Wont boot up. folder with ?

I have a white screen and my computer want boot up. It has a folder with a question mark. Help

Hi Rhonda
Work thru the steps in the > A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac article.
Then if it still does not startup, move onto the > Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test article.
Dennis

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Installed Yosemite update on MacBook Pro retina late 2013 will not boot flashing folder with ?

I just Installed Yosemite update on MacBook Pro retina late 2013 will not boot flashing folder with ?

dunno, Lynn--maybe Etrecheck. trying running disk utility to verify the status of your hard drive. That may give you a basic idea. Perhaps tech tool pro. As for it running hot, I can't say for sure. try shutting it down and using a vacuum clearner +crevice tool around the back of it. It's been my experience that hard drives usually fail without a lot of warning, luckily you have a backup. Afterwards you can say "Yup, that went bad". I've done a little research and found out that your MacBook Pro doesn't come with a conventional hard drive as such, but an SSD (solid state device) . It's upgradeable (up to 1 TB ) but not cheaply
go here for more info (OWC) :http://eshop.macsales.com. For right now, I'd recommend resetting the SMC/PMU, maybe zapping the pram . to do that, reboot, hold down Apple+Option, P+R keys while rebooting. Hold down for 3 chimes, let go and let it boot. as for the SMC thing....
I'm assuming your battery isn't removeable-shut down computer, plug in MagSafe cable . On built in keyboard, on left side, press Shift-Control-Option and power button at the same time. release all the keys and the power button. press power button again to turn on computer
that is all
John b

Boots to folder with exclamation mark or battery with exclamation mark

recently purchased a used ipod 3g. i came with a dent in the uper left corner of the back of it. im not sure how old it is. it will (without ac pluged in) show the apple logo then turn off, when pluged in it will show either a battery with a exclamation mark,or a folder with an exclamation mark. when connected to windows it is recognized as there being a usb device there but it cannot determine what it is. when connected to a linux box (also have 4g ipod works fine on this box) it will nto even detect it. also when plgged it and booted you can hear the hard drive and it is rather loud. im guessing that the battery is old and dead and will not recharge (as i have seen no sign of it recharging) and the hard drive is dammaged. I have tried reseting, disk mode. both to no results please help for i dont want to pay to have it fixed.

tingyster hello,
Yeah, it could be 2 problems i.e. battery and hard disk, but it could be some thing wrong and stop your iPod to get charge. So please plug your iPod have a charge with the AC charger for few hours. (Do a reset before your plug it the charger). Then find a Mac computer, put your iPod in disk mode and connect it with a Mac compter, do a Restore there, if you can able to finish the restore process then connect it back with your PC, and redo the Restore with your PC.

PC wont boot at all with X-fi and 8800 GTX c

My A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard and my BFG 8800 GTX video card seem to not like the X-Fi... It wont boot at all.... If I remove the X-fi, it boots fine. I have tried the X-fi in all available slots, and moved the 8800 to both slots, but nadda..Once, it booted, but the X-fi wasnt 'seen' by the MB at all... I can run onboard sound, but it isn't as nice, and I dont get to use the EAX...

Cat, what processor/memory are you running on the mobo along with the x-fi and the 8800 gtx? What drivers do you use for the 8800 gtx? Latest?Can you run the Battlefield 242 demo with the X-Fi and Ultra/Eax Audio settings on (all audio settings at max) without problems for at least an hour with no stutter/crashes in h20x2k.sys or whatever?I don't know if you can be bothered, but it would be amazing if you tried it and reported that it works fine, if it does. I'm getting HEAVY stutter with a DFI Lanparty SLI-DR Expert (Nforce 4). It starts out fine, but gets worse and worse as time goes. By about 5 minutes to half an hour it's pretty much unbearable and/or crashes with a bluescreen. Please see my other post for this (look for bf 242 audio channels). Setting the sound to "hardware" seems to be a temporary fix, but I'm definitely not satisfied. I have no problems running general windows/2d audio otherwise... silky smooth. I'm actually considering replacing my motherboard in the near future and I'm gathering options on "X-Fi-Friendly" motherboards. I'd like to hear my Battlefield 242 audio with all its 28 channels in EAX 5 someday... Perhaps Creative should consider putting stickers or logos on motherboards to ensure they play nice together lol :-D?ThanksMessage Edited by HeatSurge on 06-07-2007:26 AM

Mac Pro wont book, getting folder with flashing question mark icon

I opened up Disk Utility but it only shows one of my two hard drives. I'm guessing it's toast. But before I go buy a new one, is there any value in going into an apple store and see what they can do?

I have the same problem with my brand new Mac Pro. from the start, upon bootup, i see a flashing folder with a question mark. I've already sent this Mac back for service. I believe the problem may have something to do with the airport card i had installed. something about the OS trying to find the wireless network...i'm not savy at this, by any means and hope we both resolve this issue. Do you an airport card installed?
I guess I'll be calling tech support again.
j

648 max, wont boot to cd with locked HDD connected

hi i hope you can help me, i bought my son a cheap second hand PC from a car boot sale, inside which is an MSI 648 max motherboard,
the problem i have is i am trying to attach a larger hard drive which is locked, usually to unlock the HDD i run a bootable cd-rom which is fine however when i try to boot the computer i get a message stating the hard drive is locked and i have 5 attempts to enter the password.
unfortunately i do not know the password as it is encrypted on the cd-rom, if only i could boot to cd-rom this wouldn't be a problem however i can not boot to cd-rom with the locked hard drive connected and obviously i cannot connect the hard drive after its booted to cd as it will not be detected,
when i try to access the boot menu i hit F11 as stated but all i get on the POST screen is "GO-->boot menu and then it hangs on the POST screen, what does this mean?
so my question is, is it possible to boot to CD with the locked HDD connected as im getting quite frustrated,
i hope i have given enough information but if you need anymore i shall happily provide
many thanks
Glenn

If the hard drive is still servicable you can use a bootable cd or floppy to erase the contents of the hard drive.
The ultimate boot cd has numerous apps to erase hdds. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
Or just get another hard drive.
Could be something else wrong of course. At least the UBCD is free.

Folder with question mark + wont boot from disk

Hi
I am trying to reinstall a powermac g5 from the disk, using a old hard drive that works.. (formatted in NTFS) (hoping that when selected to boot from disk, mac will then erase and reformat it)this image is presented when i hold down the option key and the disk ejects this other image is presented when i hold down C (folder with question mark blinking) and the disk ejects... also presented if i boot normally.... Could some help be offered please??????
Powermac G5
Thank you in advance

Yes, you must Format it HFS+ first...
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
How to format your disks...
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html
(To Install OSX on an IntelMac the Drive it needs the GUID Partitioning scheme mentioned at the bottom.)
Thanks to Pondini, Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks...
http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/DU.html

Macbook wont boot (folder icon with question mark)

Dear all,
I have macbook 13.3 (black one) for a year. This morning it just didn't boot and I got the question mark sign. I googled and discovered that it is probably a HD problem and the solution is: boot macbook from DVD install disk and try to repair.
My problem is, that I cant do even that. I put the original DVD in, after boot I pressed hold option. Then I got only mouse cursor but no icons (like the DVD is not inserted). I tried with C also, but nothing. It just wont boot from DVD.
Does anyone has a solution, how can I force macbook to boot from DVD?
Message was edited by: tdarko

Make sure the disc is clean with no scratches in it. Also, you can try running fsck to check the disk.
1. Reboot/Startup holding your Command-S key down.
2. At the command line type the following and hit 'Return.'
/sbin/fsck -fy
3. If it finds a problem and repairs it, immediately run fsck again until the drive checks OK.
4. After it has check/repaired your disk, type 'reboot' and hit 'Return' again. Unit should bootup normally.
Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support' (designed exclusively for an iPhone/iPod touch)

Wont Boot or Install New OS - Flashing Folder with Question Mark

I was trying to upgrade the OS. It downloaded all files. Asked for restart and then went into this mode of displaying flashing folder with "?". Tried to boot from original install CD by pressing down C key but again it gives flashing folder with "?". If I boot with D key even then it gives flashing folder with "?"
Should I try to replace the hard drive?
The CD I was trying to install from MAC OS X Install Disc 1 (10.4.8)
Thanks

Thanks for the reply.
It is an Intel processor. 2.16 Core 2 Duo.
I believe it originally came with Tiger pre-installed - it was purchased around early to mid 2007. However, it was then used by my son who went to a boarding school where they installed 10.5 I believe. And they "locked it down" with parental controls etc. Perhaps that is part of the issue.
I had logged into admin and was doing an OS Update (dont recall exact function). It downloaded bunch of stuff and then asked for reboot. On reboot it got stuck on the flashing folder.
The CD/DVD I am using is an Apple CD which says
For Mac Computers
Mac OS X Install Disc 1
Mac OS Version 10.4.8
Copyright 2007.
I assume these are the original CD/DVDs that came with MacBook Pro.
Thanks

IMac wont boot Past Grey Screen, finder folder with blinking question mark

iMac G5 won't boot Past Grey Screen. The G5 froze and i restarted, It will not go past the grey screen and it has the finder folder with blinking question mark, also the fans kick on wide open. As it atempts to boot a sound plays "beepda beepda beepda beep" that starts quiet and gets louder and repeats a couple of times. I ran a hardware check on the startup disk and all hardware passed. I thought it might be the RAM any suggestions?
I have restarted using the troubleshooting methods in the guide.

Sorry for the late reply. The drive shows up when booting to disk, but it will not allow you to verify disk or repair. Also it will not allow you to select the hard drive to reinstall the software. Under disk utility Maxtor sabre shows up with total capacity:0 bytes.
I've taking the Mac to the Apple store to get looked at, and its probly the hard drive. Now Im trying to see if theres a way to recover the data myself. I've used software like "Data Rescue" the hard drive shows up "Maxtor Sabre" totally capacity: 0 bytes, and it will not recover anything.
Did this test just to see if it was power problem.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2173
Thats when noticed the beeps are coming from the hard drive. So its getting power.
Now just wondering how to recover data.
Any suggestions?

I have a PowerBook 145B but something is wrong with the systemfolder so it wont boot. I've downloaded System 7.0.1 from Apple and put it on Floppys with my Macintosh Classic. The PowerBook boots from the floppy, after a minute its just white. What to do?

I have a PowerBook 145B but something is wrong with the systemfolder so it wont boot. I've downloaded System 7.0.1 from Apple and put it on Floppys with my Macintosh Classic. The PowerBook boots from the floppy but after a minute it just comes up a window thats completely white.
I've tried a lot of things, but my Macintosh classic (with original floppys) runs 7.0.0. And the PowerBook needs atleast 7.0.1 and did run 7.1.0 as original OS.
How do I fix this?

Because your PowerBook 145B shipped with OS 7.1, it can't run an earlier version of the Mac OS, such as 7.0.1. Unfortunately, Apple never made OS 7.1 available for download. You can run OS 7.5.1, 7.5.3, and 7.5.5 on your PowerBook, but I'd recommend doing so with the maximum amount of supported memory - 8 MBs. The 19-part download of OS 7.5.3 is segmented, so that each one will fit on a 1.44 MB floppy disk. The problem is that the 19-diskette set isn't an installer set as such, having no bootable disk. It's solely intended to be used to transfer the individual segments to the resident hard drive in the computer. Once that's done, double-clicking the first .smi segment creates the OS 7.5.3 installer disk image on the desktop, which you drag onto the hard drive icon. This produces a folder with the OS 7.5.3 installer in it. I've done this before with an old Mac LC and it works. You can also download the 3-diskette OS 7.5.5 Update and run that. These downloads can be found on the same page where you found the OS 7.0.1 download: Older Software Downloads.

Folder with Question Mark on Boot

I can't get my mac to boot. Instead I get the gray screen and a folder with question mark icon. I'm guessing the HD is dead? Any chance for recovery? If not how much does a new one cost? The one year warranty just expired!
Please help!
Thanks,
Brian

So, what is it? The thing froze today and wont reboot - just a gray screen with NOTHING. Then after about 10 min. the flashing question mark folder appears.
So, I popped in the install DVD that came with the computer, get the little gray Apple logo and it boots from the DVD.
Launch Disc Utility. The HD appears on the left. Click on it - all of the "Verify" and "Repair" buttons remain grayed out. So what the hxll do I do?
I cant boot into single-user mode or any other mode for that matter.
This is a Macbook pro, dual-core Intel, less than a year old.

Hey Guys i have a problem with my mac since last month and it wont boot up it freezes in a grey apple logo and and spinning gear any body know how to fix this?

Hey Guys i have a problem with my mac since last month and it wont boot up it freezes in a grey apple logo and and spinning gear any body know how to fix this?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Before reconnecting an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see above for instructions.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it produces. Look for the line "Permissions repaired successfully" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a backup.
Step 8
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

I had to erase and reinstall mavericks to hd, now i cannot boot up , i get a folder with flashing Q mark and i cannot boot from dvd drive...Ideas please

hi
its a long and sorry story, i have a imac running mavericks
a few days ago i noticed that the dvd drive was ejecting every disc i put in, so i decide to check hd with onyx and reset permissions etc
onyx said the smart status couldnt be checked and i should check hd using disk utility.
i did this and it came up that hd had errors , so i ran the repair facility....it came up with disk can not be repaired, reformat and reinstall mavericks
this i did.
i reinstalled mavericks into mac hd, which took about 3 hrs, i then rebooted and a folder with flashing Qmark appeared, i cant get past this at all.
i have tried to use internet recovery but it comes up with 6002f error, and the dvd drive still does not accept boot disk, so i am at a lose as to how to proceed
anybody got any ideas?
thanks
L

If your hard drive has SMART errors then it is failing and should be replaced. Disk Utility cannot fix SMART reported errors.

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.

Wont boot up. folder with ?

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