TS1440: A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

Learn about A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac
ohitsmandi

Q: If I don't have my startup discs can I not fix this myself?

My iMac starts up with a flashing question mark within a folder. I've seen many threads about this issue but my question is, if I don't have my startup discs can I not fix this myself?

iMac (20-inch Mid 2007), Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Jul 12, 2012 6:11 PM

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Q: If I don't have my startup discs can I not fix this myself?

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  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Jul 14, 2012 1:13 PM in response to Neville Hillyer
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Jul 14, 2012 1:13 PM in response to Neville Hillyer

    Neville Hillyer wrote:

     

    We were trying to get the OP to repair the disk.

    Yes; especially for the novice to casual user, a Safe Boot may be the easiest way to do that.

     

     

    I am not satisfied that it has been tried properly yet.

    Agreed.

     

    Modifier keys such as shift, control, option and command should be held down before other keys and released after.

     

    Doing it any other way can have unpredictable consequences.

    Agreed.  Another reason to do a safe boot, since it's only one key. 

     

    Wireless keyboards can also be a problem. 

  • by Neville Hillyer,

    Neville Hillyer Neville Hillyer Jul 14, 2012 1:30 PM in response to Pondini
    Level 4 (1,877 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 14, 2012 1:30 PM in response to Pondini

    Attempting to alter another person's clear instructions with no explanation is not likely to help anybody.

     

    By all means offer an alternative set of instructions if you wish but please refrain from altering my instructions.

  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Jul 14, 2012 1:31 PM in response to Neville Hillyer
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Jul 14, 2012 1:31 PM in response to Neville Hillyer

    I already apologized for not being clear.

  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris Jul 14, 2012 7:07 PM in response to ohitsmandi
    Level 6 (19,604 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 14, 2012 7:07 PM in response to ohitsmandi

    While it is possible that the wireless keyboard is affecting the ability to boot into Single-User-Mode (or even Safe-Mode), I suspect the firmware can no longer see a bootable system on the drive (as Single-User-Mode is Mac OS X before starting multi-user mode, starting the networking components, starting up the GUI, etc...).

     

    I think ohitsmandi needs to either get replacement installion DVDs from Apple, or find another Mac, a Firewire cable, then use Target Mode to access the drive from another Mac and try repairing the boot drive's file system.


    Failing a repair, the system should be restored from a backup (I'm hoping ohitsmandi has a backup), or using the replacement installation DVD to install a new copy of the OS and hopefully get the Mac working again.

     

    Again, this is my guess about the situation.

  • by Neville Hillyer,

    Neville Hillyer Neville Hillyer Jul 15, 2012 2:37 AM in response to BobHarris
    Level 4 (1,877 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2012 2:37 AM in response to BobHarris

    Bob,

     

    I am still not convinced the OP has tried single user mode properly - perhaps a conventional keyboard would help.

     

    I don't understand the following - can you express it in another way:

    I suspect the firmware can no longer see a bootable system on the drive (as Single-User-Mode is Mac OS X before starting multi-user mode, starting the networking components, starting up the GUI, etc...).

  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris Jul 15, 2012 6:47 AM in response to Neville Hillyer
    Level 6 (19,604 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2012 6:47 AM in response to Neville Hillyer

    Single User Mode is where every Unix boot starts. The difference when holding down Cmd-S is it does not continue loading all the other components that make it a multiuser, networked, GUI style operating system.

     

    Single User is not a different operating system, it the first step in the boot road to Mac OS X as we know it.

     

    The Folder on the screen comes from the Firmware when it cannot find a bootable device or partition.

  • by Neville Hillyer,

    Neville Hillyer Neville Hillyer Jul 15, 2012 7:30 AM in response to BobHarris
    Level 4 (1,877 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2012 7:30 AM in response to BobHarris

    oops - it appears you are correct Bob - I have just found:

     

    "If Open Firmware fails to find a boot device, a blinking folder is displayed."

     

    from:

     

    http://osxbook.com/book/bonus/ancient/whatismacosx/arch_boot.html

     

    Has this changed from a blinking folder to a blinking question mark within a folder?

     

    I don't recall seeing this since my Mac Plus days - it did this while waiting for the floppy.

  • by Neville Hillyer,

    Neville Hillyer Neville Hillyer Jul 15, 2012 7:38 AM in response to BobHarris
    Level 4 (1,877 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2012 7:38 AM in response to BobHarris

    I see that the page the OP came from (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440) fails to mention this or indicate that it could be a failed disk.

     

    Have I missed something?

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