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Mac can't find startup disk (folder with question mark)

Hello, yesterday I put my MBA to sleep and this morning, opened it to find a folder with a question mark, not booting up. Naturally, I did some research abd came to the conclusion that it wasn't able to find a startup drive.

If i booted while holding Alt/Option, it comes up with Internet Recovery. When I finish setting that up, it brings me to the usual window with 4 options: Backup from time machine, search Safari for support (it actually works on every site so I can still browse the net, ***.), clean install of Lion (although Im running mountain lion) and Disk utility. When I open up DU, there are 3 elements;

-122 GB SSD. (not sure on th size dont have my mac with me)

-disk 1

-Mac OSX base system (below disk 1)

All optiond are greyed out. I have no volumes under my SSD.

I can acess startup manager but there are no volumes i can boot from (blank box)

I can't understand how all my files just vanished, including the whole OS, from the SSD. But the drive itself isnt dead since it show up in disk utility, right?

I tried everything; booting in single user, booting in safe mode (both didnt work, just left me at original s reen), resetting PRAM and using trrminal (accessible from internet recovery) to check my drive.

I didn't really have any really valuable files but it will be a pain in the *** to redownload everything i had if i need to do a clean install (i have no backup... dumb me) anyone have any ideas what the problem is?

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Aug 13, 2013 7:57 PM

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11 replies

Aug 13, 2013 8:22 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

reason I said alt/option is because theyre the same key on my keyboard and it just starts up internet recovery.

I can acess the window to choose the disk from internet recov but there are no disks. if i could acess it directly from the start it might work but unfortunately it just opens internet recovery ;( sprry for typos. typing on a laggy ipod touch isnt easy.

Nov 12, 2013 2:49 PM in response to xVenomWolf

Seriously? 😟


Im having exact same problem... done everything you did too. The crazy thing one time, it actually started up normally again, but then more and more things froze and I had to restart with power button and then back to question mark folder

System cant find my disk either


I find something in DU, and run diagnostic and it says everything is fine, still it cant find anything in startup disk or when I try to reinstall mountain lion


I have Mavericks OS, though


I have all my work on that drive. At least 85% of it is backed up, but still the thought of losing just the 15% is dreadful...

Nov 12, 2013 6:53 PM in response to Sillion

I had a warranty with my insurcance company, the repairs went up to 1200 around (of course I couldn't recover anything from SDD) cause my keyboard was broken too. So they offered met to buy a new Mac if I wanted to and they would pay it up to 1200. I bought the new MBA 2013 (they lowered the price from last year's models).
So yeah unfortunately I had to get a new one. I would send it in to an Apple store / authorized repair thingy and get it checked out, maybe your hard drive didn't die & potentially you can recover some stuff or all.

Nov 28, 2014 3:32 PM in response to xVenomWolf

I had the same problem last week. I was able to get my system to work. Here's what I did.


*Download Ubuntu and flash it into a pendrive.

*Attach the pendrive to the system and select "Try ubuntu without installing".

*After opening the Ubuntu unmount the MacintoshHD and mount it again.

*Then restart the system again.


It worked for me. Then it was able to boot into mac OS normally. However, the problem is not completely resolved as I have to follow the procedure frequently as the problem keeps repeating.

Jan 13, 2015 4:43 AM in response to xVenomWolf

I had this problem twice and now this my third time it kinda ***** but you can fix it. if you happened to drop you mac book accidentally then it could be either the hard disk is jammed or the cable the links to the hard disk is broken.

All I did is replaced the cable with a new one. you can find a range of prices from 16 to 50 dollars. Its really easy to replace there some guides online if you Google it!


Good luck!

Jul 24, 2016 7:14 PM in response to xVenomWolf

I Have the same issue after installing MacOS. Apple couldnt do anything about. They wanted to sell me a 600$ disk. I said nah F you and walked out and got my self a beast computer better then a Mac for 600$ Here is q link for does wanting to replace apple. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-ultra-desktop-amd-fx-series-16gb- memory-2tb-hard-drive-black-blue/4592900.p?id=1219775848732&skuId=4592900&lsft=r ef:212,loc:1&ksid=f9c5e53e-e7f4-40cc-8879-867c1556c801&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg9 &ksdevice=m&ref=212&loc=1


apple needs to step their game up :/ were honeslty just paying for the apple logo. Nothing fancy inside.

Nov 26, 2016 1:24 AM in response to xVenomWolf

I struggled trying to find the startup disk folder myself. But then I found out that you could just open up "Finder", go up to the "menu bar" and select the "go" tab. Then select "computer", from there on out, I highlighted and dragged "Macintosh HD" over to to the left and placed it under the category of "devices". I set the layout of the files as columns.

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Mac can't find startup disk (folder with question mark)

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