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The dreaded flashing "?" mark folder
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Status:
Offline
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My kid's Macbook is suddenly displaying this flashing folder icon and yes, it will boot up from the install disk(s) but, there is no hard drive to repair or re-install to. My question is "If the installer and the utilities can't read the drive, is she dead?" It's my daughter's and as of now it's 2 months outside the 1 year warranty. Ideas?
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle, Washington
Status:
Offline
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Go to System Preferences, click on "Startup Disk" and try selecting OS X on whatever the hard drive is called. Then restart.
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: London UK
Status:
Offline
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Hi there,
If imitchellg5's solution does not work - try resetting the PRAM.
Hold down the following keys together at start up until you hear the second or third chime - Command(Apple)+Option(alt)+P+R - then release and let the Macbook carry on booting up. Then restart.
(Last edited by voicebox; Aug 11, 2007 at 11:23 AM.
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"If you don't like the heat, don't go in the kitchen!"
17" Core2duo MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz 4Gb/160HD Snow Leopard 10.6.8 || 15" PowerBook 1Gz 1Gb/120 HD Tiger 10.4.11|| 24" iMac 3.06Gz 4Gb/1TB HD Lion 10.7.2
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Status:
Offline
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Thanks, but, the preferences do not show any options except the installer disk and I zapped the p-ram 5 steps ago and nothing. That's why I asked "Is she dead?"
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2006
Status:
Offline
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If there is no internal hard drive visible when you run the installer, then you have a real live bad problem. Disk Warrior or TechTools would be the first step. It is worth a shot, the drive is awfully new to have totally died, although it certainly is possible.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Status:
Offline
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Sounds like a very dead HD. Do you have an external 2.5" SATA case you could try it in?
The good news is that installing a new SATA 2.5" HD is very easy. You can find good deals on SATA HD at zipzoomfly.com and buy.com and newegg.com
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Status:
Offline
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Notebook SATA drives die alot more often than the older PATA ones did. And sooner too. And with less chance of data being recoverable. Yours sounds dead. Worth asking Apple if they'll cover it, but otherwise get yourself an off the shelf replacement. I go for the ones with the longest warranty (Seagate or Maxtor gets you 5 years), but any brand will get you more warranty and capacity for your money than an Apple replacement.
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