11-16-2011, 10:08 AM

Hi everyone, i have a Mac pro 2.66ghz dual core xeon. I got the mac pro with no hard drive and ram so i got my self new ram and a hard drive. After i put the hard drive and ram in the Mac Pro booted with teh white screen and the folder with a question mark. But now the Mac pro boot and there is no chime and no display ?. Just a blank screen and the fans are on flu throttle (really loud). So please can anyone advise me on what the problem will be?. Many thanks in advance

11-16-2011, 10:48 AM

Please can anyone help ? please??

11-16-2011, 02:26 PM

I'm not familiar with the inner workings of the Mac Pro, however, you might make sure that the memory you bought is of the correct type. Memory for the Mac Pro has to be ECC not standard as for other Macs. Also make sure the graphics card is in place and seated properly.

One of our Mac Pro guys should be along soon enough to provide some further guidance and ideas.

Also, I moved your post to here in the "Desktops" forum.

11-16-2011, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Malik786

Hi everyone, i have a Mac pro 2.66ghz dual core xeon. I got the mac pro with no hard drive and ram so i got my self new ram and a hard drive.

When you bought/obtained this computer (Mac Pro)...what was your understanding of it's operating condition (working, not-working, maybe working)?

Originally Posted by Malik786

After i put the hard drive and ram in the Mac Pro booted with teh white screen and the folder with a question mark.

Are you 100" sure you installed the correct parts? The hard drive should have been just about any SATA hard drive...and as "chscag" mentioned...hopefully you got the correct ram.

Also...did you install the ram correctly? The ram needs to be installed in "matching pairs" and they need to be installed in the correct ram slots.

Regarding the "folder with the question mark"...did you install an OS onto the HD? Because that's what that "flashing question mark folder" means...no OS on the hard drive.

- Nick

11-16-2011, 04:31 PM

And further bad news, generally computers sold without hard drives are in a pretty sick condition. Trust you purchased the memory from an Apple dealer or supplier,. as a PC shop will have no idea of the Mac Pro's memory requirements. They are extremely fussy about memory as Nick and chscag pointed out.

You do need operating system discs to be able to boot from and format the drive.

11-16-2011, 04:47 PM

Luckily ECC is different than non-ECC. The notch in the DIMM slot (and on the stick of RAM itself) would tell you right off the bat of its the correct memory or it will not slot in properly. Knowing that you did get to the blinking folder with the question mark is a sign that you do have the correct memory installed.

Go ahead and reseat the memory and the memory boards they are on. The memory needs to be installed in pairs on the same memory board. The inside of the side panel gives a good example on how to install the sticks. Give that a go, try reseting your PRAM command-option-P-R then try booting to your installation disc (hold down C at start up).

11-17-2011, 08:39 AM

Hi everyone thank you so much for replying so quick. When first i got the Mac pro i got it without the HDD and graphics card and Ram. So then i bought the Graphics card (7300gt) and Ram 1.5gb Buffered original mac pro ram (from ebay). But the HDD i took out of a old windows PC thinking it will work. When i first booted the mac with the parts it started up fine and the flashin folder came on. Then i inserted the snow leopard Os x disk and the apple logo came up but it wouldnt go past the apple logo (and the small spiral underneath it). So i shut it down and booted it multiple times. So then i left it for a few days and tried it again and then when i booted it afer a few days the small LED indicaor came on but there was no display just a blank screen and then the fans went full throttles(realy really loud). And it wotn show anything on the screen. The HDD that i put in the mac pro wasnt a SATA i think :/.

11-17-2011, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by chscag

I'm not familiar with the inner workings of the Mac Pro, however, you might make sure that the memory you bought is of the correct type. Memory for the Mac Pro has to be ECC not standard as for other Macs. Also make sure the graphics card is in place and seated properly.

One of our Mac Pro guys should be along soon enough to provide some further guidance and ideas.

Also, I moved your post to here in the "Desktops" forum.

Hi please can you link me the place where you put it, i cant find it.

11-17-2011, 08:46 AM

[QUOTE=pigoo3;1326889]When you bought/obtained this computer (Mac Pro)...what was your understanding of it's operating condition (working, not-working, maybe working)?


Hi nick thansk for replying,when i bought it i got told it was in perfect working order but no graphics card ram or HDD.

11-17-2011, 09:49 AM

Have your tried reseating the memory, memory banks and reset the PRAM yet?

11-17-2011, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Malik786

Hi everyone thank you so much for replying so quick. When first i got the Mac pro i got it without the HDD and graphics card and Ram. So then i bought the Graphics card (7300gt) and Ram 1.5gb Buffered original mac pro ram (from ebay). But the HDD i took out of a old windows PC thinking it will work. When i first booted the mac with the parts it started up fine and the flashin folder came on. Then i inserted the snow leopard Os x disk and the apple logo came up but it wouldnt go past the apple logo (and the small spiral underneath it). So i shut it down and booted it multiple times. So then i left it for a few days and tried it again and then when i booted it afer a few days the small LED indicaor came on but there was no display just a blank screen and then the fans went full throttles(realy really loud). And it wotn show anything on the screen. The HDD that i put in the mac pro wasnt a SATA i think :/.

In addition to reseating the ram...and resetting the PRAM as "blairtechguy" suggested....it sounds to me that the video card, ram, and hard drive you're using are fine (assuming that the video card is the "Macintosh" version of the 7300gt).

The next issue is the HD. Since it came from a "Windows" computer...it probably needs to be formatted to work with a Macintosh computer ("Mac OS Extended-Journaled" format)...from the Mac application "Disk Utility".

The last issue I can see at this point is the Snow Leopard disk. Is it a "whitish" colored disk with a photo of a Snow Leopard on it...or a gray/silver colored disk? If it's a gray/silver-colored disk (and if it is not the original disk that originally shipped with this computer when new)...then it won't work.

Let us know what's up.

- Nick

11-17-2011, 10:08 AM

[QUOTE=pigoo3;1327297]In addition to reseating the ram...and resetting the PRAM as "blairtechguy" suggested....it sounds to me that the video card, ram, and hard drive you're using are fine (assuming that the video card is the "Macintosh" version of the 7300gt).

The next issue is the HD. Since it came from a "Windows" computer...it probably needs to be formatted to work with a Macintosh computer ("Mac OS Extended-Journaled" format)...from the Mac application "Disk Utility".

The last issue I can see at this point is the Snow Leopard disk. Is it a "whitish" colored disk with a photo of a Snow Leopard on it...or a gray/silver colored disk? If it's a gray/silver-colored disk (and if it is not the original disk that originally shipped with this computer when new)...then it won't work.

Let us know what's up.




hi even though it might be a HD issue dont you think something should show up on the screen ?n the 7300gt card is a mac one

11-17-2011, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by blairtechguy

Have your tried reseating the memory, memory banks and reset the PRAM yet?

hi how will i reset PRAM ? thanks.

11-17-2011, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Malik786

hi how will i reset PRAM ? thanks.

Originally Posted by blairtechguy

Go ahead and reseat the memory and the memory boards they are on. The memory needs to be installed in pairs on the same memory board. The inside of the side panel gives a good example on how to install the sticks. Give that a go, try reseting your PRAM command-option-P-R then try booting to your installation disc (hold down C at start up).

I posted this earlier in the thread.

11-17-2011, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by blairtechguy

I posted this earlier in the thread.

Hi I've done it stilt he same:/ do you think it might be logic board?