't find the operating system it's been assigned to boot from.
It could be because it forgot somehow, or the operating system is no longer there or readable or the hardware holding the operating system has failed.
Hold the power button to force a hardware shutdown, then reboot holding the option/alt key held down on the wired or built in keyboard, icons will hopefully load on the screen and if OS X appears, click the arrow to boot from it.
Once in OS X, head to System Preferences > Startup Disk and select your boot drive so it can remind the firmware.
If there is no OS X boot volume, just recovery or Bootcamp (if Windows installed) then you need to perform more work.
Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
To get a copy of your files off the drive.
Step by Step to fix your Mac
To fix your machine and find out (hardware test) if it's a hardware issue of some sort.
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