Get a folder with a question mark on start up, and then when I go to disk utilities, it can't find Macintosh HD

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Get a folder with a question mark on start up, and then when I go to disk utilities, it can't find Macintosh HD

I put my mac to sleep and when I tried to start it up, I got that flashing folder with a question mark. When I try to follow the instructions on the help pages, I get no disk (this is after rebooting, getting the globe, connecting to the internet etc). I thought nevermind, I'll just reinstall the os and there's no disk to install it on. I don't know what to do. My warranty expired Nov 2012, it's a 2012 13inch MBP.

I just, after apple asking me for an entire year+ every single day, updated. WHY THE **** DID I UPDATE.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)

Posted on Mar 9, 2016 10:34 AM

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Answer 1

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Mar 9, 2016 10:38 AM in response to HafsaA

The HDD may have failed. Take the HDD out, install it in an enclosure and connect it to the Mac via USB. Use startup manager to boot the MBP:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204417

If no HDD icon appears, the HDD is probably dead.

Ciao.

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Answer 2

Mar 9, 2016 11:18 AM in response to HafsaA

Hi HafsaA:

Your problem could be the hard drive SATA cable may have failed.

MacBook Pro 13" Mid 2012 Hard Drive Cable Symptoms: Symptoms

MacBook Pro hard drive SATA cable issue. MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Failure-Free fix and preventative maintenance

MacBook Pro blinking question mark issue. MacBook Pro Question Mark Issure

If your SATA cable is faulty, here is a guide on how to replace it.

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Hard Drive Cable Replacement: iFixit.com

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Hard Drive Cable: SATA Cable

If a flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac: If a flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac it means your Mac can’t find its system software. Hold down the Option key. If you don’t see any volumes, wait a few moments for the Startup Manager to finish scanning connected drives. Select the Recovery Volume and use Disk Utility to try to Verify/Repair the disk. If you have an SSD connected then let it sit like that for 15-20 minutes to allow for garbage collection.

Check Hard Drive Health of a Mac with Disk Utility: Check Hard Drive Health of a Mac with Disk Utility

You can also remove your hard drive from Mac and install in an external enclosure OWC external case or using a USB to SATA adapter USB to SATA adapter and connect it to your MBP via USB. And then try to boot from it using Startup Manager. This will help to identify if your hard drive or SATA cable are at fault. If it boots the MBP, most likely the problem will be the drive SATA cable needs to be replaced.

Boot from the disk using Startup Manager: How to choose a startup disk on your Mac

Kim

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