How do I fix folder/question mark

I am using an old G3 tower for some vintage gaming, but when I start it up I only get the folder with question mark. I don't know exactly what version of OS9 it is running, but I know that I don't have the discs. What should I do to get it up and running?

jv145,
The best way to restore a computer is to have a backup. There are two ways to back up a system disk. With one drive, you can create two partitions. Install the software on one partition and chose a desktop picture or style. On the second partition, install the same system and chose a different photo or theme. Then when something happens to the system folder on one partition, the Mac will automatically switch to the second partition and you are back in business. The reason for choosing a second photo for the desktop is to alert you to the fact that the computer did not start from the original folder. That is a warning to run Disk First Aid and see what is wrong with the first system folder.
If you have two hard drives, you can do the same thing. If you have an external firewire drive or SCSI drive, you can also boot off of it.
As for getting back in business, you will need a backup system or backup hard drive. Post back with the name of a large city near you and we can help you find a Mac User Group. Someone can help you find your local resources.
Ji~m

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Startup stuck on a Flashing Folder/Question Mark

Aloha,
I have been looking for a solution to my problem for several months now and have never found a solution.
One day my computer froze so I forced a shut down by holding the on/off button.
When I turned on the machine again the folder/question mark appeared.
I have tried all the hot keys.
Option-only shows the refresh and forward buttons but no options.
I thought my hard drive failed, so I bought a new one and installed it.
When I placed the OS DVD in to install a fresh copy I still got the flashing folder/question mark.
I don't know what to do, any suggestions?

sione wrote:
I don't know how to get to the system preferences if i can't get past the flashing folder/question mark.
Correct you'll not be able to...
The question mark appears when the boot loader cannot find a valid OS system/partition.
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3. Alternately press the "X-key" during boot.
4. And lastly before we give you the bad news... make sure that the mouse or track-pad button is not being pressed or stuck during system boot.
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But I was going on the assumption, as it was an internal drive (not an external data only drive), he had an OS installed, since his problem seemed to be that out of the blue he was getting the flashing folder question mark on startup. He had written +"I have been having an issue with my machine for the past couple days...."+ implying that it had booted normally before that.
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Okay,
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Hi Jkat, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Sounds like short of a proper install disk, you've tried everything but this...
applesetupdone...
This was Posted by: JoseAranda at September 9, 2006 3:48 AM
"OK, restart your computer, hold down Command-s and type in the following:
/sbin/fsck -y Enter
/sbin/mount -uaw Enter
rm /var/db/.applesetupdone Enter
# The rm command is the remove command which deletes the file.
# Robert: I'd rename the file via: mv /var/db/.applesetupdone /var/db/.applesetupdone.old
reboot Enter
Once you've done that the computer reboots and it's like the first time you used the machine. Your old accounts are all safe. From there you just change all other account passwords in the account preferences!!
end of posted by: JoseAranda"
But not on this forum I guess.

Can't startup blinking folder question mark

There are similar questions in these forums, but my situation is different. My MacMini froze and I had to press the power button on it to restart it. I get the folder with the blinking question mark. I do not have any disks in the drive. I have not installed any new operating systems for at least a year. No external drives connected. I shut off and started the Mac Mini yesterday with no problems.
I tried the Enter/Return key; no response. I restarted and tried the Command-Option-P-R to reset the P-Ram; got the same blinking folder question mark. I restarted and tried the Command-Option-O-F also. I just keep getting the same blinking folder question mark.
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Message was edited by: besprenbrian

Hello how do I get the question mark away from my tracks. The songs can be played against the

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You have to find the songs on your computer. If you have deleted them then you will not be able to add them. Check the backup of your computer.

Folder + Question Mark : Still there after zeroing and reinstalling.

My MacBook Pro decided it didn't want to boot yesterday after a crash due to low battery on start up. Tried resetting PRAM, ran disk repair (had a couple issues there), finally just zeroed the drive and reinstalled the OS (Tiger factory discs). After reinstalling, the computer is still giving me the folder + question mark icon. I can boot onto the CD just fine every time, it sees the drive and tells me there are no errors when repairing it (does seem to hang on the final 'mounting drive' stage though). Still can't boot into the OS though.
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Message was edited by: S. Swanson

When you go to Disk Utility, is SMART verified? Have you run the extended version of the Apple Hardware test?
I had a similar problem with a PowerMac G4, and the cause was a failing hard drive. If you do manage to boot from your boot drive, download and run SMART Utility:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/systemdiskutilities/smartutility.html
You can download the demo and run it several times for free. It is more critical than Disk Utility is, and can detect impending hard drive failure sooner. It could be your hard drive is headed south, especially if it is the original.
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Flashing folder question mark on boot

I started my computer today, and I hear this high-pitched noise and then clicking sounds. Then I see the flashing folder question mark. Could this be hard drive failure? Or is it the DNSChanger virus? I've tried to access the Recovery, but Command-R and the Option key don't work. When I use Option, all I see is a white screen with a pointer.

Compukid wrote:
When I tried Option, it showed a white screen and the cursor.
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When I tried to move the mouse (a wireless one, if that helps), it did not move.
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I have a folder with a question mark in the middle. I tried holding Command + R but in return i get a big lock asking for my password. I don't remember what password i had. How can i fix it?

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How do I fix folder/question mark

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