I have a mac and up until now it was fine -- (I am on alt. computer)
When I turn it on the screen is blank except for a little "file folder" in the dead center of the screen -- It goes from a little man's face picture to a "?" symbol --- Nothing I do will make it go away and let me use the Mac --- Any suggestions?? I called my PC repair place and they want nothing to do with it . . . . . I gotta do my work!!!
2006-09-05 08:26:09 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
What that means is that it's looking for a starrt-up disk and can't find it or can't read it. If you think that perhaps you changed your start-up disk in System preferences, do nothing, and in about 20-40 min., it will default to your hard drive, then go into system preferences and change your start-up disk back to your hard-drive. I had a friend who accidentally did that.
If that doesn't work, you'll have to boot from your install disk. Instead of re-installing your OS right away, try running Disk utility and doing a Repair Disk. Otherwise, you'll probably have to back up all your data and then re-install your OS.
2006-09-05 23:05:20 · answer #1 · answered by nathan75932 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A quick search revealed the following
THE BIG BANG, BOMB, SAD FACE, PANIC ATTACK ETC ETC....
The Mac starts and can't find the hard drive, it may be time to do the following.
Run Disk First Aid, repeatedly to get maximum benefit
This program does a good job of finding problems and can repair most.
Option 1--Boot from the OS X CD and run Disk First Aid Run at least 6 times or until you get the message "Appears OK"
Option 2--Run from the command line
This works well if you don't have a CD or if you can't get the tray to open you can work at the "command line" or root level with raw UNIX code. This runs the Disk First Aid without having to boot from external CD
* 1. Restart computer holding down the + S keys.
* 2. At the prompt for log in, type exactly: fsck -y (it must have a space after fsck).
This starts the first aid. You may have to run it several times before you get all OK sign.
* 3. Exit by typing reboot and hitting return.
and of course the PC repair place is to repair PC's
I also agree with the first answerer who suggests you ask for futher help at the apple forums, using the link they provided.
2006-09-05 15:43:13 · answer #2 · answered by ME*UK 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If it is on OS-X box put the system CD #1 in the tray and boot while holding down the C key (to force it to boot from the CD).
You should be able to recover the system.
If it is OS-9 and below then I don't know anything about it.
2006-09-05 15:30:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try holding the shift key down until the computer is started up. If that doesn't work, find your startup cds and start up using them, your os has probably become corrupted.
2006-09-05 15:30:20 · answer #4 · answered by gramawriter 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would answer your question about Mac computer but all the Apple computer lovers would attack me for saying any thing. So, I'm sorry. I've been, there done that, have the t-shirt.
2006-09-05 15:29:45 · answer #5 · answered by Texan 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Well, "you" Mac owners keep telling poor PC slobs like me, that Macs are perfect. So that must be what it's supposed to do ;-)
P.S. I own a couple of Macs as well as some PC's. But I'm not sure what yours is doing - sorry :-(
2006-09-05 15:29:21 · answer #6 · answered by dryheatdave 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
find your mac here a click the folder and ask your question again
you find much better help here !
http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
2006-09-05 15:28:49 · answer #7 · answered by Big R 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Go with BigR's answer. I have found answers to questions I had there.
2006-09-05 15:32:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋