If you see a flashing question mark on your Mac's screen at startup, it means your Mac can't find its system software.
There is nothing worse than starting the work day by turning on your Mac, hearing the welcoming chime and then staring at the face of a flashing folder with a question mark, your desktop nowhere in sight. The first instinct is to close the computer, believe that everything is lost and the computer is no longer functioning.
We can help
Truth is, it's not that uncommon, and it can happen for a variety of reasons, and we can always fix it. Apple have a guide on their website on what to do if this happens, but it's very long and requires technical knowledge on the ins and outs of a MacBook. Furthermore, some of the stages ask you to follow procedures which will erase all of your data - even though it may not be necessary for a repair.
The problem can be broken into two categories; hardware or software.
Software is your Mac OSX, and it means that your Mac is now missing some of the files it needs. You can re-install the software, and Apple let you download Mac OSX over WiFi for free. Just make sure that you have a recent backup before you do that, as this procedure will delete all of your files. If you would like help with that, get in touch using the contact form below. We can probably recover all of your files, too.
Hardware means that a part inside your MacBook isn't working as it should. MacBook models up until Mid 2012 had an extra cable in between the storage drive and the Main Logic Board, whereas the storage drive in a MacBook from Late 2012 onwards plug in directly. It can be difficult to work out which part is letting you down, but our Apple Mac certified technicians have an array of tools and components specifially for testing this. So we can get you back up and running in no time.