Got white screen with big Mac HD icon in center with arrow below.

turned computer on this morning got this screen as described above.....
then a few seconds later I got the regular desk top and have had no problems.
Ideas as to why it started up with that mac HD icon? Never seen that before... No start up problems in the past.

Go to the flag up on the right side of your Menu Bar and select Show Keyboard Viewer.
Then start testing some keys including the Option key and watch the Keyboard Viewer to see if any are stuck or sticking.

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When i start my mac and i got white screen with apple logo

when i start my mac and i got white screen with apple logo n spening round n round

Try here
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4917686?start=0&tstart=0

After running mac tuneup got a red dot on the hard drive icon, nothing would respond, now on restart cant get past white screen with apple logo, mac tune up disk still in laptop

after running mac tuneup got a red dot on the hard drive icon, nothing would respond, now on restart cant get past white screen with apple logo, mac tune up disk still in laptop

Restart your MBP holding the trackpad down and hopefully the disk will be ejected. Then try to return it and get a refund or put it in the trash. There is nothing that software does for your MBP that you cannot do yourself or with free software.
If can get your MBP started, delete all traces of the offending software. Worst case is that you may have to erase the HDD and reload the OS and your user data. I trust that you have a backup (minus MacTuneUp).
Courcoul has given you his opinion in a very succinct manner, and as you might surmise, I agree with him.
Ciao.

Power Mac G5 on start up it repetedly has white screen with circling icon then just switches off

Power Mac G5... Pleas Help!!! i'm not sure if my hard drive is broken but on start up it repetedly has white screen with the circling (doing somthing) icon then just switches off. If i press alt when switching on i get a grey screen with 3 icons, 1st is like a refresh arrow button & last is a straight arrow button on pressing either of these mac just starts the white screen thing again, the middle icon is a picture of a hard drive with a blue cross in the corner & written under neath it says macintosh HD. Does this mean my hard drive has gone?

Been there, done that. Try a Safe Boot (holding down the shift key at boot) and see if it boots. If it boots, then you may be having problems with either the power supply or the video card. What video card is in the machine?
If it does a safe boot OK, then we can troubleshoot using a verbose boot. Verbose boot puts up a Unix Console screen and displays text output during the boot process. When I had these symptoms, verbose boot showed me that the power supply was clicking off right after the kext to drive the GeForce 6800 card loaded. I replaced the power supply and the problem went away.
To initiate a verbose boot, hold down the cmd-V combination until you see the console screen come up. Watch the output and pay attention, because you need to remember what is being said when the machine shuts down. You may need to repeat this two or three times.
As an aside, often times power supplies exhibit this behavior when they have become choked with dust. This is pretty universal after five or six years, requiring that the power supply be removed and the dust blown out with clean shop air.

I get a white screen with a grey flashing folder icon with a question mark in it when i try to start up my i mac, what's happening?

A few days ago my i mac when into grey screen; there were a few options for starting up, restoring etc i tried all of them to the extent possible but didn't work. Then i decided to unplug my external backup drive in case it may be erased or info lost in this process and now all i get when i turn it on is a white screen with a flashing folder and question mark. Any ideas?

That indicates the computer is having difficulty finding the startup volume. Your internal HD may have failed or the system may have "forgotten" where it is. If you are using Lion or later (10.7.x or later) then restart in the Recovery Partition and choose the startup disk. Before doing anything carefully read and follow Apple's instructions in:
A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

Got a white screen with flashing file icon

Why do I have a white screen with flashing file icon with question mark inside?

It means your iMac cannot located a valid system to boot.
Insert the CD that came with the iMac and allow it to boot. Once it gets the point where it's offering to install the OS, go to the top menu and choose diskutility. Perform a repair on the main drive "Macintosh HD".

HT1553 I did the back up as instructed... Installed a larger hard drive and followed the restore instructions... Now I get a white screen with a folder icon and blinking question mark. When trying to set startup with new drive I get a bless tool error...

I did the back up as instructed... Installed a larger hard drive and followed the restore instructions... Now I get a white screen with a folder icon and blinking question mark. When trying to set startup with new drive I get a bless tool error... Help!!

If you have installed a new hard drive , you will need to have formatted it in Disk Utility correctly. This may explain your problem.
Boot into your 10.6 Install disk again at the top menubar > Utilities > select Disk utility and in there select your new hard drive, and select the tab Erase and choose to make the format as Mac OS Extended Journaled. When that is finished look in the main window to make sure that the partition map scheme says GUID Partition Table.
Now go to the Restore tab and reinstall from your backup.

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.

MacBook Pro can turn on and off, but does not start up. Stays on white screen with flashing folder icon, does not go to desktop.

MacBook Pro is not starting up. It just stays on a white screen with a flashing folder icon. Have tried restarting while holding the Option key, and the cursor becomes visible and movable, but it does not go to the desktop.

Hello Sonya_Rose,
I found this article when researching the issue you describe here named A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac found http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440.
Check the mouse and keyboard
This issue might occur if a mouse or trackpad button is pressed during startup. Make sure the button isn't pressed.
If the issue persists, shut down your Mac with its power button, disconnect any external mouse and keyboard, then turn on your Mac with its power button. If the flashing question mark issue persists, reconnect the keyboard and mouse.
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.
Regards,
Sterling

Mac Stuck in White screen with apple??

So i tried to install os x Lepard on my mac book...i started to install it but when i realized that i only had about 50% of power left i panicked and forced the computer off so when i got home (because at the time i wasen't at home) i hooked up the power cord and it is now stuck on a white screen with the apple logo and the little loading pin wheele going around and around how do i fix this? or can i fix it(by myself)?

Ok so i FIXED IT!!! what i did was a held the option key when i started my computer then i clicked on the disk gave it about a minute and everything started up again!

I Mac freeze: When powered on all I get is a blank white screen with the apple logo. No "beach ball" nothing more. Tried all the usual restarts. Help?

I Mac freeze: When powered on all I get is a blank white screen with the apple logo. No "beach ball" nothing more. Tried all the usual restarts. Help?

Tried all the usual restarts. Help?
Care to share?
Please detail ALL you have done so far in the way of troubleshooting? Need this info to avoid the been there done that scenarios.
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When posting in Apple Communties/Forums/Message Boards.......It would help us to know which Mac model you have, which OS & version you're using, how much RAM, etc. You can have this info displayed on the bottom of every post by completing your system profile and filling in the information asked for.
CLICKY CLICK-----> Help us to help you on these forums
***This will help in providing you with the proper and/or correct solutions.***

I've tried to set up a new user on a mac book pro and i restarted it to create the new account but now all i can get is a white screen with the apple logo and the loading symbol what can i do ?

i've tried to set up a new user on a mac book pro and i restarted it to create the new account but now all i can get is a white screen with the apple logo and the loading symbol what can i do ?

Look at this support article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
Ciao.

Help, my Mac mini will not start up, only keeps thinking on first page( white screen with apple emblem)

Help, my Mac mini will not start properly. Only goes to the white screen with thinking. Will not go to the password section

Are you sure about your hard disk health, any clicking noice recently?
Go to boot menu (press option button or button left to your space bar while booting) > Select Recovery drive > Disk utility > Verify the volume on which OS X is installed.

My PC won't startup normally or in safe mode . I have a white screen with a flashing folder icon which has a ? on it. How do I get it to start?

My PC will not start normally or in safe mode. I have tried several times in safe mode. All I have now is a white screen with a folder icon containing a ? questiomark. This icon is flashing. No cursor available.

The blinking question mark means the startup drive can't be found.
It could be that it has failed or needs major repair. Boot from the Snow Leopard DVD and run Disk Utility.

Mac OS 10.8.2 failed to update. Can only see white screen with spinning lines. Help?!

I have just updated my Macbook Pro (Mid 2010) to Mac OS X 10.8.2. My computer restarted and now it won't load back up again. All I see is a bright white screen with a spinning/flashing lines that you get when Safari loads a new page. I've left it on for 20 minutes and still the white screen remains. Does this mean I have to book an appointment with the Genius Bar?

Same problem. My Mac Pro 2008 stops booting at the white Apple screen. I reinstalled after booting into Revocery, and have the same problem. I'm going to try reinstalling an earlier version. Wish I coipuld bill Apple for the missed work today... And tomorrow if tha doesn't work.

Got white screen with big Mac HD icon in center with arrow below.

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