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Computer Gone Haywire- Please Help

So, I just got a macbook aluminum 2 weeks ago. 2.4 Hz, 4G RAM. This is my first apple product. I switched from a PC/windows laptop because I believed that apple makes a better product and has less problems than a PC.

During the last 2 weeks I unexpectedly got a few messages telling me that I needed to re-start, which I did. At that time I ran a First Aid check in Disk Utilities and there seemed to be no problems. I also noticed that iTunes would not quit unless I did a force quit.

Today, I tried to turn on the computer and after opening an application (internet), I got the same message that I needed to restart. So I did. After 3 times of the computer failing, it stopped turning on. After holding the power button, I get a grey screen (with apple logo) and the fly wheel spinning, and nothing else. So I tried starting up from the CD that came with it, went into Disk Utility and ran a verify disk. The following is what it said:

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking journal HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extends Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Missing thread record (id = 6814)
Missing thread record (id = 26142)
Incorrect number of thread records

Checking multi-linked files
Checking hierarchy.
Invalid file count
(It should be 544434 instead of 544439)

Checking bit volume map.
Volume bit Map needs minor repair

Checking volume information.
Invalid volume feed block count
(It should be 555702559 instead of 55509541)

Volume header needs minor repair.
The volume macintosh HD needs to be repaired.
Error: File systems verify or repaid failed.


The option to repair the disk is grayed out so I can’t use it. Apple care had me run the exact procedure without any results. They told me that I have a hard drive problem. However, because the computer is only ~2 weeks old and it was working fine just yesterday, it’s hard to believe that’s what going on. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I am not currently in the US (and will not be back until Dec 2009) and shipping it home is going to very big major problem.

Thanks for your help

Macbook

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 12:16 PM

Reply
4 replies

Jan 26, 2009 12:26 PM in response to catecholamine

You need to boot the system from the installation disks that shipped with it. Then you can run Disk Utility from the menu (Utilities, if memory serves) and you should be able to get it to attempt to repair the disk.

If it will not successfully repair, you may wish to try a more sophisticated disk repair utility such as Disk Warrior from Alsoft. If that can't repair the drive either, or you don't want to pay for a repair utility, you can try reformatting the drive and reinstalling Mac OS X. This will of course erase all the data on the drive, so I hope you have a backup of any important data. But if the system won't work now, you won't be any worse off.

If reformatting the drive doesn't work either, then you probably have a failing hard drive and will need to get it replaced. Any Apple Store or authorized Apple service center should be able to perform the repair; no need to ship the system back to the US.

Good luck.

Feb 2, 2009 12:13 PM in response to varjak paw

So, it turns out that I will have to send my computer back to the US in order to get it repaired. So, it turns out that in order to ship any electronics to the US you need to have the Name and Address of the Manufacturing site and country of origin (US form FDA 2877 Declaration for imported electronic products subject to radiation control standards). So I called Apple care for this information and they would not give me this information. They gave me a US address (I guess the main office in CA) but Fed Ex would not accept it telling me that their experience is that US customs would return the computer after inspecting in and seeing that the back of it says “made in China” and I would therefore be charged for the return shipping.

So, does anyone have the address of there macbooks are made in China? Or, does anyone have and idea of how I can get my computer home, short of me getting on airplane?

Thank you

Computer Gone Haywire- Please Help

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