Flashing Question Mark During Startup

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use the following troubleshooting steps.

IMPORTANT: Try these solutions in the order in which they are presented (some problems may be fixed by using just one procedure while others may require several).

This article assumes that you have Disk Tools/First Aid or disk maintenance software.

WARNING: Before using these solutions, remember these procedures may exceed normal Microsoft support boundaries. Microsoft is not responsible for the performance of the Macintosh operating system. Also, as added protection against lost data, please ensure that you have your system disks available and that all important files are archived to a backup media.

This may be the cause               Try this troubleshooting method
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The power or data cable for the     1. Check the power and data cable
external startup drive is not         connections.
properly connected.

Start blocks on the startup disk    2. Use Disk Tools/First Aid your disk
are damaged.                           maintenance software.

The Volume Information Block is     3. Use Disk Tools/First Aid or your
damaged.                               disk maintenance software.

Parameter RAM is corrupted.         4. Zap the "PRAM."

                                    For information about "Zapping the
                                    PRAM," please see the following
                                    article in the Microsoft Knowledge
                                    Base:

                                    ARTICLE-ID: Q140445

                                    TITLE: "Troubleshooting Power 
                                           Macintosh
                                           Type 11 Errors"

The device driver for the disk is   5. Replace the SCSI device driver, and
damaged.                               use Disk Tools/First Aid or your
                                       disk maintenance software.

The System or Finder files are      6. Replace damaged system files.
damaged or missing