Blinking file folder w/ question mark at startup

This morning I opened my 2009 MacBook and it was business as usual. Then safari froze, which happens a lot, so I force quit the app and started it back up. Then the whole computer froze, so I force shut it down and when I restarted it the apple logo appeared on the blue screen as usual but the wheel that indicates that it's loading kept spinning. So I restarted again, and every time I've tried to reboot since, the blinking folder with the question mark appears. And after a while the computer shuts itself down. I know this has to do with the hard drive, but I don't know how to fix it. I have it charging right now and a friend suggested I try shift+R, but are there any other fixes? I'm super concerned because I'm studying abroad in France and I don't know of any apple stores that provide the care that the USA ones do, and I'm also broke (the student thing, again), AND I'm here until the end of June. So I definitely can't just wait till I get home to get it fixed. Thanks for any and all help and suggestions!

The flashing qustion mark on boot means the system can't find a device to boot from.
You didn't say what operating system you have, so if 10.5 or 10.6 see http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US .
If it's 10.7 follow the steps in the note above.  You may also need to use Lion recovery, see http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/ and http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Similar Messages

  • Restarted and received a blinking file folder with question mark image.

    I left my computer sitting while I was working on homework long enough for the screen saver to come on (I'm not sure exactly how long it was). Earlier in the day, I had to force quit safari and then later it unexpectedly quit several times. While my computer was sitting, it looked like it does when it restarts. I waited until it started to come back up, and instead of coming up to the desktop, it came up with a blinking file folder and question mark. I had not done anything unusual with it, and had not tried to restore it. My dad was working on trying to fix it, and inserted the OS X disk. When the options came up, in the repair feature, the disk could not locate my harddrive. I was wondering if anyone else had encountered this problem, and if so how it was resolved. If anyone had any tips or ideas of things I could try that would be great. I can't really get it to an apple store soon, and I'm a student so my computer is very important to me. Thanks.

    Mornin' John,
    I also have an OWC external firewire drive that I tried to install OSX Tiger to but was told that I could not install OSX Tiger on the external drive.
    What Format is that Drive? GUID/MacOS Extended? It should work if the right format.
    Is there any way to run Disk Warrior from the external hard drive ... to try and rectify this issue, or at least get my data off the dead drive (if it is so)?
    From the external only if you can get OSX installed.
    What version is it? Do you mot have the CD?
    or from my PowerBook G4
    Possibly, with the MaBook in FW Target Mode
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
    If DiskWarrior can't fix it, you might try Data Rescue II...
    http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/
    http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
    (Has a Free Demo to see if it could or not, but you'll need another drive to recover to).

  • MacBook Pro flashes file folder with question mark and startup manager will not run

    My son's MacBook Pro won't boot (gets the flashing file folder with question mark).  When I try to open startup manager (holding "option" key during boot does not do it).  Other posts suggest inserting the install disk, but I am pretty sure that for Lion, there was no disk, it was just off the website through the App Store.  Any further suggestions?

    Reinstalling Lion/Mountain 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/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

  • How do I get rid of file folder with question mark at startup?

    Following a force quit, at startup I get, first the startup audio followed by a profile of a file folder with a question mark on it.

    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.
    Put your install DVD into the optical drive and reboot. 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). 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. Just 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.
    If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

  • Blinking file icon with question mark at startup

    my computer sort of froze so i forced restarted it (second time i've done that in its one year lifetime) and when it started back up the screen displayed a file icon with a question mark blinking on and off every two seconds. eventually the fan started humming too. i have since forced restarted it twice with the same results. any ideas on why my darling will not start properly?

    My MacBook Pro did the same thing last night, and I don't think this is good news.
    So far I have:
    -Reset PRAM and PMU
    -Startup from install disks and run Disk Utility. DU doesn't even see the drive! Even Target disk mode doesn't reveal the drive.
    -Archive and install; the installer doesn't see the drive
    None of these worked, and from reading on other disussions, it looks like it is a hareware problem. I will be going to the Applestore this afternoon when I get off of work to see if they can fix it.

  • TS1440 Mac on start-up becomes a white screen with a blinking file folder with question mark. Can't log in or get on computer.

    Please help, other forum from 2011 didn't help. Can't get info because I can't log in.

    See this Apple note, which applies to OS X 10.7 Lion as well. This Apple note applies to OS X 10.6 and earlier but provides a little more information. When they talk about booting from CD, that's a boot with command and r keys held down in OS X 10.7 Lion.

  • Getting white screen with file folder and question mark on it...help

    My MacBook Pro starts up and only shows a white screen with a file folder with question mark on it.  I have not had problems prior to this.  Help!,

    That means that no valid system could be found to boot from.  What might have caused that is hard to say, but try referring to this document:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440
    Note that if you are using Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion), you don't start up from your install disk.  Hold down command-R at startup instead.

  • What does a white screen with a file folder and question mark indicate?

    what does a white screen with a file folder and question mark indicate upon start up?

    That the computer can't find a useable boot volume.
    Boot from your grey installer DVD disc 1 (hold down the C key on startup or hold down Alt/option on start and choose the installer disc).
    OK the language page (if present). From the installer screen, go to the menu bar and choose Disk Utility; depending on the OS version it may be in the Utilities menu or Tools menu.
    In DU, select your internal drive in the sidebar (the top item with the makers name and serial no.). Run Repair Disk (not Disk permissions). If problems are reported as repaired, run it again until you get a message in green "the volume seems to be OK".
    If it says it can't repair the disc, you may need heavier guns such as DiskWarrior or TechTool to attempt a rescue.
    Hope you have backups; retrieving data from adead drive can be expensive and tricky.

  • Mac Shows Folder With Question Mark On Startup?

    Hey Guys!
    I currently own a Macbook Air First Genereation (2008) running on Lion 10.7.5 (upgraded from Snow Leopard)
    Recently, when I was just using the Macbook Air, the Hard disk started spinning and was creating a lot of noise well I just ignored it and gave it a hard reboot
    So the next day wehn I booted my mac it was showing a folder with question mark on startup. I tried going to recovery (holding option on startup) but neither Macintosh HD or Recovery HD was being shown. I tried a internet recovery but it was not even entering Internet Recovery. I tried Single User mode, that didn't work.
    I really don't know what to do now, I am panicking cause I don't have a backup and all my schoolwork is inside there.
    Please reply soon and thanks in advance if you can help me
    A youtube tutorial or online step by step tutorial would be great!

    My tutorial is simple: pack up the MBA and charger and head for the nearest Apple store or Apple reseller. The error you see can mean three things: (1) your drive's system files are damaged, (2) your drive's directory or partition are damaged, or (3) your drive is dead. The fact that you can't boot into the recovery mode pretty much eliminates #1. It is possible that your drive's partition table was damaged but were that the case I'd expect that Internet recovery would work. So I strongly suspect #3.

  • I need to reinstall my operating system for 10.5 after seeing a file folder and question mark flashing on my start up screen. Can anyone help me with this?

    I need to reinstall my operating system for 10.5 after seeing a file folder and question mark flashing on my start up screen. Can anyone help me with this?

    Hello,
    That means it can find the Hard Drive, or can't find the things needed for booting.
    See if DU even sees it.
    "Try Disk Utility
    1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
    2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
    *Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
    3. Click the First Aid tab.
    4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
    5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
    Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
    (Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

  • I powered up my macbook and there is a file folder with question mark on the screen flashing.  What does that mean?

    Powered up Mac book and screen showing file folder with question mark flashing? 

    A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
    Hope that solves your issue.

  • What does a blinking file with a question mark mean?

    Hey guys! i have a mid 2008 macbook pro and it recently turned off and whenever i try to turn it back on, a blinking file with a question mark pops up? any thoughts or ideas? Maybe the hardrive is broken or something?

    Solution may be found if you search in the "More Like This" section over in the right column. 

  • Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup

    Hello.
    I need help with my Macbook Pro.  I get a blue screen with a flashing folder and a question mark at start up.  To date I have tried the following:
    Apple Hardware (Extensive) Test (Results:  "No Trouble Found")
    Safe Boot
    Reset NVRAM
    Reinstall OS X via the internet (I received no discs when I purchased it).  I select the StartUp Disk to reinstall. When reinstalling via the internet I get to a point of reinstalling Mountain Lion but it asks me to choose a drive - yet there are no drive options to choose from. Then a window comes up asking me to "Select the system you want to use to start up your computer" but no options appear.  When I choose "Restart" a note pops up saying "You can't change the startup disk to the selected disk.  Startup Disk could not gather enough information on the selected disk."
    The only option is "Restart" from the Apple menu.  When I choose that it goes back to the original "Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup."
    I have no Time Machine
    I can't access the disc utility.
    Are there any ideas as to what might be the problem?

    Your hard drive has likely failed and needs replaced. That would explain why the system does not display it when you attempt to reinstall the OS via Internet Recovery.

  • 27 inch Imac Intel won't boot up. Screen ligthts up, then shows a flashing file folder w question mark. What can I do to find the problem?

    27 inch iMac Intel won't boot up. Screen lights up, then shows a flashing file folder w question mark. What can I do to find the problem?

    Please readd Apple's trouble shooting steps in Flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac

  • File folder w/ question mark

    Hello all-
    Im new to the board and fairly new to macs. I was just wondering if anyone could help me figure out why when im trying to install leopard 10.5 my computer freezes. Now when I turn it on it has the flashing file folder with a ?. I put in my leopard disk and restarted holding down the opions key and a lock pops up and wants you to type a password, so I type my password in and then it has a picture of a cd and a little arrow under it and says install os x 10.5 when I click the arrow the pointer freezes and the computer does nothing. Everytime I turn it on now it goes to the file folder with question mark. Any help would be great. I really need my mac back up and running.

    Welcome to Apple Discussions!
    Exactly which MBP do you have? And which Leopard install disc? Is it one of the original gray system discs that came with your Mac, or something else? Do you have the original gray system disc? Can you boot from it?
    I'm thinking there may be some incompatibility with the disc and the Mac. If, for example, your Mac originally shipped with Snow Leopard, then you won't be able to install Leopard because it is an older operating system. If you could give more information about your Mac and the Leopard disc, it would help us to see what the problem might be and what needs to be done to resolve it.

Maybe you are looking for