Dire help needed.

[rweakins]

my friend is not the smartest of all people and she is a newb to macs and had some trouble earlier today and i was going to see what the diagnosis/problem would be if anyone could diagnose or remedy the problem. She says that her macbook (that she got for free and she completely underappreciates its value) locked up while she was running safari and limewire. now this part completely baffles me why this would be anyones first response to a little hang up in the system. she pulled the battery out! just removed it because she says the system wasn't responding. now when she tries to boot up the chime still sounds but instead of getting the little gray pin wheel she gets a folder with a question mark..... and then the boot doesn't continue past there..... any diagnoses or remedies?

 

[bartelby]

It can't find the system folder. Boot from the install disks and see if you can change the Startup disk.

 

[rweakins]

do that by using the software that came with it?

 

[richard.mac]

before that try holding option on startup and choosing Macintosh HD from the boot loader.

 

[bartelby]

Start the machine up, insert the disk that came with it and hold down the Option key. This should bring up the screen to choose what to boot from. Choose the disk.
Once it's booted under one of the menu options there should be Startup Disk (or something similar) select the HD if it's there.

It may start up to the Installer, I can't remember, just quit that and look at the menu bar.
You might have to use Disk Utility (Under same menu as Startup Disk) to repair permissions.

before that try holding option on startup and choosing Macintosh HD from the boot loader.

Last time I did that I had to do it every time I started up as my Powerbook didn't seem to remember the selection.

 

[rweakins]

well it seems my friend took her computer in to get looked at and the HD is dead.... sad day