Question mark and no chime on start up

Hi - I hit the power button. The machine did some stuff and a question mark appeared in the center of the screen.
Held the power button and tried again - success.
What caused that thing? Opinions?

I don't know why or what caused it, but you might want to verify and repair your boot drive.
What you do need to do is go to System Preferences -> Startup Disk
and reset it to your boot drive.
In the meantime boot from another drive and repair your boot drive. Or you could do a Safe Boot or even Single User Mode and run */sbin/fsck -fy* to verify and repair your boot drive.
The "?" means it didn't detect a volume that was bootable. Either it isn't spinning up in time, or there is a problem with the drive.
Make sure to update your backups, and run Disk Warrior. Might want to run Apple Hardware Test as well.

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G4 displays flashing question mark and blue face at start-up

like the title says, my powerbook refuses to go to the desktop and instead gives me a dark screen and in the center you can just make out a folder icon and on the folder icon flashes a question mark and then that picasso-esque blue smiley face. these two images flash sequentially, one after another.
this started happening about three days ago. the day it started, i got up, checked my email, and then shut the computer down. but then i saw the soft light flashing on the closed laptop that tells me that it is still on. so i figured that i hadn't completed the shut down process all the way. i opened the laptop and almost knocked it off the perch it was on. i grabbed it in time to prevent it from falling, but in the process i mashed some buttons with my thumb. when i turned on the computer, it briefly flashed the desktop and then went dark and started flashing the icons as i described above.
i am in japan right now, so getting ahold of apple in the states is somewhat difficult. any amount of help is very much appreciated. i've already tried a full shutdown by taking the battery out and holding down the power button for 5 seconds, as described on the apple website. this didn't work. i'm not sure which version of OS i have, but i'm pretty sure it is at least 10.0. i got the computer last year right as tiger was coming out.

also, the power icon on the power button is not showing any light, and it wasn't showing any light for a day or so before this event happened.

Flashing Question mark and Finder Folder at Start UP!

Hi there,
I just installed a new processor with upgraded firmware with mac os 9.1 as my OS. Well I have a start up tone but thats it. I have used a cd to choose which disk I want my computer to start up from but now I only get a start up tone and a gray screen during boot up. I have tried to reset my PRAM more than 4 times and it hasn't done anything. I have also reset the processor but that hasn't done anything either. I don't wish to do a clean installation because I don't want to reinstall my old 450 mhz processor. It would be great if I could have some help. thanks

Hi, DC502. If I understand you correctly, you have been able to boot to a CD with the new processor installed — is that correct? If so, what OS version is on the CD, and is the same version on your hard drive? Does the new processor (what make and speed is it, by the way?) have any minimum OS or hardware requirements, and have you checked to make sure you are meeting them? What firmware update did you apply?
If you aren't able to boot even to a CD, check the processor upgrade to make sure it is solidly seated, not crooked or uneven in its slot. Reset the CUDA after every internal hardware change. Perform all testing with all external devices except monitor, keyboard and mouse disconnected from the computer.
Please post back with further details if these ideas don't help.

HT1379 A flashing question mark appears when I re/start my MacBook Air 2013. At first, I pressed Power & Option button and it recovered from Internet. Then, four options appeared but none of them are helpful. Could u please help me to solve it asap?

Hello,
A flashing question mark appears when I re/start my MacBook Air 2013. Then, I pressed POWER & OPTOIN buttons and internet options appeared for internet recovery. After internet recovery, the OS X utilities appears with four options (Restore from Time machine, Reinstall OS X, Get help online and Disk utility). But none of them seemed helpful. On the last option Disk utility, the icon created only with 33KB and other disk 1 Mac Os X Base system. On First Aid, the icon Repair disk is disabled. So I could not click on repair disk. Could you please suggest me how to solve this problem asap? Thank you so much for your help in advance!

You can try the following:
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain 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.
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.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.

Folder with question mark and smiling mac face at start up

After I was importing some video today, shut down G5 and on start up I get the folder with question mark and smiling mac face.
Any help?
Power Mac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Boot from a drive with Disk Warrior 4, or your emergency boot drive (FW or alternate) or if you lack that, use single user mode to run fsck command. The last option would be your Tiger DVD but that may be 10.4.3 or earlier and not your best.
I say that because it seems like it was more than just needing to reset the startup disk preference and may have a corrupt directory. It shutdown smoothly and fully?
At the least, using the OPTION key and SHIFT key for Safe Boot. My recollection of trying to do both is that it won't. You can do one or the other, but not both. So running FSCK is just insurance to repair the directory.

I upgraded the OS on my iMac to Lion from the App store; and after installation, it restarted and now the operating system won't start up.... it keeps displaying the apple/folder with a question mark and a circle with a line through it! Please help!

I upgraded the OS on my iMac to Lion from the App store; and after installation, it restarted and now the operating system won't start up.... it keeps displaying the apple/folder with a question mark and a circle with a line through it! Please help!

Try starting up with your Snow Leopard DVD and see if the disk can be repaired. Once you are at the installer screen go to the Utilities Menu and choose Disk Utility and choose repair disk. You might also want to try Diskwarrior.
Hope this helps.
Ben

What does a question mark and i file mean on my macbook pro

what does a question mark and i file mean on my macbook pro when i turn it on?

To be more specific, the computer is not finding a valid system when it starts up. This may result from the hard drive's physical mechanism failing, or the system on the drive being corrupted in some way.
Repairing permissions is not likely to fix this issue. Instead I would suggest booting from the system install DVD, running Disk Utility, selecting your hard drive's partition and select *Repair Disk*.
Note: if the hard drive does not show up in Disk Utility at all, it is dead and will need to be replaced. Contact Apple (800-275-2273 in the USA) and have them set up warranty service, or carry the MacBook in to an Apple retail store to have it fixed. Be sure to [make an appointment|http://www.apple.com/retail] first you you may wait a long time to speak to a Mac Genius.
If Repair Disk finds any problems and is able to correct them, you may be able to restart and everything be okay. If it is unable to correct the problems, you will need to erase and restore your hard drive.
If Repair Disk does not find any problems, I would suggest an Archive and Install as described in [this article|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710].
Best of luck.

Folder with Question Mark and a useless disk stuck in my disk drive!

Hello,
earlier on today my computer crashed. I have read on a couple of posts that I should try to boot the computer from the install disk. Cool. The only problem is that when my computer crashed I had a CD in the disk drive. When I try to start the computer up I see a question mark and folder, but will not respond to any commands like "eject" or even holding the mouse button.
What do I do? I'm in Korea and going back to Canada in two weeks, but I need my computer!

Hi,
The Question Mark folder implies that your MacBook can't find a System Folder to boot from. It doesn't mean the drive is bad.
Are you holding down the C key while booting? Make sure the MacBook is shut down. Now, press the power button, hold down the C key and insert the restore disk all at the same time. Keep holding down the C key until you see the Apple logo on the screen, then let go. You should see an Installer window, select English. DO not proceed with any installation.. do this. From the Menu Bar, click Utilities/Startup Disk. When that window opens, select MacintoshHD 10.x.x and click the Restart button. That will boot your Mac back up from the hard disk, not the restore disk. If this works, don't forget to eject your restore disk and store it in a safe place.
More help for the question mark: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
Carolyn
Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

Question mark and finder folder

My Friend gave me his Old Imac G5 and when i boot it a question mark and the finder folder blinks
my friend says to install OS X because its running on nothing and I have been trying to install
OS X 10.6 but it wont respond to the Disk it just keeps blinking after a while it starts making this
loud noise as if its running something, the furthest ive got it to a blue screen with a replay icon button
towards the left and an arrow button pointing right but cant do anything after that, i dont know what to do.
My other problem is the i have the latest wireless keyboard and wireless magic mouse so i cant connect
them thru wifi until i have my imac running so im using a normal Dell Keyboard....

were would be the place to find the original system install CD.
Ideally, your friend:
My Friend gave me his Old Imac G5
The Apple Store may have original system install discs but I would be surprised since no Apple Store in the US that I know of sells them any longer.
It will not be free, but if they have one that would be the best option. Otherwise you will have to peruse the used market. In the US that could be Amazon Marketplace or eBay. I do not know where you would start in India, but many eBay sellers ship worldwide.
Make absolutely certain you are getting a full retail installation CD and if it is Leopard or Tiger, make sure it is for your G5 and not an Intel iMac. System specific disks are grey in color and will not work except for the exact system with which they were included.

On my older I-MAC (2005) the computer turns on, but all I see is a grey screen with a small file that has a question mark and smiling FINDER face on it. Then the fan comes on and becomes very loud. Please help...

My older I-MAC gives me a grey screen and flashes a question mark and smiling FINDER face inside a FILE icon. Then the fan begins to run and becomes very loud...and thats as far as it will let me go.

See KB Articles: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106805 Mac OS X: "Broken folder" icon, prohibitory sign, or kernel panic when computer starts
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=31355 Mac OS: Flashing Globe When Computer Turns On or A folder that has an alternating flashing question mark
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301733 iMac G5: How to Reset the SMU (iMac G5, the iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor), and the iMac G5 (iSight)).

When booting up get flashing apple folder with question mark and no sign, why?

When booting up get flashing apple folder with question mark and no sign, why? Computer will not open up. I have tried resetting the Pram. I can access the hard drive from another computer holding down the t key when starting up the Macbook Pro. What to do next?

The cable connecting the HDD to the logic board may be faulty. If the internal HDD can boot the MBP when in an external enclosure, that will confirm this issue. If not, the HDD may need to be replaced.
Ciao.

I have a problem with iphoto (have a mac book pro): the icon in the dock appears with a question mark, and the application is gone!!! Can someone tell what's going on? Yesterday I had the same problem with itunes

I have a problem with iphoto (have a mac book pro): the icon in the dock appears with a question mark, and the application is gone!!! Can someone tell what's going on? Yesterday I had the same problem with itunes: I downloaded the last version (it's free), but I cannot do the same with iphoto, and more important: I need to know what is happening!!! Please help me!

Applications should not disappear all by themselves.
If they are then that coud indicate serious problems with your hard drive.
Backup everything up as quickly as possible.
Using Disk Utility verify your system disk.
Allan

My question mark and forward slash key have suddenly stopped working. have I pressed something to make this happen. Any ideas.

My question mark and forward slash key have suddenly stopped working. Have I pressed something I shouldn't have. Any ideas what to do.

judith147 wrote:
My question mark and forward slash key have suddenly stopped working.
If they do nothing at all, double check system preferences/speech and make sure they have not somehow gotten set as the trigger for Text to speech or speech recognition, etc.
Also try an external keyboard. If it works ok, then your internal keyboard is probably damaged and needs repair or replacement.

Had to reinstall lion because of my error, but now a lot of apps. are showing up on my dock as question marks and will not open.

Had to reinstall lion because of my error, but now a lot of apps. are showing up on my dock as question marks and will not open.

Ive gotten the question mark icon thing, and I just took them off the dock and redragged them onto the dock from the Applications folder again and they worked fine. Mine were a couple of game type programs nothing major yet. Just wanted to throw that out there though since I had that happen with a few dock icons.

Upside down question mark and exclamation mark on touch keypad. 9800 torch

how do i change question mark and exclamation mark so they are not upside down. tech support at orange business were hopeless. simply asked around in the office ending up suggesting they replace the handset??

do you mean your question mark looks like this : ¿ instead of this : ?
and your exclamation mark looks like this : ¡ instead of this : !
can you explain how you type those characters ? Is there anything written in the top right corner of your device ? like ES or EN ?
The search box on top-right of this page is your true friend, and the public Knowledge Base too:

Question mark and no chime on start up

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