Flashing Question Mark At Start Up/ Disk Utility Not Working

I am having the old flashing question mark in a file show up when I try to start my computer. I went through a lot of the forums and I have attempted the Disk Utility. When I put the 10.3 install disk in and restart it takes me to the opening screen. If go to disk utility and start it and I have three options: 734.6 MB Pioneer DVD, Session 1, and Mac OSX Install Disk all with a CD icon by them. Not sure which one to pick. Even when I select any though, it does not give me the option to push the repair disk button. It is never available. Anyone know what to do here?

Exactly this happened to me two weeks ago. Unfortunately in my case it was a result of hard disk failure - my heads had burnt out and I had total data loss (I was fortunately backed up recently).
I would suggest taking your mac to a reputable computer firm, preferably Apple who can diagnose hard disk failure immediately. If that is the case you will need a replacement HD, which might be a good opportunity to expand HD size on your system (prices are always coming down; I took the opportunity to go from 60 to 120GB, for £140).
If you are not backed up and ABSOLUTELY NEED YOUR DATA then do NOT give your machine to Apple there and then however; despite assurances, you may never see your HD again, and at any rate once it has been removed it should be handled extremely carefully to prevent platter damage and compromising future data retrieval. It may not be treated with proper respect whilst a replacement is being fitted. Therefore take it to a data retrieval specialist first, who may also replace the HD for you anyway, at similar or lower cost. The cost of data retrieval is very variable but is generally about £500 if an 'invasive procedure' (HD repair) is necessary.
I hope this isn't your situation, but as I say these were exactly the symptoms of my HD failure 2 weeks ago.
Fulvio

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Question Mark on Start Up Disk Icon

What is the meaning of a question mark on start up disk icon in system preferences?
I have clicked on icon, selected my start up disc and restarted but, question mark still appears on start up dick icon.
Thanx in advance for any help.
stewartpaul

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Copy to disk utility not working right

My disk utility not work like it used to, it does not show up a disk when I put it in the drive. And I can't copy to disk anymore. A blank disk shows up as a removeable drive instead of a blank disk on the disk utility...??? I need to fix this so I can back-up my files and free up some space, help please?
Dual 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9) 2MB L3 cache per procesor 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM extra 250G HD

Hi-
The last time I saw a similar problem to yours, he was also running Panther. I advised reinstalling the 10.3.9 combo update, and his woes were gone.
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxcombinedupdate1039.html
Another thought is to check System Preferences/CD's & DVD'S, and check your selection nuder "When you insert a blank CD" (or DVD).
Running Disk Utility from the install disk, and repairing permissions is also another possible fix.
G4 AGP(450)Sawtooth Mac OS X (10.4.8) 2ghzPPC,1.62gbSDRAM, ATI9800, DVR-109,(IntHD)120&160,LaCie160,23"Cinema Display

Flashing question mark at start up (details in post)

Problem: Flashing question mark at startup.
System: iBook G4 running OS X version 10.3.something.
Details: The machine froze on waking up when I opened it last night. I held down the power key to turn it off, then powered it up again and got a flashing question mark superimposed on a small blue folder icon.
Further details:
(1) I tried to start the iBook up in Firewire target mode to copy my data to another machine. Holding down the T key at startup brings up the Firewire screensaver, but the iBook drive does not appear on the host machine's desktop.
(2) I can start the iBook from CD: I cannot find the CDs that came with the machine at the moment, but I can boot from a OS X 10.3 install CD that I have laying around.
(3) The hard drive is not visible to Disk Utility: When I boot from the OS X 10.3 install CD and then start Disk Utility, my hard drive is not visible to Disk Utility.
(4) Zapping PRAM does not help: I held down option-apple-P-R and restarted, letting the iBook chime four times for good measure. I still get the flashing question mark and the hard drive is still not visible to Disk Utility.
(5) The hard drive is visible in single-user mode: I powered down again and held down apple-S while powering up. I am now in single-user mode. My hard drive is visible and all of the files I have inspected seem to be just fine. I have not done anything except cd into various directories, use ls to list the files in the directories, and use cat and more to display the contents of various text files.
Questions: Obviously what I would like is to be up and running as quickly as possible. But more importantly, I don't want to do anything that would muck up the data on my hard drive.
(1) Is there any way to manually back up the data to a removable device while in single-user mode?
(2) I have not done anything with fsck yet. Should I? What are the risks/benefits of using fsck?
(3) Just for curiosity's sake: Why is the hard disk visible in single-user mode but not to Disk Utility?
(4) What are your suggestions for what to do next? I am still in single-user mode and am happy to stay there while I wait for advice.
Thanks,
RJH
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.3) OS version 10.3.(something) -- don't remember and can't start up to find out

Here are some troubleshooting guides:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50959
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
The following link is about backup:
http://homepage.mac.com/lee_cullens/Bx3.html
(1) Is there any way to manually back up the data to a removable device while in single-user mode?
Yes. If you have an external backup drive you can copy your files while in single-user mode. There are several available tools you can use: cp, rcp, rsync, and diskutil. These utilities may require knowing the Unix device names and paths. You can use the df command to obtain that information. Use the commandline "man cmd" to obtain the Unix help on the particular "cmd", e.g., man rcp.
(2) I have not done anything with fsck yet. Should I? What are the risks/benefits of using fsck?
Fsck is simply a form of Disk Utility that can repair a startup volume when in single-user mode. One of the above references explains how to use fsck to repair the disk. Note that if fsck returns anything other than "** The volume (nameofvolume) appears to be OK", you should re-run fsck until the preceding message is received. If you re-run fsck more than 5 or 6 times without getting the OK message, then fsck is not able to fully repair the drive.
If you have other disk repair tools like Disk Warrior or TechTool Pro, you should try to repair the drive with them. Both tools can perform repairs that neither Disk Utility nor fsck can.
Of course all the above is contingent on the drive actually being functional. If the drive has failed you may not have any success.

Flashing Question mark on start up?

So when I try to start up my PPC G5, I hear the start up tone, and then it goes straight to a grey screen with a flashing question mark. I followed all the steps on Apple's website to resolve this, I held option and started up, and all that came up were two buttons, one looked like a circle with an arrow at the end of it and the other was a straight arrow, also I couldn't move the mouse past a certain point on the screen, so the mouse was responding, it just couldn't move past maybe an inch on the left side of the screen. I tried restarting with the mouse and keyboard unplugged too, no dice. Then finally I decided to just re-install the leopard operating system. I put the disc in, go through all the steps, and when it asks me where i want to install Mac OS X, there's nothing to select. Where an icon for the hard drive should be it is just blank. I tried clicking the blank space to refresh it and nothing happened. Also, I read online that usually waiting fixes it, I left it on overnight and still nothing has popped up. Also, I've already tried resetting the PRAM, and nothing happened. If anybody can help me fix this it would be greatly appreciated. Either how to install Leopard again or how to start it up without the flashing question mark. Thanks!

"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 the 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 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.)

Flashing question mark at start-up

Hello,
My MacBook suudenly got stuck while I was using the internet. I forced a shut down using the start-up button. When I restarted it, the flashing question mark showed up. I tried using Alt+start up, where I had to recover the internet connection first and then I got to the Disk Utilities. I then had the Mac OS X Base System verified which was OK, but the option to 'Repair Disk' was not available. What should I do? I can not access my data (and I do n ot have them backed up). Please help!
Thanks!

Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
In most cases the problems may be caused by:
Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
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.
The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD:
Boot From 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.
Reinstall Snow Leopard 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.
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.

Flashing question mark on start

hi,
I hope you can help me with my problem.
my ibook g4 began working slowly and finally froze. i restarted and saw a question mark and finder icon flashing on and off. i tried disk utility but it didn't work. disk utility gave the following error message:
invalid b-tree node size
volume check failed
the underlying task reported failure on exit -9972
then i tried resetting pram, but it didn't work either.
also disk utility says the disk is not mounted.
I would like to know if there are any other solutions that i can try before i erase it. would erasing the hard disk solve the problem or do i need to replace it?
thank you.
terken gupur

A free [donations accepted] utility "Applejack" at superforge downloads should help. I downloaded this a few months ago and forgot about it. This morning my ibook froze tried disk utility tech tool etc. I{ always repair permissions and run cron utilities daily} started my computer in single user/hold cmd,shft on startup/after receiving message similar to yours;B- Header,File nod,etc. and I ran applejack and I'm writting this reply on the ibook a few minutes later.
I hope it helps

Hard drive clicking, flashing question mark at start up

My Macbook (leopard) is making a clicking noise for about ten seconds on startup. After being stuck on the grey screen for awhile, the flashing question mark folder pops up.
I've tried running disk utility from the install disks, however the HD doesn't show up on the directory. I'm only seeing the DVD drive. Also tried starting up using the option key but nothing happens. Safe mode was unresponsive, too.
Is my HD dead? And is there any way to get any of my files off of this computer? I haven't backed up in a while, so I am kinda concerned about my iTunes library.
Just a note... About two nights ago it froze up where force quitting wouldn't even do anything. I did a hard shutdown and then everything was fine until this happened yesterday.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Message was edited by: efd856

The symptoms you describe do indeed sound like a dead hard drive. If the drive does not show up in Disk Utility, you are not going to be able to get anything off of it using Target Disk mode.
Data recovery is possible - there are companies that specialize in it - but it may not be economical. Costs tend to be between $500 and $2500 depending on the size of the drive and nature of the failure. Some companies in the USA that offer this service:
[DriveSavers|www.drivesavers.com] 800-440-1904
[Ontrack Data Recovery|www.ontrack.com] 800-872-2599
[Lazarus|www.lazarus.com] 800-341-3282
Is your iTunes music on an iPod or iPhone? You may be able to recover it using software to transfer back to a computer. Search the iPod forums for names of the software. Music purchased from the iTunes store will transfer back to an authorized computer without any problem.
Best of luck.

Help!! Flashing Question Mark on Start Up!!

Hi this is my first post, even though I have used macs for over 15 years and never had a problem, til now ....
Poorly Powerbook - Tried everything, Zap the old PRAM, PMU tried starting in Safe Mode, Target Mode, Drive option Mode nothing happened. Replaced Ram with original nothing. Start up in single user, start from install disk none of these work. So removed hard drive and it is perfectly fine, run disk utility, from works power mac pro, even started system up from it, everything in tack (Only 40 % used mostly apps) - repaired permissions - put it back in Powerbook - same result.
Will start in open firmware mode, which I know nothing about!!
Could this be the Death of a logic board?
Any advice welcome!

Hi Ryan,
Well, tried disconnecting the optical and this gave me just the blank grey screen for a while?!? Whilst open thought I would try a combination of disconnecting various drives etc. whilst having the hard drive in external firewire enclosure and external USB dual enclosure. Still nothing - back to the old Question Mark & Folder flashing. WIll still however start in Open Firmware and noticed the date is 1904, but presume this happens anyway when resetting PMU or zapping Pram etc.
Freind of mine has an old 550mhz Powerbook G4 titanium? (I think) the one with black keyboard that clicks open to access the ram. This managed to start up from my hard drive in the external USB & external firewire, with no problems - which still confirms the HD is fine, thought you'd like to know that it booted fine from USB also.
As always, much appreciate any advice.
Kind regards
Mark

Flashing question mark on start up -Pram reset worked now it's back and pram doesn't work

So the other half has crashed my mid 2012 macbook pro twice in two days (watching youtube). First time I managed to get passed the flashing question mark folder icon using pram reset now this doesn't work and it just goes to that icon. Hard drive is missing in. utility so can't whipe that either
any suggestions on what has failed, it's only 1.5 years old so I'm really disappointed

A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac
Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
In most cases the problems may be caused by one or more of these:
a. Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
b. Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
c. Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
d. The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
Note that the information I have provided is what Apple recommends, If other users suggest different solutions than found here, then be sure what they recommend does not impact on your warranty, if any, or ability to get continuing Apple service.
Please don't start removing drives or changing cables unless you know what you are doing and have exhausted other non-invasive alternatives outlined here. If you perform any work yourself that is unapproved by Apple, then you will void any warranty you may have and lose all further Apple Support.
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.
The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD. Simply boot from the Recovery HD to perform the above.
Reinstall Snow Leopard 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.
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.

Why is there a question mark on Start up disk?

Hello everyone,
So I turned on my computer and a flashing folder with a question mark appeared. I followed some intructions that I found here such as pressing the pressing the On button when I heard the start up tone but it took me to a I wanna say "back up" disk.. The original start up disk has a question mark in it and I cannot access to any of my original files etc. It's very frustrating. I have thought about taking it to the apple store but I want to know if there's a way where I can fix it myself. As you all know the apple store can be a bit pricey..
Thanks for your time.

Not good in most instances.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
This can happen when your Mac can't find a System Folder to boot from either because the startup disk is failing or failed.
Try starting up while holding down the Option key. Theoretically, that should prompt the Startup Manager window. Select the startup disk then click Restart.

Help with FLASHING QUESTION mark when starting the mac

Hi All,
My mac just froze,i had to do force shut down,when i restarted it i had the flashing question mark.Did all the instruction that are given in the site:restarting with the installation CD and then using the *disc utility*-BUT i could not find the hard drive that i need to do the "repair disc " on.So i did what the document said and i reset the PRAM-still my hard drive does not show up in the disc utility.I also tried to reset the SMC but again -same result.
please please try and help me,is my HD doomed? is there anything else i should try?

I have the exact same problem.
Today, when I turned my macbook on, it was so slow, that I decided to restart it. When I turned it on again, I got the folder with a questionmark in it on the display. Tried to put the installer CD in, but it couldn't find the HDD. Ran the Disk Utility, which said: "Invalid node structure" and "Invalid record count".
I think the HDD is "destroyed", because it makes strange sounds. But how? And why?
The Macbook isn't even a year old.
Any help?

Flashing question mark on start up? Help required!

Hi there people this is the first real problem i have had with my macbook so is also my first post on the forum.
The problem when i start-up my macbook all I am getting is the file symbol with a question mark inside that, which flashes on and off. I have turned the machine off a couple of times but the problem is still there. i belive it may be a harddrive problem as there is a slight clicking on start-up.
Does anybody know whats happening or should i visit the local apple store, as i don't really want to buy a new macbook right now, as nice as they are:)

The question mark... try booting from your install disk while holding down the C key... go here for more help: A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Carolyn

Flashing question mark during start up

Hello,
I have a mid-2007 mac mini and recently I upgraded the RAM to 2 GB from 1 GB (two flashes of 1GB each). When I open the mac mini, a flashing question mark appears.
I' ve read the support thread from apple, but nothing helps. The only progress that happend is that when I pressed the Option key, the mouse appeared on screen, but nothing else.

It didn't start right after the replacement. The first time I tried to open it, the question mark appeared.
I have tiger installed by default on the mac mini and I don't own the installation dvd because it was already made by a person who didn't want the mac mini and gave it to me.
I cannot use my dvd driver because is not working anyways (before the replacement). What I wanted to do after the installation was to go to 10.6 and then to 10.7 mac os. That's why the upgraded ram memory.
I guess, from what you said, that the most likely is to have done something to the hd. I followed the instructions by the book, although. How can I figure out if there's something wrong with my hd (it's the one that mac mini had by default) ?

What to do with a grey screen with flashing question mark on start up

What does a flashing question mark on a blank screen mean web starting up?

Follow the procedures in this support article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
Ciao.

Flashing Question Mark At Start Up/ Disk Utility Not Working

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