My Mac book start up with question mark.. I try everything including NVRAM but still showing question mark

  1. when ever I visit different countries I face similar issues. Mac does not start up. And after come to my home country where I buy this it’s perfectly alright.

this time it’s come up with this type of sign.


i followed the Apple support instructions but still no response..

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 7, 2023 10:43 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 7, 2023 01:52 PM

Hi there


A folder with a question mark on startup means that your startup disk is not avaliable or that it not contain a working macOS version.


Please follow these steps to see if you can fix this issue


Turn off your Mac

Press and hold the power button on your Mac for up to 10 seconds, until your Mac turns off.

Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold Touch ID.

  

Start up from macOS Recovery

To start up from macOS Recovery, press the power button to turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys until you see an Apple logo or other image: Command (⌘) and R. 

When in macOS Recovery, your Mac shows a list of utilities, including Disk Utility:

  


Use Disk Utility to repair your startup disk

Select Disk Utility from the list in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the steps to repair your startup disk with Disk Utility. These steps also describe what to do if Disk Utility can't repair your startup disk, or Disk Utility doesn't see your startup disk.

When done, restart your Mac: choose Apple menu  > Restart.

  

Reinstall macOS, if necessary

If the question mark returns after restarting your Mac, repeat steps 1 and 2 to turn off your Mac and start up again from macOS Recovery. Then follow the steps to reinstall macOS.


Learn what to do if you can't start up from macOS Recovery.

If the question mark isn't persistent, but appears only briefly before your Mac starts up, make sure that your startup disk is selected in Startup Disk settings. If that doesn't help, reset NVRAM and check the setting again. 

If you still need help, please contact Apple Support.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 7, 2023 01:52 PM in response to Sereena.uae

Hi there


A folder with a question mark on startup means that your startup disk is not avaliable or that it not contain a working macOS version.


Please follow these steps to see if you can fix this issue


Turn off your Mac

Press and hold the power button on your Mac for up to 10 seconds, until your Mac turns off.

Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold Touch ID.

  

Start up from macOS Recovery

To start up from macOS Recovery, press the power button to turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys until you see an Apple logo or other image: Command (⌘) and R. 

When in macOS Recovery, your Mac shows a list of utilities, including Disk Utility:

  


Use Disk Utility to repair your startup disk

Select Disk Utility from the list in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the steps to repair your startup disk with Disk Utility. These steps also describe what to do if Disk Utility can't repair your startup disk, or Disk Utility doesn't see your startup disk.

When done, restart your Mac: choose Apple menu  > Restart.

  

Reinstall macOS, if necessary

If the question mark returns after restarting your Mac, repeat steps 1 and 2 to turn off your Mac and start up again from macOS Recovery. Then follow the steps to reinstall macOS.


Learn what to do if you can't start up from macOS Recovery.

If the question mark isn't persistent, but appears only briefly before your Mac starts up, make sure that your startup disk is selected in Startup Disk settings. If that doesn't help, reset NVRAM and check the setting again. 

If you still need help, please contact Apple Support.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

My Mac book start up with question mark.. I try everything including NVRAM but still showing question mark

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