FAO: Mac users

Big Red S

If, on boot, an image of a folder alternating between showing the apple mac face and a question mark comes up, what's (likely to be) wrong?

I've just acquired these ex-corporate boxes, so it could be anything, really. Does it instantly - first thing that comes up on screen.

mc

I thought Macs just worked

If they're ex-corporate, they've probably wiped the discs before disposing of them.

Thantos

Pfft Mac. :P

May or may not be attempting to get Big Red S into a quoting frenzy.

Big Red S

mc wrote:

If they're ex-corporate, they've probably wiped the discs before disposing of them.

I thought that. But the rest of the PCs (NT workstations) all boot fine. They just unplugged the hard drive.

I've already opened the macs up and replugged everything in.

truespin

That means it cannot find the system folder
stick in the OS X disk and restart the machine with 'C' held down (boots machine off the CD rather than it's own OS) click on the apple in the top left > disk utility > click the first aid tab > click repair disk

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042

Big Red S

Aha! Cheers! I'll see if I can find an OSX disk....