Did my hard drive die?
So, the hard drive on my PB G4 Ti (800 mhz, 512MB SDRAM, 15-inch, OSX 10.3.?) appears to have gone bad.
Issue in sum:
Disk started making a new grinding, scratchy noise -- which I have learned is mostly likely the actual disk getting scratched -- along with that rainbow pinwheel. Not good.
Tried to run fcsk, but no response. Hardware Test disk comes up clean in both quick and extended tests . But I can only run it with HD removed.
I have what is a really a two-part question:
1) Can/should I trust the Hardware Test disk, if it tells me everything is OK if it only works when I take out the hard drive?
2) If yes, suggestions for brands of new drives? And do I need to format it? Couldn't find out w/ a Google search. I have learned here that I cannot use a Serial ATA-type. I have liked newegg's offerings the best so far.
btw, the 40 GB I intially had was plenty. I just want to get this Mac going for a few months while I save for a new one. Afterward it'll be my backup computer.
-- Here are the details for your reference:
Experienced "bad" noise and pinwheel. Did not respond to force quit. Had to hold down power button. I tried running Apple Hardware test, but disk (not HD) spun for more than 5 minutes and nothing --- just the mac with a question. I tried to run fcsk with no luck.
I then handed it over to my friend who is former PC tech (yes, the caveat here is she is not a Mac tech) from one of those electronic store chains. She took out the HD and got it to spin as a slave and no hint of the grinding noise.
With the HD out, she also got the Hardware Test disk to run the short and extended test. Both came out clean.
HD put back in. When re-started, again made the grinding noise.
She diagnoses the HD as the problem and thinks it is also the source of my heat and trackpad issues. She said even if I take it in for repair, all the tech can really do is put in a new HD and she what happens -- as in let it run and see if it crashes. In that case I want to just buy my own $40-or-so HD and chance it. Perhaps this Samsung
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152501
I just read this discussion
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=845175&tstart=15.
Should I too try to run mac OSX off an external drive to test my Mac?
I am not quite as computer savvy as the user in the discussion. Perhaps I am a few steps below this, but am willing and quick to learn.
thanks in advance
PowerBook G4 Titanium Mac OS X (10.3.2)