Question Mark Link on File Folder Window

I just noticed a question mark (?) that appears on the File Folder Windows like an app is looking for something (next to a thumbnail icon at the top of the folder windows) and cannot seem to get rid of it. Any suggestions?

Post a screenshot.
iMac refurb (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4), SL & ML, G4 450 MP w/Leopard, 9.2.2

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On start there is a question mark in a file folder what do I need to do?

When starting a file with question mark in it, what is wrong?

@LowLuster is of course correct. You will need to either restore from TM or upgrade the hard drive and restore from Time Machine.
Here is an excellent article on what to do:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5281

My MacBook Pro fell, and now when I power it up, it shows a flashing icon of a question mark in a file folder. Is this repairable?

ITMS there anything I can try to restore it? Thank you

That display means you do not have a reconizable boot device. Add to that the drop, and the hard disk is either deeply confused physically or dead.
Other ohysical damage is quite possible.
Take it to a Gnius Bar and have them confirm or deny more damage than the hard disk.

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.

Why is there a Question Mark on my Documents folder

Why is there a Question Mark on my Documents folder? It will not let me access the folder.
Thank You

The question mark means the link to your Documents folder icon on your Dock (which is only an alias) has been broken.
Open Finder an observe your Documents folder.
Drag the one with the question mark off the Dock. It will vanish!
Drag the one from your Finder back to the Dock to replace it. This re-establishes the link

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.

Screen shows aflashing question mark on a black folder and alternates with a small globe illustration? What's does this mean?

MY screen shows a flashing question mark on a dark folder and alternates with a small globe symbol ---does anyone know what this means?

How many accounts do you have?
Regardless, https://discussions.apple.com/message/25709811#25709811

Grey screen with file folder blinking question mark in middle of folder

My Macbook suddenly turned off leaving me with a grey screen. In the middle of the screen there is a file folder blinking with a question mark in the middle of the folder. It will not turn back on even if I attempt to restart it. What does this mean and can I fix it myself or must it be sent to apple.

This may help: A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac.
If none of the solutions work then you will need to do an Archive and Install:
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.) 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) 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.

Blinking folder & Question Mark - Drive Good - Files Are Still there

Okay,
So I've been a long way with this iMac. It originally came to me with bad power supply. I replaced. Then it came back with bad capacitors. I replaced. Then it came back not booting. Here's where I'm stuck.
I dont see the drive if I use command - s. If I boot OS X install cd, I can select OS X 10.4.11 on [OS Volume Name] in Startup Disk, I can see all the files on the disk, I've ran all repair options including file permissions and Disk Warrior, but the OS never loads.
Tried Safe Mode, Single User, Verbose Mode, PRAM Reset, NVRAM Reset, reset-all in command-option-o-f mode, I've blessed the /Volumes/[OS Volume Name]/System/Library/CoreServices directory several different ways, still the OS never loads... blinking folder & question mark.
I dont have correct install cd for this system and can't reinstall. Any suggestions or repairing bootloader, kernel, or something advanced...???
Anyone?

Hi Jkat, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Sounds like short of a proper install disk, you've tried everything but this...
applesetupdone...
This was Posted by: JoseAranda at September 9, 2006 3:48 AM
"OK, restart your computer, hold down Command-s and type in the following:
/sbin/fsck -y Enter
/sbin/mount -uaw Enter
rm /var/db/.applesetupdone Enter
# The rm command is the remove command which deletes the file.
# Robert: I'd rename the file via: mv /var/db/.applesetupdone /var/db/.applesetupdone.old
reboot Enter
Once you've done that the computer reboots and it's like the first time you used the machine. Your old accounts are all safe. From there you just change all other account passwords in the account preferences!!
end of posted by: JoseAranda"
But not on this forum I guess.

Question mark top right of all windows

There has suddenly appeared a large grey question mark at the top left of all windows, for example,the main HD window and all the folder windows.
The finder text font is also different to how it was before.
Any ideas?
Thanks everyone.

Hi The Buckminster,
There has suddenly appeared a large grey question mark at the top left of all windows, for example,the main HD window and all the folder windows.
This is what's termed as an orphaned alias. At some point an alias was created by either yourself or someone else using your computer and the alias was placed on top of the Finder window. This can be achieved in a similar way to placing an application in the Dock. Simply click and drag the file/application to the top of the Finder window, wait a second or so and a plus symbol will appear. At this point an alias is created of the original file which can be opened by simply clicking on it; same as you would from the Dock.
The question mark is appearing because the link to the original file has been lost; either the original was deleted or has been moved to a different location. You can remove the question mark by simply Command(Apple)+clicking on the question mark and dragging it away from the Finder window. It will then disappear in a "poof".
The finder text font is also different to how it was before.
Do you have any third party utilities installed which allow you to change the original font used by Finder?
Kryten

Question mark at top of Finder window

I have just upgraded a friend's iMac to Tiger and in any Finder window there's a question mark just to the left of the search box. When I click on it, the message is 'The item cannot be found'. I've never seen this on any other machine running Tiger and wonder what its function is ...?
Thanks.

Hi, G. F-L.
Dragging the icons of files, folders, disks, or server volumes to the Finder toolbar creates an alias to the object. If that object (file or folder) is deleted, or if the associated disk or server volume is no longer mounted, then the related alias in the Finder toolbar displays a question mark.
The same holds true for icons in the Dock.
In addition to the Command-drag gesture Rod suggested, one can simply Control-click icon bearing the question mark in the Finder toolbar and select "Remove Item" from the resulting contextual menu. The icon bearing the question mark will then be removed from the Finder toolbar.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Display extended ascii characters as question mark in xml file

I am creating a XML file with encoding as UTF-8. Some tag values contain some extended ascii characters. When i run the java program to create the file in windows, the extended ascii characters are display correctly. But in linux it is displaying as ?(question mark).
i am not able to rectify this. can anyone help me....
Its urgent
Thanks in advance.
Message was edited by:
Rosy_Thomas@Java

Probably the locale is not set for the shell you are running in. The default 'C' locale uses the ASCII encoding which defines only 128 characters. See if giving the commandexport LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8before starting the program fixes the issue.

When (attempting to) boot up my 2007 MacBook, I only get a white screen with a flashing gray file icon and a white question mark on the file

I have the battery plugged in, everything I normally do when booting up the computer. The major problem is not being able to access anything.

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 Operating System data on the hard drive is somehow corrupted.
Put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. 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. 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) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7 partition.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

TS1440 Flashing question mark, cancel, apple, and folder symbol.

My computer has been acting weird for the longest time, I used to have a done of room on it and one day it disappeared. So I started deleting stuff off of it, big apps and what not so I could have more space, I would gain little bit of space but then a second later it goes back to "Zero KG" so I'm thinking I should restart my computer.. So I turn it off, then turn it on, and flashing symbols come up. After multiple times of turning it on and off, I put in my startup disk, but I can't get past the choosing the start up disk because it says I have zero KG on the disk.. So I take the disc out and it goes back to the flashing question mark/apple/folder symbol..

Hello,
Try holding the Option key at startup to see if you can boot off the Install Disc to repair the drive, or the c key.
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at the top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
We need to clear some really big files off of it, like Movies, or I suspect some huge logs from something going wrong. 0 KB on the drive can ruin many files on there.

Grey screen globe, folder question mark and only media folder in disk utilities?

So 2 days ago my I Mac 10.5 OS 2007 or 2008 ...started freezing up....never happened before...then yesterday a grey screen popped up with the folder and question mark..... i was able to get it up onyy once yesterday and today its like if everything is gone....again with the grey screen. I found my installation disks...popped the first one in and when i get to disk utility there's no hard drive for me to select only media the installation disk and some Asian script that looks like it may be a disk?.... idk what to do....is it done for?

Your hard drive is shot and needs to be replaced.
Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
In most cases the problems may be caused by one or more of these:
a. Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
b. Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
c. Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
d. The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
Note that the information I have provided is what Apple recommends, If other users suggest different solutions than found here, then be sure what they recommend does not impact on your warranty, if any, or ability to get continuing Apple service.
Please don't start removing drives or changing cables unless you know what you are doing and have exhausted other non-invasive alternatives outlined here. If you perform any work yourself that is unapproved by Apple, then you will void any warranty you may have and lose all further Apple Support.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard 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 Utilities menu. 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.
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.
The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD. Simply boot from the Recovery HD to perform the above.
Reinstall Snow Leopard Without Erasing The drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard 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 Utilities menu. 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.
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. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing The 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.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main 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.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion 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.

Question Mark Link on File Folder Window

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