MBP won't boot - Hard drive issue?

[ana.la]

I have an early-2011 13" MBP. I had a RAM replacement done by Apple in February (I was in NYC at the time and my warranty was valid up to 2 more weeks, so it's was easier). Recently, I noticed my MBP was getting really slow. I installed Mountain Lion and it got worse. Today, it just stopped responding and when I tried to reboot it, it got stuck on the Apple logo.
I tried everything I could find online (safe boot, NVRAM/PRAM reset, fsck -fy) and nothing worked. I don't even remember everything, but I got errors like "disk0s2 media is not present" and "drive phy pm failed".
When I run DiskUtility, "320 GB ST..... Media" is highlighted in red and it says "This drive has a hardware problem that can't be repaired" and SMART status is failing. But when I ask to verify the Macintosh HD volume, it says everything is okay. I'm no expert, but that means my hard drive is pretty much gone, right?
I don't have a backup (I know I should...), but I'm not really worried about my data. The only thing I haven't tried is reinstalling Mountain Lion, is it even worth trying it?
I'll take it to an authorized service provider (I live in Brazil, it's not like I can find an Apple Store on every corner), but I just wanted to know everything I could before, so it's a little harder to be fooled.
Also, as I'm pretty sure they will charge me twice as much as just half the storage capacity as if I bought a hard drive upgrade kit from ifixit, I was thinking about replacing it myself. Again, I'm no expert, could I do it with the ifixit guide or even the Apple one? And most importantly, can I be sure it's the hard drive? Or can it be just the hard drive cable or something else entirely? And if it is the hard drive, could I have done anything to prevent it, or these things just happen? Because I bought my MBP not even 18 months ago, it never fell and I never spilled anything on it..


Anyway, thanks for the help!

 

[w00t951]

I only read about half your post, but if you've been having trouble mounting the disk and getting it to pass SMART criteria, that's 99% a hard drive failure. SMART is a series of checks intended to warn the user of impending hard drive failure, and if the SMART checks don't succeed, you're running on borrowed time.

Don't try to reinstall; a physical hard drive failure won't be affected by any software.

Instead of taking it to an Apple Store (especially in Brazil), try buying a drive from Newegg (assuming it works in Brazil). Make sure it's a 2.5" laptop SATA drive, and look for drives that are 5400RPM and up. Good companies include Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung, Western Digital, and Seagate. Basically, anything with a high star rating on Newegg will suit you well. If you want a faster drive, you can buy a 7200RPM drive or an SSD, but both are more expensive and offer lesser storage capacities than similarly priced 5400RPM drives. SSD manufacturers include Intel, Crucial, and Samsung.

Try going to iFixit.com and looking for repair instruction specific to your laptop - I know my 2008 had a dedicated flap on the bottom for HDD access, but this was removed with later iterations. Regardless, replacing the hard drive and/or RAM is one of the easiest modifications you can make to your laptop.

Good luck!

 

[T5BRICK]

Additionally, when you order the replacement HDD, pick up an enclosure for your dying drive so you can try to recover your data.

 

[Blackberryroid]

Replacing Hard Drive on the MBP is as easy as pushing and pulling. It's the simplest upgrade you could ever do on a prosumer device.

 

[ana.la]

Ok, I was afraid I could be wrong and it's not a HD issue, but as it doesn't seem that's the case and since you all let me confident enough to believe I can replace it on my own, that's what I'll do.

Would this kit be a good idea? Newegg doesn't ship internationaly.
http://www.ifixit.com/Apple-Parts/7...e-SATA-Hard-Drive-Upgrade-Kit-New/IF107-102-1

 

[ana.la]

I only read about half your post, but if you've been having trouble mounting the disk and getting it to pass SMART criteria, that's 99% a hard drive failure. SMART is a series of checks intended to warn the user of impending hard drive failure, and if the SMART checks don't succeed, you're running on borrowed time.

Don't try to reinstall; a physical hard drive failure won't be affected by any software.

Instead of taking it to an Apple Store (especially in Brazil), try buying a drive from Newegg (assuming it works in Brazil). Make sure it's a 2.5" laptop SATA drive, and look for drives that are 5400RPM and up. Good companies include Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung, Western Digital, and Seagate. Basically, anything with a high star rating on Newegg will suit you well. If you want a faster drive, you can buy a 7200RPM drive or an SSD, but both are more expensive and offer lesser storage capacities than similarly priced 5400RPM drives. SSD manufacturers include Intel, Crucial, and Samsung.

Try going to iFixit.com and looking for repair instruction specific to your laptop - I know my 2008 had a dedicated flap on the bottom for HDD access, but this was removed with later iterations. Regardless, replacing the hard drive and/or RAM is one of the easiest modifications you can make to your laptop.

Good luck!

Thanks!
So it has to be the hard drive, right? It can't be the hard drive cable or something? Sorry, I'm just worried I'll spend U$320 for nothing. I mean, it will still be cheaper than if I took it to an Apple Store, but still.

 

[w00t951]

Thanks!
So it has to be the hard drive, right? It can't be the hard drive cable or something? Sorry, I'm just worried I'll spend U$320 for nothing. I mean, it will still be cheaper than if I took it to an Apple Store, but still.

I mean, it's possible that it's the cable, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be the hard drive. Cables don't just fail without someone yanking and twisting on them. And the hard drive is probably $60-100, depending on the combination of speed and storage you pick. Anyway...

Here is a hard drive that matches your capacity but is a bit faster.

Here is a hard drive that is 750GB and is the same speed as the previously listed hard drive (faster than your original).

Here is a hard drive that is 1TB but the same speed as your broken hard drive.

Those are just some feelers, to let you see what options you have. As you can see, higher RPM results in higher performance but also higher cost.

Finally, here is the iFixit guide for replacing your hard drive - step by step. PM me if you need any help.

Good luck!

 

[ana.la]

I mean, it's possible that it's the cable, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be the hard drive. Cables don't just fail without someone yanking and twisting on them. And the hard drive is probably $60-100, depending on the combination of speed and storage you pick. Anyway...

Here is a hard drive that matches your capacity but is a bit faster.

Here is a hard drive that is 750GB and is the same speed as the previously listed hard drive (faster than your original).

Here is a hard drive that is 1TB but the same speed as your broken hard drive.

Those are just some feelers, to let you see what options you have. As you can see, higher RPM results in higher performance but also higher cost.

Finally, here is the iFixit guide for replacing your hard drive - step by step. PM me if you need any help.

Good luck!

Yeah, but with shipping cost and the probable 60% tax I'd have to pay to customs, it would be almost U$300. But I was lucky and my auncle is coming to Brazil this weekend, so he's buying it for me.
I decided for the 750gb/7400rpm. I was thinking that maybe my hard drive is not out of warranty yet, even if my MBP is. I'll check that...

Anyway, thank you very much for your help and patience!

 

[geoffreak]

I was thinking that maybe my hard drive is not out of warranty yet, even if my MBP is. I'll check that...

I wouldn't bet on it. As an OEM drive, the manufacturer may require you to go through the OEM (Apple) for warranty coverage (if there even is warranty on the drive). It wouldn't hurt to pursue the option though, so let us know if it works out for you.