Macintosh Help

Wild Karrde · Post by **Wild Karrde** » 2003-08-13 06:41pm

On startup I get the system folder with the blinking question mark. As any experienced Mac user knows that simply means the system folder can't be found by the computer. Fine, nothing the system restore cd can't fix.

Except after starting up from the cd I get the message that the HD is unreadable and needs to be initialized. So I click cancel and the HD won't mount to the desktop.

I tryed running Disk First Aid from the restore cd and this came up:

Problem: Invalid extent file PEOF, 3,0

Says the problem can't be fixed with disk first aid.

I think it might be a hardware problem because when I try starting up from the HD I sometimes get a floppy disk with a blinking question mark and it sounds like the HD is trying to spin up but it then clicks, spins down and trys again.

Any advice? I have stufff on the HD, don't want to reformat the drive if a don't have to.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-08-13 06:51pm

Sounds like your drive is either overheating or dying.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-08-13 07:28pm

Clicking is bad. HDD probably dying. Verify with Phong or Durandal though.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-08-13 07:36pm

At work, that's what I'd pronounce "fucked".

Call apple, get a new one.

(or, if it's OOW, replace yourself)

Wild Karrde · Post by **Wild Karrde** » 2003-08-13 07:48pm

Vendetta wrote:At work, that's what I'd pronounce "fucked".

Call apple, get a new one.

(or, if it's OOW, replace yourself)

It's not my main comp, it's an iMac (Rev. D) http://www.apple-history.com/frames/bod ... l=imacrevd got it from my uncle awhile ago.

I was hoping that it wasn't a hardware problem, that looks like it's shaping up to be though.

Anyway I'll wait to see if Phong or Durandal show up and say something.

Worse comes to worse, there's a friend of the family who works primarily with Macs. He might be able to fix it or atleast get a discount tp replace the HDD. It's good to know someone in the buisness.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-13 10:33pm

HDD is dying.

Anarchist Bunny · Post by **Anarchist Bunny** » 2003-08-13 10:50pm

Hack at it with a chain saw til nothing works, that should take care of the piece of shit(I was stuck with macs for many years, and about 2 years on an imac, worthless shit)

Wild Karrde · Post by **Wild Karrde** » 2003-08-13 11:24pm

anarchistbunny wrote:Hack at it with a chain saw til nothing works, that should take care of the piece of shit(I was stuck with macs for many years, and about 2 years on an imac, worthless shit)

I beleive this is in order for you:

Out of my 10 years with Macs this is the first and only major problem with one.

Wild Karrde · Post by **Wild Karrde** » 2003-08-13 11:25pm

phongn wrote:HDD is dying.

Damn. Any chance of data recovery?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-13 11:27pm

Depends on (1) how far gone the drive is and (2) how much you're willing to spend.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-08-13 11:42pm

Clicking is bad. There is a chance that Norton could repair some the drive enough for you to boot from it (or at least mount it) and copy some of your data. I've had the OS tell me that the drive needed to be initialized before, and Norton managed to repair it. However, a clicking hard drive is the sign of a dying hard drive.

Feel free to upgrade to Mac OS X afterward.

Mac haters: Suck my cock.

Thank you.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-13 11:49pm

Durandal wrote:Feel free to upgrade to Mac OS X afterward.

On a Revision D iMac? That would be painful.

Wild Karrde · Post by **Wild Karrde** » 2003-08-14 12:00am

phongn wrote:
Durandal wrote:Feel free to upgrade to Mac OS X afterward.
On a Revision D iMac? That would be painful.

Not quite, I used to have an ibook SE that ran OS X pretty well.

the 800 mhz model, my main comp.

Once I see if the data can be recovered from the Rev. D iMac and I can get it up and running again it's gonna go to my sister. I doubt she'll need OS X though, just uses the comp for the internet; it'll do fine.

Thunderfire · Post by **Thunderfire** » 2003-08-14 02:23am

Sounds like a HD problem to me we have about 2-8 dead HDs a year.
The Cobalt Blue iMacs are the worst we lost 3 HD on them this year.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-08-14 01:48pm

phongn wrote:
Durandal wrote:Feel free to upgrade to Mac OS X afterward.
On a Revision D iMac? That would be painful.

Jaguar runs quite well on them, actually, as long as you have enough RAM. Panther will probably run even better.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-14 02:41pm

Durandal wrote:Jaguar runs quite well on them, actually, as long as you have enough RAM. Panther will probably run even better.

Yes, given enough RAM. My uni's public iMac terminals don't heven have 128MB (OS X 10.2.6)

Bah, he should get one of those 500MHz G3 or G4 upgrades for that box.