MBP 13 Flashing Folder Icon on Bootup

[midniter]

The MBP displays a flashing folder icon on startup.

This happened while playing a video game on the Bootcamp side of the HD.
The screen froze. I restarted the Windows XP on the Bootcamp and came to the Flashing Folder icon screen.

So either the HD or the RAM (16 GB) got over whelmed or something similar but I am no expert.

I read some forums online and tried the following so far:-

1. Press the Command + R
This has showed the Internet Recovery Globe
Which does not even display my Network
I manually entered my network name and password and the little wheel keeps spinning

2. Replace the HDD
Same situation Flashing Folder icon
If I press Command + R then the same situation as above happens

3. Replaced the HD Cable
Same situation as above

4. As soon as the Apple Chime is heard I inserted the OS install CD into the drive but I still get the Flashing Folder icon. So that did not help either.

Now I believe I have fried the component on the Motherboard which has anything to do with the HD cable and the HD.

And yes I have read the Apple forums and even after installing the new HD and the Cable I am still getting the Flashing Folder icon and cannot get any where close to seeing the Apple Icon or the Disk Utility or any of that good stuff.

Any insight into this please.
Help

 

[T5BRICK]

1. Press the Command + R
This has showed the Internet Recovery Globe
Which does not even display my Network
I manually entered my network name and password and the little wheel keeps spinning

Try using an ethernet cable, Internet recovery doesn't support all wireless security types.

4. As soon as the Apple Chime is heard I inserted the OS install CD into the drive but I still get the Flashing Folder icon. So that did not help either.

Press the power button and press and hold the option key during boot up. This will let you select the boot drive, such as the install CD.

Which version of MacBook Pro do you have? Models sold prior to 2010 don't support internet recovery.

 

[midniter]

Thank you for reply

Macbook Pro 13'
Model = A1278 its says 2010 at the back of the laptop

I will try the Power + hold <Option> key method tonight when i get home.

Do I have to do the Internet Recovery at the bootup. Or just do the Power + hold <Option> ?

 

[Chundles]

Put the disc in. Boot your machine holding down "C" to make it boot from the optical drive.

Use Disk Utility on the disc to format your new HDD.

Install the OS onto the formatted drive.

 

[DeltaMac]

Did your MBPro come with that same DVD?

If you can't get to the option-boot screen, then (with the installer DVD inserted) restart and hold the C key (no other keys, just the letter C). That should force your MBPro to try to boot from that installer DVD.

Just for you info: The Flashing folder & ? means that your Mac can't locate a bootable system.
Sometimes that only means that you need to boot to the installer DVD, or another bootable drive, then run Disk Utility to see what that reports.
When you try to boot to the Recovery system (Command + R) and it goes straight to the spinning world icon, that may mean that the hard drive is bad (or your cable can be the culprit)
However, if you replaced with a new hard drive - there's nothing on the drive, and no recovery system either. You have to erase the new hard drive, so it is ready for installing OS X, then continue on with that install. (As Chundles said )

 

[midniter]

Finally able to Install Snow Leopard and then update to El Capitan

... restart and hold the C key

totally worked for me.
So relieved.

Thanks you all.
You guys are awesome.

 

[midniter]

Unfortunately the HD or the HD cable has crashed again. I'm back to Internet recovery screen.

I don't know why it would fail, while I am just watching a movie online. Nothing Crazy.
Any idea if the motherboard component is messed up where the HD cable connects. The only thing I can think of is to replace the HD and/or HD cable. Maybe I got a lemon HD from an unknown company from eBay actually.

 

[DeltaMac]

Can you remember exactly happened while watching a movie?
Did you get a kernel panic ? The screen changes completely, and you get text with errors on the screen - or just a box with multiple languages telling you to restart your computer.
Or, just a system freeze - with the video still on the screen, but stopped working (locked up), and you had to force the power off (holding the power button until the MBPro shut off).
Or, if something else, what exactly happened at the time you knew it "crashed again"?

 

[midniter]

Or, just a system freeze - with the video still on the screen, but stopped working (locked up), and you had to force the power off (holding the power button until the MBPro shut off).

Yes that is what happens.

During watching a movie online the screen froze and some tick tick noise kept repeating with a few seconds break in the middle. And only thing i could do was restart the laptop. After restart i get the Internet recovery screen.

The reason i started this thread was because i had a same thing happened before and had to replace HD cable and installed a new Sata HD drive.

After like a month or so i get the same problem again. Only thing i can think of is either the HD or the HD cable or the logic board component where the Hd cable attaches has gotten messed up.

I am no expert but it seems to be a hardware problem?

 

[Chundles]

Ticking = HDD. They're a collection of tiny, rapidly-moving parts. They're going to fail at some point.

 

[midniter]

Ticking = HDD. They're a collection of tiny, rapidly-moving parts. They're going to fail at some point.

The first time HD failed i was on Bootcamp side playing Resident Evil 6.

So i am thinking i went beyond what a laptop is supposed to endure. I expected more from an Apple Mbp 13 though.

But after replacing the HD cable and the HD like a month ago why would it fail as i was just watching a movie online.

i mean replacing another HD does not seem to be a solution if its going to crash again. Something else is making the HD crash. Another component perhaps the Logic board ?

 

[CoastalOR]

The first time HD failed i was on Bootcamp side playing Resident Evil 6.
So i am thinking i went beyond what a laptop is supposed to endure. I expected more from an Apple Mbp 13 though.
But after replacing the HD cable and the HD like a month ago why would it fail as i was just watching a movie online.
i mean replacing another HD does not seem to be a solution if its going to crash again. Something else is making the HD crash. Another component perhaps the Logic board ?

I would guess the logic board. The 2011 13" MBP Intel graphics is ready for retirement from a hard work life.

 

[DeltaMac]

You mentioned in post #7 that you purchased the hard drive on eBay.
Was it a previously used hard drive (not brand new?)
Could be that you were just unlucky. Try for another hard drive from a reputable seller, such as newegg.com, or Amazon.

If you are getting a ticking noise from the hard drive, then that, I suspect, is simply another failed hard drive.
If the hard drive is a major brand, such as Western Digital, or Seagate, you can always go to the manufacuturer's site to check with the hard drive serial number for warranty. You may be able to get a replacement direct from the manufacturer - particularly nice if you got it as a used item in the first place. (It's worth a try for that, anyway.)

 

[midniter]

1.a.
I have to return the defective HD is there anyway to erase the content on it?

1.b.
Or the content is already inaccessible and destroyed or corrupt and i should not worry about reformatting it?

2.
This is a weird idea in my head. Can I install Snow leopard from <Install DVD> onto a USB 32 Gb drive.

(Notice I am not saying I want to make a Bootable Usb. I already have a Install DVD i don't need to make a bootable Usb.)

3.
I have a 1TB External Drive I want to make a partition on it from which I am able to RUN Snow Leopard. But I still have the rest of the External drive to store other stuff on.

4. If #3 is possible and logically in my bead i think it should be possible lolx. Can i run Snow Leopard via the External Drive AND store data on its other partition at the same time using the OSX ?

5. I know i am being weird. I have ordered another HD and waiting on its arrival Dec 28. Meanwhile i want to see if i can run the OSX snow leopard by alternate means, because this HD crashing on me is becoming a regular thing. And i would rather not store data on these HD that will keep crashing on me.

 

[DeltaMac]

1.a. On a Mac, use Disk Utility to erase the hard drive - unless it is not accessible with that. Then,
1.b. Not likely anyone else would make the effort to get to YOUR data.
2. Yes. boot to the Snow Leopard installer, and make the flash drive the destination for the OS X install.
3. Yes, Use Disk Utility to add a partition to the drive. Whatever size you might need for a Snow Leopard boot. That would be your second partition on the 1TB, so you can store data on the OTHER partition.
4. Yes.
5. Yes, you can run your MBPro from the external. Remove the internal drive, if you don't want the faulty drive to affect your use of your MBPro.