I get the flashing question mark on my G5/10.5 system. When I booted up on the install disc and ran first aid which failed and stated "Volume check failed Error -9972 Vol 1 could not be repaired. What to do next? Do I try the hardware diags first?

I've never had to reload the original software and would like to avoid it unless absolutely necessary. Anyway any comments on what i should do next?

HW Diags aren't likely to help.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1687
You must repair the HD, if Disk Utility or fsck should fail to repair it, your best bet is DiskWarrior from Alsoft, you'll need the CD to boot from if you don't have another boot drive...
http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/
Your best bet is DiskWarrior, you need the CD/DVD though.
http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/
But others that may work…
Drive Genius…
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/drive_genius.php
TechTool Pro…
http://www.micromat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=83

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Can't get beyond the flashing question mark

I can't get beyond the flashing question mark on grey folder, on starting up.
I have tried starting with option key down, but still get the question mark.
I have tried starting with the command, option, P and R keys down but still get the same question mark.
I have put the No 1 Installation disc in, and started holding down the C key. The disc was immediately ejected with no change on the monitor.
Can anyone please suggest what else I could try?

I would suggest taking the faulty hd out of the Mac, putting it in an enclosure and seeing whether you can get anything off it. Alternatively,there's an application called Data Rescue Data Rescuehttp://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/211375 that has an excellent reputation for retrieving data from a bad disk.
If you do manage to get your data off, and then onto your MacBookPro, you should have no trouble putting it on a new drive in your iMac.

I,m getting a flashing question mark in a folder on startup

When i started up earlier i verified disk and it said i should restart and hold command and r and then repair disk using disk utility which i did and then restarted using the usual startup disk. Since then every time i turn my imac mid 2011 on 10.9.4 mavs on i get a flashing question mark in a folder. I have over 800 gb of movies id like to transfer to ext hard drive before i try anything else preferably...ive read online reinstalling the osx may wipe everything so i thought id ask the experts before trying anything else.

OK, this is a little different then we started out trying to solve...the erasing of swap and other files has damaged the Mac OS X pretty seriously since we don't know all of what was removed.
If you have the Seagate external drive and it has not been formatted, and you want it to be a Mac OS X drive, attach the Seagate, restart holding the Command and R keys, go to Utilities and open Disk Utility. When that opens, select the Seagate from the drives shown in the left sidebar of the DU window. In the main window, choose Partition from the buttons across the top, center of the window pane. If you want more than one partition, select how many you want, or just keep the default of one. Name the drive (partition), keep the default format as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled), and the default partition table as GUID. Apply that to erase and format the Seagate drive.
When that is finished, still using Disk Utility, select Restore as the function you want to do. Now drag the internal drive (Macintosh HD, typically) to the Source box in the main window of DU, and drag the name you have given the Seagate external to the Destination box in the main window of DU. Look things over to be sure you have done this correctly, the internal drive contents is the source material and the external drive is where you want to put it...what you are about to do is clone the internal drive to the external drive. If all is correct, Restore.
That will take some time since you have a lot of material to copy. When it is done, you should have an exact copy of your internal drive and its contents, i.e., your movies.
Now that you have an exact copy of your contents, you can do what you need to do with the internal drive, such as erase the drive and reinstall Lion or whatever you want to install. After doing so you can copy your movies back if you want, but DO NOT do a restore as that will mess up the operating system.

Ugh, the flashing question mark...

Earlier tonight my three year old nephew got hold of my laptop and his little magic fingers did something to cause the screen to go blank and then, the flashing question mark showed up. So, I reinstalled the OS X dvd, when it asked do I want to keep the previous system in a folder, I clicked yes.
My question is: should I erase the folder with the previous system? If the answer is yes, where do I find it?
Thank you in advance for your help and Happy Holidays!

Yes, you can erase it. It's at the top level of your internal HD. Just open the HD via the Finder and it should appear.
(It won't show up via Spotlight or a Finder search).
Note that it will take quite a while to empty the trash.

My MB pro doesn't recognize any start up discs. I have the flashing question mark, but when I press option/alt, I'm only prompted to start the internet recovery. Afterwards the Mac OS X Utilities pops up, but there's no start up disc?

I have the flashing question mark, but when I press option/alt, I'm only prompted to start the internet recovery. Afterwards the Mac OS X Utilities pops up, but there's no start up disc when I try to reinstall Mac OS x or anything.

Hello, sullivja.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
Here is an article I would recommend going through when experiencing this issue.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440
Cheers,
Jason H.

How to fix the " flashing question mark after the finder icon when starting up" withou an apple keyboard?

Hi
I am wondering How to fix the " flashing question mark after the finder icon when starting up" without an apple keyboard. I have 2 of those .7Ghz emacs so just wanna fix them
Thx

Hi,
>I am using a wireless standard keyboard so maybe the emac doesn't regognise it
Installation of driver software may be required. Do not expect any wireless device to automatically work with a Mac unless guaranteed to do so. In a case like this, use a wired USB keyboard (a PC keyboard should be OK) and a wired mouse to begin with.
>I have installed Ubuntu 13.00 on the HDD from another computer.
Is it a version for PowerPC?
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCDownloads
>a list of eMac hotkey's that can be used before OS boot from a standard Windows keyboard?
Could the following article be of interest?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970299
If/when starting from a bootable CD, press and hold the C key.
Jan

My iphone 5s wont turn on. I tried to recover it through itunes and it didnt work. It said that due to an error my phone could not be restored. However when I plug it into itunes via my computer it turns on, I get the apple, the white line beneath it?????

My iphone 5s wont turn on. I tried to recover it through itunes and it didnt work. It said that due to an error my phone could not be restored. However when I plug it into itunes via my computer it turns on, I get the apple, the white line beneath it???? As soon as I remove it from the computer it goes completly off again???????

Hey beaches37,
Thanks for the question. I understand you are experiencing issues with your iPhone 5s. You mentioned you received an error when attempting to restore. If you remember this error, the following article may help to resolve it:
iTunes: Specific update-and-restore error messages and advanced troubleshooting
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694
Furthermore, you may want to try restoring your iPhone in recovery-mode:
iOS: Unable to update or restore
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808
Thanks,
Matt M.

I recently upgraded computer to windows 7. When I open itunes I am able to see my music library, but unable to play. Gives an error message of "Could not be found". How do I retrieve my library contents?

I recently upgraded computer to Windows 7. When I open itunes I am able to see my music library, but unable to play. Gives an error message of "Could not be found". How do I retrieve my library contents?

Hello ehoff5,
I would be concerned too if I was not able to play my music in iTunes. It sounds like the music files may be in a location that iTunes is not expecting. I recommend reviewing the following articles to locate you music files on your computer:
iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1408
Where are my iTunes files located?
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

HT1310 I have a macbook pro about 4 years old. I can't get it to open past the flashing question mark folder. However, I just tried to hold down the option key and the question mark disappeared. Still, nothing...the light is on the screen but nothing e

I have a 4 year old macbook pro and when I turn it on, the screen and fan come on but there is a flashing question mark folder that appears. Nothing beyond that point....help?

There is no installed OS or you have a dead hard drive. Start by booting from the original installer disc that came with the computer or an installer disc that has a later version than the original such as a Snow Leopard DVD. Then you can do this:
Reinstall OS X 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.

What does the flashing question mark mean

I turned my computer on and a blue screen came up with a flashing question mark in a folder. Please Help!

It means the computer cannot find a startup volume. Please carefully read
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

G4 Won't Boot Up and Shows The Flashing Question Mark Folder Thing

Ok so I bought a Quicksilver G4 from this guy and he said that he took is info off it and now it won't boot up. So I have a Tiger Disk and I tried the to boot from the disk by pushing C down while it was booting and it still goes to that Flashing Question Mark and Folder thing. What should I do? Should I take it in or is there something I can do without taking it in?

Hi! It should boot from the install disc by holding down the "c" key at startup with the disc already inserted as long as it's a retail disc and not one for another model of computer. If it won't boot from a retail install disc then you have hardware problems. Tom

Hi guys, problem with grey screen and flashing question mark. on top of it while in utility, i'm unable to verify, verify disc permission or repair disc0 which is obviously my main hd. any ideas where to go from here? tried to reistall osx but no luck.

hi guys, problem with grey screen and flashing question mark. should be straight forward affair but on top of it while in disc utility, i'm unable to verify, verify disc permission, repair or even erase disc0 which is obviously my main hd. any ideas where to go from here? tried to reinstall osx but no luck, stucked when asked to chose location to install osx. would really apreciate any kind of help with this cause i'm quite new mac user. ty

If you don't have a backup, read this:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689

TS2570 i have an intel imac and im getting a grey sceen. I get the flashing question mark folder. iv changed the H.D 2x and tired to install a new os into it but no luck. The mac isnt going into safe mode or anything. help?

Intel imac 2009. Grey screen with question mark folder. Changed harddrives 3 times now. Tired 5 keyboards on all Usb ports and a hub and keyboard wont boot to startup or safemode of anything but hub gets power. disc drive wont eject or accept a disc cuz keyboard commands not being sent to computer. Help?

Keyboards must be connected directly to the USB port, not through a hub.
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
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 the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

I recently had a Hard drive failure, got the flashing question mark

Hello,
I recently had a hard drive fail on my IMAC. The power went out in my home and knocked the computer off. When I turned it back on I go the dreaded white screen with flashing folder/Question mark.
I tried all the tricks I could find (on my other computer search) but nothing worked. I also inserted the install disk and then tried the "disk utility" ... this is where I got really scared...the utility saw my Hard Drive, but showed nothing on it with 0 space available. I thought I was fried and actually ordered a new hard drive online. (This is the second time in 3 years this has happened ... and wouldn't you know my extended warranty expired 2 weeks ago)
The next day, I think ... well, let me just try booting up to see if a miracle will happen. Low and behold it booted up! My drive is there, all my data everything! (and a new hard drive on the way overnight! lol)
So my friends, what the heck is going on? I immediately repaired permissions once I brought it up. But I'm afraid to shut the thing off now in fear it won't come back.
Any Ideas?
Thanks,
Ryan

Assuming you have some backups:
Drive Preparation and OS X Installation
1. 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 Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
When formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Complete the OS X installation.
If the drive is not failing then the above process will find any possible bad blocks. If no bad blocks are found and the drive reformats, then reinstall OS X. If the drive does fail and you have another you can install, then try that. If this doesn't fix things then take it in for service.

Got the flashing question mark and mac folder on startup.

I've seen other questions on here about it. It happened after the last Safari update. Safari and Quicktime were the last updates I did. I have gone through all of the steps that I've read on here to no avail. (Safe Mode, Holding "x", Reset the PRAM, Checked the PRAM Battery) I tried starting up holding the option key...and no startup disks show up. It wont boot up in single use mode, so I cant try fsck... I ran Disk Utilities from the startup disk and it says my hard drive is not mounted. Is there a way i can mount it? Am i screwed?

It sounds like you have already tried to run Disk Utility so you're now at the stage of trying to rescue your data using the various utilities aBrody mentioned, or trying to repair your directory with Diskwarrior. Some prefer to rescue their files before trying other utilities in case using the repair utilities makes things worse. Rescuing has the downside that you have to have an empty drive to which to rescue items. Some rescue software packages have versions you can try for free which will look at your drive and say if they think they can do anything with it before you buy. The advantage to repair is if it works it will restore your old drive and you don't have to reassemble the whole thing from bits and pieces of rescued files, and repairing doesn't require a second hard drive. You will have to decide on how to approach this. Typically people will try Diskwarrior and if that doesn't work they will go with a rescue package. The big downside is that each software package will set you back $80-$100. (Item for consideration, you can get a backup drive for just over $100 and save yourself a lot of hassle in the future.)
Personally I'd download one of the trial versions and let it have a look. If it can't see things then (and maybe I'm wrong and others will chime in) your chances of getting anything to see the drive are remote.
Oh, there's also a package called Techtool Pro. DW is generally considered premier in repairing directories, but TTP can do some things DW can't. Ideally a person would have TTP, DW and a recue package, but as you're seeing that can add up fast.

I get the flashing question mark on my G5/10.5 system. When I booted up on the install disc and ran first aid which failed and stated "Volume check failed Error -9972 Vol 1 could not be repaired. What to do next? Do I try the hardware diags first?

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