OS X recovery disk assistant v1.0

[Kedamc]

Can os x recovery disk assistant v1.0 on a flash drive be used to fix the blinking question mark on my old white macbook? My optical drive is not working so I can not use the original installation disc. Resetting VPRAM, holding down Option key or C key did not work . . .

Model MB062LL/A - Late 2007 build
OSX 10.4.11 - Tiger

Thanks!

 

[Weaselboy]

If you make a USB recovery key with Recovery Disk Assistant on another machine then yes, that USB key can be used to boot your machine. But whether that will be of any use in fixing your ? at startup is another matter.

You can boot to the USB and try to run Disk Util to see if that helps repair your drive, but if you were just humming along and all of a sudden started getting the ? at boot, that points more toward a bad internal drive or less commonly a bad drive cable.... or even less likely a bad logic board.

 

[Kedamc]

I do have access to a newer Macbook Pro . . . You are saying I can create the recovery disk assistant from that computer that would allow me to boot to disc utilities and try to fix the problem?
I am trying to isolate the problem between software and hardware.
I did just upgrade RAM . . . but it did boot up right away after that . . . I will try putting the old RAM back in first then the RDA v.1.
If that does not bring it back then I suppose it is a fried HDD

 

[Weaselboy]

I do have access to a newer Macbook Pro . . . You are saying I can create the recovery disk assistant from that computer that would allow me to boot to disc utilities and try to fix the problem?
I am trying to isolate the problem between software and hardware.
I did just upgrade RAM . . . but it did boot up right away after that . . . I will try putting the old RAM back in first then the RDA v.1.
If that does not bring it back then I suppose it is a fried HDD

Yes, exactly. Make a recovery USB key on the other machine then do an option key boot to it on the busted machine. At least that ay help you narrow things down.

I would be surprised if it was your RAM. That ? means the system can't find the OS for whatever reason... bad drive etc.

 

[Kedamc]

Thanks!
I am following the thread at Bootable Thumb drive from recovery partition and I must admit you guys lost me . . . can you point me to a link on how to make the RDA to suit my troubleshooting purposes?
BTW - I was just getting ready to upgrade to Lion via Snow Leopard when the "do do hit the fan" . . . :\

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks!
I am following the thread at Bootable Thumb drive from recovery partition and I must admit you guys lost me . . . can you point me to a link on how to make the RDA to suit my troubleshooting purposes?
BTW - I was just getting ready to upgrade to Lion via Snow Leopard when the "do do hit the fan" . . . :\

No problem. Just run this app on the good machine with a 1GB or larger USB key and that app will make a recovery USB key for you. It does not have the entire OS on it like we were discussing in the other thread, it just puts the boot/troubleshooting tools on the USB key.