Wont boot, white screen, flashing manilla folder outline with question mark

Hi
Am visiting in Nairobi and am stuck - anyone know what this means and/or how to fix when travelling ... thanks

saturday was my first day at uni, had exact same problem, there is some stuff in the manual about how to clear the problem, one which involves reinstalling osx through the install disks, but there's a disk inside my cd drive already which obviously won't come out because the computer won't load up fully. any ideas on how to force out the cd or solve the above problem??

Similar Messages

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    Hi, I need some serious help immediately.  I have been using an external hard disc to watch movies and stuff on my MacBook. However last night I removed the external hard disc accidentally without closing the programs that were still using the data from the hard disk and hence the complete MacBook got hanged and nothing responded. I tried using command Q to shut down the program buy it didn't help either. So finally I gave up and shut down the MacBook manually by pressing the power on/off button.
    However when I tried restarting my MacBook I faced a serious problem. The start up won't boot beyond the grey screen showing a folder sign with a question mark sign in it .. I just don't know what to do. Somebody please help me and guide me through this problem
    Awaiting quick response
    Gratitude in advance
    Regards
    AJ

    If you try booting your Mac holding down the Option key, you should see the icon for Macintosh HD. Try selecting that to boot. If you can get in that way, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and select your Mac HD, then click Restart.
    If you can't see the Mac HD, the volume may indeed need repair as Niel said.

  • Screen displays small folder icon with question mark

    My powerbook won't boot up, makes a clicking noise when turned on and is displaying a small folder in the middle of the screen that alternates with a symbol and a question mark. Bad hard drive?

    "Also, can I purchase a hard drive from a brick and mortar Mac store or do I need to buy it online?"
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  • Flashing System Folder Icon With Question Mark Preventing Startup

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  • Hi . i have Intel based iMac. i erased whole hard disk. now it flashes folder icon with question mark... i have no internet or orginal dvd.... i want to clean install any mac osx..friend got mac book pro and osx in dmg format . what are my options?

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    On your friend's computer with an internet connection, log into the Mac App Store with your ID and download Yosemite from the Purchases section of the Mac App Store. The make a bootable USB install media using
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  • Flashing folder icons with question mark

    After reading through the forums I've found a few discussions and users that have similar problems as me but haven't seen anything that deals directly with my issues.
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    Chank wrote:
    After reading through the forums I've found a few discussions and users that have similar problems as me but haven't seen anything that deals directly with my issues.
    After upgrading to Leopard last night, it ran sluggishly for about 15 minutes. I got impatient and decided to restart.
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  • When i on my Mac pro there is a folder sign with question mark?

    sir when i on my Pac Pro there is appear a folder sign with question mark in white screen .what is the problem tell me pls?

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570

  • MacBook won't start - shows flashing folder icon with question mark

    When I attempted a Spotlight search, my MacBook froze. I shut it down, and when I start again I get the sound, the blue screen, and then a flashing folder icon with a question mark. I tried starting with Option pressed down; didn't work, and now I don't even get the flashing folder icon, just the blue screen. Any suggestions?

    The flashing folder with question mark means the computer can't find a working OS on the computer. This may mean your hard drive has failed.
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    ~Lyssa

  • Blinking Folder Icon with Question Mark at startup - Is my HD dead?

    I was uploading a .Mov file to my idisk when I got an error message - not sure what it said. But the screen dimmed, and then froze. I held down the power to power down - which it did.
    When I fired it back up, I heard the startup sound - then the screen went white. A gray folder icon appears with a question mark over it - and it blinks.
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    Thanks!
    Gordon

    I booted from the Mac OS X Install disk and opened the Disk Utility.
    The options for disks to repair are
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    2. A drive that's simply labeled "Media."
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    Connection Bus: Serial ATA 2
    Connection Type: Internal
    Total Capacity: 0 Bytes - that doesn't sound good.
    Write Status: Read/Write
    Again, thanks for your help.
    G

  • IMac won't restart. Agreed to updates, rebooted and now only getting a white screen w/ flashing file folder w/ a questions mark?

    I Agreed to recent updates, restarted my computer and all I am seeing is a white screen w/ a small flashing file folder icon w/ a question mark on it?  I've already unplugged, turned on/off and disconnected/reconnected Apple airport? 

    Hi barnstorming7,
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. Based on what you stated, it sounds like the computer boots to a flashing question mark. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help the issue.
    A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac - Apple Support
    Cheers,
    Mario

  • TS1440 When booting up, grey screen with a 'folder icon' with 'question mark' flashes?

    When I boot up, a grey screen appears with a folder icon with a question mark inside it. The Mac won't respond to and commands or anything, only the On/Off Power button.
    Any ideas? If you read my previous question, you can see what happened before all of this started happening.
    Thanks,
    -Dylan

    Did you follow this procedure?
    http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-install-or-reinstall-mac-os-x-mount ain-lion.html

  • My Macbook A1181 won't startup. After turn on I get white screen with a folder sign with question mark in the center.

    My Macbook won't startup. After turn on, I get a white background screen with a folder icon (question mark inside) in the center. this icon even blinks
    The battery is charging.

    It sounds like your hard drive is bad. If you can see it in Disk Utility you may still be able to get your files off of it. If you have one of the MacBooks with the removable battery it's very easy to put in a new hard drive.
    Here's instructions on replacing your hard drive http://creativemac.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45088
    To buy a hard drive try Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=380&name=Laptop-Hard-Dr ives
    Here's a cheap SATA external hard drive case on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-5-SATA-HDD-HARD-DRIVE-EXTERNAL-ENCLOSURE-CASE-BOX-/120 636286623?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item1c167ba69f
    Put your old hard drive in an external case and after you've formatted your new hard drive and installed your operating system on it plug in your old hard drive and see if it is recognized by the new system. If so then transfer whatever files you want to the new hard drive

  • 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)

  • Flashing Folder icon with Question Mark

    While trying Garage Band, I saved a project 'the long way' so as to open it via the Media Browser. Big mistake. Enter rainbow ball of ****.
    I tried to force quit because all I was hearing was a grinding away like 'crickets' says my daughter. Could be the Hard Drive.
    Now I shut it down and when I reboot, it gives me nothing but a gray screen with ? in a flashing folder icon.
    Help!
    Using 10.6.5, possibly 10.6.6. (Whichever one came before the Apple App Store application.)
    There is 70 Gig left available in a Drive that I believe is 384G. 300 something, I recall.
    This is a late 2006 Macbook, with the RAM maxed out..

    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 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.
    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.

  • Help ! Flashing folder icon with question mark when starting up

    Hi, I have tried to restore my macbook pro 15 (2012 model with Yosemite OS  X) to factory settings and wipe out the hard drive but on restarting it I now just get a blank screen with a flashing folder icon with a question mark on it. Any help/advice anyone I would be very grateful for ! Thanks,  Mark

    Something didn't install properly.
    Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
    1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
        b. Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
    2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:
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    3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities 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. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
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                because it is three times faster than wireless.
    5. Reinstall Yosemite 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.
    How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
                because it is three times faster than wireless.

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