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My iMac will not start up and shows either a question mark or a spinning globe

my iMac (2017) will not start up it shows either a question mark or a spinning globe.

the mouse is not responsive either


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 21.5″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jul 21, 2023 10:31 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 21, 2023 11:46 AM

A folder with a flashing question mark means that your startup disk is no longer available or doesn't contain a working Mac operating system.


This article from Apple will explain how to fix the issue: If your Mac starts up to a question mark - Apple Support.

4 replies

Jul 22, 2023 11:22 AM in response to aleida

If you have a persistent question mark on your Mac, please follow these steps to see if you can fix the issue

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Turn off your Mac

Press and hold the power button on your Mac for up to 10 seconds, until your Mac turns off.

Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold Touch ID.

  

Start up from macOS Recovery

To start up from macOS Recovery, press the power button to turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys until you see an Apple logo or other image: Command (⌘) and R. 

When in macOS Recovery, your Mac shows a list of utilities, including Disk Utility:

  


Use Disk Utility to repair your startup disk

Select Disk Utility from the list in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the steps to repair your startup disk with Disk Utility. These steps also describe what to do if Disk Utility can't repair your startup disk, or Disk Utility doesn't see your startup disk.

When done, restart your Mac: choose Apple menu  > Restart.

  

Reinstall macOS, if necessary

If the question mark returns after restarting your Mac, repeat steps 1 and 2 to turn off your Mac and start up again from macOS Recovery. Then follow the steps to reinstall macOS.

  

My iMac will not start up and shows either a question mark or a spinning globe

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