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.)

Similar Messages

Mac will not boot up, white screen with turning gear for hours on end

mac will not boot up, white screen with turning gear for hours on end

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
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. The easiest way to deal with the problem is to boot from an external drive, or else to use either of the techniques in Steps 1b and 1c to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
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.
Step 7
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.
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 6.
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 8
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 9
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 10
Repeat Step 9, 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 11
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a boot failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 12
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

Mac does not start and a cartel with a question mark appears. what does it means?

it's the second time it happens. I start Mac and a folder with a question mark appears, then I close and restart and Mac opens normally. What's going wrong? Thank you for any help

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
The question mark appears when your Mac can't find a bootable volume to start from, and it may indicate that your hard drive is failing.
Open Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD in the sidebar and verify the disk. If it finds a problem, you will have to repair the disk, starting your Mac from the Snow Leopard DVD

My Macbook will not load past grey screen with progress bar?

When I start up my computer the grey screen with the Apple and spinning wheel appear, then underneath a progress bar. once the progress bar is full it shuts down? Help!

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
That bar appears when OS X checks your hard drive, and it's not a good sign that your Mac turns off, because the hard drive is damaged.
Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is to take the Mac to an Apple Store or AASP to get the hard drive repaired. If you didn't make a backup, try DiskWarrior to recover data, and buy an external disk to make backups. All hard drives fail, but we don't know when they are going to fail

Will not load Vista Desktop screen. HP IQ 804

Will not load Vista desktop screen. Will load to internet, works well otherwise.

It is possible that explorer.exe is not running at start up.
Go to this site and try to troubleshoot and restart it:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/windows-explorer-exe-does-not-start
If unable to fix then you will have to factory restore your system.
Please mark my post as SOLVED if it has resolved your problem. It helps others with similar situations.

My ipad 2 did its own update as normal except this time it will not load anything to do with game center I cant even open that app is there something I can do

my ipad 2 did its own update as usual ( 7.0 to 7.1) except this time it will not load anything to do with game center even its own app............is there anything I can do?

Try closing all of the apps on your iPad and then reset the device.
To close an app, drag the app up from the multitasking display. Double tap the home button and you will see apps lined up going left to right across the screen. Swipe to get to the app that you want to close and then swipe "up" on the app preview thumbnail to close it. Close every app this way.
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 if it appears on the screen - let go of the buttons. Let the iPad start up.

OXS server 3 with mavericks, it will not load up the assistant with open directory and will not allow me to use old open directory it was not a clean install just upgrade. any help or advise appreciated as i really need the server.

OXS server 3 with mavericks, it will not load up the assistant with open directory and will not allow me to use old opeopen directory and will not allow me to use old open directory it was not a clean install just upgrade. any help or advise appreciated as i really need the server.

I wonder if the disk being referred to is actually your iPod which is not plugged in. Maybe something has stuck thinking the iPod should be there.
Try completely removing all the iTunes related programs according to this method.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923
Restart you PC and see if startup improves.
If it doesn't improve you need to consider the possibility that there is something else going on.
If The problem goes away, hopefully a fresh install will be OK.

Re: PC will not load past splash screen.

Re: PC will not load past splash screen.Pavillion p7-1235, win 7 home. Cannot get to bios, or safe mode.
loaded Linux Mint on a new hard drive. went back to win 7 and problem started. thanks for any help

Hi snakeman:
I regret that you are still having issues. I am sending links to documents that I hope will assist you Windows 7 Does Not Start click here ,Troubleshooting System Recovery Problems (Windows 7) click here. and Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools (Windows 7) click here.
I hope you find these useful.
Sparkles1
I work on behalf of HP
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

I have 2 purchased ringtones in iTunes that will not load onto my iPhone4 with the new 5.0OS.

I have 2 purchased ringtones in iTunes that will not load onto my iPhone4 with the new 5.0OS. Is there a fix?

Message to use a new version of IE
There is a problem with IE10+ in that it is mistakenly seen as being IE1. To get around this either use a different browser or use compatibility view (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/use-compatibility-view#ie=ie-10)

I replaced the battery on my RAID card, when I booted my mac pro up, I get the folder with the question mark. I used a boot USB drive to boot and when I looked in the RAID utility, my RAID 5 volumes were no longer showing, advise.

I replaced the battery on my RAID card, when I booted my mac pro up, I get the folder with the question mark. I used a boot USB drive to boot and when I looked in the RAID utility, my RAID 5 volumes were no longer showing, advise.
Ernest

Not sure if I'm following you. I have 4 hard drives installed on my Mac Pro. I had a RAID 5 configured and functional for about 5 months. My battery died on the RAID card. I replaced the battery, seated the RAID card back in the slot I removed it from. When I booted to the USB drive to look in the RAID utility, I could see the battery is charged but my volumes are not showing.
The drives don't show in disk Utility. I built the RAID with the RAID Utility and they did show there. I have a early 2008 Mac Pro, Mavricks OS running Mac Server

My computer does not start . It shows an envelope with a question mark. Can anyone tell me what to do?

My computer does not start I turn it on and it shows an envelope with a question mark.
Can anyone tell me how to fix it.

Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
Mac doesn't boot

TS2094 After resetting the pram, the screen only shows a folder with a question mark inside. What does this mean?

I followed the initial steps in this post and reset pram. After restarting, the screen just shows a folder with a question mark. What does this mean?

Thanks Niel, I tried using Option and nothing happened so I next tried inserting the Leopard disc and rebooting while holding C. Nothing happened until the disc was ejected and then the folder with question mark reappeared. I inserted the disc again and at this point and it booted OSX. I tried to acess disc utility to repair but my harddrive wasn't listed, only the CD drive and the OS disc. Does this mean I'm lost everything?

My notebook will not start up----I see only a question mark in a small folder. What to do?

My notebook will not start up----I see only a question mark in a small folder. What to do?

Booting From An OS X Installer Disc
1. Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
4. Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple
logo appears.
5. Wait for installer to finish loading.
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, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) 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. Now restart normally.
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. 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.

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!

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

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

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for