?mark folder, no Single-User Mode or CD/DVD boot

My first gen Macbook's (2Ghz C2D, running 10.4.11) HD started clicking after the iTunes 7.6 and Quicktime 7.4 downloads last night after I chose to shut down the computer rather than restart. The computer hung by just displaying the desktop without the menu bar or the dock showing. It was getting late so I just manually shut the system down.

Upon starting it up this morning the same issue persisted, so I tried the normal boot from DVD method and the single-user mode method (to run fsck) and neither option will work (after holding down the appropriate button combinations for longer than 5 minutes). I tried to reset the PRAM and it seemed to work (i.e. I heard the chime while holding the keyboard command and it restarted), but it went to a solid question mark folder. Several attempts later both the DVD boot method and the single-user mode boot lead me to the same solid question mark folder.

It seems like my HD is gone for good (and no, I do not have a back up of that HD), but I was under the impression that DVD booting and fsck should work regardless of the HD status. Is there anything else I can try?

P.S. The original HD was replaced when I bought the unit with a Hitachi Travelstar 7200rpm 100GB HD, so supposedly it should still be covered by Hitachi's 3 year warranty.

yellow said:

If you unplug it, can you start booting from the DVD again?

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Haven't thought of that possibility, so I will give it a try now and report back.

Removed the HD and attempted to boot from the Tiger DVD (holding "C" after pressing the power button) and I get a flashing question mark folder, but no boot via the DVD.

I also tried single-user mode and it produces the same results.

yellow said:

But you're trying to boot using the Option button with the DVD in the drive and it's not showing up?

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Edit: Nope, been using C after startup...attempting the option startup now. Also thanks for the info about single-user mode; i just thought it directly related to the firmware on the chip.

Edit2: Holding Option with the Tiger install in the DVD drive leaves me at a grey screen with a cursor and nothing more. This is still referring to the HD being removed from the machine.

yellow said:

Hmm.. how sure are you that the DVD (disc) works, that the DVD drive works?

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The install disk was the same one I used for my Tiger install on my macs and has been used to help a friend reset a password on his mac.

The DVD drive worked as of last week when I ripped some recordings of some my recent concerts.

I decided to put the HD back in, and then try with the DVD in as well as the HD while holding option. This time I got the option of an EFI Boot.

Also, I will check the DVD on my TiPB that I am using now.

Edit: the DVD loads up fine on my TiPB.

I only have two macs, one being my TiPB PPC and the, Intel Macbook in question. The Tiger DVD installed the OS on both machines IIRC (well, reinstalled the OS on the Macbook that is).

I did find the original disks that came with the Macbook. I figured that wouldn't make any difference, but it did for some reason, and thus I was able to run Disk Utilities. SMART Status says it is Verified, however I get this error:


So I assume that means the HD is fully borked?

There is no backup of the HD. If money were as easy to come by as political ads, then I would have enough money to buy an external. Unfortunately, finances never allowed me to purchase one.

Is Disk Warrior even worth an attempt?

yellow said:

Sure.. but there's no guarantee that it'll work.. or that it won't make the situation worse. That being said, if I was in your shoes, DW would probably be my next stop.

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There really is no way the situation can get worse.

I may purchase DW, however money, once again, is the issue.

Lovely how a iTunes/Quicktime update was the last thing my computer did before this.

Edit: Yellow, thanks for all of your help, and I apologize I didn't thank you earlier, as my mind was elsewhere.