Image ofFFolder withslternating face profile and question mark on screen

Can't use my Powerbook because of alternating face and question mark on screen.
What's wrong and how doI fix this?

That means that your system can't find anything to boot from. Do you have the original OS X discs that came with your system? Find the one that says in small print on the label 'AHT Version x.x'. Insert it and reboot holding the option key down. Choose the Apple hardware test, click the arrow to the right, and follow directions. Choose the extended test. What does it tell you?
If it gives you an indication your hard drive isn't present, you can insert the first OS X disc, and reboot holding the C key down, which will cause the system to boot from the OS X disc. Choose utilities from the menu bar, and disk utility. If it sees the hard drive, try a repair disk.
Please post back what you find.

Similar Messages

Blinking mac face and question mark at startup

i've been having problems w/ my powerbook lately, it's been freezing and the mouse has been whirring. I installed more ram and repaired discs through the installation software (disk utilities).
everything was working fine for about a day, except that the laptop kept making this whirring sound.
suddenly, my mouse pointer disappeared and wouldn't turn back on. i forced the computer to quit by holding down on the power button, but once i restarted it, an icon of a small grey folder w/ alternating between a blinking mac face and question mark came on.
i tried restarting the computer, holding down command, alt/options, "P" and "R" but the blinking face won't go away. now, the computer turns on for about half a minute, and then shuts off by itself.
can someone please help me??

Look at:http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302672
You may need to run fsck to try and repair the volume.
Please update your profile so we know which version of Mac OS you're running.
Joe

Alternating mac face and question mark after i tried to install OS X 10.3

I have a Powerbook G4 and I tried to update my operating sytem from 10.2.8 to 10.3 but it froze. After I restarted it I got an alternating mac face and question mark. It just ejects the CDs I try to put into it except for the installation disk for OS X 10.1.3. When I put that one in a smiling mac computer come up then all this type comes across the screen, something about kernels and panic.
Please help me, I've got a project due soon.

Could someone please help me,
when i open my power book g4, an alternating Mac face and question mark appears, and no matter what I do it is still there.
it only changes when I insert the installtion CD of MAC OS X 10.3, but after the Apple logo appears, the screen went white and sometimes just blue, and it just won't work. Then after restarting, the alternating Mac face and question mark still appear.
i also tried the hardware test, after doing both of the tests, the result is consistently "passed". But after restarting, the same problem happens.
what should i do?
please help me
thanx in advanced

Blue et white face and question mark flashing when i open my mac

BLUE ET WHITE FACE AND QUESTION MARK FLASHING WHEN I OPEN MY MAC POWER G5 HELP

That means that it can't find an OS to boot. You might try booting off the CD that came with the system and running Disk Utility on the Hard Drive.

HT2173 i get a flashing face and question mark when switching on, but computer stays on this screen?

help please I have two other Imacs and when I switch them on I get a flasing face and question mark come up in the middle of the screen, and they continue to flash with nothing else happening apart from a loud fan noice after a while?

On what Mac running what version of OS X?

Hi, new ipad2 user. Recieve some emails that should have images but in their place are question marks. any advice on how to fix this would be great. thanks alot..brad

Hi, new ipad2 user. Recieve some emails that should have images but in their place are question marks. any advice on how to fix this would be great. thanks alot..brad

On your iPad - go to Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendars>Load Remote Images>On. Try that first.
You can also try a reset. Reset the iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons.
Quit the mail and all other apps. Go to the home screen first by tapping the home button. Quit/close open apps by double tapping the home button and the task bar will appear with all of you recent/open apps displayed at the bottom. Tap and hold down on any app icon until it begins to wiggle. Tap the minus sign in the upper left corner to close the apps. Restart the iPad. Restart the iPad by holding down on the sleep button until the red slider appears and then slide to shut off. To power up hold the sleep button until the Apple logo appears and let go of the button.

Black screen with triangle and question mark

I was rotating some pictures in iPhoto (11-9.5) and all of a sudden in the large image window there is now a black window with a triangle and question mark in the middle. Nothing I can do makes this go away so I can enlarge my pictures in this window. iMac 2009, OSX 9. Please help!
Thank you
Carl

OT,
Thank you. This didn't solve the problem. I saw somewhere in another post about doing some more manipulations but I was too uncertain. I called Apple. The first problem was I had a problem in my disc that had to be solved through a series of manuvers I don't remember. Then I was referred to a senior tech for the iPhoto issue. We spent several hours altogether on this. If I understand it correctly, some of my photos from the earliest time were converted into PSD files. The originals could not be found anywhere on my computer. The PSD file could not be worked with in iPhoto and that was why I got that symbol. I have a time capsule that fortunately had data far enough back we could retrieve JPGs. Again through a series of manuvers I don't remember we brought those up, deleted the PSD files, and put in the JPEG files. Seems to be working now.
Thanks again,
Carl

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?

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.)

PDF prints with little boxes and question marks

I prepared a document in Microsoft Publisher 360 and created a pdf with creative cloud.
Looks great and prints great for me.
I emailed it to a few people and it looks great on their screens. However, when they print it,
it comes out with little boxes and question marks.
If I email them the publisher file it is fine.
How I can get them the PDF file without all the odd markings?

You probably used a font that is not on their system and did not embed the font in the PDF when you created it. Don't feel bad. We all have done it. Just make sure to embed your fonts in the Joboptions settings before you recreate the PDF.

Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup

Hello.
I need help with my Macbook Pro. I get a blue screen with a flashing folder and a question mark at start up. To date I have tried the following:
Apple Hardware (Extensive) Test (Results: "No Trouble Found")
Safe Boot
Reset NVRAM
Reinstall OS X via the internet (I received no discs when I purchased it). I select the StartUp Disk to reinstall. When reinstalling via the internet I get to a point of reinstalling Mountain Lion but it asks me to choose a drive - yet there are no drive options to choose from. Then a window comes up asking me to "Select the system you want to use to start up your computer" but no options appear. When I choose "Restart" a note pops up saying "You can't change the startup disk to the selected disk. Startup Disk could not gather enough information on the selected disk."
The only option is "Restart" from the Apple menu. When I choose that it goes back to the original "Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup."
I have no Time Machine
I can't access the disc utility.
Are there any ideas as to what might be the problem?

Your hard drive has likely failed and needs replaced. That would explain why the system does not display it when you attempt to reinstall the OS via Internet Recovery.

What does a white screen with a file folder and question mark indicate?

what does a white screen with a file folder and question mark indicate upon start up?

That the computer can't find a useable boot volume.
Boot from your grey installer DVD disc 1 (hold down the C key on startup or hold down Alt/option on start and choose the installer disc).
OK the language page (if present). From the installer screen, go to the menu bar and choose Disk Utility; depending on the OS version it may be in the Utilities menu or Tools menu.
In DU, select your internal drive in the sidebar (the top item with the makers name and serial no.). Run Repair Disk (not Disk permissions). If problems are reported as repaired, run it again until you get a message in green "the volume seems to be OK".
If it says it can't repair the disc, you may need heavier guns such as DiskWarrior or TechTool to attempt a rescue.
Hope you have backups; retrieving data from adead drive can be expensive and tricky.

Folder and Question Mark

I asked this question earlier but the problem keeps reoccuring. Every morning my iMac is flashing a folder and question mark. I just push the button in the back to turn it off, turn it right back up and it runs perfect all day. But the next morning it will be on (rather then sleeping) and flashing this question mark and folder. I understand it may have something to do with the startup disk? But I keep selecting the correct startup drive and it works fine all day and into the night but for some reason come morning it is always flashing. I do not understand. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to lug my iMac into the apple store, its out of apple care warranty by now anyways.

Hi Cookie
I occasionally get this if one of my External HD's is left on or if I have left a device +(iPod, iPhone, FlashDrive, Camera etc.)+ connected during restart and startup.
1. Repair your Startup Disk with your Install DVD > http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=3810
2. Go to: System Preferences > Startup Disk > select the Mac OS X on Macintosh HD > Lock the Lock.
Then if your still having the problem:
1. Eject and turn off any External Hard Drives
2. Eject and disconnect flash memory devices prior to shutting down and reconnect them after startup.
Another consideration if you must keep devices connected for whatever reason, is to sleep the iMac instead of starting up every morning.
Dennis

HT1379 I have lost everything on my mac, a gray screen with a folder and question mark is blinking. i hav another mac that is running slowly, how can I boot and reinstall os x Lion, i do not have the start up disc with me.

I have lost everything on my mac, a gray screen with a folder and question mark is blinking. i hav another mac that is running slowly, how can I boot and reinstall os x Lion, i do not have the start up disc with me.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
Lion uses Recovery to reinstall OS X. Press Command and R keys when your Mac starts, open Disk Utility, erase the drive and reinstall Lion. The other Mac has probably got its hard disk damaged, so take the Mac to an Apple Store

My iMac wont go past the grey screen with Apple Logo and question mark a caution mark

My iMac wont go past the grey screen with Apple Logo and question mark a caution mark

You may find this support article helpful:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Ciao.

Most of the time when I turn computer on I get the white screen and question mark. Sometimes it will turn on and work but often the spinning disk starts and especially when opening Iphoto and it generally freezes

Most of the time when I turn on the Mac I get the white screen and question mark appear. Sometimes it will turn on and work. But often the coloured spinning wheel starts up especially after trying to use iphoto it freezes and a couple of times the screen has then gone black. The computer seemed pretty warm yesterday when this happened.
Any suggestions of what I should do to fix it would be greatly appreciated.
Kate

See this on the question mark when you start up: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US
See this on the spinning beach ball: http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html

Image ofFFolder withslternating face profile and question mark on screen

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