Help

[crdean1]

Using my MB (Black, 2.0 GHZ) no problems, then froze up while on Yahoo.com, had to turn computer off. Now when it starts up, it just clicks a couple of times then gives me a folder icon with a blinking question mark. Any ideas?

Running Leopard.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Is it blinking a "network-looking" icon folder? Or just plain folder? If it's network - it could be searching for a network bootable directory. Otherwise - your boot partition may be "missing" to your mac.

 

[FJ218700]

restart with option held. See if your boot partition is recognized. If not, boot from the install disk and see f disk utility can see and repair the boot partition.

 

[crdean1]

OK, thanks for these tips, I'll try them and report back.

...the blinking icon is on the grey/white screen and is a blinking picture of a folder with a question mark in the middle.

edit: option key not working either, and getting a few click sounds upon 'power on'

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Try resetting your PRAM (search it in either here or Apple)

If the clicks are not coming from your speakers - but the hard drive itself - it *may* have failed - that is known as the "click of death". (typically a wiper/arm controller or read/write head failure will give you this sound)

Don't have kittens yet - but do keep that in mind should nothing else work.

 

[crdean1]

Thanks, I'll try the PRAM thing. I am not too worried, because I have a pb at home I can use while this thing is being looked at/ fixed by Apple; however, I have half a school project I was working on earlier that is on this computer!

I'll be at the Apple store upon opening if nothing else works; however, I'd love any other suggestions, and I'll revisit this thread when I get home in a little bit.

Edit: Thanks for your help everyone. It was the HD, they couldn't recover anything so all is lost as I do not back up this computer. So, they replaced the HD for free and because they forgot to reinstall iLife (and I had to drive back up there again), they gave my iLife 08 for free!!

 

[hardsc02]

Blinking folder etc.

Hi
I'm new to the Forums and I have a problem with my PB G4. When I turn it on I get the grey backgrounded screen with the blinking folder/question mark icon. Unfortunately, I have misplaced the reboot disc that came with the laptop as I've moved several times during the four years that I've owed this computer. When I hold down the option key while turning it on I get a different screen.

This screen still has the plain grey background but this time with two icons. The first icon is what I would call a 'skip forward' symbol similar to what one would find on a DVR television remote. The second icon is an arrow pointing to the right. Clicking on either one does nothing.

The timing this happening now is not the best. I was looking to purchase a MBP very soon. My PB has gone through a lot of wear and tear through my college years and has held up well until now. I was just waiting for the release of the updated MBP (which according to that guy on these Forums from London will be tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that). I just don't want to be out of a computer until May.

Any help on this issue would be much appreciated.
Thanks
hardsc02

 

[FJ218700]

both screens you are describing represent the computer failing to identify a startup volume.

wihout a second mac or an install disk, you are out of luck at the moment. should you find somone else with a Mac, you can start up your computer in target disk mode (holding "T" at startup), connnect it via firewire to another Mac, and try to repair your harddrive via disk utility on the second Mac, or in the least, get your data off.

 

[hardsc02]

both screens you are describing represent the computer failing to identify a startup volume.

wihout a second mac or an install disk, you are out of luck at the moment. should you find somone else with a Mac, you can start up your computer in target disk mode (holding "T" at startup), connnect it via firewire to another Mac, and try to repair your harddrive via disk utility on the second Mac, or in the least, get your data off.

Thank you for your reply. Well I do have an iMac G5 and I have the recovery disks and everything that came with it. This may be a stupid question but would that disk work in my PB G4?

 

[FJ218700]

^^ probably not, the restore disks are hardware specific, though you could use carbon copy cloner to clone the G5's drive onto the G4 if it's booted into target disk mode. get your data off first.