My Macbook Pro starting up with a blinking folder. Help!

It is difficult to understand how it is running ok and connecting to the internet if it will not boot...when you restart holding the Option key, you should get a grey screen with the Macintosh HD, and Recovery HD images. If you select the Recovery HD you will then boot to the recovery partition from which you can select Disk Utilities from the utiliites that opens up. Use that DU to check the startup hard drive. Repair the drive and if necessary reinstall Mountain Lion.

If that startup procedure does not work, restart holding Command-Option-R so you boot from the Apple server, you must have an internet connection to do that. Then use their DU, etc.

You are welcome, good luck, and hope the Apple source approach works for you.

Really sounds like the hard drive has failed. Or the cable going to the hard drive from the main board has failed.

When you held down the option key did you get any screen to select a boot device or did it take you directly to the recovery system? If it took you directly to the recovery system did you see a globe on the screen before you got the recovery system screen? If you did then you are booting the system from across the internet from the apple servers.

In that case either the drive or the cable has failed. Hopefully it is the cable and all your data is still on the drive. If it is the drive then since you have no backups all your data is gone.

DZF17 wrote:

When I held down the option key I got first a screen asking me to choose a network then do an Internet Recovery. I clicked on Internet Recovery. After about 5 minutes it took me to the Utilities menu. That's all I've managed to do. When I held down Command-Option-R it went directly to Internet Recovery without asking me to choose a network or click on anything. The two commands bring me to the same place in the end. Does anyone know what could have caused this? I have prided myself in taking very good care of my computer. Is this a (relatively) common issue that will be covered by Apple?

Are you still under warranty and/or have AppleCare?

Since you are out of warranty and did not purchase the 3 year AppleCare Protection plan, you will pay for all repairs at every repair shop of your choice! AS are not the only places that repair Macs.

Hard drive fail, it just happens, they always do. Some sooner then other. You can replace the drive yourself. It is very easy to do.

For a test take the drive out of the system and connect it to a USB port using a sata enclosure or adapter. If the system can boot from the drive removed from the system and connected to a usb port then the drive is good and the cable has failed. If the system does not start with the drive connected to a usb port then the drive has failed. you can buy a notebook hard drive in just about any local or online computer store.

At least you know the system still works because if it was something else other than the drive or cable you would not get the internet recovery system.

DZF17 wrote:

No to both questions. I bought the computer in November of 2011 I believe. Any idea what caused this? And will Apple fix it for a fee/is it even fixable?

My son's 2011 13" MacBook Pro died suddenly. He could get another MacBook to see his drive when connected in firewire target disk mode, but on his machine starting from an Apple software install disk failed to recognize his drive. Two trips to the Apple store (he has Applecare) resulted in a replaced SATA cable (they have a checkered history). Long story short: his drive booted immediately after the cable replacement.

If that's all you need, the part is about $50, I believe.