Is it the system or the hard drive in my iBook G4?

Question

Walter Wedler Author

Level 2

285 points

Is it the system or the hard drive in my iBook G4?

I did every suggested Apple and discussion fix to get rid of the blinking ? folder on my iBook G4.

I was able to start up on an external firewire drive I plugged in plus on a retail Leopard DVD.

No matter what at no time I got a hard drive icon to wipe or re-install system software. Before I

go further replacing the drive and finding out that was not it (many with this problem did!), somebody

should know more than I if it really might be the drive or find the missing internal drive-icon.

I do not have the original CD for the iBook. Thank you so much for your time and patience.

W.W.

Posted on Jul 2, 2012 8:02 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 2, 2012 8:17 AM in response to Walter Wedler

Walter,

I'm pretty new with apple, but I have been doing a lot of research.

I would go to the following link, download and burn the appropriate Apple Hardware Test CD and boot up with that.

If it's clean, then you know it's not as likely to be a hardware problem!

http://www.info.apple.com/support/aht.html

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Answer 2

Jul 2, 2012 12:09 PM in response to Walter Wedler

Hello,

If it has a flashing icon on the screen when booting, then it's the iBook indicating no bootable devices found.

I would boot from the Mac OS X CD and go into disk utilities when install menu has appears

If there are no selectable drives, then you have confirmed you have a hard drive failure.

All you can do is replace the internal hard drive if that is the case.

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Answer 3

Jul 2, 2012 12:11 PM in response to TheRealAnubis

There is no Apple Hardware Test at that link for an iBook G4.

Walter,

Here is the link to Apple's suggestions on dealing with the flashing question mark:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

If you have followed all those steps, then I'm afraid you're going to have to go shopping for discs.

Which version of the OS is installed, do you know?

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Answer 4

Jul 2, 2012 12:15 PM in response to Knucklesmac

Walter has stated that he doesn't have the original system disc, but he does have a Leopard DVD from which it will boot.

It really does sound like the hard drive has bitten the dust, doesn't it?

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Answer 5

Jul 2, 2012 12:42 PM in response to Ronda Wilson

Sadly it sounds like the hard drive has become faulty Ronda, I agree.

Indeed if Walter uses the leopard DVD, he can at least get some conformation.

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Answer 6

Walter Wedler Author

Level 2

285 points

Jul 2, 2012 12:58 PM in response to Knucklesmac

Knucklesmac Ronda Wilson TheRealAnubis

Thank you for your input!

W.W.

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Answer 7

Jul 2, 2012 1:34 PM in response to Walter Wedler

Walter,

Sorry, I was sure there was an image for you iBook there...

Anyway, it really does sound like the HD. If you are interested in that hardware checker CD, go to this link and read Texas Mac Man's second post on that page:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2147175?start=30&tstart=0

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