10 month old iMac won´t start anymore properly :(

[Halamolo]

It won´t start at all or it starts and works reeeeeeally slowly at first. Like the processor would work million times slower, almost like just hangs jammed.

Sometimes after hours of trying to get it started, it will start and work normally again for a long time. But when I shut it off or put it to sleep, again it´s nearly impossible to get it started again.

The Disk Utility said, that there´s an hard drive error "invalid sibling link". I booted from the OS X installation CD and did the repair, but it said it couldn´t repair it.

Then I did this fix:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070204093925888
But again it said the same error.

Then I booted normally and checked the Verify Disk again and to my suprise it is now saying the hard drive is OK...

...BUT it still has the same problem! It just is having really difficult time waking up.

 

[bc008]

Call Apple. You are still within the 1 year warranty and it seems you have done everything you can.

 

[SaSaSushi]

I concur with bc008. It sounds like you might have a bad HDD. Having Apple replace it is probably your best bet.

 

[Halamolo]

If they would replace the Hard Drive, that would mean reinstallation of OS X, right?

So what happens all my iTunes iPhone backups, iMovie files, iPhoto and so on? How do I get all that back? Do I have to reactivate iPhone or something?

 

[Ntombi]

If you live near an Apple Store, have them do it and transfer everything over.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...even if an apple store will transfer your HDD contents to the new drive they aren't responsible if something happens, and since it sounds like you can access the HDD = make your self a back up before you go to the apple store to have them repair it...

 

[zmttoxics]

Call apple.

Buy a second external usb harddrive to backup to. If you ever do loose the iLife stuff, it is on the second disk in your 2 disk restore dvd kit. You don't have to activate the iphone once it has been activated.

 

[SaSaSushi]

...even if an apple store will transfer your HDD contents to the new drive they aren't responsible if something happens, and since it sounds like you can access the HDD = make your self a back up before you go to the apple store to have them repair it...

Yes, indeed, always have a full system backup!

I have a full backup to external HD of mine. It helps when the machine needs to be sent in to Apple for service since you can just nuke the internal HD and when the machine is returned boot from the external and copy everything back over.