MacBook Pro - Start up problem .. Folder & Question mark

[i5te]

Hi All,

First post here and hope I can get some help before paying through the nose at a apple store (last resort).

Basically, the system was running fine a few days ago, then it started freezing up (beachball spinning and nothing able to be clicked) .. usualy when it was a bit warm (after 10 mins use or so?) ... Causing me to be forced to use the power button to turn it off.

Then it started bringing up the folder icon with a question mark inside.. after some googling about everyones been saying its the hard drive.
So off I went and bought a brand new 80GB Hitatchi drive ... Disk utility found it once, but the install failed half way through as the disk I was using was marked.

I had went to try it again but of course the disk isn't there in the disk utility list, neither is the original Seagate drive, nor will any / either boot up.

I've tried PRAM reset, SMC reset and holding C while it loads up (Seems to make no difference to me, just loads the Snow Leopard install..)

If anyone can advise on this it would be greatly appreciated as this is my first real experience of having & owning a mac, and it's not going smoothly

It's a MacBook Pro 2.16ghz, 1GB ram, 80GB (new) and 100GB (original) hard drives ... 2007 I believe its from.

Thanks in advance,
Stephen

 

[iBookG4user]

When the hard drives are installed, if you put your ear next to them do you hear a clicking sound?

 

[i5te]

Nope, no clicking noises or any other weird noses, can feel the drives slightly vibrating so I know they're on.

 

[i5te]

Bump.... Anyone?!

 

[i5te]

So today it had loaded the hard drive up out of suspicion I tried it, froze at the login screen & vanished again.

I'm currently replying to this thread from my MBP, however using a Snow Leopard install I did on my external hard drive.

Can no one assist with ideas or suggestions on this? Had been told this would be the best place to ask...

Thanks in advance to anyone that can ...

 

[i.shaun]

seems like the HDD could possibly be failing. As far as I know, a folder with a question mark means it cannot find or access the boot drive.

When booting from the external HDD, is there any signs of trouble? (beachball, freezing, etc..)


You could also try the apple hardware test: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509