Folder with question mark + wont boot from disk

Hi
I am trying to reinstall a powermac g5 from the disk, using a old hard drive that works.. (formatted in NTFS) (hoping that when selected to boot from disk, mac will then erase and reformat it)this image is presented when i hold down the option key and the disk ejects this other image is presented when i hold down C (folder with question mark blinking) and the disk ejects... also presented if i boot normally.... Could some help be offered please??????
Powermac G5
Thank you in advance

Yes, you must Format it HFS+ first...
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.*
How to format your disks...
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html
(To Install OSX on an IntelMac the Drive it needs the GUID Partitioning scheme mentioned at the bottom.)
Thanks to Pondini, Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks...
http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/DU.html

Similar Messages

Folder with Question Mark on Boot

I can't get my mac to boot. Instead I get the gray screen and a folder with question mark icon. I'm guessing the HD is dead? Any chance for recovery? If not how much does a new one cost? The one year warranty just expired!
Please help!
Thanks,
Brian

So, what is it? The thing froze today and wont reboot - just a gray screen with NOTHING. Then after about 10 min. the flashing question mark folder appears.
So, I popped in the install DVD that came with the computer, get the little gray Apple logo and it boots from the DVD.
Launch Disc Utility. The HD appears on the left. Click on it - all of the "Verify" and "Repair" buttons remain grayed out. So what the hxll do I do?
I cant boot into single-user mode or any other mode for that matter.
This is a Macbook pro, dual-core Intel, less than a year old.

Folder with Question Mark and a useless disk stuck in my disk drive!

Hello,
earlier on today my computer crashed. I have read on a couple of posts that I should try to boot the computer from the install disk. Cool. The only problem is that when my computer crashed I had a CD in the disk drive. When I try to start the computer up I see a question mark and folder, but will not respond to any commands like "eject" or even holding the mouse button.
What do I do? I'm in Korea and going back to Canada in two weeks, but I need my computer!

Hi,
The Question Mark folder implies that your MacBook can't find a System Folder to boot from. It doesn't mean the drive is bad.
Are you holding down the C key while booting? Make sure the MacBook is shut down. Now, press the power button, hold down the C key and insert the restore disk all at the same time. Keep holding down the C key until you see the Apple logo on the screen, then let go. You should see an Installer window, select English. DO not proceed with any installation.. do this. From the Menu Bar, click Utilities/Startup Disk. When that window opens, select MacintoshHD 10.x.x and click the Restart button. That will boot your Mac back up from the hard disk, not the restore disk. If this works, don't forget to eject your restore disk and store it in a safe place.
More help for the question mark: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
Carolyn
Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

Folder with Question Mark when booting?

Twice during the past 4 times booting my MacPro, I have received a folder icon with a question mark in it. I turned off the mac and restarted it and it rebooted. Why is it doing this?
Thanks.

Go to System Preferences -> Startup Disk, and check that your startup disk is set correctly. If it is, and you continue to see the flashing question mark folder when booting, try resetting the PRAM.
It's also possible that your hard drive is failing. Make sure you have an up-to-date backup at all times. Does the S.M.A.R.T. status check out okay with Disk Utility?

MacBook Pro flashing folder with question mark - NO installation/setup disks

I recently bought my Macbook Pro in August of 2012 and I have noticed that the newer MacBooks do NOT come with additonal installation disks or anything of the sort. I started up my Mac today and was faced with the flashing folder with a question mark on it. I already know what this is implying and I have tried literally everything to fix it. It does not recognize command-R so I cannot choose HD recovery and when I try to perform "first aid" on it, it does not recognize my disk-0 and when I try to verify or repair, it does not let me. All options are greyed out. I have tried resetting the PRAM but that does not do anything either and I cannot boot it to single user mode. Please help. The last thing I want to do is bring it in for repairs as it is my last week of classes in university and I absolutely need my laptop for school work.

I recently bought my Macbook Pro in August of 2012 and I have noticed that the newer MacBooks do NOT come with additonal installation disks or anything of the sort. I started up my Mac today and was faced with the flashing folder with a question mark on it. I already know what this is implying and I have tried literally everything to fix it. It does not recognize command-R so I cannot choose HD recovery and when I try to perform "first aid" on it, it does not recognize my disk-0 and when I try to verify or repair, it does not let me. All options are greyed out. I have tried resetting the PRAM but that does not do anything either and I cannot boot it to single user mode. Please help. The last thing I want to do is bring it in for repairs as it is my last week of classes in university and I absolutely need my laptop for school work.

Flashing question mark - wont boot from CD

Hi
I am getting the 'flashing question' mark folder at start up. I am trying to start up from the OS9 CD by holding the c key at start up, but having no success.
Prior to this, I was having a problem mounting CD's (the this disc is unreadable by this computer dialogue box would show), could that be the problem? I was working around that by using my Zip CD Writer to mount CDs to the desktop.
If there is any way to force a computer to recognise the CD other than holding down the c key, or some other solution, I would be grateful if some kind person could get back to me.
cheers.

HI, Prince Busta. Since you can neither start up from a CD using the standard method, nor read CDs in your internal CD-ROM drive after starting up from another source, it seems likely that your internal drive is malfunctioning. The simplest possible explanation for this is that the drive is dirty and needs cleaning. A drive cleaning kit, available for a few dollars wherever audio CDs are sold, might put you back in business quickly and cheaply.
Another key combination to try at Startup is Command-Shift-Option-Delete, but I wouldn't expect that to work if the "c" key doesn't, and if the drive in question is the original one that came in the iMac.
Failing that, check to make sure your CDs themselves are clean and unscratched. Though it may seem unlikely that all of them are so dirty or damaged as to be unreadable in a properly-functioning optical drive, it isn't impossible: my teenage son came very close to demolishing all of an alarmingly large CD collection a few years ago just by never putting any of them away, and padding around his room on a layer of loose CDs (mingled with lots of common trash) for a couple of years. On the upside, when his indoor landfill was finally excavated, his carpet was in better condition than we'd expected: it had been protected from wear and tear by the thick overlying strata of debris. And in the corners of his room where traffic was lightest, he found a few CDs in usable condition that he'd forgotten he owned, which were a pleasure for him (though not for me) to hear again. Fortunately, the iTunes music store has lately enabled him to spend his money on music without acquiring any cumbersome CDs that need to be taken care of. As long as his iPod doesn't get dropped into the sea of laundry on his floor and put through the wash, he probably won't destroy all his music again.
If your CDs are in good shape and cleaning the drive doesn't help, a new drive is probably in order — though replacing one in an original iMac is probably not a sensible investment nowadays. You could replace the iMac for less than a new drive would cost. Perhaps you can find a used one that works and install it yourself without spending much.

Blinking folder with ? --- unable to boot from disk, have data on hard

drive that isn't backed up
I am fairly new to the MAC Os and have gotten this error twice now. Yesterday it was resolved by resetting PRAM - today not so much.
I am not sure how to proceed - I have not done a most recent backup and was working on new files on my hard drive.
Any advice?
I am utilizing an external hard drive for space, so the OS is fairly "empty"
Hope someone can help!

here is where I am at -- I didn't think I'd need to say that I've done the first steps, but regardless I have booted from the install disc, reset the PRAM and now I am at a dead end. If I choose continue on the first screen after it boots from the CD, agree to the terms -- I'm assuming there should be an option to select --
On the screen that is "Select Destination; where do you want to install Mac OS X?" it is blank, the options and continue buttons are greyed out, the only option is to go back --
am I at a dead end?
hypothetically speaking, if the system is in need of repair, is there a way that I can have the service techs retrieve the mail / cal / etc data that was not included with my last backup?
thanks again --

Ssd can't boot from mainbay folder with question mark

Hello I've searched for my problem but can't find anything same so I'm gona ask.
first of all I'm sorry for my English.
I'm using MacBook pro mid 2012 with samsung 840 evo ssd 500gb.
today it was working perfect it felt asleep and after wake up it restarted and flashing folder with question mark appeared on screen.
I Know it's some kind of hdd problem. So I've took it out and put in external box to connect to my friends MacBook to see if it's working and does all information is still in it. It was working perfectly. after that I connected it via usb and boot it by holding opt key and it startups normal. To check that it isint sata cable I have puted empty hdd in main bay and booted from ssd connected by usb and both drives show up in disk utility.
So hdd working perfect. Sata cable is good and can read drive.
Macbook boots from ssd connected by usb without any problems.
The only problem is that I can't boot my MacBook from ssd in mainbay it shows flashing folder with question mark.
Maybe anyone had had that issue before.?
How can I solve this problem.?
again sorry for my English. And thank you for all your answers.

Do not apologize for your English. I assure you your English is better than what my facility with your language may be.
I have seen a couple of posts similar to yours where the SSD will not boot internally but a conventional HDD will. The resolution in one case was a new SATA cable even though the tests suggested otherwise.
I would take the MBP to an apple store and have them check it thoroughly and see if they can pinpoint to the cable as the problem. Obviously this just a guess on my part.
A call to Samsung technical support may also be a good idea.
Ciao.

Dreaded Gray screen with Folder and Question Mark (EFI Boot poofs away)

Hey--
I've had trouble with my Imac that I purchasd in 2005 for a year and a half or so. I had a gray screen about a year and a half ago, went on vacation for a week, came back and it booted just fine. Another time it went down, I did a safe boot and it came back. I've tried Command-Option P+R before with some success. I had a boot camp partitioned windows xp drive on there also (I don't know if this matters, but wanted to mention that). I've also tried putting the installation disk in there with no luck (thinking it would find the software on it)
I put it away because I moved and dragged it out of storage to see if a miracle might have occured since the last time I tried 5 months ago. Well, same thing--gray screen with a flashing folder with question mark. I read in the discussions to hold the option key down to select a book device. I tried this and got an EFI Boot icon with a mouse pointer, but when I go to select it it "poofs" away (literally, the icon POOFS away) before I can select it with the mouse pointer icon.
Has anyone seen anything like this or have any suggestions? I guess I'm at my wits end and am ready to haul it down to the Apple store to get the prognosis (I'm sure it will not be good--probably shot hard drive or something). I'm hoping this can be salvaged without much cost.
Thanks so much for any advice or input you might have.
Chris

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.
If yours is an Intel model, then I recommend getting Snow Leopard to upgrade OS X, but I would recommend first erasing the drive before installing Snow Leopard.
Upgrade Paths to Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
     For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.

Boot up shows folder with question mark...

So my imac from 2006 (i think...20 inch plastic intel) booted up today to the blinking folder with a question mark on it. I rebooted into the osx disc to set the hdd as the startup disk, but it didn't show up in the list. Then I tried to see if I needed to repair the hdd using disk utility but the hdd wasn't showing up. So, do I have to replace the hdd? Not looking forward to it if I do.
Message was edited by: gescamil

Hi,
I have had similar issues, you will have to restart it and press and hold the eject disk on the keyboard right away and it will force it out.
Also to answer you question on way you are not seeing the Hard Drive and way you have the folder with question mark on the start up: is because your Hard Drive is dead.
You will need to buy another Hard Drive install it and then fresh install the OS X.
I have seen this issue too many times and every time is resulting with bad Hard Disk Drive...
Look at the bright side, Hard Drives are cheep now and you have iFix it to assist you on step by step installation. (this is unless you have Apple Care).

Folder with question mark keeps showing on boot screen

folder with question mark keeps showing on boot screen

Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer was running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier and you reach the third set of steps, insert a Mac OS X install disk.
(120871)

Installed new hard drive in imac and i get folder with question mark, put in OS install disk and it does nothing? All I have is wireless key board and mouse, is this a factor?

Installed new hard drive in imac and i get folder with question mark, put in OS install disk and it does nothing? All I have is wireless key board and mouse, is this an issue?

Other than put disc in you don't give much info about what you've done. With the install disc inserted restart your Mac while holding the C key, that should start it up from the install disc. Should also work fine with a wireless Apple keyboard.

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?

The cable connecting the HDD to the logic board may be faulty. If the internal HDD can boot the MBP when in an external enclosure, that will confirm this issue. If not, the HDD may need to be replaced.
Ciao.

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.

Switched on my imac 24inch intel based and all I get on screen is a folder with question mark flashing,I had backup on external hard drive but when I try to reinstall it can not find my mac hard drive

Hi when I started my intel based imac this morning all I am getting is a folder with question mark in the middle flashing,I have external hard drive with backup,but when run disc utilities it does not show my mac hard drive.hope someone can help.(it's running mountain lion, well it was)

Try starting up your Mac while holding down the Option key. That should prompt the Startup Manager window where you can select the startup disk then click Restart.
The question mark folder indicates your Mac cannot find a system folder to boot from.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac

Folder with question mark + wont boot from disk

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