How to fix Flashing Folder with Question Mark on Mac

Hi I start my mac today and it only a folder with a question mark appears what can I do

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 Operating System data on the hard drive is somehow corrupted.

With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc. 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) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.

Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7 or 10.8 partition.

When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?

If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.

If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

hands4,

So riddle me this: I have a late-2009 MacBook Pro 13in offering up the "?" file folder on startup, and the computer - seemingly to save its life - cant find the OS disk. Now, that being said, I can pull the hard drive and connect it to another MBP via USB adapter and read all the information just fine. I attempted to Verify and Repair the disk, both operations completed successfully, still wont recognize the disk. Boot into the Recovery partition and launch Disk Utility, no sign of it.

Is it possible that I have an issue of physical connection between the drive and computer for some reason?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!

raajbrar,

It sounds like your disk is failing. Let’s see if you can get it back on its feet long enough to backup the data and see if it is healthy from there.

Were you running Disk Utility from Safe Mode? You cannot repair the system disk while it is in service.

Instead boot from the Recovery Partition.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Follow Frederic’s instructions in his second to the last paragraph above to repair the disk.

Then boot the Startup Manager.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310

Select the internal system drive and see if it will boot from it.

If it does then  > System Preferences > Startup Disk > Select your system disk.

If you can’t get this far post back for emergency data recovery instructions.

Once your system is running backup your data. Your disk is at best fragile and your data is a lot more valuable than the cost of an $80 external disk. Time Machine is an excellent backup program. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427

I am having the same issue. When I click on startup disk, my disk is not there. I have been told there may be a cable that needs replaced, or the hard drive has died. Help!

Hi! Thank you for this but, I got stuck on step 5. I did everything and I see the options for “Choose start up Disk” but I cannot see any systems. Can you tell me what to do? If you don’t know, that‘s fine. Please answer ASAP. Thank you!

Like Robertbalk, I had this issue happen after having traveled by air. I did not actually boot up my laptop on the plane, but in the airport, but the fact that this happened at least twice in similar circumstances is interesting.

It had been working fine, no problems for years. I booted it up briefly before my flight to check some e-mails, and then when I got home it wouldn't start up and would either freeze on the Apple screen, a blank grey screen, the flashy Question Mark, or a circle with a slash (like the Ghostbusters symbol).

After reading the external hard drive suggestion I tried that this morning, and it worked - once. I can't get it to repeat the results, for some infuriating reason. The only change is that now, in addition to the other list of frozen screens I was receiving, I will sometimes get a black DOS-like screen with the message: "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key."

Guess it'll be into the Genius Bar next... 😠

Hi. Hope you can advise, I powered on my 11 years old iMac today. It came on as usual. I didn't manage to connect to wifi, so I went on to the desktop to do some housekeeping. After creating a new folder, the cursor turned into a round rainbow ball spinning. I shutdown the mac by pressing the power button. When I turn it on again, the question mark folder appeared.

I'm not using a apple keyboard, therefore I'm unable to startup as recommended. Instead of command key + R, I pressed on Window key + R, shift key + R, alt key + R. Nothing happen.

Can anyone help please. Thank u.

I had this issue today morning while installing 10.10.3 and this is was I did.

1) I forced shut down the mac by pressing and holding the power button.

2) I booted the machine in recovery mode. (for those who dont know, you have to press and hold the command+R buttons and then press and hold the power button till your machine starts OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support)

3) Once the machine booted in the recover mode, You'll be presented with options like restore from time machine, reinstall OSX, etc.

4) Now click the apple logo on the top left. There will be an option called "Startup Disk".

5) Click it, it'll open a window showing available hard drives

6) Select the hard drive in which the OS is installed and click the restart button.

Your machine should boot up (atleast it booted up for me)

Hope this helps.

I have accidentally deleted all the contents on my iMac late 2012, with no CD Drive. The folder with the question mark has come up, and I have tried to put it in Recovery mode, Target Mode, and even had my hard drive attach to see if it could recognize the external hard drive. The folder is still coming up and flashing. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions?

>techguy2003

Since you had erased the disk using Disk Utility it only means that "you need to install a new copy of OS X". Just press "Option key" while boot-up or while rebooting. Wait for the HDD icon to appear (just make sure you have either installation disk or USB installer on your system) and everything will be fine.

Cheers.

I had this same question mark folder flashing problem. I would hear the disk every time I turned my Macbook off and back on. I tried that about 8 times, and had the flashing question mark folder every time. I turned the computer off, and slapped the bottom of it a few times, (NO JOKE), and turned it on again. It worked, and I have had no issues since. I figured the disk just got jammed up or something.

Urgent help please:(

so my Mac died with that stupid flashing question mark ,now it is with Apple authorised ppl ,firs they said it might be the drive(utility and all that stuff wifi and so on not showing any hard)after they took it out seams still working,then 2 days later they change the cable from m.board to hard as second thing and saying still not working,now they want to run next diagnose to see what it is .can someone tell me please what can it be since they are saying they will need to look at it for next 7 days ,can I trust them or they just going to s... things up?

Can be perhaps the logic board or just the chip on logic board or shall they just try to plug in a new hard drive ? Help pls

Good sleuthing. It indeed sounds like the internal connecting cable. You can confirm this further by plugging it into your sick computer externallyand booting from it (Boot-option). Bad cables are not that infrequent.

I suspect your Mac is a mid-2009 MacBook Pro. They made mid-2009 and mid-2010 models and the ribbon cable appears to be the same for both.

You can check ifixit.com, Amazon, or elsewhere for the part.

Hello,

Im having the same problem as this, but when it gets to the part about repairing the disk, when I go into disk utility my HD appears on the left, but I can repair or verify it. The S.M.A.R.T status reads verified, but there is no Mac OS partition, I assume it would be directly underneath the HD on the left? The only thing popping up with OS in it, is Mac OS X Base System which is underneath Disk0, but I do not have the option to repair or verify this either. Is the HD deceased? I have a fairly recent backup but I would obviously prefer if I could get everything back. I was thinking of erasing the HD, would this be of any help or do I just need a new one? If I then get a new one do I just need to restore from time machine (or migrate from time machine I think it is Im not sure) and then everything will be back as it was before?

Thanks