How long does computer repair take at The Computer Cellar in Durham NC?

Most diagnoses and common repairs at The Computer Cellar are completed within 24 hours of check-in. If uncommon replacement parts are needed, they usually take 1-3 days to arrive. Walk in Mon–Fri 10AM–6PM at 720 9th Street, Durham NC.

Do I need an appointment at The Computer Cellar?

No appointment is needed at The Computer Cellar in Durham, NC. Just walk in Monday through Friday, 10AM to 6PM. We are located at 720 9th Street, Lower Level (basement of The Regulator), Durham NC 27705.

Does The Computer Cellar repair Macs and Apple computers?

Yes! The Computer Cellar repairs both PCs and Macs including MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Minis. We fix hardware and software issues. Visit us at 720 9th Street in Durham or call (919) 314-3327.

What computer repair services does The Computer Cellar offer?

The Computer Cellar in Durham NC offers virus and malware removal, laptop screen replacement, battery replacement, data recovery, water damage repair, hardware upgrades, custom PC builds, and refurbished laptop sales.

Where is The Computer Cellar located in Durham NC?

The Computer Cellar is located at 720 9th Street, Lower Level (basement of The Regulator bookstore), Durham NC 27705. Open Monday through Friday, 10AM to 6PM. Call (919) 314-3327.

Mac Showing a Prohibitory Symbol (Circle With a Slash)? What It Means and How to Fix It - The Computer Cellar

If your Mac powers on and shows a circle with a diagonal slash through it (the prohibitory symbol, sometimes called the “do not enter” sign), it’s a more specific message than the question-mark folder. Your Mac found a startup disk — it just can’t use it.

mac-prohibitory error screen illustration

The difference between this and the question-mark folder

The folder with a question mark means “I can’t find any startup disk.” The prohibitory symbol means “I found one, but it’s not compatible with this Mac.” Different problems, different fixes.

What commonly causes it

Trying to boot from a macOS version that’s too old or too new for this hardware
A corrupted system folder that macOS recognizes as broken
Critical system files missing or damaged
An incomplete macOS install (often after an interrupted update)
On older Macs: hardware compatibility issues after parts replacement

The recovery flow

Step 1: Boot into macOS Recovery. On Apple Silicon Macs, hold the power button until startup options appear. On Intel Macs, hold Cmd+R during boot.

Step 2: Run Disk Utility First Aid. If the drive shows up but has filesystem issues, First Aid often repairs them. Many prohibitory symbol problems clear up after a successful First Aid run.

Step 3: Reinstall macOS. From Recovery, choose Reinstall macOS. This downloads a fresh copy of the version your Mac shipped with (or supports) and installs it without erasing user data, in most cases. This is the single most effective fix for the prohibitory symbol.

If Recovery itself won’t load

If you can’t even get into Recovery, there’s an alternative on Intel Macs called Internet Recovery (Cmd+Option+R during boot). It downloads the latest macOS version your Mac supports directly from Apple’s servers. On Apple Silicon, this is built into the standard recovery flow.

Hardware issues to consider

If you’ve recently replaced parts on your Mac (especially the SSD or logic board), the prohibitory symbol can mean the new hardware isn’t compatible with the macOS version that’s installed. Apple Silicon Macs in particular tie certain components to the logic board’s serial number, and mismatches can cause this exact symptom.

What NOT to do

Avoid “Erase” in Disk Utility unless you have a complete backup. The prohibitory symbol is usually fixable with a reinstall that preserves user data. Erasing first is unnecessary and irreversible.

Walk It In

If you’re not comfortable working in macOS Recovery, walk into our 9th Street shop in Durham. We work with both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs and will try data-preserving fixes first. Mon–Fri 10AM–6PM. (919) 314-3327.

Related errors: Mac Folder With Question Mark, Mac Stuck on Apple Logo.