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Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: March 28th, 2016, 4:52 pm
by spotify95
Hi,

I have a MAC OS X machine that was destined for the computer scrapheap. I have saved it to see if it works or not.

I connected it up a couple of weeks ago and tested it. It boots up, then shows a white screen.

However, instead of showing the Apple logo, it shows a white question mark inside of a grey folder.

The Mac machine will not get past this screen and will stay there. I cannot log in to it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: March 28th, 2016, 7:30 pm
by pinkteddyx64
thefortofwisdom wrote:Hi,

I have a MAC OS X machine that was destined for the computer scrapheap. I have saved it to see if it works or not.

I connected it up a couple of weeks ago and tested it. It boots up, then shows a white screen.

However, instead of showing the Apple logo, it shows a white question mark inside of a grey folder.

The Mac machine will not get past this screen and will stay there. I cannot log in to it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Try reinstalling the OS?

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: March 28th, 2016, 8:17 pm
by spotify95
pinkteddyx64 wrote:
thefortofwisdom wrote:Hi,

I have a MAC OS X machine that was destined for the computer scrapheap. I have saved it to see if it works or not.

I connected it up a couple of weeks ago and tested it. It boots up, then shows a white screen.

However, instead of showing the Apple logo, it shows a white question mark inside of a grey folder.

The Mac machine will not get past this screen and will stay there. I cannot log in to it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Try reinstalling the OS?

Thanks - I think that's going to have to be my option.

The computer in question doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, and I don't have a copy of Mac OS on hand though...

I'm hoping that the recovery partition is easily accessible, otherwise things could get messy... I'm not buying Mac OS, though I suppose I could make a bootable Windows 7 USB and use that! :D

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: March 28th, 2016, 8:29 pm
by pinkteddyx64
thefortofwisdom wrote:
pinkteddyx64 wrote:
thefortofwisdom wrote:Hi,

I have a MAC OS X machine that was destined for the computer scrapheap. I have saved it to see if it works or not.

I connected it up a couple of weeks ago and tested it. It boots up, then shows a white screen.

However, instead of showing the Apple logo, it shows a white question mark inside of a grey folder.

The Mac machine will not get past this screen and will stay there. I cannot log in to it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Try reinstalling the OS?

Thanks - I think that's going to have to be my option.

The computer in question doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, and I don't have a copy of Mac OS on hand though...

I'm hoping that the recovery partition is easily accessible, otherwise things could get messy... I'm not buying Mac OS, though I suppose I could make a bootable Windows 7 USB and use that! :D

It may not support booting from a USB flash drive though. :(

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: March 28th, 2016, 8:32 pm
by spotify95
pinkteddyx64 wrote:
thefortofwisdom wrote:
pinkteddyx64 wrote:
thefortofwisdom wrote:Hi,

I have a MAC OS X machine that was destined for the computer scrapheap. I have saved it to see if it works or not.

I connected it up a couple of weeks ago and tested it. It boots up, then shows a white screen.

However, instead of showing the Apple logo, it shows a white question mark inside of a grey folder.

The Mac machine will not get past this screen and will stay there. I cannot log in to it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Try reinstalling the OS?

Thanks - I think that's going to have to be my option.

The computer in question doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, and I don't have a copy of Mac OS on hand though...

I'm hoping that the recovery partition is easily accessible, otherwise things could get messy... I'm not buying Mac OS, though I suppose I could make a bootable Windows 7 USB and use that! :D

It may not support booting from a USB flash drive though. :(


In which case, I'd have to take the hard drive out, and manually load an OS onto it, via another computer.

Or I keep the hard drive and sell the thing for parts! :D

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: May 13th, 2016, 11:17 pm
by spotify95
Update: Couldn't be bothered sorting out anything so the IT department at university are recycling the machines :yep:

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: May 13th, 2016, 11:28 pm
by pinkteddyx64
princechromey wrote:Update: Couldn't be bothered sorting out anything so the IT department at university are recycling the machines :yep:

Should've given them to me. :doh2:

Re: Mac OS X question - any advice?

Posted: May 13th, 2016, 11:34 pm
by spotify95
pinkteddyx64 wrote:
princechromey wrote:Update: Couldn't be bothered sorting out anything so the IT department at university are recycling the machines :yep:

Should've given them to me. :doh2:

They wouldn't let me have such items though, because if something was to happen to them, they (the university) would be responsible! So, for example, if I got an electric shock from the case of the computer (because it wasn't earthed very well, or a fault occurred whereby the earth wires became live), then DMU would be responsible for the incident.

However, I have been told that all IT equipment that is recycled, gets picked up by a company who then sell the items from there. So hopefully, they won't end up going in the bin :D

Anyway, what use would I have for a 10 year old Mac machine, and a 2005 spec XP machine that is less powerful than my Fujitsu Lifebook E8020 that I bought off eBay for £16.50?