Flashing Folder icon with Question Mark

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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..

iMac Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Macbook 2.0

Posted on Jul 25, 2011 5:11 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 25, 2011 7:20 PM in response to junobear

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.

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Answer 2

junobear Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 25, 2011 8:32 PM in response to frederic1943

Thanks, I have tried that (following threads with KABs) and hit a wall when the Hard Drive is simply not recognized.

I have a Genius appt tmmw.

My guess is it's time to either buy a new hard drive, or possibly, a new laptop. All the legacy issues (FW400, plus software incompatibilities) give me some pause. Funny, I was just thinking how I might want to SELL my Macbook now that they have been discontinued. Oh well!

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Answer 3

Jul 25, 2011 8:55 PM in response to junobear

For a hard drive try Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=380&name=Laptop-Hard-Dr ives&Order=PRICE

Or OWC http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/
Here's instructions on replacing the hard drive http://creativemac.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45088

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Answer 4

junobear Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 25, 2011 9:32 PM in response to frederic1943

Thanks.

Yes, I'm a long time OWC customer in fact.

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