MB Rainbow of Troubles (flashing question mark folder) and best way to dispose MB

[RossKemp]

Ross Kemp here. I have a problem with my Apple MacBook, "Evil MacBook of Doom" (I name all my machines and electronic devices). Hope you can help me.

Frequency and description of problems observed upon turning on my Evil MacBook of Doom:

• Sometimes, loud hard drive or maybe CD drive clicking.
• Sometimes, single short beep before the inevitable...
• White screen with flashing folder with a question mark.

• If OPTION held after turning on the Evil MacBook of Doom, a white screen with a black cursor appears.

• Sometimes just a white screen and possibly CD drive spinning loudly or a very loud fan.

• Sometimes white screen with "EFI Boot" that either disappears by itself or if clicked, freezes the MacBook (Windows 95 style) and after a while, the ubiquitous white screen with flashing question mark folder.

• And just for a good "**** you" the Evil MacBook of Doom displays the black screen with or without OPTION button held, but will return to white-screen-question-mark-folder right before I throw it in the window of the nearest Apple Store.

History of my relation with Evil MacBook of Doom:

I had a CD get stuck inside and it wouldn't boot as described above (I don't recall the exact problem but it was probably the white screen or the flashing folder question mark), I had to pry open the annals of the MacBook and somehow managed to get the stuck CD out. I don't recall Evil MacBook of Doom booting before or after the episode, so I think it's something else.

I left it alone for a while and I am now taking care of all outstanding business and that includes the Evil MacBook of Doom.

I tried resetting the NVRAM or PRRAM or whatever it's called, if I recall correctly it did reset before, but now when I hold OPT, some other key I forgot, P, R nothing happens.

I've also tried removing the hard drive and starting it, doesn't make a difference.

Question 1: What is wrong with it?

Question 2: What is it worth in a current condition (Specs: 2.16, 2x512, 160 GB)?

Question 3: What is the best emotionally satisfying method to dismember, disintegrate, and dispose of the above mentioned MacBook?

Thanks
Ross

 

[MrCheeto]

If you're interested, send it to me. I do free diagnostics because, to be honest, I just love working on Macs. Day in and day out, I will work on Macs for no better reason than to have a Mac in my hands.

Check out my blog below. Ship it in, I'll run it through the gambit and let you know whatever I find and if it isn't fixed, I'll just ship it back.

No obligations, no charge, just honest assistance.

 

[tug]

or you could drop a new hdd in, sounds like yours has had it.

 

[RossKemp]

or you could drop a new hdd in, sounds like yours has had it.

The same white screen, question mark folder comes up when the HDD is removed, so I don't wanna spend 80$ 100$ on HDD that might not even do anything.

Shouldn't something different come up if HDD is not attached?

BTW I forgot to mention in the OP, the CD drive doesn't work.

 

[tug]

hi ross,
this will happen because the hdd has died, with or without the hd in.
the flashing folder represents no startup disc.

pity your not near me, i have a spare newly formatted 264GB sata hdd with a copy of 10.7.3 on it ready to go.