I have a question mark flashing on my screen.
I have restarted my computer multiple times, and there is this question mark flashing within a folder on my screen. I have held down the option key to bring up the software page, and this has not worked. I do not know how to fix this.
That is telling you that a startup disk can't be found.
If yo have Lion or later try booting to Recovery and repair the startup disk via disk utility.
OS X: About OS X Recovery
If earlier OS then boot for install disk
Next would be to reinstall the OS
Failed boot
Similar Messages
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i installed the window 7 ultimate OS in to my mac book pro. after that the partition is not supported and then the folder with question mark flashing on my screen. plaese helf me what to do next to resume mac mac os x?
Assuming that you tried to install Win 7 in bootcamp.
Power on the machine and press and hold the "option" key when you hear the bong sound.
Select the Macintosh HD icon and press "return" or just click on the icon.
Once booted into OS X go to System Preferences and select the Startup Disk icon and configure startup to use the Macintosh HD. -
MacBook question mark flashing on my screen
Helpppppp
Ican't suitch on my Mac!!! There is a question mark flashing on my screen!!!! What to do???I responded to you here > Flashing question mark: Apple Support Communities
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My MacBook will only turn on to a grey screen with a file and a question mark flashing on the screen
When I turn my MacBook on a grey screen with a file and question mark in the center of the screen flashing. What can I try to
get out of this screen?That folder with the question mark icon means that the MacBook can't find the boot directory. That can either mean it can't find the hard drive or the Operating System data on the hard drive is somehow corrupted.
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.
Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7 partition.
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 Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead. -
Did my hard drive die? Folder Question Mark Flashing.
When I boot up, I get a folder with a question mark flashing on the screen. I booted up using the install CD, chose disk utility, but it could not analyze the disk at all. I assume the latter is the case because the disk is flat out not working - maybe a busted motor or corrupted. I do not hear the disk working at all when I try to listen for that.
I have to agree with Peck here, if the drive does not show up in Disk Utility it's a goner.
Some people have found themselves lucky and it turned out to be a loose cable after a repair or replaced drive but if you had neither done on your mac the drive is dead.
I hope you made backups. -
Question Mark flashing on top of folder
sure hope someone reads this.
Every once in awhile i get a question mark flashing on top of a folder icon. not every time, just occassionaly. but tonight is different.
I restarted about 4 times before I could get it to come up so i could post on these forums.
I partitioned my HD into 2 parts and updated to Maverick. every since then i have problems starting up. Ive run permissions, disk first aid, etc and all seems to check out fine.
Ive gone to system preferences and selected the correct startup disk several times.
It is an early 2008 tower model. it has ran like a well oiled machine ever since i bought it...... even it goes out today. i can say ive definitely gotten my moneys worth from this machine.
also, the original ram went out after i updated and i replaced it. im running 6 GB memory. it seems to check out ok.
I have all my data on several external HDs. i only have applications loaded on the main computer.
sure hope someone can help me. i love this machine. its been my life saver.Have you seen this support article and proceeded through all mentioned troubleshoots?
A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start ...
You may need to erase your normal startup disk and reinstall OS X -
I just opened up my MacBook Pro after a few days of not using it and it was frozen. I turned it off and back on and all I see is a white screen, there was a file with a question mark flashing for a bit but I can't do anything, please help me!!
Jerricayoung,
you have a 13-inch Mid 2012 MacBook Pro. It’s modern enough that it supports booting into Recovery mode. To do so, hold down a Command key and the R key as you start up. It should eventually show a Mac OS X Utilities menu. Select Disk Utility from that menu; when the Disk Utility window appears, select the bootable volume from the left-hand side of the window. (It’s typically called “Macintosh HD”.) When the volume is selected, some buttons will appear on the right-hand side. If it’s not greyed out, press the Verify Disk button; if it is greyed out, or if it reports on errors that it found, press the Repair Disk button. Once the verification/repair is completed, exit Disk Utility and select Restart from the Apple menu; that will restart your MacBook Pro in its normal mode. With luck, that will be enough to get you to your normal login screen, rather than the white screen. -
I need to reinstall my operating system for 10.5 after seeing a file folder and question mark flashing on my start up screen. Can anyone help me with this?
Hello,
That means it can find the Hard Drive, or can't find the things needed for booting.
See if DU even sees it.
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.) -
Why do i have a question mark instead of the app picture. It wont let me use the app either.
Why do i have a question mark instead of the app picture. It wont let me use the app either.
Where is your Calculator application located? Before you can put it into the Dock you need to remove the Question Mark. Select it with the mouse and drag it out of the until it "poofs" away. Now locate Calculator and drag its icon into the Dock.
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Why do i have a question mark on my app store
why do I have A question mark on my app store?
To delete that question mark, just hold the Command key and drag it off the Finder, so that question mark will be removed. That's caused when the item you had there is deleted, so Finder doesn't find it and it shows the question mark
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Why do I have a question mark on top of Ichat Icon
why do I have a question mark on top of Ichat Icon ?
Hi,
If this is in the DOCK it because that icon (and the links it has) have lost contact with the original app.
Open th Applications folder.
Drag iChat to the DOCK (Creates the icon and links)
If his displays properly drag the old one Off the DOCK and let go (Puff of smoke animation)
IF it is in the Applications folder that you see this then iChat is most probably broken in some way and you will have to reinstall it (I will needs to know which version for a more complete answer on that)
9:52 PM Wednesday; September 7, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously -
Question mark flashing CD stuck in macBook
Hello,
My MacBook doesnt tur on, I got a question mark flashing. There is a CD stuck inside. I tried everything:
ctrl-command-o-f
mouse buttom-power
reset the memory with command opt p r
But the cd is still inside and the question mark too. What can i do???Peppino, welcome to Apple Discussions.
Re: Stuck CD
First try a Restart while holding down the mouse button.
If that doesn’t work, look at these links:
A dozen ways to eject or unmount a recalcitrant CD or DVD
http://www.osxfaq.com/dailytips/08-2002/08-12.ws
Ejecting media in Mac OS X: Removing 'stuck' CDs/DVDs
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20041011075232575
PowerPC-based Macintosh: How to eject a disc when other options don't work
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106752
Re: Flashing ?
Look at A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042
*Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck*
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
*Your Mac won't start up in Mac OS X (Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier)*
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464
Cheers, Tom -
I purchased a new MacBook Pro and when transferring files iphoto did not transfer. I have a question mark in the place of the icon. My pictures are in library but can't properly access iphoto. Thank you
Sure-glad to help you. You will not lose any data by changing synching to MacBook Pro from imac. You have set up Time Machine, right? that's how you'd do your backup, so I was told, and how I do my backup on my mac. You should be able to set a password for it. Save it. Your stuff should be saved there. So if you want to make your MacBook Pro your primary computer, I suppose, back up your stuff with Time machine, turn off Time machine on the iMac, turn it on on the new MacBook Pro, select the hard drive in your Time Capsule, enter your password, and do a backup from there. It might work, and it might take a while, but it should go. As for clogging the hard drive, I can't say. Depends how much stuff you have, and the hard drive's capacity. As for moving syncing from your iMac to your macbook pro, should be the same. Your phone uses iTunes to sync and so that data should be in the cloud. You can move your iTunes Library to your new Macbook pro
you should be able to sync your phone on your new MacBook Pro. Don't know if you can move the older backups yet-maybe try someone else, anyways,
This handy article from Apple explains how
How to move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Support''
don't forget to de-authorize your iMac if you don't want to play purchased stuff there
and re-authorize your new macBook Pro
time machine is an application, and should be found in the Applications folder. it is built in to OS X, so there is nothing else to buy. double click on it, get it going, choose the Hard drive in your Time capsule/Airport as your backup Time Machine and go for it. You should see a circle with an arrow on the top right hand of your screen (the Desktop), next to the bluetooth icon, and just after the wifi and eject key (looks sorta like a clock face). This will do automatic backups of your stuff. -
have a question mark in the place of my mail's icon and i cannot get into my email. I found my email folder in the library ,but it is not in applications. How do i get my email back ?
you should look in your applications folder to see if mail is still there. the dock icon is pointing to mail being in your applications folder. it has probably been moved or deleted for some reason from the app folder. do a spotlight search for your mail program. if it is still on your computer, move it back to the applications folder and when you click the question mark, it should see it is back and open. The email folder in your library shouldn't have to be touched. you need mail.app itself.
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I have this question mark (?) in the upper left corner of my Finder windows. Anyone know what's up with that, what it might portend, and how to get rid of it?
Are you sure you have a PowerMac? They can't run Mac OS 10.6.8. Maybe a Mac Pro instead?
Can you post a screen shot of that portion of the screeen for us to review? Does the question mark replace the Apple that's at the left end of the menubar?
Maybe you are looking for
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