What does it mean when i have a flashing folder with a question mark in it when i try to boot up?
what does it mean when I have a flashing folder with a question mark in the middle of it when I try to boot the interface?
It means the system cannot find a bootable OS. Reinstall OS X.
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
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, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) 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. Now restart normally.
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. 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.
Similar Messages
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Hello all, I've registered here because I can't work out how to get my keyboard and mouse to connect.
The issue is that when I turn my mid-2010 iMac on it doesn't load up, but instead shows a flashing folder with a question mark. I've Googled this and have some idea how to fix it, the first step in all guides to fixing the problem states that you should hold the option key upon start-up. The problem I'm having is that I've just had to change the batteries on my keyboard and mouse and they are now not connecting. I can't see how to get the keyboard and mouse connected with the Mac stuck on the flashing folder screen, and I can't get the Mac past said screen without using the keyboard. Does anyone know how I can connect the two devices?
Thanks.The flashing folder with the ? mark indicates that a bootable system can't be found. You'll need to borrow a wired keyboard so you can boot into the Recovery volume (boot with the Command + R keys held down). From there you can reinstall the system and try a normal reboot.
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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.
I inserted my Leopard disc, held C while booting and then opened Disc Utilitiy. But the only images to appear in the left column of Disc Utility is the "Mac OS X Install DVD". So I tried resetting the PRAM by holding down cmd-opt-R-P while booting.
Then I tried the same thing again but still there is only the install disc in the left column. If I go to Startup Disc there is only the install CD and "Network Startup".
Now, if I were to reinstall the system as it says in step 4 of the guide, what will happen to my data? I read that this error could be a sign of the hard drive crashing, and with no back up I really don't want that to happen.
So, is it safe to reinstall the system, or what do you suggest my next step to be?Try booting in Safe Mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
I tried booting in Safe Mode by holding down shift while starting, but it just went to the flashing folder with the ?-mark in it. Then I tried to enter single-user mode by holding down cmd-S while starting (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492), in order to try the fsck-thingy, but still just the flashing ?.
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.
Any more ideas? -
Getting a flashing folder with a question mark when starting Imac.
I got this flashing folder with a question mark on it when starting my Imac this morning. Im running on Osx 10.6. I put it in target disc mode and connected it to my macbook pro. I opened the disc utility app on the macbook and found my imac. I "verified" it and found an error. When I clicked "repair" the disc utility app froze and crashed. When I opened it again my Imac didn't show up. I've restarted both computers several times with no luck. Whats my next step?
Hi.
Try restarting your iMac while holding down the option (alt) key until the spinng gear appears. You should momentarily be presented with a list of startup drives to select.
Choose Macintosh HD (your normal startup disk drive) and click the right-arrow.
When your iMac boots, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and again select your normal startup disk. Then click Restart.
I hope this is helpful.
EDIT - disconnect the machines from each other first. -
So I came to this problem a while ago. M ycomputer basically froze so I was forced to shut down by holding the button down. When I started it up I got the flashing folder with a question mark. I started it up holding down the command and r keys which brought me to disk utility. Although my computer doesn't read that I have a hard drive to start it up. When I click on the disk utility app, I cannot verify or repair anything either. The buttons won't allow me to click on them. It also shows "Mac OSX Base System" which shows I have files and what not saved. I had been told that I need a new hard drive so I bought and manually installed a OWC SSD 240GB drive and when i booted the computer up it booted up yo the operating system fine with all my files and what not on there. After about twenty minutes, it froze again. I forced a shut down, restarted and the same thing happened. I am not able to choose my SSD to boot up, although thats probably because it doesn't have an operating system installed on it??
i have a Macbook Pro 13" 2011
any help would be great, I'm overall confused.ryansaint11,
this isn’t Apple support; this is a user-to-user forum. We’re just fellow users of Apple products here.
If you want to boot from your SSD, then you should put the SSD where your HDD currently is, and put the HDD into the optical bay. (That setup will also get you the best performance.) At the moment, you’re still booting from your HDD. Note that you will need to format your SSD in Disk Utility [with the “Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)” format] so that you can install OS X onto it.
Since you have an Early 2011 model, it might or might not have originally come with grey installation DVDs. You will be able to find out whether it did or not by trying to use OS X Internet Recovery to install OS X onto your SSD. If it does not work, or if the installed OS turns out to be Snow Leopard, then it will have originally come with the DVDs, and you should purchase a replacement pair of DVDs from Apple or iFixit; those discs will have your MacBook Pro’s Apple Hardware Test and its iLife apps. If the installed OS turns out to be Lion, then it will not originally have come with the grey installation DVDs, and your Apple Hardware Test will be installed along with Lion, and your iLife apps will be downloadable from the Mac App Store. -
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 ? -
What do I do when he only thing on my screen is a flashing folder with a question mark.
I had a few browsers open on my computer. I accessed my calendar and it froze. The mouse would still move, but I could not click on anything. Then the screen went grey with a flashing folder with a question mark. I turned the power off and turned it back only but only see the grey screen with the flashing folder. I tried resetting the PRAM but it still will not work. Can this be fixed? Please help!!
You may have a disk error - could be an unrepairable physical problem with the drive, or a repairable file structure problem.
Hold down cmd-R (both keys together) as you start up the Mac, and keep them held down until you see the Apple menu. When it boots to the recovery partition, click Disk Utility, and run Repair Disk on the Macintosh HD. Let us know if you see errors there and whether or not DU can fix them.
Good luck!
Matt -
When I start my Mac air I get a flashing folder with a question mark
I am trying to start my Mac air and I get a flashing folder with a question mark. When I turn the power of it shuts down but wen starting it comes back
Just being clear about your situation. When you hold down Option during boot it does not show a system volume or a recovery volume from which to boot. At that point if you select a network boot and you do not see a spinning globe that persists there a good while as it loads the recovery partition over the network. True?
A couple of more thinks to try:
Disconnect all of your external devices.
Reset PRAM
Boot with the option key again.
Standard things to try (which is sounds like you already have attempted) A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac -
I followed all of the directions after seeing that my laptop flashed the folder with the question mark. But when I went to disk utility to repair/ verify issues w/ start up disk it would not allow me to. The buttons to repair and modify we're there but they were grey and couldn't be pressed.
Were you trying to repair the disk you were booted from? You can't do that - you need to boot from your install disk, and choose 'Disk Utility' from the 'install' menu.
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Mac Book Air froze up and had to power down by force. When I tried to reboot, folder with a question mark on it is all that shows up on the screen.
Flashing folder with question mark?
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
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10763?viewlocale=en_US -
My macbook pro displays a folder with a question mark and won't open. What does this mean and how can I fix it?
it means your HD and the software can't find each other, the following article tells how to troubleshoot this issue:
https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
hopefully you have backup of your data since sometimes this means the HD is crashing.
if the article doesn't resolve the issue i would take the mac to apple store or service provider and have it looked at, the following link tells how to find one close to you:
https://locate.apple.com
good luck!! -
When I boot up my I get a grey screen with a flashing folder with a question mark
I was trying to set up a bootable Linux flash drive for another computer using UNetbootin and I accidentally selected an empty partition on my hard drive instead of the USB I was trying to use. It went through the install process, and I didn't realize it was on my computer rather than the USB. The computer worked fine, so I thought nothing of it.
Today, I go to mess with my computer and it is frozen at the login screen. I restart it, and now I just get a blinking folder with a question mark. I try to go into recovery, but it isn't there. Internet Recovery works fine, but when I go to use Disk Utility or to reinstall the OS it cannot find the internal Hard Disk.
What am I supposed to do here? I don't want to lose all my data.greenbil1
You can contact AppleCare to buy a replacement set of the oringinal Install discs for a nominal cost. You will need the serial number and a credit card to place the order. -
I have a MacBook pro and I need help getting it restarted. It flashes a folder with a question mark in it what is wrong with it, any suggestions
You either need to run a disk repair program on the hard disk, or reinstall the OS on that drive. Both of there require a recovery partition or a Mac OS X install disk.
(69883) -
Have a still folder with a question mark and OS on external HDD isn't loading onto the Mac Pro
Good Morning....... I'm having an issue with this Mac Pro I've recently purchased that came with an 500GB HDD and I added an 2TB HDD also, but it never had an OS on it and when you power on the Mac Pro, you'll get a still folder with a question mark on it. I am very determined to get this situation corrected!!! I had got a copy of Snow Leopard on a blank DVD from a friend of mine but nothing had changed or occurred when I put it in the optical drive & I even saved Maverick installation on an external HDD; it read the drive when I held down the option key during the startup chime, I choose the external because that’s the only volume it shown on the screen; nothing else!!! No sign of the copied disk, the two HDDs that's in the Mac Pro, just the external HDD with the OS on it; I choose the external with Maverick on it but it still doesn't read and then a still folder with the question mark appears..... Can someone please help & save me PLEASE?????????
Buy a retail copy of Snow Leopard, then we can "chat" and get you with a system installed.
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Hi
I dropped my macbook yesterday and it turned itself off. When I tried to turn it back on all I got was a white/gray screen with a flash folder with a ? in the middle of it? What does this mean and how do I get it to stop so I can log onto my laptop?Deev
Normally the question mark on the gray screen means it can't find the operating system. Have you tried booting up from the installation DVD? Do that, and when you come to the screen where it wants to begin a system installation you'll notice in the menubar where it say's utilites. Click on that and choose disk utility. from there choose your disk and try to verify and repair the disk. If you can you may want to also try and new install of the system. I don't know how much critical data you have, but reinstalling is an option. did you purcahse you from an Apple store? If you did you may want them to look at it. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Joseph
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