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Need help(dead hard drive?) Macbook

Elphaba

Elphaba

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 4, 2006
106
0
After a series of random shutdowns my Macbook will not start up anymore. Instead i get a flashing folder with a question mark on it. I read this has something to do with the hard drive?

I know I should try booting the computer using the Install DVD - the problem is there is a disc stuck inside. the computer won't start up so i'm not able to eject the disc :(

what would be the best solution? would buying a new hard drive and swapping with the old one be a good idea? my computer is no longer under warranty

I have my files backed up on Time Machine.. if i get a new HD, will I be able to transfer my old files from my backup external drive?
 
ok, can you try ejecting the cd after you push the power on, never ever backup anything to your internal drive it defeats the propose, if the drive is dead, you wasted time backing up your files,..

am thinking the system is trying to boot from the cd drive but cannt because the cd/dvd is not bootable..

google is your friend..

Hold the mouse button down at startup (Mac OS 8 - Mac OS X)

1. Restart or startup your computer.
2. Hold down the mouse button immediately.
3. Continue to hold the mouse button down until the CD ejects.

Hold the option key down at startup (for Mac OS X only)

1. Restart or startup your computer.
2. Hold down the option key immediately. The computer scans your system for all bootable volumes.
3. Hold down the eject key after the computer shows the available boot drives. The disc will eject.
4. Highlight the drive that you want to boot from, and then click the right arrow to continue.
 
Sonspot is right.
There are several ways of forcing a disc eject, including one on startup.
You could try that.

Be aware HD failures are quite common (I've had two), and at least one range of Seagate drives from China will be replaced free by Apple (I got one). Google that for details.
HD failures can someimte sbe recouped by software methods such as Disk Warrior I believe, but you have Time MAchine backups and luckily HDs are cheap now. I upgraded to a 320gb and kept the Apple replacement as a spare. They are also easy to swap.
I guess you'll need the disc to eject or else you'll be loading the new HD with OSX via another computer..... so get on with that.
(Wonder if you could use an external disc drive to load OSX....?)

good luck
Cheeryble
 
thank you all for the help. I was able to eject the disc after all, inserted the Leopard install disc and did a Repair Disk with Disk Utility.

that went well and I was able to boot up normally after that. Unfortunately I am still getting random shutdowns so now i'm not so sure it's the HD that's faulty? It shuts down while watching videos, or during a Time Machine backup. any idea why that's happening?


sonspot - sorry I wasn't clear, I didn't back up to the internal drive. I have a separate external drive that has Time Machine on it
 
Elphaba said:
thank you all for the help. I was able to eject the disc after all, inserted the Leopard install disc and did a Repair Disk with Disk Utility.

that went well and I was able to boot up normally after that. Unfortunately I am still getting random shutdowns so now i'm not so sure it's the HD that's faulty? It shuts down while watching videos, or during a Time Machine backup. any idea why that's happening?


sonspot - sorry I wasn't clear, I didn't back up to the internal drive. I have a separate external drive that has Time Machine on it
Click to expand...

cool, looks like your on your way, do you have a temp sensor program, if its not the HDD, it could be the CPU over heating or ram.. keep searching, good luck.
 
sonspot said:
cool, looks like your on your way, do you have a temp sensor program, if its not the HDD, it could be the CPU over heating or ram.. keep searching, good luck.
Click to expand...

I will check the temps next time it happens. it hasn't been acting up lately.. but it usually shuts down at least once/twice a day.

maybe the California heat has something to do with all this? the temps have been reaching the 100s here..
 
Elphaba said:
I will check the temps next time it happens. it hasn't been acting up lately.. but it usually shuts down at least once/twice a day.

maybe the California heat has something to do with all this? the temps have been reaching the 100s here..
Click to expand...

Bad news maybe .... I've been using a Blackbook for three years plus in Chiangmai Thailand and have never had temperature issues, and here it REALLY gets hot.

If you're still getting some probs I'd try all the repair software available (Apple stores use these programs here.....are you under warranty?) first but it's possible the HD has a kink. If you don't get satisfaction just change it and give yourself more storage as a bonus.

Cheeryble
 
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