Flashing Folder with Question Mark on Startup

[ghking]

hello
my friend brought me his macbook today and it had a flashing icon of a folder with a question mark when it started. I tried booting off a Leopard disk (even though hes running tiger) and ran disk utility, but the hard drive doesnt even show up in the left hand list, only the install DVD so i cant repair it. Any ideas?

 

[Eidorian]

Sounds like a dead hard drive.

 

[Sky Blue]

The firmware can't locate the booter file. Can you see anything with TDM? Most likely a software issue, looks like a re-install.

 

[ghking]

unfortunately i dont have the right firewire cable for TDM only one thats big to small not big to big (yes very technical)

 

[Sky Blue]

six pin to six pin ? 😉

 

[ghking]

ha yes thank you i only have six to four

 

[ghking]

ok i got a cable but the connected computer's drive does not show up on the host's desktop. Where should i go from here? also disk warrior didnt recognize the disk. 🙁

 

[TheReef]

Although unlikely, there could be a chance that the hard drive isn't dead, perhaps a loose SATA connection or dead controller (but the optical drive works…so unlikely).

If he is still under warranty take it to your local Apple store, see what they can do, they'll probably replace the drive. If there were important files on there, take it to a data recovery specialist, a dead reading head could probably be replaced for example.

 

[ghking]

ok ill tell him to take it in to a specialist. I was thinking the same thing about something being physically disconnected but i didnt want to be responsible for messing up hardware permanently or something