HT2173 Gray screen with a question mark

iMac will not turn on and it has face with a question mark

This means that either:
The operating system is missing from the iMac's hard drive. You will need to restore your system from the grey discs that came with your Mac.
The hard disk is damaged. In this case you will need a new hard drive. Once you or a specialist has installed it you can then restore your system using the grey discs.

Similar Messages

  • Gray screen with flashing question mark inside a folder icon

    Screen was unresponsive, cursor would move, but nothing else. Turned power off, turned power back on, now has a gray screen with a folder icon and flashing question mark in it. any ideas to correct or should i take it to Best Buy for service ( Geek squad) ?

    Before taking it in for service, I'd folllow this article. Although it's possible it's a drive issue, it's equally likely to be something else. That article walks you through steps to fix it if it's not the drive.
    Note: For the archive & install, if you're on 10.6, follow the disk instructions, if you're on 10.7 or later, you'll want to boot into the recovery partition. To do that, just boot the computer while holding down the Command+R button. No need for disks.
    Regards,
    Gnomish8

  • My MacBook Pro Hard Drive recently gave me the gray folder with the question mark of death. Even as

    My MacBook Pro Hard Drive recently gave me the gray folder with the question mark of death. Even as a Mac Newbie/Novice, I successfully installed a new hard drive and the OS (10.6.8) software from my installation discs. I have, however, lost the ability to play video using the spacebar and I have no idea on the steps necessary to correct this seemingly simple technical blip. .Here's my system overview:Model Name:     MacBook Pro Model Identifier:     MacBookPro6,2 Processor Name: Intel Core i5 Processor Speed:     2.4 GHz Number Of Processors:     1 Total Number Of Cores:     2 L2 Cache (per core):     256 KB L3 Cache:     3 MB Memory:     4 GB Processor Interconnect Speed:     4.8 GT/s.
    I am using the Premiere Pro CS5 NLE (with the 5.0.4 updates), and I have tried to reinstall the software (which is actually the Production Premium package) several times, but I still cannot use the spacebar (or any method) to play any of my imported videos.
    PLEASE HELP in any way you can!
    Prior to having to replace my hard drive, my software was working just fine. No problems at all. But now, it seems that I can't get it to play whatever type of file I import.
    Again, I am a newbie to the Mac, so any and all correctional/repair assistance needs to be expalined as if I were a child :  ) 
    I would hate to try to revert to considering the sophmoric Final Cut Pro X editing software package, but I've got to do something to be able to get back to my editing activities.
    zionhall
    [email protected]

    Jorge242 wrote:
    @FatMac the internet recovery doesnt work. It goes into recovery mode and then when i try to reinstall it cant find a disk to install it to. So what would be a good choice to take now?
    Recovery Mode presents you with, among other things, Disk Utility. When you open that, if the internal shows up at all, first try to "Repair DIsk." If that doesn't work but if the "Media" line is present, try to format and partition it with a GUID partition table (understand that you will be erasing the contents of your internal). Then try to reinstall the OS. If that doesn't work, and since your Retina MBP didn't come with a DVD drive or DVDs, you'll need to try a hardware test using these instructions from Apple (short version: shut down, press the power button and hold down the "D" key). If none of those things work, let's hope you either have AppleCare or your warranty has some life left because the SSD in your rMBP is proprietary and expensive. You'll need to bring it to an Apple Genius for evaluation.

  • White screen with flashing question mark

    AAll I get is white screen with flashing question mark.  I've inserted OS disc but it won't run.  Can anyone help plz?

    A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

  • Suddenly on sunday while i was working, my macbook Air stopped working, right after that i tried getting it on but nothing came other than a grey screen with a question mark right in the center could you please help me in rectifying the problem. Would th

    Suddenly on Sunday while i was working, my macbook Air which i bought last year in Spetember from Arkansas, Little Rock stopped working, right after that i tried getting it on but nothing came other than a grey screen with a question mark right in the center. Could someone please help me in rectifying the problem. Would thi issue also affect saved data. However, I have handed the notebook to Apple for reapirs and they will revert by Thursday 12/04/2012.

    I just received some horrifying news from Adobe about my production suite.  I just FINALLY learned today that what I've been trying to do for over a week now - CAN'T be done because of compatability issues involving updates of both Adobe & Microsucks Winders!!!  I sincerely hope this is not your problem.  Mine is ALMOST HOPELESS!!  Being in this HOPELESS Obamma economy,,,, leaves NO STIMULUS in which to currently upgrade everything that needs upgraded for me to fully use my INVESTMENT in Adobe Suite - sad, horrible and SICKENING!!!
    I just wanted to post this. And again, I truly hope you find a solution. Good Luck!

  • Gray file with a question mark

    I have macbook pro and it starts up fine but after about 30 minutes I hear a clicking sound and it freezes then a gray file with a question mark shows up. How can I fix this?

    You probably need a new hard drive. Your computer can't find a boot disk at startup and you're hearing a 'clicking' sound. Not good at all. You should backup immediately, using two schemes and two hard drives, at least, and then run Disk Utility from Disc 1 that came with your MacBook Pro. First Verify the disk and then, if needed, Repair the disk.
    But before you do anything - make those backups. See -> Most commonly used backup methods.
    Good luck,
    Clinton

  • When I turn on my iMac, instead of the normal opening screen I get an image of a gray file with a question mark in it flashing. What is is? mark

    When I start my iMac, instead of the regular start up screen I get an image of a gray file folder with a question mark in it. The image is flashing. What is this? mark

    Unishape, you'll need to get out you're install discs that came with your Mac. See this article for help
    https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

  • I have a problem with lion.  My MacBook pro froze and now I get a gray folder with a question mark.

    I recently upgraded to lion but my screen just froze. I had to shut it down by holding the power button down. Every time I tried to start it again I got a grey folder with a question mark and couldn't do a thing. I' ve been told to restore snow leopard but I dont want to loose my files or email. What can I do?

    Boot from your recovery partition. Check and if necessary repair your startup volume with Disk Utility. You may need to reinstall Lion.
    OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery

  • HT4718 what if my mac wont go pass the screen with the question mark

    Everytime I turn on my mac the screen has a long delay then a picture of a folder with a question mark in it. I cant get past it. What should I do?

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    It appears when your computer couldn't find any bootable volume. Normally, this is a sign of a damaged hard drive.
    As you are using OS X Mountain Lion, follow these steps to check that your hard drive is OK:
    1. Hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your computer is starting to start into OS X Recovery.
    2. On the "OS X Utilities" window, open Disk Utility, select "Macintosh HD" in the sidebar and repair the drive.
    3. If it was repaired, go to  > Restart, and you should be able to start OS X properly. If it wasn't repaired, you have to erase the hard drive, but it's possible that your hard drive is damaged, so you may have to replace it

  • White Screen with folder question mark

    We have a basically brand new iMac. Intel core 2 duo- Mac OS X v 10.6 Snow Leopard.
    The machine will not start up- we get a white screen with a flashing folder in the middle with a question mark. We tried all the force quit type directions including resetting. Nothing works.
    Is there some other way to restart this machine?

    Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    Here is what Apple says regarding that:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
    If the machine is less than 1 year old it's covered by the warranty, if you need to contact Apple to get additional help. Here is a link on how to contact them.
    Regards,
    Roger

  • Mac will not load. Shows a screen with a question mark.

    My macbook only loads to the screen where a question mark is displayed.
    I've tried all the trouble shooting tips such as restarting while holding the command/option keys etc, removing the battery, etc. At the step where I try to do first aid on my hard disk, that will not work. "No valid package" displays as the error. It will not restore or erase either. The installation disk will load but not progress further. The computer can not read the hard drive anymore.
    This happened after I left programs running and the computer went to sleep, when I came back it froze and I restarted but to only get this. Help?

    I notice the first two replies you've gotten tell you to do things that you say you've already done. There's just no accounting for that kind of behavior -- it's very odd.
    To answer your question, if Disk Utility cannot even erase the hard drive, you most likely have a hardware problem. A MacBook hard drive out to be able to report its SMART status, I would think, so try selecting the drive (not the partition, but the drive itself) in Disk Utility. At the bottom of the window there will be some info text -- what does the one labelled "S.M.A.R.T. Status" say? If it says "About to Fail" in red letters, that means you've definitely got hardware issues, and the drive itself needs to be replaced. If this machine is still under warranty, it ought to be fixed by Apple at no cost to you.
    If the SMART status says "Verified", that means it's not a hardware issue, in which case it's puzzling why Disk Utility can't even erase it. In that case, I would advise trying a third-party disk utility, like TechTool Pro (http://www.micromat.com/). Perhaps then you could repair it to the point that Disk Utility could erase it. (And, if the damage is this bad, I'd definitely recommend erasing it and reinstalling everything from scratch.)

  • How do I fix the GRAY boot-up screen with FLASHING QUESTION-mark FOLDER?

    When I turn on the MacBook Pro laptop, I opened up the Safari Browser and its when the problem started. It was stuck on an loading infinite loop. I decided to force quit the application and/or turn off the mac by the Menu options, It did not work. So I did a "Hard" Shut-down and restarted the Mac, the Boot up screen stood gray for like a minute until the Flashing ? Folder icon showed up!.
    My sister's laptop's warranty is expired so I wonder how can I fix it without having to spend too much money on a simple troubleshooting tip.
    How can I download/create a boot-up Disk/Flash Drive so I can reset it to factory settings?
    I cannot access the laptop because It's kind-of software bricked if you ask me. Also, I do not know how to check the Mac OS version outside of the "About Mac" menu. I do have another Mac which is a desktop computer with a CD drive.
    I would appreciate some expertise on this issue a.s.a.p. Thank you!

    Ok, now I am stuck:
    Why does my Mac boot its OS from the Flash Drive instead of the INTERNAL HARD DRIVE???a
       If I start up my MacBook Pro, It will have the flashing question mark folder UNLESS i plug in the OS-Boot flash drive. When I at the desktop screen and work on a program, When I unplug the Flash drive, THE OS WILL CRASH AS IF I TOOK it's soul (OS x Lion) out of the body (MacBook Pro Laptop)
    this is frustrating because when I did the INTERNET RECOVERY, When I install OS x Lion, the Flash Drive only show up as an option as opposed to the HDD.
    I cannot format the hard-drive in DISK UTILITY because it's grayed out. This is just frustating. I never had problems with PC Windows OS recovery but this (Mac OS).

  • Gray screen (sometimes blinking question mark) at start up

    My  husband was using my beloved Macbook last night & said that while surfing Facebook, all of Firefox locked up & the spinning wheel thing (like it was thinking) made it imposbbile for him to do anything.  Rather than doing ctrl + option + esc (or w/e it is....I can do it with my hands quickly but can't think right now) to quit Firefox, he just held down the power button to shut the whole thing down.  He said that when he turned it back on, it was doing the blinking question mark thing.
    This morning (not having known what happened last night), I started it up & was confused by the blinking question mark.  I asked him about it & then got the whole story.  I turned it off & let it chill all day while I was at work.  And now every time I start it up it's alternating between just being a gray screen or sometimes if I leave it long enough, it turns to the flashing question mark again.
    I have done the restart & press option thing & nothing happened.  Did a restart & pressed shift & nothing happened. 
    The only thing I've done & seen anything from resetting my PRAM & NVRAM (http://http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379) & even then, after the 2nd restart when it says to let go, nothing different happened.  Still the gray screen!!!
    Help!!  I am a computer junkie & have loved my MacBook for 4 years.  I put in a new harddrive (I wanted a bigger, better one) a couple years ago, but could that be it?  I need to know more tests I can do.
    PS - I don't have the right startup disc because I upgraded using my brother-in-law's & he lives 7 hours away.  So I can't just pop in my start up disc.  Any other suggestions???

    In addition to above advice, here is an Apple article with some troubleshooting suggestions:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
    Note that you will need your install disk. If you do not have it, you can call Apple; if you give them your serial number, they should be able to send you copies for a nominal charge.
    PS - I don't have the right startup disc because I upgraded using my brother-in-law's & he lives 7 hours away.  So I can't just pop in my start up disc.  Any other suggestions???
    If your Macbook meets the system requirements for Snow Leopard, you might want to consider buying that (available for $29 or less) rather than using someone else's disks which violates Apple's SLA.

  • IMac 9,1 Grey Screen with Flashing Question Mark (After HDD Replaced)

    Hello, I have an iMac 9,1 and it recently booted with a grey screen and a flashing question mark. My HDD made a very loud ticking noise, which to my knowledge and people on Google, the HDD is basically dead. No big deal. I purchased and replaced the HDD myself, no more ticking but I still get the same screen. I put in my OSX installer DVD and it spits it back out. Tried holding C on start up, same thing. I tried reseting the PRAM and SMC, no luck. Can't boot into safe mode nor the start up manager. I just get a blank screen with the cursor that I can move around, that's it.
    However, I was also to boot the Apple Hardware Test through the 2nd CD that came with my installer by holding D on start up. Ran the test, no hardware errors found. I've tried so many things such as the ones listed above, I tested the RAM as well and I'm stumped. Please help. Thanks.
    Edit: I also tried booting into single user mode. That doesn't work either. I also tested the OSX installer in my MacBook to make sure the disc wasn't bad and it booted the disc no problem with the full installer.

    Linc Davis wrote:
    I can boot into Target Disk mode and since my Macbook reads the OSX installer no problem, would I be able to install the OSX through Firewire?
    That may work, if you have a retail (not a gray) installation disc, but the MB will then be set to boot from the iMac's drive. You'll need to reset the startup disk in the Startup Disk preference pane on the MB.
    Thanks, I'll certainly give this a try. I'm really hoping this works out because I feel like I've tried everything and seeing no hardware errors makes me feel like I can do something on my end rather than dropping hundreds of dollars to get it fixed.

  • What to do with a grey screen with flashing question mark on start up

    What does a flashing question mark on a blank screen mean web starting up?

    Follow the procedures in this support article:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
    Ciao.

Maybe you are looking for