52 Chapter 4 Problem, Meet Solution
If your MacBook Pro freezes during startup, or you see a ashing question mark,
or the display is dark and the sleep indicator light is glowing steadily (not in sleep)
Theashingquestionmarkusuallymeansthatthecomputercan’tndthesystem
softwareontheharddiskoranydisksattachedtothecomputer.

ÂWaitafewseconds.Ifthecomputerdoesn’tsoonstartup,shutitdownbypressing

andholdingthepower(®)buttonforabout8to10seconds.Disconnectallexternal
peripheralsandtryrestartingbypressingthepower(®)buttonwhileholdingdown
theOptionkey.Whenyourcomputerstartsup,clicktheharddiskicon,andthen
clicktherightarrow.Afterthecomputerstartsup,openSystemPreferencesandclick
StartupDisk.SelectalocalMacOSXSystemfolder.

ÂIfthatdoesn’twork,tryusingDiskUtilitytorepairthedisk:

• InserttheMac OS X Install DVDintoyourcomputer.
• RestartyourcomputerandholddowntheCkeyasitstartsup.
• ChooseInstallerfromthemenubar,andthenchooseOpenDiskUtility.WhenDisk
Utilityopens,followtheinstructionsintheFirstAidpanetoseeifDiskUtilitycan
repairthedisk.
IfusingDiskUtilitydoesn’thelp,youmightneedtoreinstallyourcomputer’ssystem
software.See“ReinstallingtheSof twareThatCamewithYourMacBookPro”onpage60.