[Japeda]

Hi, I recently had to restart my computer, and upon reboot, a folder started flashing with a question mark in the middle of it. I have read other people's forums, and it seems like I have to insert my System Software CD and try to fix or reinstall, but all of my disks are at my college. I was wondering if I could use anyone's disks, or if they had to be my own. I have a MacBook.
Any other suggestions on fixing this are appreciated.

Thanks.

[shifuimam]

Pretty sure you need either retail OS X CDs, or system CDs that shipped with a MacBook. I'm not sure that CDs from other systems (iMac, Power Mac, etc) will even boot.

[Japeda]

So pretty much, I need to wait until I'm back at college for my disks, or buy a new OS X disk to reformat the harddrive, correct? And also, if I do reinstall OS X, will my hard drive will be wiped, or will there still be all of my applications and music?
Thanks

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by Japeda 

So pretty much, I need to wait until I'm back at college for my disks, or buy a new OS X disk to reformat the harddrive, correct? And also, if I do reinstall OS X, will my hard drive will be wiped, or will there still be all of my applications and music?
Thanks

Use Archive and Install, it will re install OS X without wiping your HD.

[shifuimam]

Shouldn't you be able to select your boot disk from the OS X install disc?

Which reminds me - have you tried doing option+boot to see if it even sees your hard drive as having OS X installed? If so, can you boot that way?

[amazing]

There are some things you can try without having install disks.

Startup in Safe mode, by holding down the shift key throughout startup until the login screen. If this works, be sure to go to System Prefs and select your internal HD as startup.

Try running fsck -fy (involves holding the command-s keys during startup until black screen with scrolling text appears
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

When fsck reports everything OK, type:
mount -uw /
(using spaces and all)

[richwig83]

Same thing happened to mine only a week ago. If your Hard-drive doesn't show up with the install CD (disk utility) then your HD is broken!!

[Japeda]

Thanks a lot guys, I'll try doing that to hopefully not have to get new reinstall CDs.
-Japeda

[Japeda]

Alright, I've tried holding down command and S simultaneously then pressing the startup button, while continuing to hold the command and s keys, and that just brought me to the folder with the ? again. I also tried holding the left shift, starting up, still holding, and that also did nothing. I tried waiting until I first heard the startup sound then pressing and holding left shift, and I tried listening to the whole startup sound then holding left shift, and none of those worked. When I held down option and booted, the screen was completely white, but I could see and move my cursor. I don't know what to do now, any suggestions?
Thanks.

[Big Mac]

You need to reinstall the OS, at the very least. It may also be your drive.

[Japeda]

Alright thanks, so basically I've gotta take it to a mac fixer-upper store or (since my disks are at college) buy/borrow the Mac OS X reinstall disks and do it from there. P.S I'm not sure what version of OS X I have, is there any way to tell that, and do all OS X disks work on all versions of OS X?
Thanks for all your help guys. I've learned so much about my mac that I didn't know.

[amazing]

Any chance that it's still under Applecare? Because then you could take it to the nearest Apple service provider...

But it's sounding more and more like the hard drive is dead.