Apple logo, Gears turning.... Stuck?!?!

[mynameisadam]

i was installing a printer on my macbook, when the computer suddenly froze so i shut the computer down through the power button and now when i turn the notebook back on it keeps getting stuck on the apple logo with the gear turning below the logo, i believe the macbook was purchased around 2006~2007? the white plastic one.

i dont have a hard drive that i can store all my information and i really need to recover the macbook without reinstalling the os, so basically all the programs in tip top shape.. can anyone help?

 

[iBookG4user]

Try holding down shift after you hear the startup sound. This will boot up using the bare minimum required to run the OS. Then buy a hard drive to back up your data.

 

[mynameisadam]

Try holding down shift after you hear the startup sound. This will boot up using the bare minimum required to run the OS. Then buy a hard drive to back up your data.

tried that wont goto safe mode : s

 

[iBookG4user]

tried that wont goto safe mode : s

Hmm, have you tried Target Disk Mode? Does it show up on another Mac?

 

[mynameisadam]

Hmm, have you tried Target Disk Mode? Does it show up on another Mac?

so.. i tried all possible methods, including the one you just said, my friend took out the Hd and i connected it to another macbook my aluminum 13", but for some reason when i tried going into the hd it restarted my macbook and out of worry quickly took out the hd, so im just going to assume my plastic had a good 3 1/2 year run as im pretty sure im not going to let apple fix it for another outragious price.

But im pretty sure it just needs the hd either replaced or just a clean reinstall of the os but its pretty worn out so il just stick with the new macbook i got, although all the notes i took and all my projects were in that notebook so im going to need to get a spare hd so i can start putting in my files in so things like this dont happen.

Thanks G4 you were the only person that tried to help me out. Thanks Forum(kidding)

 

[iBookG4user]

so.. i tried all possible methods, including the one you just said, my friend took out the Hd and i connected it to another macbook my aluminum 13", but for some reason when i tried going into the hd it restarted my macbook and out of worry quickly took out the hd, so im just going to assume my plastic had a good 3 1/2 year run as im pretty sure im not going to let apple fix it for another outragious price.

But im pretty sure it just needs the hd either replaced or just a clean reinstall of the os but its pretty worn out so il just stick with the new macbook i got, although all the notes i took and all my projects were in that notebook so im going to need to get a spare hd so i can start putting in my files in so things like this dont happen.

Thanks G4 you were the only person that tried to help me out. Thanks Forum(kidding)

That's odd that it restarted your computer when you tried to access the hard drive from another Mac. I'd try it one more time, as trying to access the hard drive should not cause it to restart the computer. Also, try going to Disk Utility and selecting the hard drive, then click Repair Disk.