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My Screen Has Died, And I Am Cr*p With Computers...

N

nataliex2010x

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 14, 2010
10
0
Please help me... My Macbook was fine before and I just went to turn it on, it made the sound like it tried to boot up, but after the backlight of the screen originally lit up, it never changed.. It never displayed the Apple and it never started. It just stayed lit and blank. My Macbook is quite old, (its the black one...) I just don't understand why it won't just start.

I have looked on these previous forums for advice,and they say look for 'lose ram' now... I know what ram is, but where it goes and what it may look like lose, i have no idea?!

Argh, I only paid 50 for a new charger last week, and I don't want to pay more. Any tips of advice on how to get it working???

Thankss.
 
Now.. I have plugged it into charge and tryed turning it on again, and it is displaying a picture of a file with a question mark in????
 
nataliex2010x said:
Now.. I have plugged it into charge and tryed turning it on again, and it is displaying a picture of a file with a question mark in????
Click to expand...

Just saw this. The folder with a question mark means that the Mac can't find (or can't find a valid) system to boot from. In addition to the suggestions in my other note you could try booting from your OS X restore disc by holding down the C key while it boots up. Once booted from the OS X restore disc, go to the File menu (I believe) and select Disk Utility. Then use Disc Utility to repair the internal hard disc. Once that completes again go to the File menu and select Quit Installer (I believe) and the Mac will restart (hopefully) from the internal hard drive.
 
DewGuy1999 said:
Normally if there's a problem with RAM missing (or loose I imagine), the system will make various beeps when starting up. The number of the beeps means different things. Since you didn't mention any beeps I don't think you have a missing RAM problem.

You could first try this:

:apple: Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM

and if that doesn't help then try this:

:apple: Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
Click to expand...

Hi,

thanks for the help. I done the first one.. The command, option p + r and it reset, the apple sign appeared and a black box showed up saying now restart your computer. Which I did, and it's gone back to being lit but blank. When I start it up, it makes a funny sound... before the start up sound... But, it's done that for a while?...
 
Now there is just the apple logo and the searching wheel it ticking round, as if it is trying to do something, but not actually doing anything?
 
nataliex2010x said:
Hi,

thanks for the help. I done the first one.. The command, option p + r and it reset, the apple sign appeared and a black box showed up saying now restart your computer. Which I did, and it's gone back to being lit but blank. When I start it up, it makes a funny sound... before the start up sound... But, it's done that for a while?...
Click to expand...

The box with the message to restart your computer is called a Kernal Panic and frequently is caused by a hardware problem. Can you tell where the funny sound is coming from?
 
nataliex2010x said:
Now there is just the apple logo and the searching wheel it ticking round, as if it is trying to do something, but not actually doing anything?
Click to expand...

Are you trying to boot from the internal hard drive or the OS X Restore disc? If the Restore disc it will take longer than a hard drive based boot up.
 
Possibly a bad HD. Check using the startup disk. Put into the drive slot restart the computer holding the 'C' key until it starts up.
If it starts up, try fixing the HD using Disk Utility.
If it does not start up from the Disk, then something more serious is wrong. :(
 
Play Ultimate said:
Possibly a bad HD. Check using the startup disk. Put into the drive slot restart the computer holding the 'C' key until it starts up.
If it starts up, try fixing the HD using Disk Utility.
If it does not start up from the Disk, then something more serious is wrong. :(
Click to expand...

I tryed the other methods and it took it from a blank screen to the apple sign, but no futher. I tryed the C-Key method and it went back to the folder, but now back to the apple sign with the task bar thing still spinning, as if it is trying to load?... Shall I leave it on, and see if it eventually does?
My mum just confessed she dropped it, right before the problem. So, do you think some kind of memory may have moved out of place? Thank-you.
 
nataliex2010x said:
I tryed the other methods and it took it from a blank screen to the apple sign, but no futher. I tryed the C-Key method and it went back to the folder, but now back to the apple sign with the task bar thing still spinning, as if it is trying to load?... Shall I leave it on, and see if it eventually does?
My mum just confessed she dropped it, right before the problem. So, do you think some kind of memory may have moved out of place? Thank-you.
Click to expand...

Was it on when she dropped it? It's quite possible that it dislodged a connection (hard drive, RAM, etc.) or damaged the hard drive. Have you tried booting from the Restore CD?
 
DewGuy1999 said:
The box with the message to restart your computer is called a Kernal Panic and frequently is caused by a hardware problem. Can you tell where the funny sound is coming from?
Click to expand...

No, but it is quite a deep loud sound, right before the start up everytime i turn it on. it has been happening for a while. So, i don't know it the current errors are to do with that, the fact my mum dropped it, or a combination of both?
 
DewGuy1999 said:
Was it on when she dropped it? It's quite possible that it dislodged a connection (hard drive, RAM, etc.) or damaged the hard drive. Have you tried booting from the Restore CD?
Click to expand...

It may have been on stand by when she dropped it. Or off. I have tried rebooting it with the 2 first methods you suggested.. The command, option P and R. I have also tried holding down the C until it starts. It never gets past the Apple. It is still on that now, and has been for like 10 minutes. I have taken the battery out and looked for anything that looks out of place, but to be honest I dont really know what I am looking for?
 
nataliex2010x said:
It may have been on stand by when she dropped it. Or off. I have tried rebooting it with the 2 first methods you suggested.. The command, option P and R. I have also tried holding down the C until it starts. It never gets past the Apple. It is still on that now, and has been for like 10 minutes. I have taken the battery out and looked for anything that looks out of place, but to be honest I dont really know what I am looking for?
Click to expand...

If it was on, then it more than likely damaged the hard drive when it was dropped. When you're holding down the "C" key, do you have the Restore disc in, in won't do anything otherwise. You wouldn't be able to see anything loose by taking the battery out.
 
DewGuy1999 said:
If it was on, then it more than likely damaged the hard drive when it was dropped. When you're holding down the "C" key, do you have the Restore disc in, in won't do anything otherwise. You wouldn't be able to see anything loose by taking the battery out.
Click to expand...

Oh, maybe I should just take it into the shop. I don't think I still have the restore disk. Just one more question (sorry to be annoying,and thanks for all your help!) if the hard drive is damaged will all my work be lost? I have hundreds of important photo's in my aperture file that are very important and (stupidly) not backed up...
 
nataliex2010x said:
Oh, maybe I should just take it into the shop. I don't think I still have the restore disk. Just one more question (sorry to be annoying,and thanks for all your help!) if the hard drive is damaged will all my work be lost? I have hundreds of important photo's in my aperture file that are very important and (stupidly) not backed up...
Click to expand...

Don't think that you are annoying. We are a forum, and we are here to help. Yes, if your hard drive is dead, ALL of your work/data/settings/applications will be lost. You can look into data recovery services, which can cost upwards of $1,500

Edit: You should also try booting the computer while holding the left shift key. I believe that just the left shift key will work for what is called "Safe Boot", but I am not sure. So, to be on the safe side, I am telling you to hold the left shift key immediately after pushing the power button, to turn on the computer (not when holding the power button to turn off).
 
nataliex2010x said:
Oh, maybe I should just take it into the shop. I don't think I still have the restore disk. Just one more question (sorry to be annoying,and thanks for all your help!) if the hard drive is damaged will all my work be lost? I have hundreds of important photo's in my aperture file that are very important and (stupidly) not backed up...
Click to expand...

If it is the hard drive, then more than likely the contents will be lost, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Do you by any chance have a TechTool Deluxe disc (they come with AppleCare)? Or do you have a retail version of OS X that's equal or newer to the version that came with you MacBook? Either of those should be able to boot the MacBook in this situation. Booting from something other than the internal hard drive would help determine if it's the hard drive or other hardware at fault.

One more thing that I didn't think of earlier is you could try booting in Safe mode. This explains more:

:apple: Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?
 
The safe mode does not work either. I am hoping that something has come lose, rather then completely broken. Although, I don't know what the chances of that are. I done the photography for a wedding and losing the images would be the worst thing in the world. I hadn't quite finished them, so hadn't backed them up. :/ Fingers crossed this can be fixed. Thanks alot for all your help.
 
One more thing, it is still trying to load the safe mode.. it is now making a sound like the fan is running and the apple sign is still on and acting like loading but getting no futher.
 
nataliex2010x said:
One more thing, it is still trying to load the safe mode.. it is now making a sound like the fan is running and the apple sign is still on and acting like loading but getting no futher.
Click to expand...

Safe mode does take quite a bit longer than a normal boot, so you could let it try for a minute or 2 if it hasn't been going that long already.
 
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