Question mark on startup disk in System Preferences

There is question mark sign on startup disk in System Preferences on Mavericks of Macbook air 13inch (Early 2014). I can't find any solution for this. Could someone please help me find the solution. I know that something went wrong and I don't know how to fix it.

I think I now understand your concern. This is from my MBP System preferences display:
Click on it and should show what startup disk option(s) you have. This is normal.
Ciao.

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Can't unlock startup disk in system preferences

I installed Tiger and the startup disk on system preferences is locked so I can't boot into OS9. When I type in my name and password, I get a message saying "type in user name and password." I can log into OSX OK at startup with the same name and password. There are no other users of this computer.
Any ideas?

Hi, Dark-Sabre -
Apple KBase Article HT2176 sets out the requirements for OSX 10.3 (and gives links to articles showing the requirements for later versions of OSX). Included is the need for the machine to have at least 128MB of RAM. Doubling that amount is a more realistic minimum.
As Grant has suggested, be sure the firmware has been updated on the machine. On many model iMacs, early ones in particular, the machine may suffer loss of video if the machine is booted to OSX prior to updating the firmware.

Lost icon for Startup Disk in System Preferences panel

Last week i noticed that the icon for my Startup Disk doesn't display correctly in the System Preferences panel.
I've uploaded a screenshot of my System Preferences here:
http://www.solidgold.fi/img/systemprefs.jpg
You'll see the messed up icon between Speech and Universal Access.
Any ideas what can be causing this?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Pablo
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) 2 GHz

You're most welcome. Glad to help!
PS: You may want to mark my earlier post above as Solved as it solved your problem and may help others with the same problem that find your topic know the post that contains the answer. Click the Solved button in that post above.
Marking posts that are helpful or solve the problem as Helpful or Solved, respectively, aids others in finding answers and awards points to those who take the time to respond. See "Why reward points?".
Marking a topic as Answered indicates the question is resolved, but only you, as the person who asked the question, can mark posts as Helpful or Solved. The "Answered" status neither awards points nor provides an indication to others of the posts that were either helpful or solved the problem.
Additionally, the new "Yes/No" buttons do not assign any points: they merely collect statistics for Apple, a very confusing change recently made to the Discussions.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Question mark on startup disk icon

I installed Mavericks yesterday and there is now a question mark on the startup disk icon inside System Preferences. I rebooted the machine but its still there.
Any help?
Thanks.

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:
Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
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:
Boot From 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.
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.

Startup Disk Quits System Preferences??

I have just installed Jaguar and updated to 10.2.8 on a recently acquired machine. Everything else seems to work well, including other System Preferences but, when I click Startup Disk, it starts to load and then I get a message that "The application System Preferences has unexpectedly quit."
Is there some way to fix this other than reinstalling the system? I have run First Aid and Repair Permissions - First Aid says OK??

Hi Gene:
I was having a similar problem, except it was the System Preferences on an iMac running 10.3.9: check it out here for a summary of the troubleshooting I went through.
I think it's a logic board issue, but I've been wrong before.
Good luck!
Andrew

No startup disks in System Preferences

...only "Network startup" shows.
I was trying to install a firmware update via OS9 (or so I hoped) onto my pismo so that I could use migration assistant for my new mbp. I had a fw drive attached, with 4 partitions, along with the pismo's hd and its 2 partitions. From the fw drive, I selected an os9.2 system folder to boot from, and the pismo booted up into 9.2 as expected; after restart, the pismo came up in panther however, rather than os9.2. Only after starting up Classic from the fw drive did I get the message the update failed. Next, I copied over the system folder with os9.2 onto the pismo. please note, the os9.2 folder is from a backup of my wife's g4 iBook. When I opened system prefs hoping to select the just-copied system folder as the start up disk - I got nothing, just network startup. No other folders. I just ran applejack to repair permissions, but afterward, still nothing in startup disk.
What did I do, and how can I fix it? Any help appreciated.

Alright - I've run Disk Utility and repaired permissions and now Sys Prefs has found all the volumes on my drive.
At first nothing had changed when I looked in Sys Prefs, and I highlighted the Network icon assuming I could deselect it. I could not. I triple clicked in the space next to the Network icon, and sys prefs seemed to wake up and immediately scanned. I selected the volume I wanted, and closed the lock to prevent changes. I had not clicked in the space before running Disk Utility, so perhaps clicking was all I needed to do, but since the log from DU suggests permissions were repaired, I suspect it was necessary.
Here's the log from Disk Utility. If someone can translate this for me to let me know what was done, I'd be grateful. I assume the glitch was in the system library filesystems line:
Repairing permissions for “Steve's Computer”
Determining correct file permissions.
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions are 33261
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/jobs. New uid is 1
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/spool. New uid is 1
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Permissions repair complete

Startup Disk (under System Preferences) does not show os X or Windows disks

My startup disk options are not detected on Startup Disk. I can boot ok using either OS X 10.5.5 or Windows Vista if I startup holding the option key. Each system is stored on a separate drive on my Mac Pro. All drives appear to be fine.
The only things I have done recently have been setting up my wife as a new user including a new email account, and also plugging in my new logitech Vision Pro. Nothing too dangerous there I would have thought.
Any ideas about what is wrong and how to fix? I have reset P RAM, have repaired permissions. I hope to avoid a full reinstall of OS X. Apple support line has no record of startup disks not being visible occuring before.

If you do not chose which system to boot to by holding the option key, will it automatically boot to OS X?
Are there no options at all in the Startup Disk utility? If the issue is that you'd like to be able to chose which system to boot to, then I've found the software package rEFIt useful (http://refit.sourceforge.net/). Whenever you power on/restart your Mac, it displays a nice looking menu with little pictures representing the different boot options (it will have a picture for OS X, one for Windows, any other OSes you may install, and also will list any bootable removable media).

Folder with question mark on startup after using boot camp!!!

im getting a folder with a question mark on startup after using boot camp. it shows up for a second, then the apple logo pops up and OSX boots normally. i wouldnt be concerned except this folder with the question mark usually shows up when the computer cant find the startup disk or OS. so in fact what is happening is that my macbook cant find the startup disk for a second and then seems to find it. is anybody else having this problem. i dont like it and want to get rid of it. help!!

This is correct.
I wonder how it can be that in the System Preferences - Startup Disk - OS X volume can become "deselected" like it was... I had to re-highlight the OS X volume and all is well.
b
MBP & Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4.6) http://www.therottenapple.net/phpbb

Folder w/Question Mark at startup ?????

Yikes,
All of a sudden I have a folder with a question mark in it when my MBP starts up, however it does actually boot after a very brief delay, just long enough to see the folder w/question mark on it.
What has happened to my machine ? I thought I read something about a keychain at startup but that would mean that the system wouldn't boot and mine does.
So anyone got any ideas???
TIA,
Peter

Nothing to worry about. The system is looking for the default start folder.
Once it starts go to system preferences and click on startup disk - in system and select the os x folder on your hard drive.
Best of luck.

Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup

Hello.
I need help with my Macbook Pro. I get a blue screen with a flashing folder and a question mark at start up. To date I have tried the following:
Apple Hardware (Extensive) Test (Results: "No Trouble Found")
Safe Boot
Reset NVRAM
Reinstall OS X via the internet (I received no discs when I purchased it). I select the StartUp Disk to reinstall. When reinstalling via the internet I get to a point of reinstalling Mountain Lion but it asks me to choose a drive - yet there are no drive options to choose from. Then a window comes up asking me to "Select the system you want to use to start up your computer" but no options appear. When I choose "Restart" a note pops up saying "You can't change the startup disk to the selected disk. Startup Disk could not gather enough information on the selected disk."
The only option is "Restart" from the Apple menu. When I choose that it goes back to the original "Blue screen with flashing folder and question mark on startup."
I have no Time Machine
I can't access the disc utility.
Are there any ideas as to what might be the problem?

Your hard drive has likely failed and needs replaced. That would explain why the system does not display it when you attempt to reinstall the OS via Internet Recovery.

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)
Recently, when I was just using the Macbook Air, the Hard disk started spinning and was creating a lot of noise well I just ignored it and gave it a hard reboot
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.
I really don't know what to do now, I am panicking cause I don't have a backup and all my schoolwork is inside there.
Please reply soon and thanks in advance if you can help me
A youtube tutorial or online step by step tutorial would be great!

My tutorial is simple: pack up the MBA and charger and head for the nearest Apple store or Apple reseller. The error you see can mean three things: (1) your drive's system files are damaged, (2) your drive's directory or partition are damaged, or (3) your drive is dead. The fact that you can't boot into the recovery mode pretty much eliminates #1. It is possible that your drive's partition table was damaged but were that the case I'd expect that Internet recovery would work. So I strongly suspect #3.

My MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009) question mark on startup

My MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009) has a question mark on startup.
I brought it to my local apple service centre and they told me that after a few tests it was the hardrive, so they changed it under-warranty. Back home I started re-installing my system and got again a question mark on startup.
I decided to put the hardrive in a FW800 external enclosure and boot my system this way and the computer started without any problem. I reinstalled the hardrive in the MacBook Pro and again got a question mark on startup.
I decided to buy another drive, Seagate momentus XT 500Go, transfered all my files in this new drive and I installed it inside the MacBook Pro, still the same question mark on startup. I installed it again in my FW800 external enclosure and everything worked fine.
I decided to installed it again in the MacBook Pro, load the computer via the original Mac OSX install DVD, load the system and try to install a new fresh one on the hardrive... no hardrive were found....
So I decided again to bring it back to the same local service centre, and they told me again it was the hardrive the problem... but they don't want to listen to me when I told them that all my hardrives can startup the computer via an external enclosure....
So I would like your help, I think the problem come from the cable that linked the HD to the motherboard or the SATA chip inside the motherboard, but they don't want to test it !!!!
Thanks in advance for you help, I have been without my computer since 2 weeks now and I can't afford working without it any more !!!
Sincerely
bosa30

You need to take this computer to a real Apple Store. Or call AppleCare. Obviously this "local serve centre" doesn't have the skills to deal with your issue.
I'd also check your RAM, as an easy first step. But I think the HD controller in your Mac is bad, since you can boot from an external drive.

Flashing Folder/Question Mark on Startup

I have been having an issue with my machine for the past couple days, and cannot find the Install Disks to remedy this situation (my OSX 10.4.4 disks will not recognize), so ANY help would be appreciated.
I have been able to troubleshoot using FireWire target disk mode. I've run DiskUtility and DiskWarrior on this machine from another machine and everything checks out with the hard drive, but I keep getting the Flashing Folder/Question Mark on Startup. Safe boot (Shift key at startup AND Shift-Command-V) do not work. Resetting the NVRAM / PRAM does not work.
Suggestions?
I don't need the info on the machine, as I am trying to set this up fresh for my wife.

But I was going on the assumption, as it was an internal drive (not an external data only drive), he had an OS installed, since his problem seemed to be that out of the blue he was getting the flashing folder question mark on startup. He had written +"I have been having an issue with my machine for the past couple days...."+ implying that it had booted normally before that.
Anyway, you're probably right; I'm just puzzled: how would his once bootable OS disappear just like that? Obviously something I'm not understanding here.

A flashing question mark on startup

My Mini is displaying a flashing question mark after startup. How do I fix it?

The flashing question mark indicates that your Mini cannot find a valid startup disk. Restart with the Install disk in place and hold down the C key and the Mini will start up from the CD. Repair the Mini's hard disk using Disk Utility on the Install CD (Look under the Apple menu). If this does not work, you may need to obtain a startup CD with a third-party recovery utility such as Disk Warrior to attempt to rebuild the Mini hard disk directory.
Here's a link to an Apple document to help you:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042
Bob N.
Mac Mini 1.5 GHz; iBook 900 mHz; iPod 20 GB Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Blinking question mark on startup - tried lots of things - advice?

Hi,
A friend called me yesterday about a two year old iMac. Got the blinking question mark on startup. So I went over, tried disc utility, but disc utility (off the iMac's install disc) could not even see the hard drive. So I tried TechTool Pro. Same result. TechTool from AppleCare disc, same result, DriveGenius, same result, start up in single user mode, same result, targeted disc mode connected to my MBP, same result, Data Recovery II, same result, connected a Mac via FireWire and started up from that and ran those same diagnostics, same result. None of those could even find - much less repair - the hard drive. It still shows a blinking question mark. It seems like all the hardware is working fine (motherboard, display, etc), except the hard drive. Any advice?
Thanks!
Russ Conte

The machine must be a G5, or it would be older than 2 years. And no AppleCare or it would be in the shop before this. The most likely cause is hard drive failure, as already stated. A fact of life is that all hard drives will fail or have failed.
You can deal with this, providing you can handle a screwdriver. Go to the support area of the Apple Website and click "Manuals" instead of discussions where you are reading this. In the block "search manuals" type "Imac Hard Drive". The next step is to select the instructions for correct machine, and download.
Cost of replacement drives depends upon capacity. One source is macsales.com.
A new drive will have to be formatted. Easy to do prior to installation by connecting to any Mac with a Universal Drive Adapter via a USB connection. That adapter is also available at macsales and other places.
Final step after installation is to install the OS hopefully from the original disks.
Good luck to you.

Question mark on startup disk in System Preferences

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