Flashing Question Mark and Smiley Face

Look here for starters:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042

Did you by any chance (accidentally) change the name of your Home Folder?

Joe

I've followed the steps provided and I ran into the problem of it not being able to locate the startup disk.

Also, when I first turn it on, I can hear clicking inside the mac. About 3-4 clicks and then it stops. Then I get the folder with the question mark icon.

I know my model says Powermac but I own a Powerbook G4 as well.

Hi, Larry. If you've followed the steps prescribed for Mac OS X in the article Joeuu linked above, and the internal hard drive doesn't appear at all, even in Disk Utility, then the drive has failed and will have to be replaced.

Thanks, that's unfortunate though...

...anyway to salvage things on it?

Hi Larrry. If the failed drive spins up, you can try using Data Rescue II, FileSalvage or VirtualLab data recovery software. All are available in free downloadable demo versions that will show you exactly what would be recoverable with the full commercial version. Note that you must buy the bootable CD version of any of those utilities to use it, and you must have an external hard drive large enough to accommodate all the data you want to save.

If the drive isn't spinning, or has suffered some other sort of mechanical failure that prevents the heads from moving, only a data recovery service will have any chance of saving anything from the drive, and that will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. This is why backing your data up regularly is essential.

Thanks Eww,

I'll try them out. It would only be an inconvient loss of data. Nothing huge, just annoying to reload the music. I don't back up my Powerbook but I do back up my G5.