Flashing file icon w/ question mark at start up
My MacBook had been working fine on Tiger since I bought it last august, and a few months ago I installed Leopard, which also worked great except for safari freezing up every once in a while. But today when I tried to start it up and the blue screen appeared, it stayed like that for about ten seconds, and then a flashing file icon with a question mark appeared. I have no idea what it means, I can't make it startup. I've turned it on and off a few times, hoping for the best, but nothing. This computer is not even a year old, any help?
Thanks in advance.
Welcome to the Apple boards:
Your first hint that something was wrong was when Safari started freezing.
You may have a bad HD or at least one that is going bad.
Boot into the Leopard DVD and in the menu select Utilities and disk utility and repair HD and permissions.
See if that helps.
You may need more powerful tools such as DiskWarrior to repair the drive if it's flaky.
If the computer is less than a year old, you may be able to get it fixed at a local Apple store.
Similar Messages
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Flashing File Icon with Question Mark Upon Start-Up
Today when I went to use my computer (which was already on) it went blank and then came up with a gray screen with a flashing file icon with a question mark in the middle of it. I have already troubleshot things with several forums online and nothing has worked. I have tried to restart in Safe mode, single user mode, verbose mode, and tried to get on using my option key which got me to an internet login screen finally. I tried to log in and eventually got to an apply.com/support screen with -1007f underneath. I am not 100% which operating system I am on. I know that it is Mac OS X and pretty recent. Please respond if you can help!
Reset the SMC and PRAM
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
About NVRAM and PRAM
To boot from DVD:
Press C during startup
Start up from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive (such as OS X install media). -
White screen with flashing file icon with question mark mean
What does this mean. We are getting a white screen with flashing file icon with question mark inside the file.
It almost certainly means it can't find a bootable volume (one with OS X on it).
Which means most likely you will have to find your original system installation DVD and install it. Then you should figure out what caused the problem.
Read this to diagnose it before resorting to reinstalling the OS:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
Excerpt:
Additional steps
If your Mac still starts to a flashing question mark, follow the steps below. If any step resolves the issue, you don't need to continue to the next one.
Select your Mac OS X startup disk with Startup Manager by restarting and holding the Option key. After your Mac starts up, restart again to verify that the flashing question mark does not appear.
If the issue persists, insert your Mac OS X installation disc. 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.
MacBook Air note: On a MacBook Air, there are two options for starting up from Mac OS X media: Either connect a MacBook Air SuperDrive to the MacBook Air via the USB port and restart the computer, holding down the C key during startup, or use Remote Install Mac OS X to startup from a system software DVD that's located on a partner computer. Once started up from Mac OS X media, skip to step 3.
Restart the computer, then hold the C key during startup.
From the Utilities menu, choose Disk Utility. Don't click Continue.
Select your Mac OS X disk (named "Macintosh HD" by default) in the left side of the Disk Utility window.
Click the First Aid tab.
Click Repair Disk to verify and repair any issues with your Mac OS X startup disk.
After repairing the disk, try to start up normally.
Important: If Disk Utility finds issues it cannot repair, you may need to back up as much of your data as possible (or use Time Machine to back up to a different disk), then erase the disk and reinstall Mac OS X. You should back up important files and data before erasing a drive. Erasing deletes everything on the hard disk (including things on your desktop). Also, you can install Mac OS X onto an external disk, start from the external disk, and use Migration Assistant to transfer items from your usual internal Mac OS X startup disk to the external disk, then erase the internal disk and reinstall Mac OS X.
If the issue persists, and Disk Utility didn't find any irreparable issues, quit Disk Utility, quit the Installer, select your disk when prompted, and restart.
If the issue continues, reset PRAM. Note: After resetting PRAM, if the computer starts up normally, reselect the startup disk in the Startup Disk preferences.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, start up from the Mac OS X Installation disc and reinstall Mac OS X. -
Help ! Flashing folder icon with question mark when starting up
Hi, I have tried to restore my macbook pro 15 (2012 model with Yosemite OS X) to factory settings and wipe out the hard drive but on restarting it I now just get a blank screen with a flashing folder icon with a question mark on it. Any help/advice anyone I would be very grateful for ! Thanks, Mark
Something didn't install properly.
Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
b. Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the
COMMAND and R keys until the Utilities 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.
3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities 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. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
4. Reinstall Yosemite: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall OS X from the Utilities menu, 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.
5. Reinstall Yosemite from Scratch:
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless. -
White screen, showing a flashing file icon with question mark??
Having issues with the above, please help
Flashing ? mark means it can't find the Disk it thinks it's supposed to boot from, or the Disk is muxed badly.
If 10.7.0 or later...
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partitirion & use Disk Utility from there. -
When I start MacBook Pro13 shows gray Screen and flashing file Image with question mark
When I start MacBook Pro13 shows gray Screen and flashing file Image with question mark , it's brand new I just receive it from Apple Store .
Startup Manager to select Startup disk.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310
Repair Disk
Steps 2 through 8
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836 -
I've got a 15" white macbook which I bought about 2 years ago. It froze the other day and wouldn't respond so I shut it down. When I turn it on now it comes up with a flashing file with a question mark on it. How can I fix it? I've tried a few things i've seen online but the futhest ive got is to put the start up disk in when you makes it go to a grey screen with an apple logo and the spinning wheel which then stops spinning. Can anybody help?
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 handlist. 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. -
How do I get rid of the flashing file with a question mark in it?
I wanted to start clean on my MacBook Pro osx 10.9.4. So I did the command r and erased what I thought was the right one. I restarted my computer and did the command r again and what came up was internet recovery. It can't find my internet because it's WEP and I don't know to change it to wpa. So I restarted my computer again and I didn't do the command r but just let it load itself to see what would happen and all I get is a flashing file with a question mark. I don't know what to do. Someone please help me.
Do you get this display?
If so, you have to select an Internet connection. Do not expect quick response time in this mode. All activities in this mode will be lengthy.
Ciao. -
Hi I installed a new hard drive in my Mac mini osx lion an when I turn it on I get a flashing file with a question mark. I tried holding command and R keys when turning it on but the recovery fails to work. I can hold the option key at start up and choose my network, then Internet recovery shows up with an arrow pointing up. When I click on the arrow Internet recovery fails and all I get is a globe with a triangle on it with an exclamation mark on it, and under that it says
apple.com/support
-6002F
Does any one know how I can fix this without a recovery disc? ThanksI just want to add to this, in case someone else searches for this error on Apple Support (google doesnt cover apple support.. how clever is that?)
I had the same error. And i had a Computer that had worked, with a SSD drive and 16GB upgrade done by the owner himself.
I tried swapping with a Mechinal Harddrive, no luck.
Kept the Mechanical drive in, and tried with some other Ram, it worked..
So for me this error and after reading the other responses can be boiled down to a Harddrive problem or Ram issue.
It was Ram for me.. -
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
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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?
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. -
hi . i have Intel based iMac. i erased whole hard disk. now it flashes folder icon with question mark... i have no internet or orginal dvd.... i want to clean install any mac osx..friend got mac book pro and osx in dmg format . what are my options?
On your friend's computer with an internet connection, log into the Mac App Store with your ID and download Yosemite from the Purchases section of the Mac App Store. The make a bootable USB install media using
http://liondiskmaker.com/
Then boot from that on your computer and install
You need an internet connection to install via Recovery mode -
Flashing folder icons with question mark
After reading through the forums I've found a few discussions and users that have similar problems as me but haven't seen anything that deals directly with my issues.
After upgrading to Leopard last night, it ran sluggishly for about 15 minutes. I got impatient and decided to restart. While trying to restart it froze, so I just shut my powerbook down. When I tried to boot back up I got the "flashing folder icons with question mark", I've since found out that it isn't finding any type of drive to boot off of. I reset the pram, tried to reboot with the same result. Tried to boot up using cmd-s but still got nothing but flashing folders. Booted up from the Leopard install disc to try and do an archive and install and it said it couldn't upgrade because it couldn't find tiger on my machine. So I booted from the Tiger install discs to try and re-install tiger again. Tiger cant find my HD to install on; I'm thinking this may be due to Leopards install. I ran disk utility and it couldn't complete the verifying process. I got this "Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit."
After work I'm going to try to boot up in target mode to pull any data i can and try erase my HD and install from there.
To me it seems like a HD issue. Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks in advanced.
-ChanceChank wrote:
After reading through the forums I've found a few discussions and users that have similar problems as me but haven't seen anything that deals directly with my issues.
After upgrading to Leopard last night, it ran sluggishly for about 15 minutes. I got impatient and decided to restart.
The "sluggishness" is perfectly normal. It's well-known and it is not an issue.
You should have waited for spotlight to finish indexing.
You may have broken some links by forcing a shutdown while things were still being setup.
Which install method did you use, upgrade, archive or erase? -
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.
-
Grey screen and file icon with question mark appearing at startup on old model macbook
We own a very old model macbook and the startup screen appears as grey and an icon appears in the shape of a file with a question mark in the middle and the startup does not proceed from there. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
AthulaSome things to check/try in no particular order:
https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5282
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