MacBook Pro 17" 2006 Weird Boot Issue PLEASE HELP!!!

[adamisapple]

I just got a beautiful MacBook Pro 17" (2006) and It does this weird thing when I turn it on. It shows an Apple Logo, then a Progress Bar (But it only fills to 5% then disappears) and then the Spinning Icon below the Apple shows up and nothing happens. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Adam

 

[JohnDS]

What operating system are you using?

 

[adamisapple]

OS X 10.6.x Snow Leopard is as specific as I can be as I haven't actually seen the Desktop yet.

 

[JohnDS]

If you still have the Snow Leopard DVD, then boot from it by booting while holding down the C key. Then choose Disk Utility. When the disk utility window is open make a note of the S.M.A.R.T. status in the lower right hand corner. If it is anything other than "verified", your hard drive is dying and needs to be replaced.

Next choose Repair Disk and see if Disk Utility can repair the disk. If it can and the S.M.A.R.T. status is "verified", see if you can reboot normally.

If the S.M.A.R.T. state is not verified, shut down and do not start up again until you have an external drive available to make a back up of your drive.

You can download the old version of Carbon Copy Cloner, ver. 3.5 to clone your drive: http://bombich.com/download

 

[adamisapple]

Unfortunately I do not have the CD as I bought this MacBook Pro online and do not have a copy of Snow Leopard myself.
-Adam

 

[JohnDS]

In that case, follow the instructions here: http://osxdaily.com/2013/08/07/how-to-repair-a-mac-disk-with-fsck-from-single-user-mode/ to use the command line to try to repair the hard drive.

By the way, do you have a backup of your hard drive?

 

[adamisapple]

I did try that and it said "Modified Macintosh HD" but still the same issue. I don't have backups because I just got it today.
-Adam

 

[CoastalOR]

Since you collect Apple computers you could try connecting to the 17" MBP via Target disk from one of your other Macs and test the MBP internal drive.

 

[adamisapple]

Since you collect Apple computers you could try connecting to the 17" MBP via Target disk from one of your other Macs and test the MBP internal drive.

I don't have a firewire cord, so it won't work.
-Adam

 

[JohnDS]

Target disk mode is an excellent suggestion, but if you just got delivery today, I suggest you return it to whoever sold it to you and ask for a refund.
[doublepost=1456179812][/doublepost]If you don't have as system DVD and won't buy a firewire cable, you are pretty much out of options unless you want to take the drive out of the Mac and put it into an external USB case.

 

[adamisapple]

It was working in all pictures, and was tested before shipping. Im thinking the drive bracket came loose during shipping. This happened to my MacBook Pro 2012. Ill have to open it up later to check it out.
[doublepost=1456180113][/doublepost]Also ill add that when I hold Option during boot my only option is EFI Boot. No Macintosh HD.
-Adam
[doublepost=1456180214][/doublepost]After work Ill also pickup a firewire cable and try that before disassembling the whole thing

 

[adamisapple]

So I took the hard drive drive out and plugged it into my Newer MacBook Pro, and ran FirstAid, then put it back in. Works perfectly! Thanks to everyone for all your help!
-Adam