Grey screen with file folder with face/flashing ?. Help

Question

Grey screen with file folder with face/flashing ?. Help

Fri. I did a reinstall and save previous system, because of grey screen on start up and then IMAC freezing after being on energy save for more than 20 mins. I thought I had things fixed but today when I turned the machine on I got the grey screen with a small file folder in the middle of the screen. It has a face which is replaced with a flashing question mark and then back to the face. I would click on it but I have no way to select it.

I finally got it started with the install disc 1. I have no idea of what to do next.

Thanks,
Dick

iMAC G5, Mac OS X (10.3.9), 1.8 GHz, 1GB SDRAM

Posted on Sep 17, 2006 8:48 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 17, 2006 9:47 AM in response to Melvin D. Preston

Hello Dick:

Hard to tell what is causing your problem. A couple of things to try:

Run repair disk from your software install DVD.

Run the hardware checker that came with your system.

Barry

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Answer 2

Sep 17, 2006 11:54 AM in response to Barry Hemphill

Barry:

The face on the very small file folder is the finder icon. I had the same thing show up before I did the re-install Fri. I would check on it or click if I had a way to do it. Maybe I could find out what it means.

In the mean time I will do what you suggest and see what happens this time.

Thanks,
Dick

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Answer 3

Sep 18, 2006 7:51 AM in response to Melvin D. Preston

I ran Disc Utility this morning. It took three trys before the harddrive showed up on the screen. Verify permissions showes changes on all the permissions, so I ran repair. I ran the harddrive verify and it shows as fine. I have run the Hardware Check and it says that everything is fine. However it is still not wanting to start up when turned on. I get the grey screen most of the time but I do go as far a the grey Apple logo some. It started on its own the first thing this morning but took about 30 minutes of setting on grey before it came on. Then it froze up after 25 minuites of screen saver about an hour later. Took three trys with the install disc in to get the install up and running.

At least I got the file foulder off the screen.

I am about to decide that the mother board or drive one is getting ready to go out.

Help!!!

Thanks,
Dick

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Answer 4

Sep 18, 2006 9:46 AM in response to Melvin D. Preston

Hello again:

I am not sure what exactly has been going on - did you run repair disk from your software install DVD?

Barry

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Answer 5

Sep 18, 2006 9:53 AM in response to Melvin D. Preston

Melvin....

A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464

1. Start up from a system CD/DVD, and repair your disk using Disk Utility:
a. Insert the Mac OS X Install or Restore disc.
b. Restart the computer, then hold the C key during startup.
c. From the Apple menu, choose Disk Utility. Do this in the first screen of the Installer. Don't click Continue. If you click Continue in a Mac OS X Installer version earlier than 10.2, you must restart from CD again.
d. Click the First Aid tab.
e. Click Repair Disk.
f. After repairing the disk, try to start from the Mac OS X hard disk.

Tip: If your hard disk is not available (mounted) when started up from CD, reset the parameter RAM (PRAM) as described in step 3, then repeat these steps. If your hard disk is still not available after resetting PRAM, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Technical Support.

2. Select your Mac OS X startup disk using either Startup Manager(X key at startup)
If this doesn't work, go to step 3.

3. Reset parameter RAM (option command+pr).
then see if the computer starts up. If it doesn't, repeat step 2.

4. Reset parameter RAM (PRAM). (command-option-O-F)
Reset PRAM, then see if the computer starts up. If it doesn't, repeat step 2.

george

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Answer 6

Sep 18, 2006 2:22 PM in response to George Orville

George:

I think you may have fixed the folder with finder and flashing ?. Now if I can just get the thing back up and running.

I used the install disc to run Disk Utility and did a repair on harddrive. It worked and I had already done the pram. I have checked permissions and repaired permissions from the Disk Utility early this morning. I have run the hardware check on the extended warrenty disk and everything checkes out on it.

I now have to hold on to see if when the machine goes to sleep for 20 to 30 minutes, it will wake up with the space bar and/or mouse click. It has been freezing and I would have to reboot to get up and running. Most of the time since this started I have to use the Install Disk 1 to start the machine. This has been going on now for almost two weeks. At first it was occassionally and then it got to be on every boot I would get to a grey screen or to the grey Apple logo, and that was it, unless I used the Install Disk and now that may take two or three trys.

Thanks,
Dick

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Answer 7

Sep 18, 2006 2:28 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

Barry:

I ran it from the install dvd. You did get rid of the file folder with the finder logo. Thanks for helping with that.

The rest of it I guess I will keep on doing this or call tec support. I have the AppleCare Protection Plan and it is good till March of 2007 so I can fall back on that. I wish we had an Apple Store here but Arkansas is a ways from one.

Thanks,
Dick

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