TS1440 Question Mark in Flashing Folder at start up problem.

After trying to fix the flashing question mark folder problem, I took my iMac to the Apple store and, naturally and a little embarrassingly, the iMac booted up just fine and everything seem to be intact.However, when I brought it home it reverted but to same problem i.e. question mark in flashing folder. I read and tried most suggestions I could find but still cannot get the iMac to startup. I tried holding down the "C" key, then the Option key, then PRAMed it and even attached the separate back up disk I use as a Time Machine for my new iMac. IThe problem Mac is a 2008 iMac though I don't exactly know which OS came with it, in any case, I cannot find the original disk. The iMac is networked with my latest iMac. Can anyone help? Thank you.

Does it boot to Single User Mode, CMD+s keys at bootup, if so try...
/sbin/fsck -fy
Repeat until it shows no errors fixed.
(Space between fsck AND -fy important).
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

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Question mark in a folder at start up - NEED HELP I LEAVE FOR COLLEGE 2M

When I arrived home tonight my computer was frozen. So i force shut off my computer. When I re-booted the computer, the gray screen comes up and after 2 minutes a flashing question mark in a folder comes up. PLEASE HELP ASAP I LEAVE FOR COLLEGE TOMORROW MORNING! I have a cd in the cd drive so i cant insert the os x cd pleasee help

Well, if you have done all of that, and it doesn't respond to anything at all, I would imagine it has some type of hardware failure, either it can't see the keyboard/mouse anymore, or corrupt firmware of some sort.
Typically Apple only does a straight out new replacement within 14 days of purchase. You might be able to convince them otherwise, but it has a lot to do with who you end up talking to, and what kind of day they are having.
Just to be absolutely sure, since you seem to be in panic mode (which I certainly would be in in your situation).
You have done the following:
1. Remove battery
2. Unplug machine from charger - so at this point the MB can't get power from anywhere
3. Hold down the power button for 5 to 10 seconds (since there is no battery and it isn't plugged in you should get no result, there is a capacitor that holds some charge to keep the PMU running without another power source. This drains that capacitor to force the PMU to lose power)
4. Wait a minute or so to be sure
5. Put in battery and plug into the charger
6. Try starting the computer with either the mouse button down or the option key held.
I'm sure you have done that already, but just in case you missed a step it never hurts. Good luck.

Flashin question mark with a folder at start up

I recently purchased an old imac g3 from ebay. When starting up the computer I get a flashing question mark inside of a folder. I do not have the original software that came with the computer, I do however have 4 other mac's ranging from a perfoma to an Imac g5. My question is; how do I get original software for this imac? Or I guesss more importantly is this a software issuse or a hardware issue. Do I need to take the computer to an Apple repair shop.
imac g3

"how do I get original software for this imac?"
Contact the seller & get the CDs from them. They are not suppose to sell the computer without them! Are you aware you can notify eBay about this? I believe it's against eBay's procedures.
Never purchase a used Mac w/o the original install & restore CD that came with the computer unless you only want the Mac for parts or a glorified door stop.
You can get replacement System Install & Restore CDs from Apple's Customer Support - in the US, (800) 767-2775 - for a nominal S&H fee. You'll need to have the model and/or serial number of your Mac available.
If you're not in the US, you may need to go through the regional Apple Store that serves your location to find the contact number. Here's a list of links to all of those -
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/intlstoreroutingpage.html

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.

I get the question mark in the folder on start up, but if i connect the same hard drive via usb it works fine is the hard drive faulty?

but if i connect the same hard drive via usb it works fine is the hard drive faulty?

It sort of sounds like a startup disk issue. Have you tried starting up holding down the "Option" key? This should generally give you the option of which drive you want to boot from after a few seconds. Sometimes, especially if you had previously booted from an external drive (and it sounds as if you have) they system wants to continue booting from that drive. If it can't find it, it just sort of hangs there. Try holding down the "Option" key and see if your internal drive is shown as an option. If it is, select it. If you manage to get into the OS, go to System Preferences / Startup Disk and select the correct drive (even if there is only one drive shown, you should still select it).

My probably 10 year old MaycBook died. It won't start. When I press the power button, it gets power, but it only lights up and a scratching noise starts like something is spinning. A file folder with a question mark periodically flashes... Help!!!

My probably 10 year old MaycBook died. It won't start. When I press the power button, it gets power, but it only lights up and a scratching noise starts like something is spinning. A file folder with a question mark periodically flashes... Help!!!

You don't have a Macbook if you are running OS 9 and it's 10 years old. The first Macbook is an Intel Mac that came out in 2006 running 10.4.x. You most likely have a Powerbook. Try posting in the Powerbook forum.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac

Flashing Question Mark in a Folder

Hello All:
I have an iMac 24" (Model A1225; Mid 2007) running 10.7.3. The CPU will rarely boot up and will boot up with the Flashing Question Mark in a folder most of the time. I can start up from a OS DVD (Snow Leopard) or Lion on a Flashdrive, but the HDD will not appear when I attempt a reinstall. I was able to boot up once from my Lion Flashdrive and reinstall 10.7.3 with a normal restart. The HDD checkout fine using disk utility and I repaired my disk permissions. The CPU seemed fine and this morning the Flashing Question Mark is back.
I can start up the Target disk mode and I will see the FireWire icon, but the HDD will not appear on the desktop of the host CPU. I have a new iMac on order, but do you think it is wise to pull my data from the HDD via the Target disk mode or my Time Capsule? I guess I am not sure if it is the logic board or a bad HD.
Thanks in advance,
Irv

It sounds more like a failing drive or a drive in need of repair. Have you tried repairing it?
Repair the Hard Drive - Lion
Boot from your Lion Recovery HD. 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, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
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.
If the drive is repairable then you will need to reinstall Lion:
Reinstalling 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. Alterhatively, 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 Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.
If none of this works then I would definitely backup your data, but not with Time Machine. I would make a backup to a separate drive, not the Time Capsule, using Carbon Copy Cloner.

HT1752 I have a Power PC G4 tower and start up is not going to OS, I'm getting a question mark in a folder icon. What do I do?

I have a Power PC G4 tower and start up is not going to OS, I'm getting a question mark in a folder icon. What do I do?

Is OS X installed?
Try a Startup Manager boot. Hold Option while starting.
Try a Safe Mode boot. Hold Shift while starting.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
If the PRAM battery is old, the system can lose it's mind.
Reset the PRAM.
resetting the PRAM - Support - Apple

I,m getting a flashing question mark in a folder on startup

When i started up earlier i verified disk and it said i should restart and hold command and r and then repair disk using disk utility which i did and then restarted using the usual startup disk. Since then every time i turn my imac mid 2011 on 10.9.4 mavs on i get a flashing question mark in a folder. I have over 800 gb of movies id like to transfer to ext hard drive before i try anything else preferably...ive read online reinstalling the osx may wipe everything so i thought id ask the experts before trying anything else.

OK, this is a little different then we started out trying to solve...the erasing of swap and other files has damaged the Mac OS X pretty seriously since we don't know all of what was removed.
If you have the Seagate external drive and it has not been formatted, and you want it to be a Mac OS X drive, attach the Seagate, restart holding the Command and R keys, go to Utilities and open Disk Utility. When that opens, select the Seagate from the drives shown in the left sidebar of the DU window. In the main window, choose Partition from the buttons across the top, center of the window pane. If you want more than one partition, select how many you want, or just keep the default of one. Name the drive (partition), keep the default format as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled), and the default partition table as GUID. Apply that to erase and format the Seagate drive.
When that is finished, still using Disk Utility, select Restore as the function you want to do. Now drag the internal drive (Macintosh HD, typically) to the Source box in the main window of DU, and drag the name you have given the Seagate external to the Destination box in the main window of DU. Look things over to be sure you have done this correctly, the internal drive contents is the source material and the external drive is where you want to put it...what you are about to do is clone the internal drive to the external drive. If all is correct, Restore.
That will take some time since you have a lot of material to copy. When it is done, you should have an exact copy of your internal drive and its contents, i.e., your movies.
Now that you have an exact copy of your contents, you can do what you need to do with the internal drive, such as erase the drive and reinstall Lion or whatever you want to install. After doing so you can copy your movies back if you want, but DO NOT do a restore as that will mess up the operating system.

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.

Large file folder with question mark is flashing on screen.

Just turned on computer for the first time and a large file folder with a question mark is flashing on the screen. I am unable to do anything and have restarted and it does the same thing. Please help!

It does this when it can't see the operating system. You didn't give much information but I'm assuming it's a brand new mini and you aren't using any external drives for the operating system. If that's the case then yes, reinstall OS X. Put your install DVD into the optical drive and reboot. As soon as you hear the chime, hold down the "C" key on your keyboard (or the Option key until the Install Disk shows up). That will force your Mac to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
If reinstallation isn't possible, or if the problem continues after reinstallation, then you need to exchange it for another, because something is keeping the operating system on the drive from being read.

Boot into os9 shows ?question mark? flashing - How do I fix this?

Hi All - old g4 - from snow leo i was able to boot into os9 classic - but I needed to go farther and boot directly into os9
- so i chose it from startup disk prefs
- it came up with os9 happy face for 1/2 second then moved to a page with floppy icon and ?question mark? flashing inside - now it was stuck on this even with off/on
- I tried all the known keys etc. to restart in 10.6 - nothing worked... I had to remove the drive and start from external - then xxxx and re-chose 10.6 so I'm back to work...
BUT: I would like to fix the os9 partition that always worked in the past so :
Q: HOW DO I FIX THE - floppy icon and ?question mark? flashing inside - and get it to see os9?

Using OS 9 in Classic isn't quite the same as booting directly into OS 9. When installing OS 9, one step that must be done in order to boot to it is to install the disk driver. If you didn't do that, then you can't boot into OS 9.
You might be able to get it to work by running Disk Repair (I think that's what it's called. Can't remember for sure) within Classic. Somewhere in the menus you have the option to install the driver on the drive you choose. See if that works.
If not, the only fix after that is to boot to the OS 9 disk, do an erase and install, and make sure to choose the option to install the disk driver. So back up both your OS 9 and OS X installations first. If OS 9 is on its own partition, then you can do the Erase and Install to that drive without affecting the OS X drive/partition.
Afterwards, either copy your third party apps back to the OS 9 partition from your backup, or reinstall them.

After installing Ubuntu, I have a flciker question mark inside a folder

Hello all,
I try to install Ubuntu on a external hard drive, but when i try to boot the mac it only appear a flashing question mark inside a folder.
I have unplug the external drive, try to erase de NVRAM, try to reinstall SL, but I haven't solve the issue.
Also i have format the HDD of the Mac, and repair it. I think the problem is on the boot partition and not in the HDD, because the disc installation of SL recognise my HDD.
Can anyone help me?
P.D: Sorry for my english
I don't know what to do. Can anyone help?

Hello!
A person in another forum has told me to see this article,
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20091111185717745
I will test tonight, but someone can give me other ideas?

Macbook dying? Question mark in a folder sign.

Was happily surfing this morning when my macbook just crashed. When I rebooted all I got was a grey screen with a flashing question mark in a folder and that's it!
I haven't backed up in a few weeks (yes, I know I'm an idiot) plus I don't know what's wrong with it. Is there any way to bypass the flashing folder and back up before I take it to the Apple doctor?
Thanks

I don't think you have to take it into the doctor's quite yet.
check this out http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570?viewlocale=en_US

I was just using macbook normally when it got hanged. Nothing worked so i restarted. A white screen then came up with a 'question mark in a folder' sign blinking. Nothing's working. Please help!!

I was just using macbook normally when it got hanged. Nothing worked so i restarted. A white screen then came up with a 'question mark in a folder' sign blinking repeatedly. Nothing's working. Please help!!

Look for a solution here:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5281
Ciao.

TS1440 Question Mark in Flashing Folder at start up problem.

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