How to Fix Macbook Pro Flashing Folder, Blinking Question Mark, White Screen, Freeze Randomly

If you're 2012 macbook pro a1278 is having flashing blinking folder with question mark, turning off randomly, computer freeze randomly, or white screen of death, this tutorial Fix is for you!
So hit LIKE to Help other find it, and Spread the word!
How to Fix:
1. Verify the Model Number.
This problem is common with 2011,2012 macbook pros with retina and non retina displays.
Check the bottom of the computer for the serial No. and see if you have warranty to get it repaired for free. Go here to Check: goo.gl/XZWi8R
If not valid anymore proceed to next step.
2. Secondly you are going to need to find out your model number mine is a1278.
so you will need to take apart the bottom of the laptop. Remove the hard drive SSD framework cable and mounts and disconnect the hard drive unibody cable.
The Unibody cable is the actuall problem with this computer NOT THE HARD DRIVE ITSELF.
If you replace this HDD Hard Drive Cable the Computer will work again.
if you have a a1278 you can buy this part here
on amazon. Site Source:goo.gl/x0gJaf
If you have another just search for it.
The Model of the cable is also listed on the Cable itself!
If you have any other errors like -1006f
+1007F -2105F. you need to restart holding [option] before you push the turn on button and select a wifi network to download recovery. Once you download recovery you can recover the os x yosemite and restore you files using the new cable. Site Source: goo.gl/aMqu1K
Make sure to restart and hold [Option + R] to get to recovery!
hope this helps! if you need help please resource the links provided, comment, and like to help others find this informative video fix!
My Twitter ► / justcriz
Subscribe ► goo.gl/gdJw66
Instagram ► goo.gl/t8Ifjf
Facebook ► goo.gl/xuTy9z
Gaming ► goo.gl/Tlbil1

[@jamjamjamtomypantspantspan2826]

when he said you needed real tools my heart stopped

[@only90days88]

LeeiiQueenZZ lmaoo

[@freddoofreddoo9096]

only 90 Days how is that funny?

[@only90days88]

Freddoo because i can relate

[@huslhsda4504]

How did it end up for you?

[@claritzanunez7980]

You are the fucking man

[@luisjovel499]

WOW!!!!!! I'd like to start off by saying that when this happened to me, I contacted Apple & they told me that my Macbook was a lost cause. According to them it was a hard drive issue that was more than likely not repairable, & that next time I should invest more money in a macbook with SSD. Either way, I was told that I needed to buy another macbook. I took the liberty to just do the research on my own, and came across this video. I ordered to part & followed the directions. WORKED LIKE A CHARM. Total cost of the repair was $20, and my macbook was back just as the way it was before this issue occurred. Saved my Macbook, & the money in my bank account. Thank you VERY MUCH!

[@MegaDahly]

Was the part you had to order the cable/unibody? If so where did you find it and know it was the correct one?

[@aisha21ch]

Hi I'm trying to fix my macbook air.. Which cable to use?

[@jaimeramirez3685]

same here fuck apple with there bullshit they have a bunch of idiots working there

[@CryptoSeann]

Luis Jovel they just want ur money

[@StrikeCityDMV]

hey this just happened to me where did you order your part for ,,20 bucks right?

[@buzzedlunne6668]

This is so awesome. 2-1 wonder!! Most will make this a two-series video but you cover everything there is to know within one video - and that, in 6 mins! You deserve an applause my man.

[@TheCrabNebula1]

Worked like a charm! Man, the amount of time years old videos have helped me out with technical and software issues is more than I can count. I was really stressing over this since I needed some important files which I stupidly choose not to upload to Google Drive. Thanks to this tutorial I got everything!!!! God Bless!

[@stevezelev7008]

Dude, Mr. Computer illiterate (me) fixed his computer based on this video. I'm sure you saved me at least $100 I can't thank you enough !!!

[@scaracci24]

This was absolutely what i needed! Thank you. The instruction was clear, i had to watch a couple of times but the process was simple. As soon as i got everything back together and turned the machine on, all was back to normal. Thank you for sharing.

[@shimmeringskittles]

Thank you so much for this video! My husband's macbook was exactly in this state- white screen. None of the tricks to restart the system were working. And then I ordered the part you suggested, replaced it, and back to new! I never could have fixed the problem without this. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[@samtaylor8961]

Thank you so much for uploading this video! Was simple to follow and very informative. Was able to self repair a laptop that I otherwise thought was doomed!

[@burgler2112]

Thank you thank you thank you!!! 6 years later and this video is still the answer! Got the part for $15 off amazon and my MacBook pro is back in business!

[@jimcampion2336]

Yes, I came home and found the flashing "?" PANIC!!! Followed your guidance about the cable and I'm back in business. Thanks for helping out we oldies, both me and the Mac.

[@elminsalkicevic3180]

Thank you! I replace the cable and now my MacBook works like new again! Thank you for great tutorial!

[@PeterParker-ym1zl]

Thank you so much!!! All I did was just open laptop and unplug the first cable then put it back n and clean the dust around and bam! Works like a charm and all my files are save 😍

[@fairblues]

Thanks a million - this fixed my 2012 macbook that looked completely knackered. I found it quite fiddly to do - but just about managed. Cheers Mike. (The macbook came straight back on afterwards - and just picked up where it had last shut down - brilliant!)

[@mr.talavera1858]

Fixed one of our teacher's computers because of this video! Thanks!

[@InappropriateShorts]

27 June 2019 this is still relevant and saving me money! Thanks OP and Amazon for that free same day shipping

[@MakeSeafoodtrendagain]

This video just save my day! Thank you for this, and for the clear instructions👍🏻

[@fanlebel2546]

Dude, it's January 9th 2023 and this video just relieved me of massive troubles as I hadn't backed up in a while and was so worried about losing months of data. Changed the cable as you advised, £8.99 and job done wow Thank you 🙏🏻

[@vimalmak4964]

Can you pls share the link to buy the cable 😇.

[@patqkslvr]

A HUGE thank you for this video!! This fixed my problem, hope I won't have to do this again. Cheers.

[@CharlieMacsSliceOfInternet]

Dude. You have literally saved my life. My Design deadline is Friday and my Mac did this! Luckily I already had an assortment of parts available. Thank you so much for a clearly explained easy to follow video!

[@mosinoray]

Bro after watching multiple videos this one solved the problem thank you for your explanation and proper walkthrough

[@rosalyn3257]

Amazing! Saved me a trip to the Apple store. Replaced the cable and voila! Thank you so much. Easy instructions...

[@youngman44]

You are The Man! Had the Q-mark. I read those initial steps at Apple and went through again just as you chronicled and ... nothing. So I followed your instructions, got the new cable via Amazon and it worked!!! Hallelujah! The only tricky part was the reinstall of that little gold strip, sliding it back in. An additional vid on that would’ve been nice. 😊 Finally got it in. Also, helped massively to have a magnifying glass. Could not have done that without it. I would suggest that. Thanks again so very much.

[@ronholl8701]

Thanks for a precise video on the problem possibly being the cable. Well done.

[@bradwalker4988]

Dude! You are THE man! Was worried my HDD was toast. Apple was no help, the local 3rd party shops were going to charge me $100-$200 depending on the turnaround to even see it. Your comment of seeing the OSX base system up as a cable issue, was spot on! (And something no one else mentioned) Ordered part last night, came this afternoon. My part included the bracket so it was slightly easier. 5 minutes and I was back online. THANK YOU!

[@chitah27]

same here

[@RibhavMUSV]

@@chitah27 hiii!! Where are you from how much will it cost in India?

[@angusmclellan1407]

This worked! After trying a new SSD, reinstalling my OSX 15 times through OS recovery, and not getting anywhere...I found your video and it was exactly the fix. Thanks for posting this and for the clear instructions.

[@elite.1]

Hello I'm stuck in mac OS X utilities can't go further than that before this i removed the hdd and inserted an ssd what's the solution ? would appreciate

[@majesticteez]

Thanks alot!!! Our MacBook Pro displayed the question mark blinking, so we did what you said and now it's running perfect again.

[@jalb884]

dude just fixed my laptop instead of paying hundreds for new one. Thank you! very helpful info!

[@danielazambrano8791]

Thank YOU! I did it and it worked! 🙏 I have a 2009 Mac 💻 still works haha and I thought I had nothing to lose since I had no ideas about computers. I order the piece and it worked. Thank you so much. You are the best 💛

[@MrWalyjah]

Once again you save the Day with this Video, today I have just replace the cable on the Old Macbook pro 2012 and it worked. Fantastic. WellDone.

[@jayneiwunze1436]

October 2019 and still doing wonders! Thank you so much for this video! Lifesaver!!! 🙏🏾

[@monappliga8937]

Jayne Iwunze hey hi dude! I just got the same problem. Can you please tell me the exact name of the cable?

[@mannycarnaxide9629]

Very informative, quick and to the point. Thank you

[@ludlo8520]

This video was a life saver. Easy to follow. Thank You!

[@maryam622]

Thank you so much! I fixed my laptop tru your step by step instructions. 👍

[@scottg8956]

Thank you for this information. even a fat finger like myself was able to replace the cable, thanks again!!!

[@glennschot3542]

Worked Great! Up and running again! Only hard part was getting that tiny gold/yellow ribbon back in tiny slot. Found it fits on top of prongs inside on tiny black box. Didn't even have re-install OS. Thanks!

[@rdsx463724]

Glenn Schot can't get the damn thing back in.

[@HoosierGeorge]

I’m having the same problem with my early 2009 iMac after I replaced my hard drive with a ssd I’m thinking I did not properly download to my time machine.....now which way do I run?

[@aigerimmadyarova9271]

Thank you so much! Your video instructions helped me a lot.

[@argenismorla7385]

Only video that worked for me. Excellent explanation. Thanks

[@RossAdams]

Finally, a video that actually helped!! Thank You

[@pdpreflex8015]

Ross Adams hi

[@edenrose8831]

Thank you! Exactly what I needed.

[@gr2262]

I had the flashing folder on my a1286 mid 2012 macbook pro and followed your steps until I also got the blank HDD part at the startup disk selection screen. So I assumed you were right about the damaged cable but then remembered I had an extra SATA HDD from when I upgraded my iMac to a SSD. I installed it and everything worked perfectly, no need for a cable or anything else. Perhaps it was just a dead HDD (even though the system recognized it had a 500gb hdd). Either way great vid.

[@camilag.9617]

Chris I wanna thank you for posting this video! It helped me so much in figuring exactly what was wrong with my laptop. With your links and video I was able to piece everything together! I ordered the cable in Amazon and replaced it. The process of putting the laptop apart and together was a bit fast, so I do wish you would had showed us with more details. nonetheless thankk you!!

[@kauaiboy75]

Camila Gallego did you have to reinstall Mac OS? I think my problem is just a faulty cable. I’m currently waiting for it to arrive from amazon. I’m hoping I can just change the cable and it’ll be good as new 🤞🏽

[@luckneog95]

Hi. Anyone tell me! Can I just simply type while search in amazon as “ MacBook cable” or I need to type with serial number?

[@Spats2Bats]

What cable part should I buy exactly? Is it different for various Macs depending on the year it is made? I haven't done a repair like this before so I want to make sure I'm getting the right part. Mine is a mid-2012 MacBook btw.

[@JazzHory]

Mac-Life-saver! Mac is working perfectly after following your vid. Now to back it up :)

[@Brandonlandis]

This is brilliant! I wish I would've replaced the cable before resetting my macOS and losing some items, because replacing the cable solved all my problems! Thank you!

[@lisalirones8201]

oh, that's interesting to know. I haven't done it yet, is it possible to do it that way?

[@Brandonlandis]

yes i replaced the cable but it only worked for a brief amount of time thereafter @@lisalirones8201

[@deionreve4427]

yooo thank you soooo much player! I was able to fix my computer for $14.99 because of this video- I appreciate you so much

[@austinboswell7368]

Super appreciative of your time and knowledge for this video! It saved me

[@justinnietengarten6315]

Dude lost me when you needed a whole ass specific tool and some mo shit..😂😂 I’m like dawg I’m just tryna hold a couple buttons down for 15secobds 😂😂😂

[@lexxlandTV]

Deadass lol 😂

[@natalyajohnston8387]

Hi there, I have a MacBook Pro 2010 and have the same issue as you have explained. What would my part # be to replace the HD cable?

[@Dawster15]

Thank you so much! You helped me a lot! Appreciate it!

[@tonyhicks9567]

You're a LEGEND. Thank you for posting this video!

[@sid2332]

Mate! My mac had been crashing again and again and i thought it was because of bootcamp windows and over 300 gigs of data, i have a macbook pro mid 2012. I decided to wipe and do a clean internet recovery but was in an indefinite loop. Spent days with no effect, then stumbled upon your video, got the cable the cable the very next day and successfully reinstalled catalina in one go! It took me over 1.5 months to get it fixed!!!! F*****ng LIFE SAVER!!!! Hittn Subscribe right away :)

[@sid2332]

One more Thing, the sr number on the cable was 821-2049-A however 821-1480-A worked for me

[@kmolly1588]

*It’s stunning how shevyhack at IG fîxed my macb00k in a minutes without delaying the process*

[@226sickology]

How does my cable break when my computer was working fine before I dl el captain

[@NaturalPrimex]

+kris hedges fucking right ?

[@RehanAbdullah]

+kris hedges I changed the cable myself and there was still a blinking folder. It's not the cable, but in fact the Hard drive has been ruined....

[@226sickology]

***** yeah i got a ssd for it then sold it

[@rohinsoni3646]

how do u do it for a Macbook pro 2013 retina display

[@lisalirones8201]

Omygosh this was GREAT! Question: Now what if you have a old Operating system? OS X Mavericks? How do you work around that because you can't to the final step?

[@samgoodwin9386]

I love you man followed you step by step and it worked thanks a million… you save me a lot of money I’m subscribed

[@RibhavMUSV]

Bro what should I buy? What to search

[@anotherwav]

My Mac doesn’t turn on now that I’ve changed it 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@sietse1994]

will i still have all my documents etc when I do this? Do you have a link for a proper screwdriver to use? Thanks!

[@lisadam95]

Can anyone answer this question? Will re-downloading the OS completely wipe all files? Thanks!

[@murataksu6496]

if you restore your hd probably you will loose all your data. that's why I recommend that take hd out, put to inside of extra hd then backup. after all this change the cable. I will make it soon and I will write the results here.

[@notatHomeVideos]

if you reinstall it on an existing OS drive, YES

[@TherealMandingo]

yeah I can tell you the correct screw driver you need to ask for a 6 inch reproducing tool. you should be able to get it at a local hardware

[@robinmongar1472]

Bro you save my 1100 dollar to get that fixed. Guy from the service told me to get change the hard drive. And I don’t have any option rather then throwing it. Thanks for the help. God bless you. 👏

[@mehulpatel6995]

Hi thank you for your video. I have the same issue, I followed your steps but whem I hit the disk utility it shows disk1, I don’t know what to do next? Please guide me.

[@KwikDraw35]

Does this work with MacBook Pro retina early 2015 model

[@carlademian8590]

*Gabanhacks* on insta fix mine 💯

[@docdavies5306]

Awesome video, replaced the cable and easily and fixed the problem

[@sanandre3091]

WOW!!!! Still Worked in May 2022.. I Have MacBook pro mid 2022 and changed my Ram from 4 Gb to 16 Gb and crucial 500 Gb SSD hard-drive.. And after replacing these parts I faced the same issue mentioned above...I changed the Hard cable of SSD drive and it's works 👍.. Some instructions 1. You need all these small tools to change that SSD strip 2. For removing that yellow strip you need a magnifying glass, otherwise it's very difficult to see what you doing with naked eyes.. 3. To change the Yello strip you must need to see the other videos available on KZbin... That will be definitely helpful to you.. Do all these change of parts alone when no one is there to disturb you... My Mac pro works like a Charm and it's superfast.. Thank to the video!!

[@johncabug1173]

i had macbook pro 2015 retina display??i have no hard drive flex cable how can i fix my mac??

[@14sunset3]

John Cabug hi I ask have this problem and wondering if you found a solution?

[@lenojacob161]

Even i have same issue with my mbp a1502 model. Have you got any solution for this issue?

[@sara-ge4zt]

Leno Jacob i have the same mac and the same problem have you find a solution?

[@ssentertainment749]

thank you so much for amazing and useful video.

[@bigpuma8580]

Thank you fo the video. I have model number a1278 like yours, but the actual cable had a different MFC number. Does that matter?

[@HellonWheels777]

Why am I watching this? I don't even own a mac.

[@super-yt1921]

T_T

[@AdamXComedy]

LOLOL this just made my life

[@sachchikarki2022]

Lul wut

[@OdysseyBill]

Another graduate from the Procrastination University. Welcome aboard!

[@crystallyzert148]

Lmao.

[@pimnauta3840]

Nice one, thanks for sharing.

[@rachnasharma2499]

Thanks for information I have followed the procedure upto disk recovery and prompt for installation of lion but showing 0 disk next what to do

[@aronasjjj8897]

Thanks mate helpful !

[@neysnow1]

He does it really better am looking for the best solution for solving unexpected random shutdown of macbook pro and what might be causing it

[@Mathewjob15]

Thankyou...great help 👍

[@joyhelsinki7205]

Thanks for this video

[@ummibrahimableable]

oh my days i love u thank u sooooo much u saved me from 4 assesments

[@kannak3471]

Thanks so much man. Tried this with my Mac Book Air and it worked. 🙂

[@t.e.k.profitstraders8796]

3 videos in and this is the only one that got any progress AT ALL!! Now too test this drive 😵😩😫 #CheersPal 💯💯💯💯

[@t.e.k.profitstraders8796]

So we hit Disk Util to find: TWO drives 😳😳😵@2:47 Silly attempt to restart after a repair and verifications run on both, now we’re back to the download 😩😩 maybe 10-15mins....again!! 😢

[@12weekstransformationmauri98]

Good explanation 👏🏻

[@patrickbarrett2454]

ALL YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO IS RESTART IT, HOLD COMMAND+R AND THEN REINSTALL THE OS

[@ChrisStewartVlogs]

+Patrick Barrett you can do that however when i did this. eventually the cable fails and will not install the OS... or it will continue freezing... and then you still have to reinstall ox every 24 hours of run time...

[@aroclothing]

+Patrick Barrett but if i do this will it wipe all my files on the hard drive?

[@sheila7909]

OK so the Commend+R will take you to the globe and you will be able to reinstall the software from there correct? How long can this process take?

[@RehanAbdullah]

+Sheila Folan It takes ages, at the moment I am trying to re-partition my hard drive so it shows up when re-installing the OS, but not my current OS, in fact Mac OS X Lion (The OS that I started off with)

[@omerkucukbarutcu4788]

+Aro Worldwide I accidentally deleted all my hard drive

[@jzglazier8999]

You saved my life with this video, just finished fixing up my laptop and it's good as new. Thank you so much!

[@h4x0rl33tee]

Nothing happens when you press command r

[@Fallout915]

you have to hold the buttons down at startup until the internet recovery activates.

[@elijahtamaira9523]

I hold it down and nothing happens

[@nikoszisidisgrmstudio]

h4x0rl33tee me to... i this the cable is the next step

[@super-yt1921]

Hold command and 'R' then while your holding them down press the turn on button, Your all set

[@GDBOYFilms]

My keyboard isn't lighting up so I think the same for me

[@petevalenzuela3481]

The alt key command did the Trick!! Thank you!!! 🎉

[@toyohari78]

thank you ! this is amazing !

[@pinksidekick]

This wasn't helpful....way too fast, and I'm not confident enough to take apart my computer, how can you expect everyone to do this

[@ryanb1326]

Ms. LeBlanc Wow.

[@subikash08]

Hi there! I have got the same problem. Have a macbook pro 2014, can you help me find fixing this please?

[@Yovelinf]

Hey, can this same cable be installed in a Late 2011 13-inch? It’s an A1278 model as well…

[@filimonebande3856]

You are the best , thank you so much .

[@hon3ibee911]

This worked thank you so much.

[@faizulla1]

Thank you very much, now it's working 🥰

[@nayabacosmos9523]

Thank you so much! This saved my life. 😭😭😭😭

[@acelt6519]

Brilliant. Thank you 👍

[@bradtafiti6981]

Thanks bro it really work ..thanks once again

[@donnargalera6228]

Thanks so much it helps.

[@Moviesxp]

The Mac (2012-13) I knew got a flashing folder this year while switching harddrives. We used Internet Recovery. It worked! (And one of the options said 'Reinstall os X Lion' on the first attempt, oof) (on the second attempt, we used a backup drive the Mac is connected to, it took HOURS to make it bring the OS back)

[@najdahalfajri4307]

thank you...sorry hello bro... can you fix my laptop which is like that too I can't disassemble it for fear of damage

[@justthecoolestmusicjohne6105]

Hi Chris Brian. many thanks for your video and instructions although I am sorry t say that I am still at a complete lost as I am not clever at all when it comes to computer technical things. My problem at the moment is that I have an old MacOS X from back in 2009 and unfortunately although it had been working and using Mac High Sierra perfectly up to a few t days ago, then I did something stupid and accidentally removed or deleted some of the most essential software programs and now find myself that I am not able to see the main HD or get the actual windows for Recovery or installation of any new software such as a new High Sierra. I thought I could over come all the issues by inserting the original Installation of MacOS X that came with the Mac when I first bought it and also unless I insert this DVD I am not able to see anything at all on the computer. I have used this DVD before to re-install the MacOS X software and it worked perfectly, but now it doesn't seem to want to do anything. If you think you might be able to share any advice or help me to sort it out, I would be happy to explain things a little further in order for you to be able to understand it better. Unfortunately the Apple support members have given up on me as I also have problems with the Keyboard and the mouse, so I have been left in the lurch so of thing. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward and I hope to hear from you soon, as you seem to know far more than I could ever know about computers. Kind regards John E

[@JohnWick-so2mc]

First of all, thank you for the helpful video! I have exactly the same problem. However, on a MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch, early 2015, which has no hard drive cable. Stupid question: Is it possible that it's the "I/O Board Data Cable" or does it have nothing to do with the SSD? I hope someone can help me. :(

[@TheYannsonnboys]

Big thanks 😊

[@e_scotphotography]

Hello I'm having this issue, mine boost well sometimes and sometimes don't, just shows the ? Sign with a file, do i need to still change the same stuff as recommended on your video?

[@tariq_6164]

Thanks changing the cable worked

[@mralessandro2003]

Thx so much, I fixed it. Very greatful