SOLVED: Has a flashing folder with question mark after being dropped. - MacBook Core Duo

Has a flashing folder with question mark after being dropped.

Laptop fell about four feet while connected to a projector. Surprisingly video did not go out. Beach ball came after it tried to process a command and wouldn't force quit with alt,comm,esc. Forced quit by holding power button, and then got a white screen and finally a folder with a question mark. Tried putting in the initial install disk to use the disk utility but only the optical drive is recognized. No sign of the HD

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Posted: Apr 20, 2010

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I suspect the hard drive is toast. It was running when it fell and the heads probably crashed into the spinning disk. Not good. On the plus side the optical drive is working and so is the computer. Time to obtain and install a replacement drive. Hope you have good backups. Ralph

MacBook Core Duo Hard Drive Replacement

http://www.ifixit.com/Mac-Parts/MacBook-...

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3 Comments:

On a just for grins check open up the computer and see if the connection from the hard drive to the logic board is secure. You might get lucky. Ralph

Apr 20, 2010 by rj713

Both good suggestions +1

Apr 20, 2010 by rab777hp

Agreed +

Apr 20, 2010 by mayer