At startup I get a file folder with a ?
I Have a 2007 iMac, I had to force shut off when iTunes froze. When I rebooted the screen had a file folder with a ? On it. I am running 10.6.8 and I have a time machine backup.
This indicated the computer cannot find the startup volume per Flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac. If you can boot using the ML install discs open Disk Utility and check to see if the system can see the startup HD on the computer. If it cannot that verifies the HD has failed, which I think has happened anyway. If you want to continue using the machine have the HD replaced, install ML as you had before and then restore from your TM backup to get back to where you were before the crash occurred.