Strange globe and folder with a question mark on it icons showing at start up screen, PLEASE HELP!

I got a PowerBook G4 tonight from my brother's friend. His friend said it's works fine, but he thinks it needs updated. It powered up fine at first. I looked around and found files that belonged to the previous owner (pictures etc) so I dragged them to the trash and deleted them from the trash. I couldn't get the wi-fi working. It recognized that it was there, but when I clicked on it and typed in the password, it wouldn't connect. So I took it out to our BTHomeHub and took the Ethernet cable out of the computer and plugged it into the PowerBook. I tried going onto Safari but nothing happened so I restarted it. When it loaded back up there's a globe icon that flashes and then a folder icon with a question mark on it, the first time it loaded past it. I held the power button down to turn it off and turned it back on again (hoping it would've disappeared) Now it won't load past that. I've looked around trying to find a solution, but nothing I've tried has worked. I even tried turning it on and off again, countless times. I'm really worried I've done something wrong and that it's broken! PLEASE HELP! (I'm not brilliant with computers, so simple instructions please!)

The globe icon means the Mac is trying to find a Network system to boot. Startup but depress the Option key. This will activate the Startup Manager window. Hopefully you hard drive will appear. Select it & click the right arrow.
 Cheers, Tom

Similar Messages

  • Have a still folder with a question mark and OS on external HDD isn't loading onto the Mac Pro

    Good Morning....... I'm having an issue with this Mac Pro I've recently purchased that came with an 500GB HDD and I added an 2TB HDD also, but it never had an OS on it and when you power on the Mac Pro, you'll get a still folder with a question mark on it. I am very determined to get this situation corrected!!! I had got a copy of Snow Leopard on a blank DVD from a friend of mine but nothing had changed or occurred when I put it in the optical drive & I even saved Maverick installation on an external HDD; it read the drive when I held down the option key during the startup chime, I choose the external because that’s the only volume it shown on the screen; nothing else!!! No sign of the copied disk, the two HDDs that's in the Mac Pro, just the external HDD with the OS on it; I choose the external with Maverick on it but it still doesn't read and then a still folder with the question mark appears..... Can someone please help & save me PLEASE?????????

    Buy a retail copy of Snow Leopard, then we can "chat" and get you with a system installed.

  • Late 2008 macbook 13" prompts mac OS can not be installed on this computer after booting from disc as l get the folder with the question mark screen. New HDD or ?

    From the little research l have done, l have been convinced l may be having a dead hard drive though after having tried all the other troubleshooting tips found here, when trying to boot l get the grey screen and folder with the question mark suggesting it can not find the files neccessary to boot hence l tried booting with the disc and the message l get is that mac OS X can not be installed on this computer, though after doing the hardware check etc they all say okay. I've even tried erasing the drive and trying to instal the OS afresh with no luck. Any ideas or l must just get a new hard drive?

    Pretty sure BGreg hit the nail on the head. If your hard drive was failing, you would still be able to at least attempt an install, provided your ard drive was mounting. You usually get that message when the disk is incompatible with the computer. If it is the proper disk, you might try erasing the disk (provided your info is backed up) using Disk Utility (under Utilities in the menubar) and choose the Mac OSX Extended (Journaled) format.

  • File Folder with a Question Mark Blinking-HELP!!!!

    Its been like a day and half since i last used my macbook, and all of a sudden it won't work.
    It still turns on but it goes to a white screen and stays that way for about 20 minutes. Then a file folder with a question mark in the middle shows up and blinks. It doesnt go away at all. The only way for me to make it go away is to either turn it off or to push the eject button, and now it just turns off all together.
    When all this started happening it took a long time for it to even go to the home page, but it didn't go to the desktop screen. It would take a long time on the screen when it first turns on then a a lonnnnngggg time after that it would go to a light blue screen and then a longgggg time after that a pointer would show up, and thats all it would do.
    Do I need to get the software that first came with it and put it in and see if it fixes the problem or what?
    WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!? please help.

    You have corrupted system files. The following is a solution:
    How to Perform an Archive and Install
    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.

  • My apple logo doesn't shows up instead of it there is folder with a question mark on it?

    my apple logo doesn't shows up instead of it there is folder with a question mark on it. how do I start up my macbook?

    Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer was running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier and you reach the third set of steps, insert a Mac OS X install disk.
    (122478)

  • I got a flashing folder with a question mark. I got a new hard drive and upgraded to 4 gigs and can't open anything or reload the operating system? Help?

    I got a flashing folder with a question mark. I got a new hard drive and upgraded to 4 gigs and can't open anything or reload the operating system? Help? FYI: I have been using boot camp with windows 7 and started getting a kernal_data_Page_error and it would reboot windows, i was trying to do a chkdsk on the next reboot, but thats when i started getting this issue. I have put in a new hard drive and went from 2 gigs to 4. I can not get the computer to do anything, even the monitor does not show anything now????

    Prep your new drive:
    Drive Preparation
    1. 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 Utilities menu.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs,) then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
    6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
    After formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Install OS X.

  • When i boot i get a flashing folder with a question mark. disk utility doesnt work or read my harddrives to boot with. i installed a new SSD and its not reading that either. i have a macbook pro 2011, any help?

    So I came to this problem a while ago. M ycomputer basically froze so I was forced to shut down by holding the button down. When I started it up I got the flashing folder with a question mark. I started it up holding down the command and r keys which brought me to disk utility. Although my computer doesn't read that I have a hard drive to start it up. When I click on the disk utility app, I cannot verify or repair anything either. The buttons won't allow me to click on them. It also shows "Mac OSX Base System" which shows I have files and what not saved. I had been told that I need a new hard drive so I bought and manually installed a OWC SSD 240GB drive and when i booted the computer up it booted up yo the operating system fine with all my files and what not on there. After about twenty minutes, it froze again. I forced a shut down, restarted and the same thing happened. I am not able to choose my SSD to boot up, although thats probably because it doesn't have an operating system installed on it??
    i have a Macbook Pro 13" 2011
    any help would be great, I'm overall confused.

    ryansaint11,
    this isn’t Apple support; this is a user-to-user forum. We’re just fellow users of Apple products here.
    If you want to boot from your SSD, then you should put the SSD where your HDD currently is, and put the HDD into the optical bay. (That setup will also get you the best performance.) At the moment, you’re still booting from your HDD. Note that you will need to format your SSD in Disk Utility [with the “Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)” format] so that you can install OS X onto it.
    Since you have an Early 2011 model, it might or might not have originally come with grey installation DVDs. You will be able to find out whether it did or not by trying to use OS X Internet Recovery to install OS X onto your SSD. If it does not work, or if the installed OS turns out to be Snow Leopard, then it will have originally come with the DVDs, and you should purchase a replacement pair of DVDs from Apple or iFixit; those discs will have your MacBook Pro’s Apple Hardware Test and its iLife apps. If the installed OS turns out to be Lion, then it will not originally have come with the grey installation DVDs, and your Apple Hardware Test will be installed along with Lion, and your iLife apps will be downloadable from the Mac App Store.

  • What is the problem when I turn on my macbook and all I get is a picture of a file folder with a question mark in it?

    First my Macbook is almost 5 yrs old and is probably on it's last leg.  The other day it froze and was making some pretty loud clicking noises.  I turned it off by holding down the power button and tried starting it up again.  At that point the screen was just blue and the noise came back on.  Then a file folder appeared in the middle of the screen with a question mark in it.  Does this mean the hard drive crashed or something?  We blew a hard drive once before (though it didn't happen like this) but I just wanted to check before I go to the store.  If it's something that is bad then I may just be sending this one to the grave and replace it with an iPad.  Any insight into this problem would be appreciated.  Thanks.

    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. 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 install DVD in the optical drive.
    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.
    If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

  • My MacBook Pro turns on but not all the way, it gives me an icon of a grey folder with a question mark in the middle, and won't go further that that. Anyone knows why, or what's the problem?

    My MacBook Pro turns on but not all the way, it gives me an icon of a grey folder with a question mark in the middle, and won't go further that that. Anyone knows why, or what's the problem?

    If these do not resolve the issue or if you are not comfortable with proceeding through these steps then take your Mac to an Apple store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.  An Apple store will perform these initial steps, diagnose the problem, and give an estimate for repairs (if needed).  If the Mac is less than one year old or is covered by AppleCare any repairs would be free.
              Genius reservation http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ .
              or find an Apple Authorized Service Provider https://locate.apple.com/country

  • I have a folder with a question mark and I hear the drive running I think my drive crashed

    I have an imac intel duel core   I run OSX  6.8   lately the gear has been hanging up a lot I keep haveing to shut down and force quit and reboot.  yesterday a folder with a question mark showed up.   today nothing shows up but I can hear the hard drive.   I booted up the os dvd for SL and it wont see the hard drive.  only the dvd player and idisk (which I can't use anymore )  I have disconnected my external storages.  I am now on my mac airbook chatting to you.  
    Do you have any suggestions as to what to do?

    Probably a crashed HD. Please carefully read Apple's Flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac article for trouble shooting steps. As  long as you have been backing up the system it's minor inconvenience of replacing the Internal HD and restoring from your backup. If you haven't been backing up then you are about to learn why backing up it's optional it's critical.

  • New hard drive in 2009 iMac has been installed and now I have a folder with a question mark displayed on start up.

    I installed a Barracuda 500 gb drive. When I attempted a reinstall based off an external hard drive using time machine, it showed an error message of not being able to complete the back up. This was after I formatted the new drive using disc utility. I reformatted a different external drive and let it make several back ups. I then put the new drive into the machine and now I only get the folder with the question mark. It is a late 2009 iMac. The OS updates have been through the on line store and I do not have back up discs. Everything SHOULD be backed up on my external.

    when you partition and format the new bare drive are you running off of an install disc in the optical drive? I have used the install disk for Leopard to access the Disc Utility (did not install Leapard, just used it to access the Disc Utility) as well as the machine prompting me to take action due to the new hard drive being recognized, again using disc utility and using the install disc provided by the hard drive manufacturer. All of these were done according to instruction as previously mentioned, on a reformatted and partitioned drive each time.
    What OS version are you nstalling on the bare drive before you attempt to restore from your Time Machine backup? I have not installed any OS on the bare drive. I do not have a copy of Lion 10.7.5  as I purchased it through the app store. I was under the impression I could reinstall all the data through Time Machine but that is proving elusive - frustrating.
    Are you trying to use the Time Machine "star wars" interface to restore or are you using Migration Assistant? I am not using migration assistant. I have been using the Time Machine restore application.

  • My new mac mini (3 month) didn't start up,all that appeared was a white screen and a flashing folder with a question mark inside it.

    My new Mac mini (3 month) didn't start up, all that appeared was a white screen and a flashing folder with a question mark inside it.
    I followed by recommendations from 'Everything Mac': "shut it down by pressing and holding the power button for about 5 seconds.
    Then hold down the Option key and press the power button again to start up the Mac mini. Keep holding down the Option key until
    the Mac mini starts up."
    But I got a Wi-Fi button only to chose and connect the local network. I connected to my network and I can't use this connection
    becouse no icons.
    Could you please help me?

    Your Mini (running 10.6.4) should have come with grey-colored install disks. Now is the time to put them into service. Turn on your computer so that there is power to accept disk #1 into the optical drive. Once  the disk is in the drive, shut off the computer by holding the start button down until it powers off. Then turn it on this time holding down the "C" key to make the computer boot from the disk. The question mark that you saw indicates that the computer cannot find a bootable volume. This can happen due to corrupted system files or an improper shutdown etc. Once you are in the "Installer" you can choose Disk Utility from the Utilities Menu in the menu bar. Use it to repair the disk and to see if that can solve your trouble.  

  • On a macbook I purchased secondhand hard drive got corrupted and I started to get the flashing folder with the question mark, I purchased a new hard drive and snow lion install DVD I installed the hard drive and tried disc but kept getting blinking folder

    On a macbook I purchased secondhand hard drive got corrupted and I started to get the flashing folder with the question mark, I purchased a new hard drive and snow lion install DVD I installed the hard drive and tried disc but kept getting blinking folder

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We're users here and do not speak for "Apple Inc."
    Power on the computer and insert the DVD immediately.
    Hold down the 'C' key to boot from the Snow Leopard DVD.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1533
    After selecting the appropriate language, if necessary, select Utilities, and Disk Utility.
    You'll likely need to partition and format the new drive before it's recognized.
    http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/0/MA161/en_US/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY .pdf
    (Yes, these instructions ARE 7 years old, but the procedure is the same for installing from DVD media.)

  • My MacBook Pro turns on and only shows a folder with a question mark and blinks.  The computer will not continue start-up. Suggestions/Advice?

    I'm not sure how this screen is appearing, but I tried powering up my computer this morning and it immediately presents a grey screen, then displays a blinking folder with a question mark in the middle of it.
    I am looking for troubleshooting advice and procedures to bypass this screen and allow my computer to complete it's start-up.
    Thanks-
    Gary D. Aston, Jr.
    [email protected]

    The folder with a question marks is usually an idication that the Mac can't find the system file to boot from.
    Since you never told us which system your Mac was running there is nothing more to say.
    Allan

  • HT1310 when i starst my mac i get a flashing folder with a question mark. i tried rebooting and holding the option button then i get 2 boxes, one with a refresh arrow and one with a forward arrow neither of them seem to do anything. now what

    when i starst my mac i get a flashing folder with a question mark. i tried rebooting and holding the option button then i get 2 boxes, one with a refresh arrow and one with a forward arrow neither of them seem to do anything. now what

    Here is an article that describes what it is supposed to do:
    Startup Manager: How to select a startup volume
    If no Volumes are shown, it is telling you there are no potentailly bootable Volumes attached. That means your boot drive has died or the bootable image on it is unrecognizable.
    What Mac Pro ? by year, GHz, number of processors, screen size?
    What Mac OS X ?

Maybe you are looking for