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Flashing folder with question mark on startup.

D

Diviant

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
28
0
Well, I was doing absolutely nothing on my MacBook. I plug in a pair of headphones, press the volume-up button and my MacBook freezes. I hold down the power button to shut down and when I boot up I'm greeted by the flashing folder with question mark. I don't have an OSX install/repair disk, what can I do?

Less than a month with this thing and it's already ****ing itself up. Pfft, and people tout the stability of Apple OS's.
 
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Diviant

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
28
0
Got a startup disk. Tried to run repair, but my hard drive isn't detected. Reset PRAM, still not detected. This is the most ******** thing ever, at least my Windows PC doesn't go around ****ing itself up after plugging in a pair of headphones. Guess I'm taking it in for service tomorrow. Maybe I'll just return it.
 
Naimfan

Naimfan

Suspended
Jan 15, 2003
4,669
2,017
Ouch. How long have you had it? If it's new, see if they'll replace it. From the fact your hard drive isn't detected, it makes me think your hard drive is bad. Were you able to start up from the restore disc?

Bob
 
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Diviant

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
28
0
The install disk itself would initialize, but I can't do anything with it since there's no drive to repair/install on. I bought it less than a month ago, but I don't have the box/manuals/disks it came with, I left them at home when I moved into college. I can have them shipped, I guess. First I'm going to take it to the college computer store, they're certified Apple repair technicians. If they try to charge me, I'll laugh in their face as I return the computer and buy something worth the money. And to think, I actually started to like Apple after being a PC guy my whole life.
 
Naimfan

Naimfan

Suspended
Jan 15, 2003
4,669
2,017
That sucks.

Someone else here might have a better idea, but it sounds like your hard drive got zapped when you plugged the headphones in--static electricity, perhaps? If they give you any trouble, just have them exchange it for a new one.

Bob
 
patrick0brien

patrick0brien

macrumors 68040
Oct 24, 2002
3,246
9
The West Loop
-Diviant

Turn it off, return to Apple Store.

This sounds like a classic HDD failure.

Try not to blame Apple in this, having worked for an HDD company, these are the most complex, precision, mechanical devices mass-produced by humankind.

As a result, there is a MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). Essentially a statistically-educated guess as to when the drive will fail. There are always some that fall way the heck out of that curve.

It sounds like yours is one of them.

Don't attempt to use it any more until you get it back to Apple, drives tend to fail gradually, there may be something they can 'scavenge'. And the less you bang on it, the less you lose.
 
D

Diviant

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
28
0
Took it into the campus computer place earlier this morning. It's within warranty so I'm not getting charged for anything (Thank God, their rates are insane! $40 for software install. The lady in front of me was going to pay $40 to get Word installed.) The guy there was really cool and I told him what happened. Should get it back in a day or so.
 
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