Mac OS X Leopard not working (grey screen with question mark appearing)

Hello. I have a Desktop Mac Running on Leopard (not Snow Leopard) and it gives me the grey screen with a question mark. It has been doing this for a month now, and i had to restart it holding the C key every time, and now it has stopped working. I am using a Logitech mouse and keyboard, and had a disk inserted so i cant insert the installation disk. What should i do?

You will have to reinstall OS X. Connect the original keyboard and mouse. Restart the computer and hold down the mouse button immediately after the chime. This should force the optical drive to eject the disc. Otherwise see the following:
Five ways to eject a stuck CD or DVD from the optical drive
Ejecting the stuck disc can usually be done in one of the following ways:
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the left mouse button until the disc ejects.
2. Press the Eject button on your keyboard.
3. Click on the Eject button in the menubar.
4. Press COMMAND-E.
5. If none of the above work try this:
Open the Terminal application in your Utilities folder. At the prompt enter or paste the following:
/usr/bin/drutil eject.
If this fails then try this:
Boot the computer into single-user mode. At the prompt enter the same command as used above. To restart the computer enter "reboot" at the prompt without quotes.
Once the disc has been removed you can try to do the following:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Similar Messages

  • Grey screen with question mark on boot up.

    My son's 2011-12 Macbook Pro displays a grey screen with a question mark and will not boot.  I pulled  that first drive, put that first drive in a USB cage and connected the USB cage  through a USB port and could boot a different machine with the first drive.  I put a brand new second drive with a formatted and journaled OSX drive in place of the original first drive in my son's macbook pro machine tand got the same grey screen and question mark.  Do I need a new electronics board?  If so that is a $500 repair and not worth it on a 3 year old machine.  Thoughts?

    It could be anything at this point - most likely, it seems, is that you've a faulty SATA cable. If you go to www.ifixit.com you can find the Apple part number for the cable (or buy the cable at ifixit, even) and search eBay for the part number (much less expensive on eBay and I've yet to hear of one from eBay having failed).
    I'm betting that's the problem.
    Clinton

  • TS3423 my start drive not responding. getting grey screen with question mark in a folder. when i use disk utility drive wont mount

    When I turn on my Mac I get a grey screen with a folder with a question mark . Have tried the disk utility to no avail as the disk has apparently dismounted and will not mount even though the mount option is available. I have recently upgraded from snow leopard go os x maverick

    This could be a software/state problem or a hardware problem.  In your case it sounds like the latter but you should try the steps below in case it might help.
    Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

  • Grey screen with question mark on folder?

    Just turned on my MacBook and it opened up with a grey screen with a folder in the middle with a question mark, what does this mean?  I am also hearing a clicking sound from inside the computer.

    frederic, with due respect: this solution is good if the disk is good, if the disk is dying, therefore ? is not due to a corrupt system, but a dying disk, then this solution may impede later recovery of data, which is still possible, if need be and if the disk is not entirely dead. Usually they do not not die over night.

  • My macbook fell and since then a white screen with question mark appears

    hey guys!
    i really need to know what to do, my macbook fell while it was on. it froze so i restarted it, but the white screen comes in with the apple begining sound and everything but the screen stays blank for about two minutes and then a folde with a question mark appears. i tried putting in the cd that came with it, samething happened but after a while the appe sign appears and the computer started off my installation disc, so i try re installing everything, but when i get to the screen that asks to select a destination, there is nothing available.
    i realize that the best thing to do is to go to an apple store and then sort everything out, but i am in haiti where the nearest apple store is in miami, i really need your help and i'm desparate cuz i cannot do anything without my laptop... please send me your help as soon as possible.
    thanks in advance

    Your hard disk has been damaged. At this point, it will need to be replaced with a new one. You'll need to call AppleCare and they'll have you mail it in for repairs. I'm not sure what the usual turnaround time for that is internationally, but in the United States it's about a week. I'd tack on a few extra days to get the laptop to and from Haiti.
    Either way, your computer will need to be repaired and the data that was on your hard disk will be lost. (Unless you take the machine to a 3rd party repair shop that specializes in recovering data from damaged hard disks.)

  • Hello my Mac Air is frozen on the grey screen (with the apple symbol, sleeping mode, restart-and off button), once you turn it on.

    hello my Mac Air is frozen on the grey screen (with the apple symbol, sleeping mode, restart-and off button), once you turn it on. I Can`t press any button.My Mouse still works. Battery is charged. Alt-cmd-escape doesn`t work It even after a forced shutting off, the problem is the same.   what should i do? Thank you for your help.

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.   
    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
         a. Boot into the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
    b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
    If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
    Step 3
    Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
    Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
    When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
    If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
    If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
    Step 4
    Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 5
    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
    This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
    Step 6
    Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
    Step 7
    Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 8
    This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. The battery is distinct from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions.
    Step 9
    If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

  • Accidentally removed from,sharing and permissions the admin user,and now i do not when i find the home icon at my computer i do not have permmission,and the mac does not works properly,lots of question mark at the dock ,please help

    accidentally removed from,sharing and permissions the admin user,and now i do not when i find the home icon at my computer i do not have permmission,and the mac does not works properly,lots of question mark at the dock ,please help

    I'm going to assume that since you deleted your hard drive and all its files, you had a backup, yes? If the backup has an OS (bootable clone), then you can boot into it by holding down the option key when you start up you iMac and choose the backup drive. Then use Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper to copy the files back to your iMac.

  • How do I fix grey screen with ? Mark Blinking

    Please help me to fix grey screen with ? Mark blinking thanks

    The support article linked below is somewhat outdated. Where it refers to starting up from an installation disc, you should instead start up in Recovery mode.
    If you don't have a current backup of all the data on the startup volume, and you want to preserve that data, then you must try to back up before you do anything else. Ask for instructions if you need them.
    A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac

  • Help:  Got the dreaded grey folder with question mark

    Hey folks,
    I was working in Chrome on my 13" mid-2010 MacBook Pro running OSX10.6.8, plugged in the mains charger and instantly had an unusual (not the beachball- the daisy from start-up and shut-down) freeze-up of the computer.  I couldn't force quit and so shut the computer down using the power button (something I have done perhaps four times in its life-time).
    On start up I got the dreaded flashing grey folder with question mark and know that this is serious.  Last week I had a half hour with the U, I and O keys not working and that despite being very, very nice to my machines and repairing permissions and not unduly installing rubbish.
    So I have inserted the start up disk for the MacBook Pro to see if I could use Disk Utility.  And got it started (unusually load "whirring" too but I attribute this to heat) and Disk Utility cannot find the disk to repair permissions.
    Now-  from what I understand it means the hard drive is gone, right?  Anything that can be done to save it (I cannot afford a new one)?
    If not-  how do I get the bits of data on there which I had yet to back up?  CAN I?
    Please and thank you.

    So I fitted a new 500GB solid state drive from Samsung (easy enough- only a few screws on the lid, four screws holding it down and four more for the "pins" to hold it in place) but now, when I start up (bearing in mind that the install disk is stuck inside)- I get the Apple logo, then the daisy clock and then, woe is me, the "no entry" sign and eventually the install disk kicks in only to reveal that there is no hard drive to install to.  Disk Utility and Start Up Disk both do not recognise it.
    Any ideas what I can do, given that it is not rocket science to install one of these, given there is just one cable to connect and the rest is just to keep it in place?

  • Mac won't start...grey screen with timeout on 0xfd

    My iMac is pretty new, a couple of months old...
    I just started it up when I got home and I get a grey screen with something saying "Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfrd, timing out! (Addr: 3 EP: 2)". I have no idea what any of this means, at the top theres some sort of 0xfrd code. Also "Process 1 of exec of sbin/launched failed errno 8.." I don't get it as i'm no computer expert...can someone please help? I have no idea whats going on...if it helps I have got an audio interface plugged in via usb, and a usb synth, but thats it, and it's been fine...until now - but I have noticed it slowing down slightly over the last few days....
    I need my mac for tomorrow...
    Thanks again,
    Harry

    I tried this but it didn't work. I think it is my keyboard because even when I turn the computer on the green led on the caps lock button doesn't light up. I even tried a regular USB keyboard and I had the same result.
    I guess I will have to find my leopard CD.
    Is it possible to just restore system settings from the leopard cd so that I don't lose all my data?

  • When updating to the latest OS X my wife's Mac Book Pro locked at a grey screen with an apple icon and status bar.  Is there any way to recover the data on the laptop and complete the OS install?

    When my wife's Mac Book Pro was being updated to the latest version of OS X the laptop locked up at a grey screen with the Apple icon and status bar.  Is there any way to recover the data and complete the install?  I have not tried anything yet because of the data issue.  I am not sure which OS X version as I did not install the software.

    Used Macs of every description are always available on Ebay and Craigslist and from a plethora of online used-Mac resellers. Apple sells refurbished late-model Macs at 10-20% discounts with a new-computer warranty and the opportunity to extend the warranty with AppleCare.
    http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

  • White screen with grey folder with question mark?

    My Mac froze when I opened iTunes and I turned it off and when I turned it on it was grey an I restarted or and now it's white with grey question mark?? What do I do? I don't want to loose my stuff.

    Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
    These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
    A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
    Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
    In most cases the problems may be caused by:
    Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
    Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
    Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
    The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
    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.
    The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD:
    Boot From The Recovery HD:
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    Reinstall Snow Leopard 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.
    Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing The Drive
    Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
    When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. 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 main menu.
    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

  • Re iphoto: when I double click on a thumbnail i get e grey screen with exclamation mark..can't access my photos to edit, order prints etc

    Was wondering if anyone can help...I am not very computer friendly but want to be able to edit my photos, use them as jpegs, order prints etc. When I double click on a thumbnail ( am presuming the thumbnails are the small photos ) I get a grey screen with an exclamation mark on it. I cannot drag the thumbnail onto the desk top it just pings back. This doesn't happen with all the thumbnails and has been a problem since we upgraded to snowleopard. I recently reinstalled photos from the memory card from my camera and they are alright. I am presuming that the old photos are stuck in there somewhere if only I knew the right buttons to press to get them out. Thanks, Jane Thomas

    Easiest: Restore from your back up.
    Otherwise:
    Try these in order - from best option on down...
    1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
    2. Download <a href="http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/"><b><u>iPhoto Library Manager</b></u></a> and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
    3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
    To create and populate a new *iPhoto 6* library:
    Note this will give you a working library with the same Rolls and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
    Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
    Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
    Go into the iPhoto Library on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Roll Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.
    When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.
    In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.

  • Grey screen with question in folder

    The color wheel would not go away after several minutes.  I turned off the MacBook and then turned it back on .  I got a grey screen with a flashing folder with a ? In the folder.
    What do I do?

    It looks like your hard drive has disappeared. Could be any number of reasons, including a dead hard drive.
    If you can, I suggest you make an appointment at an Apple Store genius bar, and ask them to diagnose the problem. That service is free.
    http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/
    You will have to pay for repairs, unless the Macbook is under warranty.

  • HT1455 imac wont start up and grey screen with spinning wheel appears

    imac wont start up and grey screen with spinning wheel appears

    See this Apple note on steps to take.

Maybe you are looking for