When I open my MacBook Pro there is a flashing question mark

Hi, I open my MacBook and then I see a flashing question mark with a folder . What do I do?

A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac

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Macbook pro powering on with flashing question mark?

macbook pro powering on with flashing question mark?

You're MacBook Pro can't find a bootable device.
Which version of OS X are you running and which model MacBook Pro do you have?
Clinton

When I open my Macbook Pro it shows past date

Hi -
Sometimes (pretty consistently lately) when I open my Macbook Pro it shows the screen that was there when I closed it, but everything is greyed. There is a line at the bottom that is moving across and when it finishes the color goes back to normal. But even then, the time is from when I closed it, and the computer is unresponsive. It will sometimes sit in this state for a couple of minutes or longer.
This is a six month old Macbook Pro and this happens pretty regularly, and has off and on since I first got it.
Is this just no more than annoying? I've been using Apple laptops since 2005 and never had this happen until this machine (which is my third personal one - I support two others). Any ideas on cause?
Thanks
Craig

Some users have reported solving this problem by resetting the NVRAM (PRAM.)
If you've installed something called "iCleanMemory," or any other third-party software that is supposed to "clean" or "free up" memory, remove it according to the developer's instructions after backing up all data. Reboot and test. If there's no change, continue.
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin. Test while in safe mode. Same problem? After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

When i open my macbook pro- the screen lights up and then goes black-

When I open my Macbook pro- the screen lights up and then goes black- keybook stays backlite- can not get screen to come back on. Must reboot-
thoughts-?? Macbook is 6 months old and on second hard drive ( failure after 45 days).

Hey! exact same thing happens to me... I use the keyboard shortcut to turn off the screen which is ctrl - shift - eject button. Then just poke a key and it wakes up again fine, it doesn't fix the problem but at elast you don't have to reboot. x

When I open my MacBook Pro for the first time each day, I find condensation on the glass. What can I do to prevent the condensation?

When I open my MacBook Pro for the first time each day, I find condensation on the glass. What can I do to prevent the condensation?

This thread and all the followups are hilarious, if it weren't such a serious problem. OP, you may want to add a bit more information on how this drippy screen problem occurs: where do you live, what are the weather conditions, what are you doing with the Mac when it occurs, etc.
Yes, extreme moisture, to the extent of causing visible condensation, is Very Bad News for any electronic device, and more so with one that isn't tropicalized like the Mac. Besides trying to avoid subjecting it to such extreme temperature changes, using some kind of desiccant to absorb close range moisture and avoidint its use until it dried out, I can suggest placing some kind of absorbent material between the display and the keyboard to prevent the moisture on the glass from finding its way into the computer. Like the protective poliethylene foam protector that came with the Mac when new. Or something like RadTech's ScreenSavrz: http://www.radtech.us/Products/NotebookScreenSavrz.aspx

Hi. I am reinstalling Macbook Pro OS X from the "question mark icon". During process, there is a question "select the disk where to install Mac OS X" but there is no option/selection in the box. I really need your help guys. I need it badly. :'(

Hi. I am reinstalling Macbook Pro OS X from the "question mark icon". During process, there is a question "select the disk where to install Mac OS X" but there is no option/selection in the box. I really need your help guys. I need it badly. :'(

If you got the question mark and you do not see any partition to install OS X to, it is not good.
Close the OS X installer by pressing the red button at the top left corner of the Install OS X window, and open Disk Utility. Then, look at the left sidebar and tell me if you see your hard drive. You should see something like this:
Do not worry if you do not see Macintosh HD or if the option with an arrow shows a different name. This is normal.
If you see it, choose it, go to the Erase tab and erase the drive. Finally, close Disk Utility and reinstall OS X. You will lose everything if you do not have a backup.
If you do not see the drive, it is damaged and it has to be replaced. You can replace the hard drive of a MacBook Pro without voiding the warranty, and any 2'5" SATA hard drive is valid. If you are not an experienced user or you do not want to go inside the MacBook, take it to an Apple Store or reseller.

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.

Hey, My macbook is giving me a flashing question mark on startup. When I hold down the command key to get to system preferences it asks me for a firmware password, that I did not set! Any ideas on how to bipass this?

Hey, My mac book is giving me a flashing question mark on start up. When I hold down the command key to get to system preferences in order to help it find the system software it asks me for a firmware password, that I did not set! I also do not have the start up DVD/disk anymore. Any ideas on how to bypass this?

Contact Apple or an authorized Apple service provider.
(116347)

Macbook Air won't startup, flashing question mark

Hello everyone, here's the problem:
Recently (Sep) I've bought a new macbook air (2012, 128gb SSD). After a few months of using it the following problem happened: while surfing on the web, my macbook hang up (I couldn't press anything or do anything, the system wouldn't respond), so I shut it down forcefully (by holding the power button), after this my computer wouldn't boot at all: a flashing questioning mark appeared on the grey screen. I know what it means (I'm an Intel engineer and know quite a bit on the subject), so I thought the SSD was dead. Brought it to the shop a bought it at (M-video, Russia, Nizhni Novgorod). After 21 day (sic!) they gave it back to me working fine and said that when they opened it - it worked OK, they tested it for 5 days with reboots and it was OK. After 1 month of using it after I got it back (today) it happened again: the OSx hang -> force shutdown -> question mark on startup.
Could you please tell what can it be? It's obvious that it's no a hardware problem (in this case it wouldn't happen from time to time but be a permanent defect after the first time it occurred). I tried all the recipes found on the internet (command + alt + P + R; R to get recovery mode - disk utility sees only 1 partition on disk0 of 1.8 GB (I guess it's partition with the base system) and won't let me do anything - all options are grayed out; SHIFT won't let me into safe mode - no idea why; etc.). I also don't have a CD or anything with the mac OS, however even Internet recovery won't help - no targets to install it when it comes to it.
Have tried almost anything and asked almost anyone among my IT-connected friends, but in vain. Thank you in advance for your help! Will appreciate any piece of advice.

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: 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.
If this fails then see: OS X (Lion/Mountain Lion)- About OS X Recovery.

Macbook has the folder with flashing question mark

Yesterday as I was watching Netflix my Mac froze. I was skipping around an episode and then started opening a folder to do something else while it loaded and then it just froze. I thought maybe I was clicking on too many things at once or whatever and it got screwed up a bit so I closed it for a minute or two. When I opened it back up it had a (light) blue screen that wouldn't go away so I shut it down with the power button. Then when I turned it back it just had a white/gray screen for like a minute before the folder with the flashing question marked appeared.
I've googled possible solutions but nothing seems to work. It won't boot up in safemode. One answer suggested trying to do comm-opt-P-R (can't remember what that was trying to do) and that didn't work. The screen would just go black and then start up over and over. When I just press the opt-key it takes me straight to Internet recovery. However, none of the options available work. I don't have the TimeMachine thing, I don't have a disk to reload the Lion software, and there's nothing to click on at all in the disk utility. All that's available in that is a disk0 and the Mac OS X Base System and I can't click on First Aid/Erase/Partition/Restore. I've opened up the startup disk and there's nothing that shows up.
Is there something else I can try at home or should I just go ahead to the apple store? My Mac is under a year old still, but I spilled soda on it back in like October and had to get all the parts replaced so I don't know if that would do anything to the warranty....And if something does have to get replaced will I lose all my stuff? It was bad enough losing four months worth of data, I don't want to lose seven.
Thanks for any help.

As long as the parts were replaced by someone authorized to do the repairs, you should still be fine. This error indicates that they computer isn't able to find a disk to boot to.
The "disk" to reload Lion is that internet recovery (also can be launched from command + r).
Seeing as how you don't have the startupdisk in Disk Utility, I would recommend getting it into a store to see why that drive isn't detected. It could be something as simple as a loose SATA cable, or as catastrophic as complete hard drive failure. While you're at the store, I'd look into investing in an external drive to start running Time Machine...

Firefox is unresponsive when I open my Macbook Pro or wake it up from sleeping. Is there a fix for this problem?

Whenever I open up my Macbook Pro, Firefix is unresponsive. I can see all of my tabs, but nothing (except the top pull-down menus) are clickable. If I wait a few minutes it seems to work again, but I usually have to force quit. Anyone else have this problem?

Firefox uses plugin-container.exe to run Flash and other plugins. The theory is that if the plugin were to crash, it would not crash all your tabs, just any active plugins. Are you getting a message that a plugin crashed?
If I understand the problem correctly, Firefox is hanging or freezing when trying to open a link, and you are exiting Firefox, after which it won't start up again until you kill firefox.exe in the Task Manager.
Have you noticed any pattern to when Firefox freezes or stalls?
How are you exiting Firefox (for example, from the menu vs. red X button vs. Ctrl+Alt+Delete)?
In case you haven't seen it, this article might be useful: [[Firefox hangs or is not responding - How to fix]].

Put to Sleep and Don't wake up when i open my macbook pro

Hello,
i have a Macbook pro 17' (2,33ghz) using leopard 10.5.2 with all the latest update.
Everytime i put my computer to sleep for more than 10 minutes (random time), when i try to wake up nothing happen, i hear a strange noise of the HD for about 2 seconds and the screen stay Black.
When i close the computer again, the light stay On, when i open the computer again nothing happen, the screen is black, no buttons works, nothing happen.
So i have to press the Power button for a few seconds and then turn on my Mac again.
this happen to me every day !
i try:
Remove the charger = Same Problem
With the charger = Same Problem
With Apple Bluetooth mouse = Same Problem
Without Apple Bluetooth mouse = Same Problem
With External HD = Same Problem
Without External HD = Same Problem
when i try to wake up the Mac, I wait for more than 10 minutes and nothing happen.
i see the Log's and i can't see antything Wrong.
this is not the first time i have this problem
in 10.4.8 i have the problem, when i update to 10.4.9 "fix the problem" until 10.5.2
i have the AppleCare.
i dont know if this is a Hardware or Software problem and if the guarantee cover this?
thinkin that this could be a HD problem so i check in the disk utility and everyting is OK.
Thanks!

Well. in my searching i find an """"Answer"""
Some body was talking about that the new's Mac have something called "Safe Sleep" so when someone sleep the Mac the Information of the Ram make a copy in the HD this can take for 30 seconds to a minute. In this time, if you move the mac or do something else, generate a error and corrupt the Information of the ram and the Mac stop working.
Say that to remove this "Safe Sleep" have to open the terminal and:
The Unix command to disable SafeSleep is:
sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
To re-enable SafeSleep, the command is:
sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 3
Maybe Apple going to Fix this in future Updates.
Sorry for my English !

What is the cracking sound when I open my MacBook Pro lid?

When opening and closing MacBook Pro lid, it makes a cracking sound. Does anyone have an idea what it could be? It's not the hard drive because Geek Squad ran a test and everything passed.

Try this: Loosen the screws in the rear of the MBP (by the hinge) and re-torque them. See if that will alleviate the problem. You will need a 00 Philips driver.
Ciao.

When I open the MacBook Pro, display doesn't turn on!

I have a new MacBook Pro. It doesn't seem to wake from sleep. Also, when it is operating, it doesn't respond when I try and put it to sleep. Lastly, sometimes when I shut the computer, I notice that it will remain very warm for a long time in my bag, even though it isn't plugged in. These all seem very related.
Any Suggestions?
Thanks!
Tim

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
I also had some sleep problems with my new (in September) MBP running 10.4.10. Mostly a tendency to freeze if the display went to sleep, which does not seem to be the same problem that yours has. When I went to Leopard, all of these problems vanished.
Is yours asleep or frozen? If the sleep light is steady instead of pulsing, it may be frozen. And it should not freeze.
I have never had a problem with the MBP getting warm in my bag, but then, I always shut it down rather than put it to sleep. But I have heard of others getting warm. The MBP uses its aluminum skin to cool itself, and that doesn't work well in a bag. So I don't think it's good to put it in a bag asleep although I am sure others will disagree with this.
Since it's new and under warranty, you can always take these issues up with Apple.
Good luck!

When i open my macbook pro the wifi connect but says no internet connection

Every time i close my Macbook Pro (early 2011 model running OSX Lion) then open it back up the wifi will connect to the right network but says i have no internet connection this lasts for about 5-10 minutes then the internet will finally work. i know it's not the router cause im connected on my phone and on other computers and they work just fine. is this something internal or something with the software?

Hi..
Try Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

When I open my MacBook Pro there is a flashing question mark

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