My MacBook Pro won't start. Every time it has a white screen with a blinking folder in the middle with a question mark inside... What should I do?

Thanks for any suggestions!

There are four general causes of this issue:
1. The computer's PRAM no longer contains a valid startup disk setting when there aren't any problems with the disk itself. This can be checked for by pressing the Option key and seeing if the drive appears.
2. The internal drive's directory structure has become damaged. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to perform the repair.
3. Critical system files have been deleted. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to reinstall them.
4. The internal drive has died or become unplugged. This is the most likely case if the computer took a sharp impact or there are unusual sounds coming from its location.
(91987)

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You can try a SMC reset, but it that doesn't power something it needs repair or replacement.
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
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https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201

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Ever since two days ago when I did a regular systems update of iLife, iWork and a bunch of other updates to my MacBook Pro, the thing wouldn't restart. It gets stuck in the gray screen and no apple symbol shows up.
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I've updated to yosemite from Mavericks, but since i can't connect to the internet I used my time machine back up which was march 2013. Now my macbook pro won't start and ends with a prohibted sign. Any suggestions pls.

Install or Reinstall Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
OS X Mavericks- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Erase and reinstall Mac OS X
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MacBook Pro won't start at all - clicking noise with black screen

Early 2011 MacBook Pro won't start: makes clicking noise after power button is held down, but no screen movement and after click, sounds like computer just stops working. Already did a SMC reset, and undid battery to try to run on charger power only. Same result every time. Also, my Apple Care expired 3 days ago. A few weeks ago had to repair a disk using Disk Utility because there was a discrepancy between how much storage was in the drive versus how much was actually being used.

You likely have the problem that many of us 15" and 17" 2011 models are having: a faulty soldering GPU and as discussed here -> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577?tstart=0. It usually, but not always, beings with screen glitches and then gets to the point where the machine will simply not boot.
It's ashamed that you're not longer under AppleCare which would have, at least, got you a new logic board. A new logic board, however, doesn't usually fix the situation - only a BGA Reballing of the GPU seems to have long-lasting fixes.
Read through a few the articles (not all of them!) and make the decision yourself - and then make the decision about whom your going to contact.
Good luck,
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Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! HELP !!!

Hi! My MacBook Pro won't start! I have tried everything I can think of like Safe Mode (doesn't work), Recovery (does not find Recovery Drive), Booting with OS Snow Leopard Cd (doesn't work)...
I have really no clue about what to do now... I paid quite a lot of money for this computer and am pretty short of money nowadays! Would like to repair with help rather than having to take it to Apple Store.
Has anyone had this same problem?
All I get is white screen + grey Apple and spinning grey disk... it's 100% frustrating! Any help would be more than welcome since I think i've tried EVERY SUGGESTION on this Support Center and Youtube videos...
This MBP is from 2011, runs on OS X 10.6.8
I tried booting with OS X Snow Leopard CD, it didn't work! (my cd player works! recognizes the Snow Leopard CD, but then never opens it... goes back forever to the with screen + apple and spinning disk)
I don't care about the content, it's OK if i lose all DATA... I just want to bring this Mac BACK TO LIFE!
When i run coomand on root# fsck -fy --> RESULT = my HD was checked and seems to be FINE!
Thanks

Please make a Genius Appointment and take it in for service.

MacBook pro won't start up.

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sorry disregard this post. it's in the wrong forum.

Macbook Pro won't start-up (black screen)

Hello,
I'm having some problems with starting my Macbook Pro
specs of my macbook pro are here: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP13 (15,4 inch 2,2 ghz)
My macbook pro won't start up anymore, i press the start-up button, it makes the 'krie'-sound then the vans start spinning slowly and then he get's quiet. (screen stays black and the light at the mousepad is on).
I tried:
-Connect it to power and wait 15 min. then try again -> same result
- hardware test (installation disc 1 and then press d) -> screen stays black but the disc starts spinning
- pram-reset, -> same result
the only thing i didn't do is check if my ram-sticks are still in position (i never bought new ram, but maybe it started to get loose)
what to do?
Message was edited by: Klapschaats

Just google Nvidia 8600m, and problem, or oh god my screen is dead, and see what comes up.
Once again, if you have a Macbook Pro from mid-late 2007, chances are you have a bad chip. They will replace your logic board, with another bad chip, which may or may not go bad. It's an obvious issue, Nvidia admits they have a problem, and Apple is just going to quietly resolve individual problems.
If your computer turns on but the screen doesn't, it's about 99% likely it's the GPU. Go ahead and let Apple replace it. Oh, and if you have a MBP from that time period and don't have apple care. GET IT NOW. You will most likely have a Black Screen Of Death at some point, and Apple care is cheaper than the repair (which may or may not work). Some people have gone though three logic boards. Good luck.
<Edited by Moderator>

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the 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 the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from 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.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start 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.
d. 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. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d 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 startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
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 start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up 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 started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start 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 the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up 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, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup 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 restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup 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 the 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 restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
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 startup 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 13
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.

My MacBook Pro won't start up. What do I do?

My MacBook Pro won't start up. What do I do?

Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
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2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:
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3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities 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. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
     Reinstall the 10.9.3 update: OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Update (Combo).
4. Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks from the Utilities menu, 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.
Reinstall the 10.9.3 update: OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Update (Combo).

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