# Old Mac laptop, turns on, error, turns off



## 7urtlepirate (Mar 6, 2020)

Hi I’m new so I’m not sure if this is the place to put this or in the hardware forum.

My mac laptop from 2014, OS 10.7.5 (if I remember correctly) can turn on, when a login screen should appear it greets me with an image of a file with a question mark on it, it flashes on my screen until it turns off or I turn it off.

I have tried turning it on and off again, nothing else as I don’t want to damage it beyond repair.

Is there any saving it, if not what should I do with the parts?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

the File with a *? *means that it cannot find the Operating System or HDD. This usually means the HDD has failed. 
Shut down your Mac, then turn it back on holding* Option+Command+R* this should take you to the Recovery Tools. Select* Disk Utility* and choose* First Aid*. This will tell you if the HDD has failed. If it is good, you can then Reinstall the Mac OSX. If it's bad you will have to replace it, then restart into Recovery and Reinstall MAC OSX.


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## 7urtlepirate (Mar 6, 2020)

Thanks for the response, but I need more help.

I can use the recovery tools, but can’t install my os.
I don’t have access to the apple id that installed the os.
I corrected the date in terminal.
I can’t login to icloud using my mac the webpage has an error or stays blank.
I can’t erase my startup disk as the option is greyed out.

Is there anything I can do?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Be sure to set the date with this format
https://blog.macsales.com/31640-tech-tip-an-error-occurred-while-preparing-the-installation-fix/
You can reset your Apple ID https://iforgot.apple.com/password/verify/appleid
Once you are in Recovery, go to Tools/*Disk Utility *to see if it sees your HDD.


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## 7urtlepirate (Mar 6, 2020)

I used the set date format you mentioned.

The apple id wasn’t mine to begin with.

When I open up disk utilities and go to first aid there’s no list of items, the format is there just blank with the buttons greyed out.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

> This usually means the HDD has failed.


 Either the HDD has become unplugged or more likely The HDD has failed and needs to be replaced.


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