Hi Ronni Yes I have tried that suggestion but nothing happened at all. No Apple icon nor question mark.
I had considered contacting Daniel but did not want to bother him on a holiday weekend. Now he has offered I'll contact him off list and see what we can sort out. Many thanks Laura On 06/06/2010, at 11:32 AM, Ronda Brown wrote: Hi Laura, Before you take your MacBook to a Service Technician. Did you try my first suggestion in my previous email? 1. Startup whilst holding the Option (alt) key. 2. Then select your Startup Drive. 3. Restart from your Startup Drive Cheers, Ronni On 06/06/2010, at 11:23 AM, Laura Webb wrote: > Ronni, Eugene, Greg and Roger > > Thank you all for your advice. > > I did have Apple Care but of course it has now expired. I was unaware it > could have been extended and will note that for future reference. I know it > is probably time for me to upgrade to a more recent model but having spent > quite a bit on replacing the optical drive and buying SL earlier in the year > I was hoping to get a bit more life from what I have. > > Starting in Safe Mode has not worked, I still just get the screen with the > question mark. > > When booting from the external HD there is no sign of the HD icon on the > screen, nor is it visible in Disk Utility, all that shows there is the > external HD. So it is looking rather ominous that the main HD might indeed > have died. Would it normally show when booting from an external drive? > > I have lost some recent work and, learning the hard way, I now realise I > should back up more often. But if that's the only consequence of this > experience then I can feel fortunate. Right now, just being able to use my > MacBook is a bonus. > > Rather than try anything else, should I now stay with the external drive > until such time as I am able to have someone check my MacBook? > > How fortunate we all are to have access to this list and to those who are so > willing to share their knowledge. I was feeling so distraught this morning, > Before thinking of using my external drive I felt there was no way to make > contact with anyone who might be able to offer help. It's easy to forget that > computers have become so much a part of our lives, until something goes > wrong!!! > > My grateful thanks. > > Laura > > > On 06/06/2010, at 10:15 AM, Roger Kortas wrote: > > Hi Laura > > 4 years is not too bad for a Hard Drive, I have had some last for over 7 > years and some just a few months!! If you had Applecare then it would be > covered for 3 years unless you have extended it? If you buy a new drive the > it would be covered by the manufacture for 1 year. To give you an example of > the cost of a new drive at the moment you can get a WD SCORPIO BLUE 500GB > 5400/8MB/SATA2 # for around $85.00 > > best regards > > Roger > > > On 06/06/2010, at 9:08 AM, Laura Webb wrote: > >> >> Thank you Ronni and Eugene >> >> I knew there was some way to start up in safe mode but could not remember >> how to do it! I've now printed out the instructions. >> >> I have to go out for a while and will then come back and try what has been >> suggested. I do hope the problem is not too dire and if it is, will >> certainly contact Apple. My MacBook is almost 4 years old but would have >> thought the hard drive would last longer than than that. >> >> Thanks again easing my pain. I'll report back a little later on. >> >> Regards >> Laura >> >> >> On 06/06/2010, at 8:54 AM, Eugene wrote: >> >> Hi Laura, >> >> all is not too bad. >> >> The mother board and memory modules are still good otherwise you wouldn't >> have got going. >> >> By the sound of it, it is down to the internal hard drive. Good on you for >> having a backup drive to boot from and hopefully with all of your essential >> documents still safe. >> >> With the computer now booting is the other drive visible? If yes, it >> probably has a corrupt file essential for running/starting up the computer, >> simply reinstall the operating system. (not so likely as it died during >> operation, as you said) >> >> If not then can you see the HD using Disk Utility? (find this in >> applications/utility or on the install disks) If yes, get Disk Utility to do >> a repair. >> >> If Disk Utility can't see the HD then the HD could have died. Apple had a >> huge amount of problems with these drives. Is it still under warranty? Even >> if it is not under warranty I would hassle Apples as there is a implied >> warranty that HD should not die even after 3 years. >> >> If they won't come to the party, 2.5 inch SATA drives are relatively cheap >> and simple to install on the MB, hopefully this will be the last resort. >> >> Regards, >> Eugene >> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >> Unsubscribe - <mailto:[email protected]> >> <(null) 4.tiff> >> On 06/06/2010, at 8:21 AM, Laura Webb wrote: >> >>> >>> 13" MacBook 10.6.2 >>> 1.83 GHZ Intel Core Duo >>> 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 5DRAM >>> >>> Last evening the screen froze so I had to switch off, expecting that when >>> re started all would be well. Not so, the chime was there but then a blank >>> whitish screen appeared and after a while a black rectangular object in the >>> middle of the screen with a question mark. >>> >>> I switched off again and hoped everything would be OK this morning but it >>> is not. The only way I could start up was to use my external hard drive >>> that I use for back ups. How glad I am to have that!! And that's how I am >>> connected right now. >>> >>> Please can someone offer some advice? It's a bit like getting sick at the >>> weekend, there are no outside resources available, and then of course we >>> also have a holiday tomorrow. >>> >>> A;though relieved that the external drive has saved the day I still hope >>> someone might be able to tell me what the problem is. I've never seen this >>> happen before. >>> >>> Regards >>> Laura >>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:[email protected]> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:[email protected]>
