MacBook Pro Crash?

A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup

These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:

A flashing question mark or globe appears when you start your Mac

Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup

In most cases the problems may be caused by one or more of these:

a. Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.

b. Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.

c. Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.

d. The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.

Note that the information I have provided is what Apple recommends, If other users suggest different solutions than found here, then be sure what they recommend does not impact on your warranty, if any, or ability to get continuing Apple service.

Please don't start removing drives or changing cables unless you know what you are doing and have exhausted other non-invasive alternatives outlined here. If you perform any work yourself that is unapproved by Apple, then you will void any warranty you may have and lose all further Apple Support.

Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.

If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD. Simply boot from the Recovery HD to perform the above.

Reinstall Snow Leopard Without Erasing The drive

1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.

If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

2. Reinstall Snow Leopard

If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.

Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing The Drive

Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.

Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.

When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.

Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.

Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

If a flashing question mark appears on startup (MAC)

First do you have a Backup ? on an external hard drive ?

The Reason your Mac boots to this screen , is because there is an issue with the operating system or the Hard drive

What os is your Mac Running ?

If your Mac doesn't start up

If your Mac starts up to a flashing question mark but then doesn't continue starting up, try these steps.

1. Turn off your Mac by pressing and holding the power button for a few seconds.
2. Press the power button once to turn your Mac back on. When you hear the startup sound, immediately press and hold the Command and R keys on your keyboard to start your Mac from OS X Recovery. Keep these two keys held down until you see an Apple logo or globe appear.
3. If prompted, select a Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet as part of startup.
4. After the Recovery screen appears, (OS Utilites) , click the Apple menu and choose Startup Disk.
5. Select your startup disk, then click Restart.

If you don't see your startup disk listed in the Startup Disk window, close the window and try the next sections

If you don't see your startup disk

If you don't see your startup disk in the Startup Disk window, use these steps to see if your startup disk needs directory repair.

1. Open Disk Utility from the Recovery window.
2. In the Disk Utility window, select your startup disk (usually named "Macintosh HD") from the left side of the window.

1. Click the First Aid tab.
2. Click the Repair Disk button to verify and repair any issues with your startup disk.
3. After your disk is successfully repaired, quit Disk Utility.
4. Click the Apple menu and choose Startup Disk. Select your startup disk, then click Restart. If you still don't see your Startup Disk, try reinstalling OS X on your startup disk.

If you don't see your built-in startup disk in the Disk Utility window, or if Disk Utility indicates there's a hardware issue, your Mac might need repair. Make an appointment with an Apple Genius or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for more help.

The Below link has further instructions

If a flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac - Apple Support

I'm assuming either a long delay for your post to appear or you did not notice that is the first link in my original answer. 😕

when i went to respond , there were no other comments , after posting the above , i then saw your post 😁

Yes, then a long delayed posting. It happens to me a lot of times with questions Niel often replies to. 😁