Blinking folder with question mark, and disk utility doesnt recognise hard drive, please help!!!

So today i was using my macbook pro and for some reason my CD/DVD drive was causing noise when i put a DVD inside it, and for some reason it did not recognise my DVD. I force ejected it using the restart and clicking, but after that my computer showed a blinking folder and question mark during start up. I restarted my computer to Recovery HD, but instead it took me to internet Recovery HD (i have mountain lion), and so i went to disk utility to repair my disk, but in the left it did not recognise my hard drive. Please help! Im not that experienced in computing!

Sounds like some sort of power issue and now your drive is not working.
You'll have to take this to Apple for repair.
You should read this if you don't have recent backups of your data off the machine.
My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?

Similar Messages

  • Blinking folder with question mark! Recovery mode not recognising hard drive!

    So today on my MacBook Pro 13" mid 2010, for some reason a CD that I inserted inside the DVD/CD drive didn't come out, and was stuck inside. So I looked up on how to force eject it out, and I saw someone wrote that you can force eject the CD by putting a paper clip inside the hole next to the CD/DVD drive. I did this, and it did not work. After I turned on my MacBook Pro and on the startup I found the blinking folder with question mark! I went through Internet recovery mode, and I found out that it did not recognise my hard drive!
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    Kazmunai wrote:
    I saw someone wrote that you can force eject the CD by putting a paper clip inside the hole next to the CD/DVD drive. I did this, and it did not work.
    That was for very old Mac's and PC's, it's been a long time since any modern Mac had that ability.
    CD that I inserted inside the DVD/CD drive didn't come out, and was stuck inside.
    Press and hold the power button down to force a hardware shutdown.
    Hold the trackbutton down and the option/alt key at the same time, now boot the machine.
    The disk should spit out and you should eventually see a row of icons appear on the screen, this is Startup Manager and you can pres the eject key here also to get the cd to spit out.
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    Try a #1 SMC Reset and a #2 PRAM reset and see if that fixes things.
    ..Step by Step to fix your Mac
    If not, I then suspect because you couldn't eject the cd that something electrical bad happened to the Superdrive and as a result it also effected the power or something going to the boot hard drive.
    The hard drive might still work just fine if it's removed from the machine and a SATA to USB adpater to another Mac.
    My advice is to take the machine to Apple for a free hardware evaluation, then decide what you want to do from there.
    My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?

  • Grey folder with question mark and Disk Utility can't find HDD.

    I have a 2010 MacBook Pro and for some reason the OS X does not boot up. Therefore I see the grey folder flashing. I tried booting into Recovery from holding options button but there are no available startup disks. So I installed Apple recovery on my USB and I boot up with that. I opened disk utility but it does not seem to find the hard disk. I also tried reinstalling Mac OS X and it gives me an error. Is there another bootable software except for Disk Utility that can check the HDD and see if there are any errors or is the HDD just dead?

    Try the steps in this support article:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
    Have you tried installing the original Snow Leopard installation disk and access Disk Utility from the Utilities menu?
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  • Blinking folder with question mark and a new hard drive: also installing Mountain Lion and 0 with a line through it appears please help?

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    You'll have to take this to Apple for repair.
    You should read this if you don't have recent backups of your data off the machine.
    My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?

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  • Help! Blinking folder with question mark and Mac Logo

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    Not from doing what I've suggested. The computer has basic instructions on the chip which tell it what to do next after you press start - i.e. start OSX from a particular place on the hard drive. Hopefully, what I've suggested will enable the machine to do that and wall will be well
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  • My computer has a blinking folder with question mark on it at start... What is going on?

    My computer has a blinking folder with question mark on it at start... What is going on?

    The hatter wrote:
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  • Not solved with Blinking Folder with Question Mark after Erasing Hard Drive

    Before asking, I found someone had asked exact the same question, but that was actually an unsolved thread.
    Re: Blinking Folder with Question Mark after Erasing Hard Drive to try to restore to Factory Settings
    Level 1(0 points)sdc3gJul 5, 2013 6:24 PM Re: Blinking Folder with Question Mark after Erasing Hard Drive to try to restore to Factory Settings
    Re: Blinking Folder with Question Mark after Erasing Hard Drive to try to restore to Factory Settings 
    in response to Niel
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    Well, it was solved. I shifted to other place and tried other WIFis. One of the WiFi had the 2002f problem and another was fine, so the reinstall worked smoothly eventually.
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  • When booting up get flashing apple folder with question mark and no sign, why?

    When booting up get flashing apple folder with question mark and no sign, why?  Computer will not open up.  I have tried resetting the Pram.  I can access the hard drive from another computer holding down the t key when starting up the Macbook Pro.  What to do next?

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    This morning when I turned on my laptop, it made a weird ticking noise and now all I can get is a blinking icon that looks like a manilla folder with a question mark.

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  • 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?

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    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
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  • Blinking folder with question mark

    Ok so I had this macbook air for couple of months now long story short I was outside US when my issue started. While using the computer either completely freezes or becomes almost inoperable and the only course of action is to force restart it by holding the power button. Once you start it back on you get a follder with a question mark. this happens once every few days. I first took it to apple store in France they said something is wrong but since it was purchased in US they cannot do anything about it. when I came back to US took it to apple store that is about 10+ restores after. The store people test it and determine everything works as it should. Couple of days later happened again took it in the same store as is with the folder with question mark.  They did a fresh install and told me should work fine. but it didn't I took it to another store they order a hard drive for it came in few days later and was quickly replace that evening computer was running very slow and eventually the same thing happen got the same wiped hard drive just the next day. I called apple few times now they keep on talking about test and what not and it is software related but i have tried it without any of my files and no timemachine restore with the same result. So what should I do I paid almost $2000 for the macbook air and another 200+ for apple care. Who should I talk to to get my issue result? This is the first time I have issue with a mac but so far I have waisted 40+ hours dealing with this macbook. My mac is mid 2013 13" i7 8GB 512gb and its under apple care until october 2016

    I have been in apple store 4 times already but I will not get a replacement. Today I got a call from Bob who is part of the executive corporate relations team. He told me, he is sure my issue is fixable and they can not replace my mint condition mac eventhough I have had that issue almost since day 1. He didn't even for a moment stopped and truly appologize that even after paying $2300+ out the door I have to go through all this BS I guess I am just another pain in the behind customer, who should man up and learn to deal with his files disappearing every other day and I should make the time to restore my macbook air every other day. Mr Bob also said they didn't have time to diagnose the computer and I demanded hard drive replacement. How does a customer demand technician to replace a specific part is beyond my comprehension. The only reason I asked apple to replace my macbook air is because I have a long trip coming up and at this point I have to walk in the store and buy a new notebook and leave this one at home. He also said there is no reason to complain to BBB because those complains are handled by their department and they will offer me nothing different.

  • Trying to start macbook air, getting a flashing folder with question mark. Cannot restart from USB recovery stick. HELP!

    Had to perform disc repair a couple of weeks ago and reinstall to defaults. At that time had spinning wheel when trying to start. Now have flashing folder icon with question mark, and cannot enter utilities or start from recovery USB. Totally stumped at this point.

    You have not mentioned whether or not you are following procedure to switch to a different boot disk. Try holding down the option key while booting, and then all possible bootable disks will display, and allow you to choose the USB drive.

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    Make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store. They may be able to help. The appointment is free. The hard disk may have died.
      Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar 

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