Flashing folder with question mark on my Power Mac G5

I have Power Mac G5. Whenever it starts, it shows a flashing folder with question mark and a face:



I booted from the CD (Mac 10.4.4), opened Disk utilities, First Aid then tried Verify Disk. It says:
Volume passed verification

I tried Repair Disk. It says:
No repairs necessary

I tried to press the option button during startup but nothing happens. Resetting the PRAM did not help either.
When I connected the hard disk to another MAC, I could see all the data and retrieve them but I don't want to clean install the OSX because I have a very important custom software purchased from a company (this company is closed down).

Is there anyway that I can solve this problem? Thanks

i think you're missing the boot file for macosx. By going via the CD you avoid the hard drive booting normally. The custom software must be a separate app on launch up or not either way you should be able to load another osx to over ride the faulty osx.. Are you able to see the custom file or app when searching the hard drive itself. Alternative to save the hard drive contents to a spare drive or have a small clean hard drive to act as c drive for osx system only with the original as a d drive.

I already saved the contents to another drive. But I need the original drive to boot up because I need the custom app to work.

Faisal11 said:

Is there anyway that I can solve this problem?

Click to expand...

You need to install the OS. Here's some additional info::

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/os...49-what-os-disk-do-i-need-brief-overview.html

- Nick

Will imaging the OS to another disk help?

You need to have the proper OS install disk for the OS install version you want/need.

- Nick

I have it. And as I mentioned, I booted from it and did all the things I said in the first post.

Faisal11 said:

I have it. And as I mentioned, I booted from it and did all the things I said in the first post.

Click to expand...

You can do two things:

1. Install the OS on the hard drive (you don't need to do a clean install).
2. Install a 2nd hard drive into the G5...install the OS onto the 2nd HD...and boot the computer from the 2nd HD.

Two comments:

1. I sure hope that you have this custom software backed up somewhere. If something should go wrong in the future...the software will be lost.
2. Do you know for sure that this custom software will run with OS 10.4.4?

- Nick

I would have done what you suggested if I had the custom software source but it was in a CD which my son damaged. It was working on 10.4.4.
Is there a repair option for OSX like the one for Windows?

Faisal11 said:

Is there a repair option for OSX like the one for Windows?

Click to expand...

You're options are to reinstall the OS (the 2 options I mentioned above).

If you have the OS 10.4.4 disk that you mentioned booting with...then this should be no problem.

- Nick

Is that going to wipe out my custom software?

Faisal11 said:

Is that going to wipe out my custom software?

Click to expand...

This has been already been answered in post #8.

- Nick