Flashing Question Mark after Imac freezes!!

[ricardofel]

I have a new iMac, 1 month old...everything is normal, nothing new updated. Sleeps overnite...frozen in the am. Turn off and get the flashing question mark. Tried to put in the OS x cd, holding down the C key and it just pops out after 30 seconds......help!!! and thanks.

 

[iBookG4user]

Try putting in the install disk and then holding down the option key after you hear the initial startup sound. That should give you a choice of all your boot options, see if the install disk shows up as a choice.

 

[ricardofel]

Try putting in the install disk and then holding down the option key after you hear the initial startup sound. That should give you a choice of all your boot options, see if the install disk shows up as a choice.

I got in...BUT...it doesn't show the HD...only DVD drive and the install disk>>>???? Now what? thanks

 

[iBookG4user]

I got in...BUT...it doesn't show the HD...only DVD drive and the install disk>>>???? Now what? thanks

Try booting from the install DVD and then go to disk utility and see if your hard drive shows up. If it doesn't, then your hard drive is shot, if it does, try repairing the drive. If repairing the hard drive doesn't work then try doing an archive and install.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Disk Utility is found under the Utilities menu after you have answered the Language selection, but before you proceed into the Installer.

Did you purchase Applecare on the machine? If so you should also have a TechTool Pro disk you can boot from to attempt hard drive repairs.

DO NOT DO an Archive and install on the internal drive if it did not pass the Disk Utility Repair Disk with all problems solved. The last thing you want to do on a dying drive is write a bunch of stuff to it. That will b0rk any chance at all of recovering data from it. Only reinstall the system IF the drive has a clean bill of health.

Also; now would be the opportune time to get thyself to a store and buy an external Firewire drive, mate.

You may need to to recover data to, or to be a boot drive on the machine, or even if the internal drive is resurrected, to make your backups to. Use your OSX DVD to do a OS installation onto the EXternal drive, then you can boot from that instead of wasting time rebooting from DVDs.

 

[ricardofel]

iMac freeze

Try booting from the install DVD and then go to disk utility and see if your hard drive shows up. If it doesn't, then your hard drive is shot, if it does, try repairing the drive. If repairing the hard drive doesn't work then try doing an archive and install.

The HD does NOT show up!

 

[iBookG4user]

The HD does NOT show up!

It sounds like your hard drive is shot then . Take it to Apple and have them replace it. Hope you had a backup.