Flashing question mark on mac book pro,with grey screen when turned on?
flashing question mark on mac book pro,with grey screen when turned on?
Press the power button down to force a emergency hardware shutdown and hold the option/alt key down and reboot
If you see your OS X boot partition, then click it and the arrow, head to System Preferences > Startup Disk and reset it. Done.
Folder with question mark issue
If that doesn't it, then do a #2 PRAM reset and try the above again.
..Step by Step to fix your Mac
If no OS X boot volume appears in Startup Manager, then OS X is corrupted.
Try more of the Steps above (like 1-8) then if that doesn't work.
Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
Once you got your data off, erase and reinstall OS X onto the MacintoshHD partition and then restore from TimeMachine or bootable clone if you have it. or build new and return users files from the data recovery drive.
Most commonly used backup methods
If the drive doesn't appear in Disk Utility it might be dead or there are further complications let us know for further assistance.
Install/upgrade RAM or storage drive in Mac's
My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents#/?p er_page=50
Similar Messages
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Mac book pro has grey screen with apple in the middle
my mac book pro has a grey screen, apple in the middle and a spinning wheel. i have tried the command r. nothing is working
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
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. -
Brand New Mac Book Pro with defective screen
Hi Guys,
Does anyone here, purchased a brand new Mac Book Pro 13-inch: 2.9GHz with a defective screen?
I bought mine, Last June 14. I just noticed the defect last June 29 and returned it to where I purchase it at june 30.
There are somewhat 'black smudges' on the left part of the screen. I'm a graphic designer, so i know that this is a big issue for me.
Also, the fact that I'm just using it for 5 times I think, since I bought it, and there's already an issue.
At first, i was battling with the customer service (from where i bought it), They wouldn't want to give me replacement, because I already exceeded their 7 day return policy. But I'm not giving in, so then they just told me, they would send it to apple service.
It took a week for a progress, then I just got a call from Apple, that they didn't saw it either (the defect). Then I told the guy what I saw.
It's only visible with black background and with the lights turned off.
So he called again and told me that he also saw it, and told me that they would replace the Monitor.
I'm new with this, is it normally ok, that they will just replace the monitor? I mean, would it still work properly, now that they've
opened it and replaced only the defective part?
Hope you guys can give me your thoughts.
Thank You.Not sure what part of the world you are in but Apple has a 14 day return policy. But even with the 14 days you exceeded that time limit. So the only option is to replace the defective part and not the whole system. This is standard operating practices for any manufacturer once you have exceeded the return period.
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what must i do? im a student and dont have backup for my work. Im in desperate need of a solution where i wont lose my work from my desktop.
You need to purchase Leopard if you don't have the DVD and reinstall OS X:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X 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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) 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. Now restart normally.
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. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update. -
Mac book pro with Retinal Screen
Has anyone had a panel go dead with no warning on a 15 month old laptop?
Boot Camp Assistant is included. It is in your Utilities folder.
Boot Camp Instructions are located here: http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/ Boot Camp allows you to install and run Windows natively.
Parallels is a third party application that allows you to run Windows in a virtual machine. -
Mac Book Pro mid 2012 screen colours turned red and purple (similar to rainbow colour)
When I turned on my MacBook earlier, which was in sleep mode for all night, all the colours turned red and purple. The screen pixels were all a kind of red but the computer was working as usual. I turned it off and then back on and the screen was ok. Then I turned it off again for about 6 hours and now the colours are ok. Does anyone know what might be the problem? I am running on a MacBook Pro 13'' Mid 2012 (OS X Maverics) and it is the first time it's done anything like this. I read on Apple Support that maybe the CPU is failing, but when i run the System Diagnostics Test I think it turned out ok. I appreciate all answers.
Start with this comprehensive troubleshooting article:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3521
Look at this one for possible solutions:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
Ciao. -
When I open Itunes it displays only on 1/2 of my computer screen, is there away that I can make it display on my full screen, check the full screen window function does not do anything, all my other's display fine it's just I tunes " Help"
Did you try dragging the corner to stretch the screen? Or the green traffic light?
If so, try pressing the green traffic light while holding the option key... or delete the .plist for iTunes or edit it manually. -
Before partition by Boot Camp on Mac Book Pro With Mac OS Lion the computer restarts but not open wizard of Windows 7 install and appears the apple with question mark...don't recognize disk..
Apparently Zoo Tycoon can't be played on anything newer than 10.7.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/21885910#21885910
Roller Coaster Tycoon is available for purchase from the App Store. -
I have a Mac Book Pro with 10.6.8 and want to back up my files using a flash drive. It says I did it but when I tried to check on my other Mac - an I Mac with 10.5.8, thedata does not seem to be there. I cant see photos, etc.. It shows the backup as a file and shows various system info. but there are no photos or other files shown.
Thanks for any advise.
MikeA PowerPC Mac, if that's what it is, won't be able to see an Intel Mac's formatted data. Also ExFat formatting is not supported by 10.6.3 or earlier. I would try viewing the backup on another Intel Mac with at least 10.6.4. If it isn't there, then the backup never really took place. I much profer a hard drive with Carbon Copy Cloner.
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How do i install adobe flash flyer to the mac book pro laptop .it states my adobe is out dated i need to install a newer version.
Go to this link to download the installer and this link to determine which version you have installed. Always get extensions like this from the publisher (in this case Adobe) and not from some website that says you need an extension and offers to install it for you since you may end up with malware instead.
BTW, once the current version of Flash is installed, you can set its preferences to update automatically in the background. -
I have a mac book pro with Boot Camp that also runs windows. I upgraded to Lion and now the mac side crashes/freezes periodically, especially iphoto. I am told by the genius' that I probably need to "clean" it and reinstall lion using the "recovery drive" which resets everything back to default and reinstalls the lion operating system. My question is will this also delete the "windows" partition drive and all that data too. If so that will be a huge pain in the ___ to back up and reinstall boot camp and windows. I want to shoot the lion.
There is no system like Acronis for the Mac platform. You can try using the buiilt in Disk Utility to create an Image of the complete Mac drive but I have found that this does not work very well as on tryiing to restore it gives errors sometimes.
You can use SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable Clone of your system partition. But that is only for the System partition and not the complete drive.
If you use Boot Camp to install Windows on your Mac neither of those two programs will clone the Windows side.
Neither will Disk utility as Mac's can not create or write to a NTFS partition. So some other program is need for that. -
My hard drive won't mount on 2012 mac book pro with retina display
The flash drive in my Sept 2012 mac book pro with retina display is not mounted, won't mount, and can't be repaired in disk repair. I need files created right before it failed last night that were not backed up. Can they be salvaged before a new warrantied drive is put in at my request? Also is this failure a common problem?
I believe you hsave to first launch Setup Assistant:
http://manuals.lacie.com/en/manuals/porsche-9233/connection -
Good Day,
My apologies for the cumbersome subject line/question. In a nut shell, I currently, have my itunes account on my spouses PC and on my iPad(3). I love the Mac stuff so much that recently, I purchased a Mac Book Pro so I could work from two Mac products. I want to take all the apps that I purchased, music, photos etcetera that is on my ipad and put it on to my Mac Book, but it is my understanding that I can only have my music and purchased apps or itunes account on two procducts that includes a PC. So my first question is do I have to, uninstall the itunes on my spouses PC before I can synch my iPad to the Mac, keeping in mind that the itunes account is in my name.
Second, do you have any tips (best practices, pitfalls to look out for) for the best way to populate my Mac Book Pro with my iPad Apps and Music, I would like the apps and music to be on both the mac book and the iPad. I realize the most obvious answer to my second question is synching the iPad with my Mac but before I do that I would be greatful for any insight and expertise in this area.
Thanks so much for you time.
L.No you do not have to uninstall iTunes on the PC in order to unsync with the Mac. And where you got that information about having iTunes content on two products only is beyond me. You can associate your Apple ID and iTunes content with up to 10 devices but no more than 5 devices can be computers.
If you could copy the iTunes library to your new Mac, that would be the ideal thing to do in order to transfer the iTunes library over. That would make the process pretty easy. You can also download most purchased content again as long as you use the same Apple ID and you could move content into your iTunes library that way.
You will need to authorize the new Mac for your iTunes content. Launch iTunes on the Mac and got to Store>authorize this computer.
There are many articles that will guide you through copying the iTunes library to the Mac and you can look through a bunch of them here.
https://www.google.com/search?q=copy%20itunes%20library%20to%20new%20mac
If you need to download past purchase ....
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
And this is a very informative user tip that will tell you how to move all of your iPad contents into the Mac if you cannot copy and transfer the iTunes library.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141 -
Mac Book Pro with Yosemite 10.10.1 software and a HP Photosmart C4599
Hello I have a Mac Book Pro with Yosemite 10.10.1 software and a HP Photosmart C4599 All in one printer and I am unable to install my printer, it will print when cable is connected but I cannot add it wirelessly. i have checked for software updates but none are available.
Hi,
A software for a such is no longer available however you may set a wireless connection by following the workaround below:
Step one: Restore the network defaults:
1. Press the Wireless button on the product.
2. Press the button next to the down arrow on the display until Restore Network Defaults is highlighted, and then press OK.
3. Confirm that you want to restore the network defaults.
Step two: Turn the wireless radio on:
1. Press the Wireless button on the product.
2. Press the button next to the down arrow on the display until Turn Radio On is highlighted, and then press OK.
Step three: connect the Mac to your printer:
1. From the Mac click the WiFi icon and then click on Join Other Network.
2. Click on Show Networks and connect to the listed HPSETUP network.
Step four: connect the printer to your wireless network via the EWS interface:
1. Open Safari.
2. Click the Safari menu and then click Preferences.
3. From the Advanced tab, check both of the checkmarks under "Include Bonjour" and press OK.
4. click Bonjour from the top menu, then select the printer to load its EWS page.
5. Click on Networking, then click the Advanced tab.
6. Type the wireless network name as SSID.
7. Select the Infrastructure option
8. Select the correct security type as WEP Encryption or WPA-PSK Authentication and type the password of your router.
Note: If you are not sure about the SSID and the security type, click the WiFi icon on your Mac and select Open Network Preferences.
Click the Advanced button and locate your home network, the Network name aquals to SSID and the exact security type is listed.
Once you are done click on Apply and the wireless light should lit.
Then reconnec tthe Mac to your router, open ystem Preferences > Printers & Scanners and add the printer as Bojour by clicking the plus sign.
Shlomi
Say thanks by clicking the Kudos thumb up in the post.
If my post resolve your problem please mark it as an Accepted Solution -
I have a new Mac Book Pro with Retina, and Keynote crash almoset every time i use it?
I have a new Mac Book Pro with Retina, and Keynote crashes almoset every time i use it? I have the newest update.
Could you please help me? I have a lot of Keynote shows, and I have to use it now!!
I have saved a crash report, if you need it.Apple will not write back to you. Telephone using the Apple Care phone number appropriate for your country and ask for a refund, if that is what you want to do.
I use Keynote everday, it does exactly what it says it will do, that is if your NOT using Mountain LIon.
There are many applications available
I have used MS PowerPoint professionally for many years on both Windows and Mac, I can assure you it can do everything that Keynote can do and very much more.
Which software you choose depends on who you are and who you are presenting to.
for interactive presentations look at:
PowerPoint
Adobe Flash
Adobe Director
Camtasia
Dreamweaver (an HTML application)
for simple photo slide shows:
iPhoto
iMovie
Picasa
Photomagico
Adobe Lightroom
Maybe you are looking for
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New item icon in iCal suddenly appears and don't how to get rid of it.
I have a little number 1 in my iCal next to my Home calendar on the left side of iCal. It resembles the little number 1 I'd get in the Mail program if I had one new email. I have no idea where it came from and want it GONE. Can you help?
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Cannot see external hard drive in finder even though listed in Disk utility
I have a major problem with my G5 after file vault became corrupted and I had to erase the user account with all my data after consultation with an Apple Store Genius. I have an external Iomega external back up but the finder does not list it anymore
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Hello, When I am installing SQL Server 2008 on win7, I encountered an error: SQL Server Setup has encountered the following error: Method not found:'Boolean Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.MsiExtensionMetadata.get_IsSlipstreamOrPatch()
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Hello, I've just bought a used iPod Touch (4th generation) off ebay, and can't get it to connect to my windows computer. When I turn it on the iPod shows a screen with a cable pointing to the iTunes logo. When I plug it in to the computer nothing hap
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Input Screen fields are not showing the description
Hi I have copied a program, generated using SQVI, to a Zprogram, say Ztest, and when I execute this Ztest the description of the fields on selection screen are coming as SP$00001, SP$00002 and so on. however if I execute the query made using SQVI th