Freeze, reboot -- can't find startup disk!

You need to find the startup disc your computer came with and use that or contact Apple to purchase a replacement!! Quit using off kilter methods like using a Jaguar disc, you are just making your problem larger and possibly doing more damage. The instructions for starting Mac with a flashing question mark are pretty clear:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

HI Rowdy,

*"when I jostle my Mac out of sleep mode "* Exactly what do you mean by jostle?

Try booting while holding down the Option key. That will prompt the Startup Manger window. Select MacintoshHD 10.5.6 and restart.

If that doesn't help go here.

A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac





Carolyn 🙂

well... i did face similar problems 2 years back.. but my mac is an ibook g4...

my screen freezes n when i reboot it, i saw a question mark within a folder... i can't boot it from other sources n i reckon it was my harddisk had crashed... i sent it to apple centre n the technicians can't boot it from my HD as well as via the disk... meaning i really have to change my hd... my applecare warranty was way over n i'm paying abt a hundred plus to get the hd replaced...

if u are still within the warranty period, get it fix... they usually wont charge u a single cent which i had once replacing my entire CD rom drive... give them a call n don't try rebooting...

as long as u see a question mark in a folder before startup, very high chance ur hd has crashed...

HI,

*"Starting up from the 10.5.6 disk my computer shipped with doesn't seem to help, as when I do (and then run "startup disk" or "disk first aid,") it often cannot find the iMac at all."*

That sounds like hard drive failure. If you can, now would be a good time to back up all important data to an external source just in case.

Sounds like it's time for service. This is a 3.06 iMac so it's fairly new? Under one year warranty?





Carolyn 🙂

This just happened to me a few days ago on my imac 24" that is one and a half years old (not under warranty). I know, I should have bought applecare. 🙂 But the HD was completely gone. They couldn't even retrieve my data.

I had to have a new HD put in. And now I am working away trying to get the computer back to the way I had it before the crash - Luckily I had time machine backing up my files on an external drive - but not my apps, so here I am installing updates and then all my programs back on, etc.

Good luck to you.... My advice is to take it right away to have it repaired or replaced. Mine crashed about 5 times over a period of 2 or 3 weeks before it completely went out. The first 4 times or so I was able to either start up while holding the option key and it would find the HD, or I would have to use the Installation disc 1 and have it run disk first aid and repair it - or so I thought.... If you take it in when it first starts behaving this way - they can possibly get your data and replace your drive before it is totally gone.