Strange Startup ("?" Folder, then Apple)

tombutler

Registered
Hello.

I recently sent my iBook in to Apple to get a repair for something involving the video card/display. They fixed everything without having to replace it, but now, when I start up, it does the following:

Normal Sound
Black for unusually long time (10 sec. or so)
Short (1 sec.) view of a little folder with a ? (question mark)
Then it shows the normal apple and boots normally.

I believe that I have seen the ? folder before when I was in the process of reinstalling the OS when I had nothing on the HD. Then, however, there was no operating system. Now, the machine seems to think that the operating system is missing for a few seconds.

Note: I did install 10.2.4, but this has nothing to do with what's going on, it was doing it before and is still doing it after the install.

Thanks everybody!

I assume that a few files need deleted or altered... that seems to fix every known Mac software issue.

Thanks again,
Tom Butler
 
The question mark means that the Startup Disk that is set in the preferences either can not be found or can not be used. (The repair shop might have pluged in a firewire drive and then used that as a startup disk...)

To fix this go to the Startup Disk Preferences Pane and make set it to the OS you want. Presuming that OS is working, then it should boot without the ? and waiting...
 
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