Help what is ! and a file folder

My screen is showing a file folder and a ! in a triangle, it was frozen and I held the center button and the menu button until an apple appeared, now I have the folder and such showing, what do i do?

Have you seen this?
Folder and ! error.

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What does a grey file folder and ? mark blinking mean on my macbook?

What does a grey file folder and ? mark blinking on my macbook mean and how do I fix it???

With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. 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. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option Key until the Install Disk shows up) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Reset Password. After resetting the password use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for startup and restart.
With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 if you don’t have an install disk check this article. http://www.macyourself.com/2009/08/03/how-to-reset-your-mac-os-x-password-withou t-an-installer-disc/
If you're running 10.7 Lion check this article
http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/24/reset-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-password/
With 10.8 restart holding the Command and R keys, then from the drop down
of actions, choose Terminal. When Terminal opens type:
resetpassword
and press enter.
You will get a reset password window from which you can select the user you want to reset, the admin account in your case. Type a new password twice, do not do anything with the hint box. Click Save, then confirm you want to do this reset. Then click apply to the user's home directory, and click the apple in the left corner, and choose Restart.

What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate?

What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate? I cannot get past it or do anything with the unit.

glamiera wrote:
What does a blinking file folder with a question mark indicate?
That's the firmware telling you it can't find the operating system it's been assigned to boot from.
It could be because it forgot somehow, or the operating system is no longer there or readable or the hardware holding the operating system has failed.
Hold the power button to force a hardware shutdown, then reboot holding the option/alt key held down on the wired or built in keyboard, icons will hopefully load on the screen and if OS X appears, click the arrow to boot from it.
Once in OS X, head to System Preferences > Startup Disk and select your boot drive so it can remind the firmware.
If there is no OS X boot volume, just recovery or Bootcamp (if Windows installed) then you need to perform more work.
Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
To get a copy of your files off the drive.
Step by Step to fix your Mac
To fix your machine and find out (hardware test) if it's a hardware issue of some sort.

Cannot get into mac. I get a white screen and flashing file folder with question mark inside. What can I do?

2012/13 MacBook Pro froze up, so I did a hard shut down. Now, when I try to start up, it makes 3 unusual beeps, then I get a white screen. After a couple minutes, a flashing file folder with a question mark appears and remains. What is wrong and what can I do to fix it.

Three beeps usually means a RAM or RAM slots problem. The Question Mark means there is no bootable system found.
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 or globe 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.

What is the "XperiaTransfer" file/folder?!

I was looking at the "Storage" section in settings on my Xperia Z1 and it says I have 3.12GB under "Misc." on my Device Memory. When I click "Misc." it lists several files (or folders?), one of them being "XperiaTransfer" which is 2.94GB in size.
What is this file? Is it vital to the phone operation, does it contain everything I've copied from my old phone (which I thought I had moved to the SD card?!) or is it perfectly safe to delete this file/folder? It's almost 3GB in size after all! I do want the stuff I've transferred from my old phone though, so if this is all contained in this file/folder then I think I'll have to keep it.
Thanks for any help with this,
Ian.

From my understanding this is basically a temp file created during the Xperia Transfer process. I would advise backing up the file before deleting it but it shouldn’t cause any problems if you remove it.
Don't forget to mark posts that answers the topic as Accepted Solution.
If you find any post helpful, press Kudos.
What are your thoughts about this forum? Let us know by doing this short survey.
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If you're new to our forums make sure that you have read our Discussion guidelines.
If you want to get in touch with the local support team for your country please visit our contact page.

What causes blinking ? file folder

My mackbook froze, the pinwheel just kept going. I then powered off and when i turned it back on I got the flashing ? file folder. Does anyone know what causes this? Thanks for any help you can give.

The computer isn't able to locate or mount the hard disk. Restart from a compatible install disk and use the Disk Utility to repair the internal drive if possible. If it doesn't find anything wrong with the drive, reinstall the OS.
(59195)

PLEASE HELP! iMovie and .MPG Files

Hello. Please help me. I'm on a G5. 10.5.3. iMovie 7.1.2 (577) I have a series of .MPG files that I need to import into iMovie to edit, arrange and then export over to iDVD, etc. iMovie does not see the .MPG files. The Apple site states that iMovie sees only MPEG-4 files and DV files. I also own Quicktime Pro 7.5 (149.5). When I open the .MPG file in Quicktime Pro, even though the file plays perfectly, when I select "Export to MPEG-4" so I can create a readable file by iMovie, I get an error message that say's "Failed: Export process terminated unexpectedly (10). Complete frustration. Is there another way I can convert these files so iMovie can see them? What's wrong with my Quicktime Pro? I bought DivX Pro last night. I thought maybe that program would make an iMovie readable file. No luck. I used DivX to convert and it created a DivX file with NO SOUND. Wasted money.
If anyone has any solutions for my problems noted here or possible alternatives so I can achieve what I'm trying to do successfully, PLEASE ADVISE as soon as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and THANKS, in advance, for your help.
Message was edited by: Lloyd Winston

Lloyd Winston wrote:
I'm still wondering why QT Pro is failing to convert with that error message.
Well, if the video codec used in the .MPG container is MPEG2, QuickTime cannot export with a source of this format; it can only play it.
I remember reading about the reason for Apple doing this, and I forgot exactly why it is, but I think it had something to do with some legal issue. I also read that this is why Mac OS has a separate DVD Player instead of just playing DVDs right inside of QuickTime.

HT1379 need help- frozen mac w flashing file folder & ?

My mac is frozen. nothing but the white screen of death. tried troubleshooting w no luck.
Tried re-setting NVRam/PRAM and now have white/grey screen w flashing file folder icon and question mark.
Help!

Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1367
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042
 Cheers, Tom

What does the blinking file folder mean when I turn on my computer?

So my computer got unplugged while it was loading a web page and now when I turn it on it just shows a blinking/flashing file folder with a question mark on it. What am I supposed to do?

The startup disk has possibly been corrupted...try starting holding the Option key and then select the main hard drive and see if you can continue to normal startup. If that does not work, insert your Mac OS X install disk, you show you have 10.6.8, and restart either holding the Option key and select the install disk or holding the C key so you boot from the install disk. Then reinstall Snow Leopard to cleanup whatever is corrupted. If you do a normal reinstall you will not lose information.

Help- What happened to my files?

I changed the name of the my computer (System Preferences>Sharing).
When I changed it back, most of my stuff is gone- calendar, itunes contents, mail, etc. It's almost like it's a new machine? Where did my stuff go? I didn't delete anything. Please help.

Changing your computer name in the Sharing preferences would not cause this to happen. I suspect that you may have also changed the short name on your home folder. It would be simple enough to change the folder name back and remove the new folder it created however you probably won't have permission to do so. Let me know if this seems to be what happened and I can explain how to fix it.
George

Relocating skype history and temp files folder on ...

Hi Skype Team.
My laptop is equipped with SSD storages and i am configuring it to reduce disk write operations intensity.
SSD is the system drive, marked with C letter. OS is windows 8.1 x64
Disk operation analysis shows that skype is in top of disk writers, so i want to reconfigure it's temp files folder and history db location to another drive D, not ssd.
I reinstalled the skype to another drive and created a folder for temporary files.
Skype .exe location is "D:\Program files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe"
The new folder i created for skype temp files is: "D:\Program files\Skype\DataStore"
Following one of the topics i tried making a new shortcut, with the path specified as:
"D:\Program files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" /datapath:”D:\Program files\Skype\DataStore” /removable
But skype don't start.
When i remove /datapath:”D:\Program files\Skype\DataStore” /removable, skype starts successfully.
Please advise proper measures to change temp file and history db folder
Solved!
Go to Solution.

This should have been working. I'm using this kind of Skype shortcut to run several different Skype versions at the same time.
http://community.skype.com/t5/Windows-desktop-client/Why-did-Microsoft-have-to-go-and-ruin-Skype-lik...
Please, copy the exact text from shortcut's Target field and post it here. There might be a space missing.

Help!- MP3 and WMA files no longer playing on my Micro Pl

I have a 52mb micro plus that I got in September 2005. All of a sudden, I can longer play my mp3 and wma files... just the radio. I have updated my creative zen file organizer, I have a full powered battery inside, I have done no significant damage to the player (I dropped the player once on the sidewalk but not from a big distance or very hard), and I really can't think of anything else that is causing the problem. Can someone please help me fix my player so I can start playing my music files again? Thank you.Message Edited by jjc92787 on 05--200707:0 AM

No unfortunately not. I don't know how to escalate this to Apple tech but I think that is the next step as I believe it is IOS based problem, not user related.

Difference between Import and Add File/Folder to Library options?

When clicking on the File dropdown menu, what is the difference between using the "Import ..." or the "Add File/Folder to Library ..." options?
TIA

Import... means to rip music from a CD.
Add... means to add existing files to the library.

PLEASE PLEASE HELP! finding and locating files..

Hellooo!..
First of all, I'd like to start by saying that i am a DJ and music producer using Logic Pro 9.
..I have just spend the last 5 days organising my whole iTunes, adding albums, renaming, adding artwork and pritty much making sure that everything is bob on and perfect!
So last night i was nearly done and had pretty much completed the organising of my itunes; everything looks cool everything is labelled correctly etc..
This morning, being the absolute TOOL that i am! i (without realising at first) deleted every song in the iTunes Media folder, which i didn't realise was the default file directory for all my music. (i still have all my music files around the laptop they are not deleted, what has deleted are just the copys of the songs that itunes automatically makes and places into the 'Media' folder) Dont even ask how and why i did this or what was going through my mind! just one of those moments i suppose! So still i deepened my problem by emptying the Trash bin so everything had gone.
So.. obviously as you would presume, the dreaded ''!'' appears when i try to play a song and says that it could not find the original file and would i like to locate it? ..after emptying the recycle bin i downloaded some software that restores what you have deleted but this was no use as certain files were missing or corrupt etc so that idea was scrapped.
All of the music in my library IS on my macbook located in various folders a lot are in 'downloads' folder and alot are in another folder named 'Albums from old computer'
So all of my music is on my laptop but i really dont want to have to go through 2689 songs individually to locate them.
when i tried locating one, i found the file and this song was allowed to be played etc but it also popped up with 'Would you like iTunes to use the location of 'song name whatever' to find other missing files in your library?' ..amazed that it came up with this i clicked yes,but no files were found still :S even though many of the files are in the same folder as this song ive just located.. so this option seems to make no sense?
Basically im looking for a way for iTunes to either search the whole laptop for where the song is located or anything else that would allow them to be found and played. The reason i need this to happen is because the whole library is amazingly organised now it all still looks perfect but would also sound perfect too if i could play the effing songs!
I dont know if ive explained this clearley enough or what but i would really really appreciate it if someone could get back to me on this! This is 5 days work gone down the drain!
Thanks,x

Hi, FlyBeatz.
In your iTunes music folder, is there still a file called iTunes Library which has the word "Lib" under the iTunes logo? Normally iTunes has an "iTunes folder" which contains the above and "iTunes library Extras.itbd, iTunes Library Genius [all with lib under the itunes logo] and iTunes Library.xml.
iTunes lib contains the metadata, the info that says album, artist, tracks name. the music folder just has track1, 2 etc and the track name. You need the Lib file to make iTunes display the tracks properly. If this is lost or deleted then its the hard slog.
There is also a folder called iTunes music which contains the audio tracks filed under artist, then album[s].
If the iTunes Lib file is intact then you might be able to import all the music files back into the one folder and have iTunes recognise them as before the great delete. Make sure its the same name, and file structure or 'tunes will get confused. It also puts a lot of stuff into the various artists or compilations folders when it shouldn't, so watch that if you get discrepancies.
You'll need to create a separate folder for each artist, then inside that, create a folder for each album [or track] and copy the audio files into the appropriate location. Then open iTunes and see if it recognises the library correctly.
Warning. If this doesn't work - and iTunes is not a great piece of software for this kind of repair- it could make things worse.
Another option. Do you have time machine enabled? If so, simply reset the computer to a time [say 2 days ago] just before you did the delete. If TM is running automatically, it usually backs up every 30-60 minutes automatically.
I'd also suggest running time machine before attempting my first suggestion in case that solution makes things worse, then you simply restore the machine to its current [somewhat scrambled] state.
Third option is to ring apple tech support and ask for an iTunes expert to help you.
Which you may have already done.
If none or these - or someone else's - solutions don't fix the problem then its the long hard slog.
I've had to do it with over 120G and 200G of wavs more than once thanks to iTunes stupid behaviour, so I know where your at.
Good luck with it fellow Logic Pro user.
Scorpii.

Help! Clip and project files refuses to load into imovie

I did some reorganizing of my movie material placed on an external hdd (I am using a macbookpro 13).
Now imovie refuses to load any of the files again. The project files are greyed out an impossible to import. All the source files are also still there on my external hdd but imovie refuses to load them. What shall I do? Anybody that can help me? Extremely frustrating. Must I move the material or have it in a certain order in the folder system?

I have the same problem as the user who started this thread - moved my imovie projects to an external hard drive using the finder window, did not move them in imovie. Is there any way will be able to view them again in imovie??? I thought maybe they needed to be in the internal hard drive for some reason, so I tried to move them back to "Movies" in my internal HD, but it didn't work either. Please tell me there's a way to recover my projects!

Help what is ! and a file folder

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