My macbook won't start up!! folder with a question mark!!

[augustusmac]

Hey guys, i'm new here since this has just happened to me. I was with the messenger Adium on, when i left, then i came back and the keyboard was blocked, the sentences wouldn't come up when i tried to type so i decided to reboot the laptop. when it restarted the grey screen showed up as usual but instead of appearing the apple and then the desktop, there was a folder with a question mark in it instead. i put my ear on the keyboard because i could hear there was a lot of noise coming from inside which makes me think it's not something related with the software or weird downloads' stuff.
do you have any idea of what it may be?
i hope i don't have to pay another US$300 for the repair... i recently had to get the CD reader/burner fixed and it really hurt.

Thanks,
Augusta.

 

[Eidorian]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

 

[dukebound85]

put your os disk in and see if it can detect the hdd

if it cant, your hdd is dead

 

[l.a.rossmann]

hold apple-S the second it turns on

You should be taken to a black screen, with a command prompt. Hit enter a few times if it takes too long to get to the prompt, and you will see it, with the #

type fsck -fy

let it run

try rebooting. It is likely that your drive or OS install is messed up.

 

[augustusmac]

hold apple-S the second it turns on

You should be taken to a black screen, with a command prompt. Hit enter a few times if it takes too long to get to the prompt, and you will see it, with the #

type fsck -fy

let it run

try rebooting. It is likely that your drive or OS install is messed up.

i tried doing what you say but nothing happened... what's the OS disk? that the other person is talking about? i just put a cd inside and now it won't give it back to me. i'm going crazy...

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

i tried doing what you say but nothing happened... what's the OS disk? that the other person is talking about? i just put a cd inside and now it won't give it back to me. i'm going crazy...

The disc the computer came with that has OS X on it....

 

[pvmacguy]

Hit the power button then hold down the mouse button until the CD spits back out. Then find your (gray) OS X discs that came with your machine and put them in and it will boot up and you can re-install it. If you don't have the discs make an apt. at the apple store and take it they will re-install the OS for you. Just say you don't know whats going on and they will take care of you.

 

[augustusmac]

Hit the power button then hold down the mouse button until the CD spits back out. Then find your (gray) OS X discs that came with your machine and put them in and it will boot up and you can re-install it. If you don't have the discs make an apt. at the apple store and take it they will re-install the OS for you. Just say you don't know whats going on and they will take care of you.

ok! thanks! i'll try doing that tonight when i get home. i hope it works. i have a theory about macstation... they probably ****ed up my HD when i took it there for them to fix my CD reader/burner. i mean, it makes sense... it's their bussiness... but yeah, if this doesn't work i'll have to scream at them tomorrow.
thanks a lot,
augustita.

 

[pvmacguy]

ok! thanks! i'll try doing that tonight when i get home. i hope it works. i have a theory about macstation... they probably ****ed up my HD when i took it there for them to fix my CD reader/burner. i mean, it makes sense... it's their bussiness... but yeah, if this doesn't work i'll have to scream at them tomorrow.
thanks a lot,
augustita.

I would advise against screaming at them. If you want them to be willing to fix it just advise them this is what happened after they repaired your CD drive. I work in electronics repair/customer service and am more willing to help when people are calm and polite. Someone gets rude and screams at me I show them the door. Just a little food for thought....

 

[iLog.Genius]

I would advise against screaming at them. If you want them to be willing to fix it just advise them this is what happened after they repaired your CD drive. I work in electronics repair/customer service and am more willing to help when people are calm and polite. Someone gets rude and screams at me I show them the door. Just a little food for thought....

Or put them on hold for long periods of time and maybe eventually push the release button! (seriously customers are always right especially if you follow Apple mantra but people need timeouts too...LOL)

 

[pvmacguy]

Or put them on hold for long periods of time and maybe eventually push the release button! (seriously customers are always right especially if you follow Apple mantra but people need timeouts too...LOL)

Yup... But... Customer's aren't always right, when I worked at&t customers "knew" how much the phones cost us and "knew" that they could get it for free. Well leme tell you they were wrong lol.

 

[pvmacguy]

Did you get your issue resolved??

 

[VoodooDaddy]

Had this happen before on an older macbook. Result was hdd dead, hdd and mobo replaced under applecare.

If thats not bad enough just this morning same thing on our newest macbook. Ive had dozens of computers, 3 imacs, mac mini, and many pcs and external drives and never, ever, not once had a hdd fail besides these macbooks.

At least the macbook is still under applecare, but that wont replace the data that is likely gone forever. I have backups of most of it, but not for the past few months (moved, dont have external with me).

Trying to freeze the hdd and see if I can recover anything before calling applecare.

 

[darngooddesign]

You think you have issues, this is what my old G3 iMac is giving me.

 

[fluffyx]

augustusmac, I'm sorry to hear about your malfunctioning MacBook!

If it's still acting up, turn the computer on. Put your ear against the computer to the right of the trackpad. If you hear four clicks (believe me, you'll hear 'em!), your hard drive has definitely failed. If your hear these four loud clicks, visit an Apple Store with a Genius Bar appointment—don't take it to an authorized service center.

If you don't hear four loud clicks, what do you hear?

Let us know how this goes.

 

[MacStation]

ok! thanks! i'll try doing that tonight when i get home. i hope it works. i have a theory about macstation... they probably ****ed up my HD when i took it there for them to fix my CD reader/burner. i mean, it makes sense... it's their bussiness... but yeah, if this doesn't work i'll have to scream at them tomorrow.
thanks a lot,
augustita.

Hi Augustusmac,

Firstly, sorry for the near-month bump to all the forum posters, hoping this isn't against forum rules as I'd love to add input to the thread!

We'd love to take another look at your HD, if it has not been fixed yet and you feel we can do a better job with it. Hopefully, however, by now you've already brought it to one of our shops and had it fixed, though!

Thanks, and we apologize if there has been any inconvenience due to your HDs failure.

Thanks,
Flowsion Shekar
MacStation