Macintosh OS X - Diagnosing Startup Issues
Mac OS X has various features that diagnose startup issues. One diagnostic is beeping and the other is graphical.
If your Macintosh beeps at startup, then there is an error. Refer to the table below:
| Number of Beeps | Startup Issue |
| 1 Beep | No RAM |
| 2 Beeps | Incompatible RAM |
| 3 Beeps | No good memory banks |
| 4 Beeps | No good boot images in the BootROM |
| 5 Beeps | Processor Unusable |
If there are no beeps, then you will here the Startup tone. Then, you will see one of the following images on the screen:
 Metallic Apple | Found BootX |
 Circle with slash | Couldn't find BootX on startup volume |
| Flashing square with Globe | Looking for BootX on remote disk via network |
| Small metallic spinning globe | Found BootX on network |
 Flashing ? over a folder or floppy disk | No startup disk locally or on the network |
| A broken folder | May appear if components were renamed or moved |
| A blackbelt around a folder | May appear after a Mac OS 9 Restore |
Typically, you will want to see a metallic apple when you boot up. However, if you see the circle with slash, the folder with a ?, a broken folder, or hear any beeps as described above, then please call the HelpDesk at (540) 568-3555.
