White screen, question mark folder flashing

Okay, yes I know there are tons of forms on this, but I haven't been able to get much from them.
My boyfriend has an iMac, one of the original ones. It hasn't been used for a while, so we aren't sure which OS X it is running.
The mac boots up, but comes up to the wonderful white screen with the flashing question mark folder.
We don't have the install disk, and cannot purchase one.
I've removed, cleaned and reinstalled the RAM. I've tried unplugging, holding power for 5 - 10 seconds & restarting, also restarting using CMD/OPT/P/R. All of which haven't gotten me anywhere.
I've read up a bit, being the possibilty the hard drive and screen aren't connected, I've considered taking it apart, but I'd like to save that bit of work for last resort.
I'm currently reading the option of downloading the OS X version it needs and using a USB or external hard drive. Now don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good with computers, but Mac's are out of my realm, so I need some help with this.
I had a standard "LaCie" external hard drive, and my windows 8 PC.
I'm not sure if the Mac runs PPC or Intel (is there any way to tell, not being able to use the computer?)
What OS X version would I download, doesn't have to be the newest, but the newest version that would be compatiable with both Intel and PPC?
What commands would I use to access and begin the install from the external hard drive?
If anyone can assist with those questions, would be very greatful.
Or if you have any other ideas that might work, I'm open for trying just about anything.
** We do not have an apple store, or authorized seller within a minimum 6 hour drive, so that's out of the question.
** I'm only looking for options of things that I can try. If I run out of options we will be sending it away. I want to try what I can before we get into the costly expenses.

It is hard to make any suggestions without knowing what model the iMac is..?
Look on the bottom of the stand for the EMC and/or serial #.........
see > Where can I locate the EMC Number on my Mac @ EveryMac.com
I'm not sure if this helps, but all Early 2006 thru 2009 Intel iMac models can use the $20 retail Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Upgrade DVD for the purpose of upgrading, testing, repairing, and installing OS X if your original install disc's are missing.
No, your windows formatted LaCie external Hard Drivel will not help you in any way at this point.
Another thing that you might try is the > Apple Hardware Test, because the test resides on the internal hard drive of the early models.

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Grey screen, question mark folder flashing.

I have G4 powerbook with a grey screen and question mark folder flashing. I also have the Leopard dvd stuck in the slot. I tried the eject, and holding down mouse unsuccessfuly ejecting dvd. Any suggestions.

The flashing question mark means the system can't find anything to boot from. See this on the gray screen.

White screen with file folder flashing

I was given a MacBook 13" laptop, new to apple computers though. At first I was told the laptop itself did not power on. I charged it overnight, and it will come on, however, only to a white screen with a file folder in the middle with a ? mark in the file folder. I googled the screen and got several choices, start in save mode, did nothing. I called apple, since it is a 2006 model computer, it is of course out of support, but she emailed me articles to follow directions. None of them did anything, since it was given to me I do not have the start up disks, just the laptop and the charger. I did notice that out of all the steps the only thing that did anything different was the "reset NVRAM/PRAM" it made speakers make a sound as it was starting up. Thats all it just still went to white screen and file folder.
Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Stephanie

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.
You will need to have Operating System install disks, If you don't have a friend with an install disk that you could borrow you can order a Snow Leopard 10.6 install disk for $29 as long as you have at least 1gb of RAM and 5gb of free space on your hard drive. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
The 2006 MacBook originally came with 10.4 Tiger. I called Apple Customer Support (1- (800) 767-2775) to check on how much they charge for the gray restore disks that originally came with the MacBook and was quoted $16 dollars per disk plus S & H. Which would be $32 for the two disks. Just give them the serial number of your MacBook and they'll know which ones you need. With the original disks you also get the iLife that was current when your MacBook was bought included on the #2 disk.
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.
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.

Start Up Issue - Question mark folder flashes, then computer boots.

This is more of an annoyance than anything as the issue has not stopped my computer from booting. I haven't been able to find anything about this in support forums or online.
When I boot my macbook, the question mark folder thing flashes once, and then the apple logo comes up and the computer boots OK. However, it does take a few extra seconds to boot with this whole folder issue, anyone know what would cause that? I was thinking wrong start up volume but since it boots and thats the only volume (I checked and it's correct) I'm stumped. Any ideas would help.
Ben
Macbook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Hello Ben.
Try deselecting and reselecting the startup volume and then restart.

I've got nothing(gray screen, question mark folder) Please Help!

This problem is on my girlfriend’s computer, about the same as mine, PB G4 800mhz 768mb RAM, 10.4.x
I am a competent user and this one has me worried…
Problem
Last night she goes to the computer sends an IM checks her e mail, watch some tv, goes back to the computer to look something up on line and its frozen, I do not recall if the mouse was visible but I don’t think there was a beach ball. She asks me what to do I said just give it a few minutes maybe it will process through what ever it is and be back to normal. We both forget to take a look at it before bed.
This morning computer is still frozen/non-responsive and the fans are running... Shut down by holding down the power key. I try to re-start by pressing power key, screen lights up with gray background wait wait then the folder icon comes up with the question mark in it. This gets me worried.
What I have tried
I have tried to get it into target disc mode with my powerbook(computer B), I start up computer A holding down the T key and the screen goes to that moving firewire icon but the hard drive does not show up on my computer B.
I tried unplugging it, removing the battery and re setting the pram
I tried to run the hard ware test CD, but when I hold C to boot to the CD it spins up the disc and the little hardware test folder is in the middle of the screen but then it does not load any further. I had to shut down holding the power button. Computer would not eject CD so I had to start up and use unix eject cd command, this worked.
I tried target disc mode again.
I tried just a plain start up again.
I do not have the 10.4 CD at my house so I have not tried to start from that yet, but I can borrow one from grandparents this evening after work, but I am worried since it will not start from the hardware test CD that it will not start from the system CD.
I believe I have computer A backed up from either last week or the week before( I thought about doing it this weekend but did not get to it  ), she is not backed up daily as I am. Though she said there is quite a bit of important work from this past week.
I have no idea what to do next or what the source of the problem could be(software or hardware). I fear the worst, but hope that you can share an idea that will turn out for the best!
Please help me fix this computer, I can play with it some when I go home for lunch and then I need to get it fixed if possible this evening because she needs some important class work and grad school applications from it!
Jerome

So is the next step to try and re-format the drive and then use super duper to copy the back up over to that drive and then run disc utility and disc warrior on it? Which specs should I select for the re format, do they have to be the same as what is on my back up drive?
Yes, reformatting the drive is the next step. Use your Panther installer discs, choose Mac OS Extended format, and check the box to install OS 9 drivers, just in case. The "Verified" SMART status is somewhat less reliable than a "Failing" status would have been: "Failing" definitely means trouble was detected, but "Verified" could just mean nothing seemed to be wrong right at the moment when you happened to ask. So if there's any trouble reformatting the drive, replace it: you shouldn't entrust anything important to it. If all goes smoothly with the reformat, the drive probably really is OK.
What you can do with your backup depends on how you created it. If the backup is a bootable clone made with Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper, you can clone it back to the reformatted drive the same way you created it in the first place, then add the extra files that were created or modified after you made the backup. If you just Finder-copied the drive to another drive, the backup isn't bootable, and copying it back onto the reformatted drive won't make that one bootable either: OS X isn't Finder-copyable. In that case, I really shouldn't advise you on reconstructing the former contents of the drive from your backup — my only experience of backing up OS X disks is by cloning, which eliminates all the hassles of making sure user accounts, passwords, permissions, etc. are transferred correctly to the backup, and then transferred correctly back to the original disk in a restore. Nearly four years after my adoption of OS X, I confess I'm still far more mystified by many aspects of it than I ever was by the old-time Mac OS.
Message was edited by: eww

Flashing world icon, sad mac & question mark folder

Hi. Since installing 10.4.3 my system won't boot. I downloaded and installed the update then restarted the machine, the screen go's dull grey and then a square icon with the world inside it start to flash, a few seconds after that a sad mac/question mark folder flashes then the system appears to start. The disk spins up, the Apple logo appears then after a few more seconds the disk graudually grinds to a halt and the system shuts itself down. Why would this be happening, someone told me that it sounds like it's trying to netboot (whatever that may be) How can I resolve this issue and get my system back? Thanks.

Try holding down option (alt) at boot to get the open firmware boot selection screen then select your internal drive as the book disk. After start up completes (if it does) go to System Prefs/Startup Disk and reselect the internal disk, restart and it should be fine.

Recently securely erased imac, boots up to question mark folder.

So i securely wiped my partitions lastnight, and when it was done it created a new partition called "untitled" so i thought that was ok and i could change it later. guess not. because i stupidly shut off my computer and turned it back on, it went to the question mark folder flashing. so i turned it off again and tried CMD SHIFT R. didnt work. i dont know what to do and i dont have a recovery DVD for Mavericks

First of all, hold the Option (Alt) key while your computer is starting, and if you see Recovery HD, choose it. Then, reinstall OS X Mavericks.
If it doesn't work, hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your Mac is starting up and reinstall OS X. If you installed Lion or Mountain Lion in the past, the oldest OS X version will be installed instead of Mavericks, so you may have to upgrade Mac OS X

Question mark folder on startup, Question mark folder on startup?

Have startup problem with question mark folder flashing on startup. How do I fix it?

Reinstall OS X 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/.

Question mark folder on restart but boots fine on cold startup.

I'm having an issue with restarting my macbook. Every time I *restart* from the OS, I get a question mark folder flashing. When I start from a cold boot, however, I boot into my drive just fine.
I have a MacBook Pro 13" late 2012 and I've replaced the HDD with an SSD. The SSD is a Kingston 240 gb. I can provide more information if necessary.
Please help! It's an avoidable issue but it bothers me and I'd like to have it fixed.

jchung1029 wrote:
After much research, I've found the solution.
My SSD is a Kingston V300 240gb SSD. For some reason, it has trouble with restarts but a firmware update fixed the issue. Do NOT reset the NVRAM/PRAM as it will keep your Mac from successfully booting into your drive. I had to wipe the drive and start over as the Disc Repair utility did not work either.
Thank you all that responded!
urgh that sounds a little icky. Are PRAM resets still broken?
Do you know if this is an issue with specific Mac models or generally with this disk model & Macs. I'd be contacting the vendors to see if it can be exchanged or refunded, I'd be concerned it could alter how other startup actions behave too, like target disk mode (hold T), the boot picker (hold alt), single user mode (cmd + s)… Without these troubleshooting becomes much harder.

White screen with a folder and a question mark in the Folder

Hi,
My daughter's Desktop Mac Pro won't reboot. On reboot, it shows a white screen with a folder and a question mark within, It just stays there and nothing happens. Is this a problem with a dead hard drive, dead processor, faulty USB connection, problem with airport.? We need advise and help, please!
effie imperio

Hi, Anonymoustache, thanks for responding.
Yes, I think it is "a flashing question mark". If it is flashing, you think it is a hardware problem like a dead hard drive? I had a flashing question mark with my Power book G4 and Apple replaced a dead hard drive.
Thanks Hatter, I will convey your response to my daughter and see if it will help.
effie imperio

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

You are using Snow Leopard so you have no OPTION+R shortcut. You need to boot the computer from your Snow Leopard DVD or USB flash drive.
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
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 Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

HT1553 I did the back up as instructed... Installed a larger hard drive and followed the restore instructions... Now I get a white screen with a folder icon and blinking question mark. When trying to set startup with new drive I get a bless tool error...

I did the back up as instructed... Installed a larger hard drive and followed the restore instructions... Now I get a white screen with a folder icon and blinking question mark. When trying to set startup with new drive I get a bless tool error... Help!!

If you have installed a new hard drive , you will need to have formatted it in Disk Utility correctly. This may explain your problem.
Boot into your 10.6 Install disk again at the top menubar > Utilities > select Disk utility and in there select your new hard drive, and select the tab Erase and choose to make the format as Mac OS Extended Journaled. When that is finished look in the main window to make sure that the partition map scheme says GUID Partition Table.
Now go to the Restore tab and reinstall from your backup.

My older ibook g4 is locked up with an icon flashing. looks like a file folder flashing a blue and white face/question mark. what is this?

my older ibook g4 is locked up with an icon flashing. looks like a file folder flashing a blue and white face/question mark. what is this?

Apple's suggestions for dealing with the flashing question mark folder:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US
Niel has summed it up pretty nicely.

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).

Large file folder with question mark is flashing on screen.

Just turned on computer for the first time and a large file folder with a question mark is flashing on the screen. I am unable to do anything and have restarted and it does the same thing. Please help!

It does this when it can't see the operating system. You didn't give much information but I'm assuming it's a brand new mini and you aren't using any external drives for the operating system. If that's the case then yes, reinstall OS X. Put your install DVD into the optical drive and reboot. As soon as you hear the chime, hold down the "C" key on your keyboard (or the Option key until the Install Disk shows up). That will force your Mac to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
If reinstallation isn't possible, or if the problem continues after reinstallation, then you need to exchange it for another, because something is keeping the operating system on the drive from being read.

White screen, question mark folder flashing

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