Mac OS X start up problem; Folder with a question Mark

Question

Level 1

0 points

Mac OS X start up problem; Folder with a question Mark

Hi Folks,
During last couple of weeks I had terrible problems with my 5 macs, I searched almost everywhere online and couldn't find anything about it, now the problem is over and decided to share it here...Some of you guys might have been be affected already...

It started with my macbook pro 15" showing a folder with a question mark at the start up and playing up each and every time on start up....sometimes I could start it up but had the system not responsive at all and not being able to open any application...even couldn't install a new OS!

I ended up taking out the HD and putting it to an external case....I could see the hard...back to the machine and nothing there!
In a week I had 4 other machines with the same problem...

keeping the long story short....I'm still not 100% but it might have been a Virus or Worm affecting the boot sectors of the hard disk, so I could see the hard as an external but not possible to run the OS on them.
I tried a lot of ways, best of all was to get a back up, reformat and re-install the OS. 🙂
Things I tried to fix the hd in the machine : Repair permissions, data rescue, Disk Warrior, Tech tool pro, restarting by SHIFT, PRAM reset, Restarting by another bootable CD.....

It's over now but **** worm wasted my 2 week time!

macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Aug 30, 2010 2:08 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Aug 30, 2010 2:26 AM in response to moseny

moseny wrote:
It started with my macbook pro 15" showing a folder with a question mark at the start up

see this support article about [_*A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac* |http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=enUS].

J GG

Reply

Answer 2

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 30, 2010 3:11 AM in response to moseny

I don't know what caused your problem, but it wasn't a virus or worm, as such things don't exist for the Mac. There are a few Mac trojans, but they are rare and you have to download and run them yourself. See my [Mac Virus guide|http://www.reedcorner.net/thomas/guides/macvirus>.

You left out a lot of details. Were there problems with the affected drives when you repaired them? Having 5 drives go bad within a week is unlikely, so there must be some common hardware or software on these machines that caused the problem. Unfortunately, that means the problem may come back.

Are these machines used in a shared environment, like a student computer lab?

Reply

Answer 3

Aug 30, 2010 5:41 AM in response to moseny

moseny wrote:
Hi Folks,
During last couple of weeks I had terrible problems with my 5 macs, I searched almost everywhere online and couldn't find anything about it, now the problem is over and decided to share it here...Some of you guys might have been be affected already...

It started with my macbook pro 15" showing a folder with a question mark at the start up and playing up each and every time on start up....

The Blinking Question Mark indicates that the Mac can't see the System folder on the designated startup disk, and can't find another startup disk. Usually this means that:

1 the Mac can't see the startup disk

or

2 the System folder on the startup disk is missing

or

3 the System folder on the startup disk is corrupt

or

4 some combination of the above.

sometimes I could start it up but had the system not responsive at all and not being able to open any application...even couldn't install a new OS!

This indicates that there is a strong possibility that the internal hard drive had problems. The 'couldn't install new OS' may also indicate problems with the optical drive, but may just mean that the hard drive really has problems.

I ended up taking out the HD and putting it to an external case....I could see the hard...back to the machine and nothing there!

There may be a problem with the motherboard connection for the hard drive.

In a week I had 4 other machines with the same problem...

How old are these machines? You may be having a (very late) attack of the Capacitor Plague.

keeping the long story short....I'm still not 100% but it might have been a Virus or Worm affecting the boot sectors of the hard disk, so I could see the hard as an external but not possible to run the OS on them.

That's not it. No such animal for OS X.

I tried a lot of ways, best of all was to get a back up, reformat and re-install the OS. 🙂

You have a hardware problem, either the drives itself or the motherboard.

Things I tried to fix the hd in the machine : Repair permissions, data rescue, Disk Warrior, Tech tool pro, restarting by SHIFT, PRAM reset, Restarting by another bootable CD.....

It's over now but **** worm wasted my 2 week time!

Reply