My Macbook Pro won't start up. All I get is a grey screen showing a grey folder bearing a question mark. Help please!

The folder with the question mark indicates that the machine is unable to find a bootable volume on startup. This is typically caused by one of three things:
1.) The internal HD has failed or is failing and needs to be replaced
2.) There is significant directory damage to the volume that requires repairing in order to boot
3.) Some other internal component failure between the HD and logic board
I'd ranked them in the order that is most common (from my personal experience). Boot to the OS X Recovery tool and attempt to repair the startup volume. If that fails or the drive is not detected it's usually a tell tale sign of a failed HD.

Similar Messages

My new mac mini (3 month) didn't start up,all that appeared was a white screen and a flashing folder with a question mark inside it.

My new Mac mini (3 month) didn't start up, all that appeared was a white screen and a flashing folder with a question mark inside it.
I followed by recommendations from 'Everything Mac': "shut it down by pressing and holding the power button for about 5 seconds.
Then hold down the Option key and press the power button again to start up the Mac mini. Keep holding down the Option key until
the Mac mini starts up."
But I got a Wi-Fi button only to chose and connect the local network. I connected to my network and I can't use this connection
becouse no icons.
Could you please help me?

Your Mini (running 10.6.4) should have come with grey-colored install disks. Now is the time to put them into service. Turn on your computer so that there is power to accept disk #1 into the optical drive. Once the disk is in the drive, shut off the computer by holding the start button down until it powers off. Then turn it on this time holding down the "C" key to make the computer boot from the disk. The question mark that you saw indicates that the computer cannot find a bootable volume. This can happen due to corrupted system files or an improper shutdown etc. Once you are in the "Installer" you can choose Disk Utility from the Utilities Menu in the menu bar. Use it to repair the disk and to see if that can solve your trouble.

My MacBook Pro won't start. Every time it has a white screen with a blinking folder in the middle with a question mark inside... What should I do?

Thanks for any suggestions!

There are four general causes of this issue:
1. The computer's PRAM no longer contains a valid startup disk setting when there aren't any problems with the disk itself. This can be checked for by pressing the Option key and seeing if the drive appears.
2. The internal drive's directory structure has become damaged. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to perform the repair.
3. Critical system files have been deleted. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to reinstall them.
4. The internal drive has died or become unplugged. This is the most likely case if the computer took a sharp impact or there are unusual sounds coming from its location.
(91987)

`my macBook Pro won't start up. Just get that gray blueshy kind of screen and don't go nowhere.

My MacBook Pro won't start up. Just get that gray, blueishy screen and don't go on.

Try a safe boot.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
This boot takes longer than a normal boot, be patient. If it boots login, and see if it seems normal. If so, logout and reboot normal.

17" Macbook Pro won't start at all. I shut it down last night at 80% and now there is only black screen, no light, no sound. What to do?

My 17" Macbook Pro won't start at all. I shut it down last night at 80% and today I get only a black screen with no sound, no light, nothing. The power cord light does show orange when plugged in. I don't know exactly which OS it is. It's model # A1286. I've tried all the tips about holding down different keys to no avail. Anyother ideas? (The serial # is w8******agu if that helps.) Many thanks.
<Edited By Host>

I had the exact same issue... Macbook Pro late 2008 with Core2Duo. Went to all the steps suggested in the knowledge base, tried to reset the SMC, but to no avail. Took it to the Macstore in Mexico, the wanted to replace logic board for $800.... Finally, I sent it to a logic board repair service, where they "fixed" the logic board for $200. It worked perfectly for 4 months, then happened again
Any ideas?? I would appreciate any help!!!!!

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

My MacBook pro won't start. It is frozen on the gray screen with the apple. Please help?

My MacBook pro won't start. It's stuck on the gray screen with the apple logo.

Reinstall OS X:
Reinstall Snow Leopard without erasing the drive
Do the following:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard 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 Utilities menu. 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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro 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. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.
Reinstalling Lion Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. 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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.

MacBook Pro won't start at all - clicking noise with black screen

Early 2011 MacBook Pro won't start: makes clicking noise after power button is held down, but no screen movement and after click, sounds like computer just stops working. Already did a SMC reset, and undid battery to try to run on charger power only. Same result every time. Also, my Apple Care expired 3 days ago. A few weeks ago had to repair a disk using Disk Utility because there was a discrepancy between how much storage was in the drive versus how much was actually being used.

You likely have the problem that many of us 15" and 17" 2011 models are having: a faulty soldering GPU and as discussed here -> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577?tstart=0. It usually, but not always, beings with screen glitches and then gets to the point where the machine will simply not boot.
It's ashamed that you're not longer under AppleCare which would have, at least, got you a new logic board. A new logic board, however, doesn't usually fix the situation - only a BGA Reballing of the GPU seems to have long-lasting fixes.
Read through a few the articles (not all of them!) and make the decision yourself - and then make the decision about whom your going to contact.
Good luck,
Clinton
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS Mavericks 10.9.4, 16GB Crucial RAM, Crucial M500 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

Macbook Pro won't start at all, no chime, no gray screen, nothing

My 2+ year old MacBook Pro won't start. Nothing happens when the start button is pushed, no chime, nothing. I've tried Control-Command-Start; nothing. I've tried with and without power connected; nothing. I've unplugged the power adapter from the wall, still nothing. Any ideas?

You can try a SMC reset, but it that doesn't power something it needs repair or replacement.
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Sometimes if the battery was really drained or old, it takes a long time to get it started charging again, like a couple of weeks.
https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201

Enabled Apache and now my MacBook Pro won't start at all

Subject pretty much says it all. I was enabling Apache, php and installing ioncube. Restarted the computer, because I wanted to make sure Apache really was restarting... and now the computer will not come on at all.
I hear the CD start-up bit and then it clinks and is off. The power light illuminates briefly. Anyone ever hear of this or know *** I do now to get my machine back online?

Does it start up in Target Disk Mode? Try holding T while booting up.

Macbook pro won't start

My 2009 Macbook pro will not start. All I get is a series of beeps. Does not sound like the fan is turning on.

Take it in for service.

HT1379 Guys please help? My MacBook Pro won't start up. I have tried the resetting Mac's PRAM and NVRAM procedure with no success. All I see is just the black or grey screen although I hear the drive running.

Guys please help? My MacBook Pro won't start up. I have tried the resetting Mac's PRAM and NVRAM procedure with no success. All I see is just the black or grey screen although I hear the drive running.

Hold shift key down while booting should get you in
go through this list and get back with me
Step by Step to fix your Mac

I was messing around with .kext files in the MacintoshHD and now my MacBook Pro won't start up.

I was messing around with .kext files in the MacintoshHD and moved the system.kext and two others to my desktop and deleted the originals and now the MacBook Pro won't start up. All I get at start up is the apple icon then a bunch of text shows up part of which says Mac OS version: not yet set. then the apple icon turns into the power icon and tells me to turn off the computer. I've tried reinstalling from the install DVD by holding down option when powering on and selecting the install DVD and it just goes to a white screen with the apple icon and stays like that. I didn't have the disk utility on my Mac before this happened because I deleted it to make room on my computer a while ago so I'm not sure if that's why it won't load the install DVD but anyone who knows the solution to this with out going to get it repaired would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Never mind my dad just found the original install DVD and that worked. Before I was using an install disc that Apple sent me for another issue I was having, but thanks for replying so quickly and trying to help on this Thanksgiving day!!!

Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! HELP !!!

Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! I have tried everything I can think of like Safe Mode (doesn't work), Recovery (does not find Recovery Drive), Booting with OS Snow Leopard Cd (doesn't work)...
I have really no clue about what to do now... I paid quite a lot of money for this computer and am pretty short of money nowadays! Would like to repair with help rather than having to take it to Apple Store.
Has anyone had this same problem?
All I get is white screen + grey Apple and spinning grey disk... it's 100% frustrating! Any help would be more than welcome since I think i've tried EVERY SUGGESTION on this Support Center and Youtube videos...
This MBP is from 2011, runs on OS X 10.6.8
I tried booting with OS X Snow Leopard CD, it didn't work! (my cd player works! recognizes the Snow Leopard CD, but then never opens it... goes back forever to the with screen + apple and spinning disk)
I don't care about the content, it's OK if i lose all DATA... I just want to bring this Mac BACK TO LIFE!
When i run coomand on root# fsck -fy --> RESULT = my HD was checked and seems to be FINE!
Thanks

Please make a Genius Appointment and take it in for service.

Macbook Pro won't start properly... keeps restarting without chime!

Macbook Pro won't start properly... keeps restarting without chime!
Late 2007 Macbook pro. OS upgrade worked great for me.
I have had this problem on and off for a month or so. I simply cannot figure out what the issue is. I have tried poerup with and without AC power and with/without battery installed.
Starting in Safe mode does not help.
Trying to start with a disk does not help.
It sort of seems like it might be an internal power issue or GPU issue.
It also feels sort of like a software compatibility issue since my Macbook Pro gets reallly slugish for no apparent reason sometimes and IU have to restart.
I have three different anti-virus programs so I doubt it is a virus issue.
I noticed all this start after I did a Mountain Lion upgrade and then tried to start up VMware Fusion. Fusion seemed to just bog down the computer horribly but did not cause a system crash.
I need to edit an important sequence on Final Cut Pro and don't want it to freeze me out!
Anyone who has had this problem and resolved it please let me know
God bless

Systematically run through this list of fixes.
..Step by Step to fix your Mac
If it doesnt chine it doesn't mean much, the mute could be on or you installed a anti-chime software.

My Macbook Pro won't start up. All I get is a grey screen showing a grey folder bearing a question mark. Help please!

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for