Chosen Solution

When I turn on my Mac book on the screen it has a flashing question mark inside a folder and it won’t let me do anything

Rach, the folder with the question mark means the computer cannot find the startup system. This could happens because files that are needed to boot the computer are damaged, or the drive’s directory is damaged. This can also happen when your computer has a dead drive.Try rebooting your computer while holding the Command R key. This will attempt to restart the computer using the Recovery partition. If it works, you’ll know that your drive isn’t dead. Use Disk Utility to repair the main partition. If it then download and install the operating system. If you can’t reboot with the Command R key try using Command Option R which is an Internet recovery. If the drive’s partition table were damaged but the drive itself is okay, you’ll be able to use the Disk Utility program to create a new parition, install the OS, and then restore from your Backup. You can find plenty of information about this on here and here as well

FIX I had this problem upwards of 7 or 8 times, and I fixed it by replacing the defective cable. The more times I did this, the shorter the fix held for. I have now found a workaround by using a hard drive caddy. They are available of amazon for less than £10. You remove the optical drive (for CD/DVDs) and put the caddy in its place. The hard drive is then connected to the computer via different route, bypassing the defective data cable. It does mean you no longer have an optical drive, but that’s a small price to pay to have a functional computer! Caddy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos…

I had the same problem. And after trying almost everything I finally find the solution, very simple by the way. By turning off the computer and removing one of the memory ram card, turn on again and it will go straight like nothing, do your settings and turn off again and add again the removed ram. Good luck

Literally replace the hard drive cable. Take off the back the MacBook, remove the HDD, remove the cable from the logic board and any screw that are holding it down. Check serial number on it. Order one from amazon, prime it so you get it the day after and just put it back together the same way it came out.

the hard drive is new when I try to install the o s via external disc drive it wont load .Im probably doing something wrong……….. I need help!!

in the case when checking the drive by using or booting from a recovery partition, or using the disk utility dont fix the problem, then it can be that the HDD is not properly connected, so check the data cables and make sure the HDD is properly installed. If you have done all this before and the problem continues, it could be that you have a dead drive, and you have to replace it!

I bought an early 2011 13 inch macbook pro from a pawn shop about 6 months ago. As soon as I turned it on and tried loading programs like Safari or iTunes, the computer would pinwheel. After thinking for five or ten minutes the program would load. When searching the internet, the same thing would happen. Click a link and pinwheel, five or ten minutes, page would load. Trouble shooting the issue online, a common theme was a dying hard drive. I purchased a brand new 250 GB SSD. I’ve partitioned it and formatted it to mac. When I connect it internally to the macbook, and power on the computer, grey file folder with question mark. Trouble shooting that issue online, a common theme was replace the hard drive cable. I replaced the hard drive cable. You guessed it, grey file folder with question mark. I just want to get the computer up and running. HELP?

All these solutions are garbage. REPLACE THE HARD DRIVE CABLE. I love my 2012 mbp 2.5 non retina but I have gone through 7 cables. If you sneeze on the ##&&% it cracks.

The solutions for the ? in the folder problem have a lot of software solutions which I tried. I reviewed several online videos and they all point to cable replacement for HDD. I have a 2012-2013 SDD in my Mac. What is the solution for that?

If you have external hard drive casing then remove harddrive and put it in there. If MacBook switches on then you know fault is on hdd cable which will need replacing.

Ok this was weird, but as a last ditch option it worked. We put the Mac air that had an ssd drive into the freezer for 20 minutes. It booted we backed up the critical files .. and we moved on. The only way I would advise people to try this is if they tried everything else but the e waste recycle. In this case it worked .. and I will be the first to admit it was a last desperate throw of the dice!

It just means it’s overheated. Shut it down then turn it back on when the computer cools down.