Power book G5 flashing ? mark with file icon !

My power book G5 is showing a flashing ? mark in the middle of a file icon, it doesn't want to respond to any disk's or function keys, please help.

I might add, here is an image of the machines known as the PowerMac G5:
A very similar Mac which is not a G5, is called a Mac Pro:
Note the extra drive bay on top for the Mac Pros.
iMacs came in both G5 and Intel models and are both white in appearance. To tell the difference between those two, you need to read the EMC model on the foot, and use Apple's article here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1463?viewlocale=en_US
Powerbooks and iBooks are both clearly indicated what machine processor they are under the screen. If your 4 or 3 key is broke, feel free to use Roman numerals:
III is 3
IV is 4
It is very important you state which Mac model you have, so we can tell you what article can better identify your Mac so we can troubleshoot your problem further.
Message was edited by: a brody

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My mac book is flashing a grey file with a question mark does any one know what this could be?

my mac book is flashing a grey file with aQuestion mark in it what does that mean does anyone know?

That folder with the question mark icon means that the MacBook can't find the boot directory. That can either mean it can't find the hard drive or the hard drive data is somehow corrupted.
Put your install DVD into the drive and reboot. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option key until the Install Disk shows up). That will force your MacBook to boot from the optical drive.
Once it has finished booting and you are at the Install screen launch Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is then select the First Aid Tab run Repair Disk and if that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

Power book G5 flashing ? mark !

my power book G5 is doing nothing but flashing a ? mark on the screen, it won't display anything, help please.

OK, first - do you mean a PowerMac G5 (a large tower), or some kind of PowerBook (there's no PowerBook G5)? What version of Mac OS X do you have installed? Add the correct info to your profile using the link to the right, and it'll help us answer your question.
Generally, the symptom you're describing means that the computer can't find a working system - so your hard drive may have problems, or your system files have become corrupt. One thing you could try is to use your original Mac install disks to run diagnostics or reinstall the system, but give us your correct Mac info first so we can help narrow it down.
Matt

White screen with file icon and Question mark after a kernel panic???

I'm using my girlfriends 20" iMac and her computer keeps having kernel panics. And then at times when we restart the computer, we get a white screen with a file icon and a question mark inside. Any ideas on what to do???? Her graduation project is on that computer and she is stressed like you wouldn't believe. Safe to say, I'm taking the brunt of it. Please help!!!

It sounds like you might be having a hard drive problem. The folder icon with question mark means the computer can't find a startup drive/system folder. I suggest that you back up all important data, especially her project. Before bringing it in for service, run the Apple Hardware Test - put in your original system restore DVD and restart the computer, holdng down the "D" key. Run the extended diagnositics (it will take over an hour (depending on how much RAM you have) and will tell you if there is anything wrong with your hardware. If it dinds a problem then you can take it to the nearest Apple authorized service provider to check it out.

Question mark on "file icon" appears on startup screen

I need some help, when I turn on my iMac 9 out of 10 times it makes a "clicking" noise and then a "file icon" with a question mark on it appears, it doesn't start. Some times it starts just fine, please let me know if there's a solution. Thanks in advance...

Welcome to Apple Discussions
First do you have and iPod or external HD connect, if so disconnect them and restart to see if that helps.
If not use the article in link below to help you repair your startup volume from the Install Disk 1 that came with your iMac.
[Mac OS X - Using Disk Utility to Repair a Disk|http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=3810]
Message was edited by: den.thed
Hi elmac an OS X reinstall is a little drastic at this point in time, shouldn't the OP try to repair it first!
Dennis

? mark in file icon on iMac

A ? mark has appeared in a file icon on screen, this has happened once before and I cannot recall how I fixed this last time, help would be appreciated

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Where do you see the file? If it's in the Dock, just drag it off the Dock and it will be removed

Can't get past gray screen with file icon on it

When i turn on my computer the power light goes out but the gray screen stays on. After two or three minutes an icon of a file with a question mark appears. I cannot get past this screen. I have removed my battery and tried again. I have also tried the other processes for a computer that won't turn on. In my case the computer does turn on just never gets past this gray screen. Please someone help me

The question mark on the file tells you that your MacBook wants to start up but can't find a viable OS to start from. Can you start up from the DVD that came with your Mac? If so, go to Disk Utility and see if you can repair the internal hard drive. If you can't see the hard drive from within DU, your drive may have failed, and you may need to replace it. Good luck.

Question mark in file icon

In the middle of class my friends macbook froze and shut down. Upon restarting it for her, the blue screen flashed a question mark in a folder icon. Listening closely, there seemed to be a clicking noise coming from the hardware. The computer is a 3 year old macbook.
This has happened twice to me, both times with my MBP. Each time I had to completely replace my HD and I lost everything. Could this mean anything differently for her? Losing 6 months of law school notes and outlines isn't really an option at this point so if she is going to lose the HD is there any way to save any of the files?
Thanks for any help.

Back up, back up, back up your data. For crying out loud, who in their right mind, going to law school, would not take the time and spend a little money on a back up hard drive?
It does sound like the HDD is dead.
Good Luck.
Adam

How to edit/print photos marked with an icon displaying a broken rectagle?

I have been trying to print pictures displaying a broken rectangle. When I open up the pictures, they will not become clear on the screen and consequently I can not edit them. They seem to be missing the base part of the picture that must be lost in my computer. Thanks for the help. Debby

> Yes they were moved from my photo file to Adobe starting edition.
PSA SE does not store the picture files anywhere. It only catalogs what you have. If you deleted them from My Photos after importing into PSA SE, the image files are now lost [unless you have a backup or they are in the Recycle Bin].

My mac is flashing a file icon with a quetion mark when i start it up

When i start up my mac book pro it flahes a file icon with a question mark on it and stops there. Please help.

The MBP is having problems connecting to the HDD. Look at this support article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Ciao.

Music in library, why are some songs not marked with cloud?

Music in library, why are some songs not marked with cloud icon?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Where exactly are you looking and what do they look like, there are several iCloud icons used in iTunes.
Maybe a screenshot.

When I went to turn the desktop on, the start up sound came on. Then the screen was white with an icon flashing. The icon is a file folder with a question mark on it. I cannot get it to fully turn on. HELP

When I went to turn the desktop on, the start up sound came on. Then the screen was white with an icon flashing. The icon is a file folder with a question mark on it. I cannot get it to fully turn on. HELP

Run a disk repair tool on the hard disk or install a new OS.
(59898)

My older ibook g4 is locked up with an icon flashing. looks like a file folder flashing a blue and white face/question mark. what is this?

my older ibook g4 is locked up with an icon flashing. looks like a file folder flashing a blue and white face/question mark. what is this?

Apple's suggestions for dealing with the flashing question mark folder:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US
Niel has summed it up pretty nicely.

Flashing File Icon with Question Mark Upon Start-Up

Today when I went to use my computer (which was already on) it went blank and then came up with a gray screen with a flashing file icon with a question mark in the middle of it. I have already troubleshot things with several forums online and nothing has worked. I have tried to restart in Safe mode, single user mode, verbose mode, and tried to get on using my option key which got me to an internet login screen finally. I tried to log in and eventually got to an apply.com/support screen with -1007f underneath. I am not 100% which operating system I am on. I know that it is Mac OS X and pretty recent. Please respond if you can help!

Reset the SMC and PRAM
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
About NVRAM and PRAM
To boot from DVD:
Press C during startup
Start up from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive (such as OS X install media).

White screen with flashing file icon with question mark mean

What does this mean. We are getting a white screen with flashing file icon with question mark inside the file.

It almost certainly means it can't find a bootable volume (one with OS X on it).
Which means most likely you will have to find your original system installation DVD and install it. Then you should figure out what caused the problem.
Read this to diagnose it before resorting to reinstalling the OS:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
Excerpt:
Additional steps
If your Mac still starts to a flashing question mark, follow the steps below. If any step resolves the issue, you don't need to continue to the next one.
Select your Mac OS X startup disk with Startup Manager by restarting and holding the Option key. After your Mac starts up, restart again to verify that the flashing question mark does not appear.
If the issue persists, insert your Mac OS X installation disc. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc.
MacBook Air note: On a MacBook Air, there are two options for starting up from Mac OS X media: Either connect a MacBook Air SuperDrive to the MacBook Air via the USB port and restart the computer, holding down the C key during startup, or use Remote Install Mac OS X to startup from a system software DVD that's located on a partner computer. Once started up from Mac OS X media, skip to step 3.
Restart the computer, then hold the C key during startup.
From the Utilities menu, choose Disk Utility. Don't click Continue.
Select your Mac OS X disk (named "Macintosh HD" by default) in the left side of the Disk Utility window.
Click the First Aid tab.
Click Repair Disk to verify and repair any issues with your Mac OS X startup disk.
After repairing the disk, try to start up normally.
Important: If Disk Utility finds issues it cannot repair, you may need to back up as much of your data as possible (or use Time Machine to back up to a different disk), then erase the disk and reinstall Mac OS X. You should back up important files and data before erasing a drive. Erasing deletes everything on the hard disk (including things on your desktop). Also, you can install Mac OS X onto an external disk, start from the external disk, and use Migration Assistant to transfer items from your usual internal Mac OS X startup disk to the external disk, then erase the internal disk and reinstall Mac OS X.
If the issue persists, and Disk Utility didn't find any irreparable issues, quit Disk Utility, quit the Installer, select your disk when prompted, and restart.
If the issue continues, reset PRAM. Note: After resetting PRAM, if the computer starts up normally, reselect the startup disk in the Startup Disk preferences.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, start up from the Mac OS X Installation disc and reinstall Mac OS X.

Power book G5 flashing ? mark with file icon !

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