When I tried to reboot, I got a file folder with a question mark

My computer froze up with the spinning wheel. I was forced to turn it off & reboot. Now all I get is a file folder with question mark in folder. What can I do?

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.

Similar Messages

  • 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 ?

  • What does it mean when there is a flashing file folder with a question mark when trying to start computer?

    When I try to start my computer a flashing file folder with a question mark is on the screen. I can't open anything up. What does this mean?

    There are four general causes of this issue:
    1. The computer's PRAM no longer contains a valid startup disk setting when there aren't any problems with the disk itself. This can be checked for by pressing the Option key and seeing if the drive appears.
    2. The internal drive's directory structure has become damaged. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to perform the repair.
    3. Critical system files have been deleted. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to reinstall them.
    4. The internal drive has died or become unplugged. This is the most likely case if the computer took a sharp impact or there are unusual sounds coming from its location.
    (104258)

  • 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.
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  • HT2433 My laptop opened with a grey flashing file folder with a question mark inside it .  How to to open my laptop!  I have tried fir e clising several times and restArting  nope nada!

    My laptop opened with a grey flashing file folder with a question mark inside it .  How do  I open my laptop!  I have tried force closing several times and restArting  nope !  nada!  Suggestions?

    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.
    With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 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, 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7, 10.8 or 10.9 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.

  • I have a older intel MacBook pro, now when I try to start up instead of the apple logo I see a file folder with a question mark. Need some help please.

    I have a first gen MacBook pro with intel chip. All of a sudden when I try to start up instead of the apple logo I see a file folder with a question mark. Phone support wasn't much help since it is a older machine. It's either a software issue or the hard drive went. Any ideas on how to fix if it's a software issue would be appreciated. Thanks a lot.

    Thanks I tried that and when I click repair it tells me
    Invalid volume header
    Checking hfs plus volume.
    Invalid b-free node size
    Volume check failed
    Error: the underlying task reported faliure on exit.
    1 hfs volume checked
    1 volume could not be repaired because of an error.

  • When I went to turn the desktop on, the start up sound came on.  Then the screen was white with an icon flashing. The icon is a file folder with a question mark on it.  I cannot get it to fully turn on.  HELP

    When I went to turn the desktop on, the start up sound came on.  Then the screen was white with an icon flashing. The icon is a file folder with a question mark on it.  I cannot get it to fully turn on.  HELP

    Run a disk repair tool on the hard disk or install a new OS.
    (59898)

  • MacBook Air will not reboot. A file folder with a question mark in the center of it appears. What is the problem?

    MacBook Air will not power on or reboot. A file folder with a question mark in the center of it appears. What is the problem?

    Go step by step and test.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440
    Startup Manager to select Startup disk.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310
    Repair Disk
    Steps 2 through 8
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836
    Reset PRAM.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
    Reinstall OS X
    If this does not help, contact Apple.
    Best.

  • I had to restart my iMac and when it came back on the screen shows a file folder with a question mark. What should I do?

    I had to restart my iMac and when it came back on the screen shows a file folder with a question mark. What should I do?

    Did you move any system files? It's looking for the system folder. You can startup from the system CD by inserting the CD and restarting the computer and at the same time hold down the C key. The computer will boot from the CD. At that point run the disk utility and check your hard-drive. It the problem persists then do a fresh clean install of the system folder and that should help you get back on track.
    Good Luck.

  • TS1812 Hi Everyone, I have tried all the solutions mentioned by apple and still have a white screen with a blinking file folder with a question mark in the center, anyone have any ideas or experienced this?

    Hi Everyone, I have tried all the solutions mentioned by apple and still have a white screen with a blinking file folder with a question mark in the center, anyone have any ideas or experienced this?

    Nooo or you would use OS X Recovery Mode: Disk Utilty and then Startup Disk.
    Mac OS X & Mountain Lion Community
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/os_x_mountain_lion?view=discussio ns
    Recovery Mode
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
    ExpressLane
    https://expresslane.apple.com/
    Mac OS X Help
    http://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/
    Isolating Issues in Mac OS
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1388
    https://www.apple.com/support/osx/
    https://www.apple.com/support/quickassist/
    http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/help/
    http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/tour/
    Get Help with your Product
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304725

  • What does a file folder with a question mark in it mean when the computer won't start?

    What does a file folder with a question mark in it mean when the computer won't start?

    There are four general causes of this issue:
    1. The computer's PRAM no longer contains a valid startup disk setting when there aren't any problems with the disk itself. This can be checked for by pressing the Option key and seeing if the drive appears.
    2. The internal drive's directory structure has become damaged. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to perform the repair.
    3. Critical system files have been deleted. This requires usage of an alternate bootable system to reinstall them.
    4. The internal drive has died or become unplugged. This is the most likely case if the computer took a sharp impact or there are unusual sounds coming from the hard drive's location.
    (68976)

  • What does it mean when my screen just flashes a file folder with a question mark?

    I just did software update and now my screen flashes a file folder with a question mark in the middle???

    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 hard drive data is somehow corrupted.
    Put your install DVD into the 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.
    Once it has finished booting and you are at the Install screen launch Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
    If it is then select the First Aid Tab run Repair Disk and 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 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

  • 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.

  • Flashing file folder with a question mark when starting my macbook after a few minutes it shuts down, any ideas??

    When turned on our Macbook flashes a folder with a question mark in the center screen, then it shuts down after a few minutes.  Doea anyone have any ideas how to boot the computer back up?
    Cheers

    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 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. Just press the Return key on yourkeyboard 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 handlist. 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.

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