Question Mark Folder Fix in Detail - Why? And How to fix on any Apple Mac!
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Ultimate Apple Repair Toolkit on Amazon Prime: amzn.to/3sBgVjk
This video guide explains in rich detail how to fix the question mark folder on any Mac. This fix will work on any Macbook, iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Pro.
Transcript:
Hi guys, if you are facing a question mark folder like this on your Mac, then you came to the right place:
So just a little background on this… apple uses UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) to connect the internal parts of the Mac with the Operating System. The very beginning of this process is stored inside of what Apple calls NVRAM non volatile random access memory.
So what does that mean?
In short, the question mark folder is a default animation for a Missing Operating System. The mac has looked at the last used boot up record and can’t find it. The mac then has looked in all places and has found nothing that is bootable by the UEFI.
Why does this happen? For three main reasons.
· A failed update or corrupt NVRAM settings file that points to the drive
· Hard Drive Cable is loose or is bad (Very common in Older Macbook Pros)
· The hard Drive is bad or is on it’s way out (common with mechanical drives)
Now how do we fix it?
The first thing you can do to determine if this can be a quick fix is to shut down the Mac, and as soon as you press the power button, press and hold the Option key. Keep holding it until you see the mouse and some drives. If you don’t see any drives but you see the mouse that means the drive cable or the drive it self is bad and needs replacement.
If you see two drives click the drive that is labeled Macintosh HD/SSD or Untitiled, not the drive labeled Recovery.
If the unit boots up, great! You can now restart the unit and perform a NVRAM reset, and everything should be back to normal.
If the unit is stuck on the loading screen for longer then 5 minutes and will not boot, restart the Mac and select the recovery partition and boot into that.
On newer Macs 2013 to current, press and hold down Option + Command + R keys after pressing the power button to launch the hidden APFS recovery partition. Once in the recovery gui, open disk utility, select your main drive and perform Permission Repair, and Disk repair, one after the other.
Restart the unit and try to boot into your main drive again.
If this doesn’t work and you can’t get any drive to boot, it’s time to replace the drive.
If it’s an older macbook then replace the hard drive cable at the same time.
When replacing the drive completely you will need to watch a video on how to restore your mac to an empty drive.
Replacing a failed drive should be the choice to make when fixing the question mark issue. Reformatting the failed drive will cause the same issue to happen over time.
Reinstall a new Operating System onto a New Hard Drive without using the recovery partition from the failed drive.
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OMG! You’re awesome!! I just had this problem and my first instinct was to go on google and follow steps from one of the websites but it was very difficult to understand and I put my MacBook into recovery mode until I came across this video, I ended up pressing the power button again and followed your steps and I got my MacBook working within a minute, thank you so much!
You're welcome!
Would this work for a 2010 iMac?
This happened to me because I erased the MacBook device from my find my iPhone
@@GRIBSOFT my ios hes dead
were you able to recover your files?
If you have a problem as described WATCH THIS VIDEO it is a life saver with newer and older software. This man knows his stuff!
nigel callender after I unplugged behind the computer it wont turn on there is electricity on the switch button
Contact *fobhack* on !nstagram he's gonna be of great help to you he fixed mine few minutes ago. He's legit.
*Tested and trusted linux0s at ¡nsta fix my device*
nigel callender my problem with our mac computer it doesnt open anymore upon switching it on. I have tried unplugging the plug behind the computer
jamille Dabon *talk to this guy he do fix that kinda problems linux0s thru IG*
Thank you so much, I had this display on start up so took it to apple as suggested on there web help and was told it would cost me over £500 to repair which I wasn’t willing to pay. I’ve just found this video tried what you explained and my Mac is back up and running within 30 seconds. I can’t tell you how relieved and thankful I am, you’re a genius and apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Thank you thank you so much! I got so scared when I got the question mark, I thought my computer straight up broke. You’re video was super clear, which made it super helpful
Glad to help you!
DAMN BRO!!! You Saved me Some Money...THANK YOU SO MUCH..Today was the Second time I experienced this issue and You Have shown me how to repair my Hard Drive.. Thank You Thank You Thank You
This issue occurred a few minutes before my exam. The solution worked like a charm. Thanks a lot.
Holy cow! Before an an exam??? I'd be sweating buckets😭😭
It worked thank you! I have a 2018 MacBook Air and thought I broke it for good. When you repair your mac HD and reset it the computer will restart with the question mark folder again but when you reset after repairing disk hold down command and “r” again and you will be able to reinstall Mac iOS
Many thanks for the valuable advice in this video. It helped me troubleshoot my macbook problem correctly. The question mark folder is gone and my macbook is back to life again. Wonderful! 👍
I have this problem now. , but it doesn't work for me as I can see.. I accidentally deleted the whole hard drive out of my laptop and now it doesn't work.. I can't download Disk Utility and I don't know how it's done on my white Macbook
This man knows what he is talking about. The most simple and helpful video. Thanks so much!
You are a LIFE SAVER!! I rebooted and followed your instructions, and I fixed my potentially $1000+ burden!
Came back to this video to comment smashed it!!!! Thank you brother thought I’m going to throw my iMac away🤣
Welcome!
I feel like you actually just saved my life!!! I felt myself slipping into a full panic attack just before I found this video! Couldn’t find this information ANYWHERE but here!
I reboot my Mac by press the power button and command button to reboot,y Mac. It’s scared the crap of me when I saw the question mark folder I’m so glad I watch your video to help me reboot my Mac Pro you are very helpful thank you so much.
I HAD to come on here and say how thankful I am for this video! I turned my screen on and nothing happened. I wanted to scream but these instructions were literally perfect and all is well. Thank you!
I have a macbook pro from around 2014, the disk has been changed 2 years ago. Maybe I bought a cheap disk, but this is disappointing. Any recommendation on a disk that won’t fail on me again -_- and might it be that I only have to change the cable and not the disk?
Thank you so much! It’s currently 4:30am and I’m so blind, deaf, and dumb when it comes to technical stuff, I damn near thought my MAC was going to explode when I saw the “?” Folder 🙈 THANK YOU for your clear instructions and calm voice, I was immediately relaxed hearing just your tone and how simple the fix was! 🙏🏼
Thank you my friend. I’ve recently encountered this question mark problem and all solutions wouldn’t work. I’ve also been on the phone with Apple Support for an hour last weekend. Thanks to your video, I can conclude that the cable of the SSD in my MacBook needs replacement. Yes! Again, thank you 🙏 so much and have a wonderful day!
Glad to help :)
Thank you! This was very helpful and allowed me to save my book manuscript (5 days away from publishing!)
Hi thanks for the video.....but what about on a Mac mini? how can I fix it?
Same exact thing. To replace the drive watch this video ruclips.net/video/LMGaZ9rdSeI/видео.htmlsi=bff0K2P25It9clQd
The fourth ways this could have happened is if you where dumb and decided to go and erase the hard drive and not realize that what the button did
WHAT IF THAT DID HAPPEN LMAO
I installed macOS 12 on my unsupported MacBook 2008 Late, then I wanted macOS13 so I deleted the usb stick and restarted the MacBook and now this question mark happened. Now I don't know what to do because I have deleted the macOS files
@@affe_3000I have the same problem and I don’t know how to fix it
Me rn sadly 💀
@@tahaturktha9085 i just sold my MacBook. Did you solved the problem
Hello from Azerbaijan 🇦🇿.Sir you are a real wizard.I can’t believe that I have fixed my Macbook 💻 blinking question(in folder) mark
Now I understand. Not every video deserves a like. But this video, deserves a like. Thank you
This guy is excellent - simple, concise, knowledgeable!
after the repair of disk utilities, is still showing me a file with question mark... I guess I need to replace the hard drive now? and when I try to reinstall OSX system, I can't select on ant drive on to. I have a mac book pro 13…I think I had a good run with it
is either time to get a new laptop or the shop I guess
Video was helpful I almost had a heart attack when I saw the question mark folder thanks
Thank you so much! It worked!
Guyss i need help
Does any app or folder get deleted in the mac when i do this
I need help
@@MoeTechhh if you have a back up
Accidentally erase the whole hard drive. Thanks to you bud, MacBook saved. The method I used was the “option + command + R”. Thank you for the multiple steps you mentioned. and helped me at the end.
I know all the steps but i am to lazy to take out the back part of the Mac Thank u bro for fixing my Mac
I've lost my SSD data after updating Big sur before couple of days. During the update Mac a1502 turned off immediately, then turned on with question mark folder. I've tried to use disk utility but unfortunately no disk appears.
Someone told me that to use external enclosure it might works, but it's unreadable through my Mac, so how it could work externally!
I will be so thankful for any suggestions you will provide in order to sort this issue out.
This is such a relief.. thank you so much. I panicked the moment i saw my screen slump as the flashing question mark folder is something I’d never seen before even though I’ve encountered other crashes before on my MacBook. Followed your steps and it was up and running again in minutes.
I do have a question though, do I have to do anything else after the system has rebooted? I ask because it’s only been about a week or two since I first experienced the crash and today again the flashing folder came up. Though the reboot was successful again today, I’m worried that the issue repeated itself so soon and wondering if there’s a further step I should have taken the first time after the system has rebooted from the crash ? :(
You faced it again?
And if yes how you fixed it?
Nvram, SMC reseted.
New OS installed after erasing disk.
Still question mark on folder appears while booting device.
this guy knows how to teach and instruct, top notch
Thank you!
My MacBook Pro late 20 13 15 inch it takes a while for the screen to display a blue folder with a question mark I try or troubleshooting keys like command R, command option R, all and nothing shows up in the screen just a blue folder with? I called Apple to guide me but they determine it might be a hardware failure, But it’s weird all I did was update my operating system and when it was time to boot up it never did only this problem can you please help me
Rick Bonilla same problem - just a question mark fleshing after updating os to Catalina. Have you fixed it?
Nope I brought the computer to Apple and they couldn’t fix it and told me the logic don’t work but I think it’s bullshit because it was working I just try updating and it went bad
I got a problem with my 2018 iMac Pro this morning. I tried 2 different methods from 2 different guys on RUclips, but none of them fixed the problem. When I tried this the computer got fixed even before I finished watching the whole video. He is great!
This BLOWS all other problem solving tutorials away! Thank you SO MUCH for imparting your knowledge! You are impressive with what you know and how you communicate it! Huge shout out to you!🤯
My boots up wit mouse and empty screen
I checked with 8 diferent hdds same boots with mouse but empty screen
Hdds checked they 100% ok
Any suggestions?
Not booting in to recovery mode
Thank you so much for helping me! I almost panicked and cried when I thought my computer couldn’t be fixed
Me rn
I just upgraded my 2009 MacBook pro and got the screen above. I shut it down and turned it back on while holding the option key. I only got the arrow but nothing else most of the time. I just want to make sure that I need to replace the hardware cable, as you mentioned in the video?. I did inspect the cable, and it did look loose and worn out.
You are awesome! Very easy explanation, now my MacBook is working again after weeks of searching for a solution, thanks a lot⭐️
This video got me closer. Hopefully it's the full fix. I had a power surge from a busted transformer in front of my house that knocked out part of my house's power, with one room being my computer room. That's when the question mark appeared and wouldn't stop no matter how long I let it shut down (it happened before from the same thing but I shut it down for a few days and after I started it up it took me right to my login screen and performed like nothing ever happened to it). So now it's currently loading and we'll see if it's fixed or if it goes back to the flashing question mark....
I just had this problem, thanks to the vid my mac is saved :D TYSM
I gave up couple months back on this,other combinations that i found didn’t worked,now first video i find about this topic and it went trough… now just need to mount ssd as mane drive
Thank you sir, u saved a mere student having exam in 3 days 😭
great video I replaced the ram and hd on my 2012 when I reboot I get the question mark . But you got to the wifi screen now my key board is messed up. Caps don't work and no number, just symbols. going to see if I can booth from the time machine.
This helpful, I just have one quick question: prior to this my internal WiFi (says no hardware installed) so I can’t use WiFi as shown and I use personal hotspot from my phone through USB so any help regarding that.
part time Did you find a solution? I’m having the same problem
Same I'm having that problem
Not yet, m trying to fix it through direct internet cable connection but still in process...
Hi,
So I did a complete reset on my I-Mac and proceeded to re-install OSX but it kept freezing and so I held the power button down to turn off and then restarted and now all I get is the blinking folder with the question mark. Do you have any additional instructions ? What are my options. I know the hard drive is good as it was working fine up until I reset it. Great video so I thought I would ask you since this issue didn’t happen out of the blue. Thanks.
*In case you get the folder icon blinking with a question mark in it, after formatting, don't panic. Read this*
I had to sell my Mac and accidentally formatted the OS as well and saw videos where people are opening up their mac to get it fixed.
I pressed the power button and waited but the blinking icon would just return back.
After a while may be more than 1min, I pressed the power button and then long pressed command + R together.(10 seconds maybe)
It asked me to connect to the internet since I was not connected.
I entered my wifi credentials and then the earth rotating icon was displayed with a ⏲️0:07 timer.
After the countdown reached 0:00 The apple symbol was displayed and it started loading. Took sometime though. And then the select language page. Everything back to normal.
Hope this helps someone.
Do not panic whatever happens.
I seem to be getting stuck somewhere. I do all that but after entering my network PW and waiting for the loading to finish, the screen just goes back to the blinking ? Folder. Tried this process a few times now as well as a few variations of the Command+R combo.
Dude... the old CMD R wanted me to install Snow Leopard after the folder question mark... When you gave the CMD option R option... it loaded a newer option to reinstall the OS... thanks bro! I thought my 2012 iMac was finally toast!
so i have already had this problem with my macbook numerous times during the years I have owned it and this seems to line up pretty well with what I did to check my hard drive
Thanks for the comment!
Very informative video. I have a question sir. I had problem same as this when i upgraded to SSD. I bought a new SSD I did manage to do it. But after few weeks the disk couldnt be read since it is stated Damaged. I also tried the old HDD so i figured it out that the problem was from the cable. If I manage to replace it will the SSD still be usable?
Excellent explanation, this is exactly how we perform our troubleshooting in our lab, this video should help out folks that like to DIY. Well done.
Thank you for the comment, coming from a peer it means a lot to me.
So
@@chantelkirkpatrick-lapoint1902 So what
Kikn
Jm o
Currently having this problem 😭
Love this video and was really hopeful the alt option would work and it would show my drive but it didn’t. I’ve been doing Internet Recovery with no luck because it’s can’t mount, can’t delete the volume/disk and when I go straight to reinstall the OS X, I couldn’t continue because there’s no disk that I can install it to. Does this mean it’s time to go to the Apple doctor? 😢 How expensive is it to replace the hard drive?
Whatsapp +18136166974
*Spyroberto1 at IG is able to fix any lock MacBook*
Did you find a solution?
Excellent advice, was about to replace HDD cable but this fixed the problem 10/10
When I click the drive that pops up the folder pops up
in my case, i have a macbook pro 2017 touchbar and the ssd is attached to the board. After getting to the utulity disk, i cant find my ssd? what can i do to restore my ssd? is flashing the bios a good idea or changing the whole board?
At 1:55 the only drive that pops up for me is “Internet Recovery”. what do I do? Need help
Wow! Almost two years later. This video was the most helpful on RUclips to solve our issue with the Mac that we decided to reinstall the MacOS. You sir are a wizard!! Thanks for saving us a headache.
I was on the phone with apple for more than an hour and they weren't helpful at all. I had tried the Command+R several times but it wouldn't detect the harddrive or let me reinstall the OS. Then I watched this video and followed step one (just simply hitting command after rebooting) and it magically booted. Not sure if all my problems are solved or if I should still have the mac looked at but thank you.
*Spyroberto1 at IG is able to fix any lock MacBook*
A legend was born, thank you!
I just picked up a iMac from the dump and this happend, this rebooted it and it works thank you!!!
I wanna believe this works lol everyone is screaming thank you!! But im still not getting through! Bunch of errors. Might be over for the hard drive
Most likely so, this video is really about understanding the concept of what is happening with the hard drive.
what do i do if my drive is bad
Saved my life mate, had months of projects on my old computer, thank u!!!
does this reset the macbook ? will i get my previous data after doing this ?? plzzz helppppp
It still says the first thing you said where it doesn’t show anything beside the option to put WiFi
I’m stuck there also
Same here
Same!
Same
Worked thanks ! Happened on my 2016 Mac Book Pro, will this be recurring error ?
Worked perfect for me. Thanks for the help. ✌🏻
The command key at start up helped me with a ssd upgrade. 2017 base model with 1tb 970 Evo plus upgrade. Thank you so much
'press and hold alt option' on startup was what I was looking for... thanks...
You got it!
There is one more reason the drive might not be visible. It could be formatted in an unrecognizable format (ie someone installed another OS, such as ChromeOS flex). This can be fixed the same way a corrupted install would be corrected, by erasing and reformatting the volume.
Saved me time googling thank you very much! Just got my first macbook boight it from someone so I was very confused and nervous but this video helped me A LOT!
Please I need to know but I just reset all the settings on my MacBook Pro and when it boot up again the question mark folder is there and non of what you said worked for me so does that mean I have to replace the hard drive. If so could you please tell me. Thanks
My Mac will just randomly do this if I shut it and don’t use it for a while. But it always loads up perfect after I reset it. This has been going on for over a year. Should I be worried or is it fine?
Guys the solution is just to repair it
Omg! I just opened my mac and replugged my hdd connector. It was very easy and solved all my question mark problems. The hdd also didn't even show up in the disk utility. I would recommend everyone to try this if you have guestion mark folder and the disk doesn't show in disk utility.
Otto Moilanen which mac do you have?
@@philipbowles7677 mac book pro 2012 mid, but my hdd broke about a hour after that comment
Wow this guy is amazing . I was so worried . Fixed it with minutes . Speaks slow and clear .
What MacBook is it considered older to replace the hard drive cable?
Mine shows "starting internet recovery" :-( what to do next?? Or do i have to restart again?
Did you fix this?
Ummmmmmmm, try giving it a while. If that fails try a reboot and do it all over again. If that fails try to boot from a bootable CD or USB (with macos of course)
Next time get an HP. You'll almost never get this issue
Or just throw away your computer
@@IZMONOMI all fun and games til it say “a required download is missing” 🤦♂️
Hi,
Please mine only trips into 'choose network' then ends up with an exclamation mark in a triangle.
Please help.
Thanks.
I’ve tried it and only the recovery icon appear , may I know what does it means ?
Hazel _nut Me too, it’s only show the recovery icon that looks like an Earth thing
Same here
oh okay... I just went to the store and let them help me to reopen my computer, and my computer just came to be like a new ones, so I hope you have backup your computer already
Jamir GUEYE any luck
Hey, so i tried to erase my macintosh hd, but only found apfs, so i deleted the apfs. After that, I restarted the mac and there was the blinking question mark. Since my parents had restrictions on my settings, my macintosh hd is encrypted and can't choose it as a start up disk. there is only one startup disk and this is encrypted. I followed the reset and command R thing, and tried to choose this startup disk. Im kinda freaking out right now since I need this computer for school and I think it may be beyond repair. I try to unlock the Macintosh hd and it says that a problem was detected with the disk that prevents it from being unlocked. Please help
Thank you so much❤️ can’t wait to try this!!
Excellent video. Thank you very much. I have done these things and the results were that the verify and repair were both successful. However, when i reboot, i still get the ? on the folder coming up. I have removed the drive and tested the hardware - no errors and the drive is in good shape. I tried a different cable from another macbook that is working correctly. My question is, what do i do now ?
Try reinstalling the os onto the disk, if you have files you want to recover, remove the drive and use an adapter to hook it up to a functional Mac and save the files.
Thanks so much! Brilliant and easy to understand solutions 😁🤙
You’re very welcome!
Just opened up the loft and pulled out my 2012 MacBook decided to fire her up and was faced with the flashing folder. I’ve followed the instructions but, I don’t get anything just the cursor. 25 quid u can have it.
What a great video, thanks so much I have my MacBook back!
This video was very helpful for me I panicked when I saw the folder flashing and I immediately searched and your video was the first thing that popped up so thank you very much❤️❤️
did the apple logo take a long time to load after the world symbol?
Oh man.. I was “resetting” my Mac and I deleted something that I shouldn’t o my MacBook Pro 2011
J Mello same did this video work for you? Please answer
oh man... same..
@@abelszabo8541 no man
@@warrenapepuffet4612 did u find a solution?
@@me.llojoao hi yes i did, you can either install the latest OS by pressing cmd +R, and navigate around the options to install the new OS. either that or go to an apple service store who will help you do it.. which I did..
I'm sorry i know this is stupid question but i really need you to help me.how do i boot into the main drive after restart the unit ? Restart the units means that I should restart the mac right ?
How do I get a new Cable, cause mine just shows the wifi part, no drives
In the same boat 🤨
@K4DIR verɪfɪed 雅 hey, sorry for the late response, I kind of reinstalled from the menu, and it pulled through
I click option and got a arrow pointing right and a arrow going in circle
Um I’m stuck in the internet. I did the password for the wifi but all it’s showing is the earth and the selection of the wifi what do I do
Void Drift if you wait there for a bit, then a globe should appear labeled “internet recovery”
Click that and wait for it to download the recovery, then You should be ok to do the rest do the steps
Dot Vix I’ve done that and it has taken me to the part where the earth thing and the options of the wifi are there. Whats next?
Cynthia Koeller Schurr hi were you able to fix it?
Cynthia Koeller Schurr hey i was resetting my computer and when I got to the disk utility’s I deleted the wrong file and then it started flashing a folder with a question mark on it because I deleted that file what do I do now?? My computer was perfectly fine before I tried resetting it
I have a warning apple/support
-2006F, what do I need to do
MacBook pro 2013 the cable had simply come loose. Thanks for the tip
When i pressed macintosh hd arrow the flashing question mark appeared again. What should i do?
Sounds like the drive is failing. Watch this video on how to upgrade or replace the drive ruclips.net/video/8jmm4Op7wjk/видео.html
what happened if it shows internet recovery only and no hd
bruh my mac has this and it doesn’t even think the disk is there so there is nothing i can do i’m crying and shaking rn
Same
Same
bro same
I was given my aunts Mac laptop. She had dementia and had to go in a long term care home. She couldn’t remember anything much less any password and has since passed away. She never did any updating and we are trying to get a clean install on it but the Mac says it’s unavailable. I try hitting the control and R but it still gives me that same result. Can you help me by giving me some direction how to resolve by getting a new clean iOS on this laptop
your face looks so serious, and it makes me scared, that means this shit really means business
I know
i did what you said and it worked! but now i’m stuck on a black screen with my mouse. this is the most progress i’ve made. what do i do now? should i just wait?
Hi.. Thank you for the information. Really useful.. But what I se after reboot is only internet recovery. What does it mean?
Actually I bought this mac from my sister and i ask her to turn off 'find mac' and after that suddenly folder mark question appear
Watch these two videos perhaps they can help ruclips.net/video/8jmm4Op7wjk/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/rb19xM4egzQ/видео.html
What do you click in the keyboard I’m not in laptop
What is “Internet Recovery?” When I turn it on and hold down option, I don’t see drives, I just see one option that says “Internet Recovery”
That what mine says how did you fix it
Hold down "command and R" and you should be taken to the disk utility folder.
Internet recovery eventually will also take you to disk utility
@@winston_moonsamy with this option will
It erase my memory ?
For some reason, my internet recovery fails as soon as it is about to finish. Any leads?
Am having the same problem
Will I get my old data file back or will they be deleted?