MacBook pro shows folder with question Mark

MacBook pro (pre-unibody) is just showing a White screen with folder and question Mark in it. Is it a hard drive failure? What should I do?

Hi Bobby,
It does sound like the HD. Try booting from the install disc, then see if your HD even shows up in Disk Utility. If it does, check S.M.A.R.T. status and try running Repair Disk.
First check the S.M.A.R.T. status on your HD: Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility>in the panel at left, select the first item in the list/your HD mechanism>look at the bottom of the main window next to S.M.A.R.T. status and see if it says “Verified” or something more ominous like “Failing.”
If S.M.A.R.T. status is "Verified," run Repair Disk: Boot from install disc (insert disc>restart>immediately hold down c key and keep holding it until you see “Preparing Installation”)>at first screen select the language and click Continue> click on the Utilities Menu in the menu bar>open Disk Utility>select your HD in the panel on the left side>click Repair Disk at bottom of main window. Run this at least twice, and keep running it until it says “appears ok” twice in a row. If that doesn’t happen, you may need a stronger utility such as DiskWarrior or if the directory is damaged beyond repair, you may need to reinstall the OS, or you may have a damaged HD (repair utilities can only repair the directory structure, not the HD itself). When this is finished, quit Disk Utility, quit the installer, and restart. Once booted normally, go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility and run Repair Permissions.
Message was edited by: tjk

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MacBook Pro flashing folder with question mark - NO installation/setup disks

I recently bought my Macbook Pro in August of 2012 and I have noticed that the newer MacBooks do NOT come with additonal installation disks or anything of the sort. I started up my Mac today and was faced with the flashing folder with a question mark on it. I already know what this is implying and I have tried literally everything to fix it. It does not recognize command-R so I cannot choose HD recovery and when I try to perform "first aid" on it, it does not recognize my disk-0 and when I try to verify or repair, it does not let me. All options are greyed out. I have tried resetting the PRAM but that does not do anything either and I cannot boot it to single user mode. Please help. The last thing I want to do is bring it in for repairs as it is my last week of classes in university and I absolutely need my laptop for school work.

I recently bought my Macbook Pro in August of 2012 and I have noticed that the newer MacBooks do NOT come with additonal installation disks or anything of the sort. I started up my Mac today and was faced with the flashing folder with a question mark on it. I already know what this is implying and I have tried literally everything to fix it. It does not recognize command-R so I cannot choose HD recovery and when I try to perform "first aid" on it, it does not recognize my disk-0 and when I try to verify or repair, it does not let me. All options are greyed out. I have tried resetting the PRAM but that does not do anything either and I cannot boot it to single user mode. Please help. The last thing I want to do is bring it in for repairs as it is my last week of classes in university and I absolutely need my laptop for school work.

I have macbook mid 2009, with os leopard and I updated it till yosemite now while deleting partition I erased the main hitachi drive , now I have no backups and while switching on it shows folder with question mark,inserting the grey dvd it keep spin

Have macbook mid 2009, with leopard, updated to yosemite, while erasing partition erased hd, dot have backups, powerup shows folder with question mark, inserting grey dvd shows apple and spinning wheel, please help

Clean Install of Snow Leopard
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         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
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My MacBook pro stop working and it shows folder with question mark after this update, it's not my fault, Apple should solve the problem with out ask me to make payment

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Try starting your computer holding down the option key as soon as you hear the startup sound, and continue holding it. Hopefully, you will see the icon for your startup disk come up on your screen within a minute. Click on that icon and press return. If your machine starts up normally from there, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and reselect your startup volume

Mac Shows Folder With Question Mark On Startup?

Hey Guys!
I currently own a Macbook Air First Genereation (2008) running on Lion 10.7.5 (upgraded from Snow Leopard)
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So the next day wehn I booted my mac it was showing a folder with question mark on startup. I tried going to recovery (holding option on startup) but neither Macintosh HD or Recovery HD was being shown. I tried a internet recovery but it was not even entering Internet Recovery. I tried Single User mode, that didn't work.
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Please reply soon and thanks in advance if you can help me
A youtube tutorial or online step by step tutorial would be great!

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So my imac from 2006 (i think...20 inch plastic intel) booted up today to the blinking folder with a question mark on it. I rebooted into the osx disc to set the hdd as the startup disk, but it didn't show up in the list. Then I tried to see if I needed to repair the hdd using disk utility but the hdd wasn't showing up. So, do I have to replace the hdd? Not looking forward to it if I do.
Message was edited by: gescamil

Hi,
I have had similar issues, you will have to restart it and press and hold the eject disk on the keyboard right away and it will force it out.
Also to answer you question on way you are not seeing the Hard Drive and way you have the folder with question mark on the start up: is because your Hard Drive is dead.
You will need to buy another Hard Drive install it and then fresh install the OS X.
I have seen this issue too many times and every time is resulting with bad Hard Disk Drive...
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MacBook won't start, shows folder with question mark. Hard drive fried?

Last night, my MacBook was loading the contents of a message board in Firefox. Someone had apparently uploaded 20 mb photos, or something, because my Mac practically froze trying to render the webpage. I left my Mac running for perhaps 45 minutes. When I came back, I noticed the fans were whirring very loudly, and that the bottom of the MacBook (I'm guessing where the hard drive is located) was very hot. When Force Quit didn't work, I decided to manually shut down the computer by pushing the power button. When I turned it back on the computer made high pitch screching sounds (perhaps from the hard drive) and the computer wouldn't start up, only showing a folder with a question mark?
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Hi all ~
We purchased a second hand Macbook. Unfortunately, that means no install disks. I'm hoping someone can help me with the following issue.
The laptop freezes during boot up and won't turn on. A white screen comes up. It has a grey folder with a question mark. Tried rebooting several times with no luck. I found the reset instructions (Press the control key, the command key, and the power button simultaneously and hold for three seconds to try to restart the computer). When we tried that, the computer makes a loud beep, then freezes again on the white screen.
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XO ~
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Hi Kandye,
the seller should have provided the OSX installation disc together with the MacBook.
Since these are machine-specific discs there isn't much he can do with them without the MacBook.
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It's not recognizing the hard drive. Boot from your system install DVD, run Disk First Aid from your Disk Utility and repair your permissions.
-Bmer
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LionOSX: Macbook displays a folder with question mark

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support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

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Hello,
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iPod displays a folder icon with an exclamation point
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Macbook pro folder with question mark blinking appear whent I turn on, When I press the Option key Grey lock screen appear asking for a password, can anyone help me please?

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(91589)

MacBook pro shows folder with question Mark

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