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Unresponsive Macbook, please help!

B

bruceleera

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I got a 3 year old white macbook. I was surfing the net when suddenly it turned off. On restart, I got the grey screen for a while, the a picture of a file with a question mark in it, waited for ten minutes, still the file. I have done the following:

1.- Reset the PRAM: I use the combination of keys, and it reboots, but on rebboting it goes back to the picture of the file.
2.- Use the option key on startup: I get a grey screen with the curso on it, which I can move with my mouse, but no buttons to click or nothing.
3.- Use the X key: as if doing nothing
4.- Resseting the SMC: as if doing nothing

What are my options? Can anyone help me please, I really can´t afford to be without a computer right now!
 
The "?" Means that the computer cannot find a valid operating system on the computer. This may be as simple as the kernel is corrupt or some files are locked, or it may mean that the Hard Drive is dying (although that usually is a red "NO" Slash). Try inserting an OS X Disc and holding down 'C' while booting, then running disk utility to see if it can be fixed, otherwise you may need to reload the OS.

TEG
 
Thanks, but I forgot to mention I got a burnt CD drive (to add insult to the injury)!
Please help me on how to boot it without a cd!
 
bruceleera said:
Thanks, but I forgot to mention I got a burnt CD drive (to add insult to the injury)!
Please help me on how to boot it without a cd!
Click to expand...

You'll either have to buy/borrow an external DVD drive or create a bootable USB thumb-drive using somebody elses Mac with a functional optical drive (hackintosh tutorials will tell you how to do this).
 
Still need help!

I got to boot using leopard mounted on a thumb drive. But on instalation, when it asks which drive to install, nothing appears, no picture of the hard drive! Also on the system profiler, on the SERIAL-ATA tab, it does not list any hard drives.
Does this mean that the hard drive is Kaput? Or is there a way to still save my system? PLEASE HELP
 
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