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My MacBook Pro keeps starting up with a question mark even though I got the hard drive replaced and os x installed again!

Okay, so last night while on facebook my MacBook Pro froze and told me to **** down by pressing and holding down the on/off- button. So I did. When I started it up again it only showed the blinking question mark mentioned. By doing some research and trying a lot of not-working tips, I figured it must be the hard drive or the cable.


So today I went to an authorized mac repair store and he confirmed my suspicion. The hard drive was bad. So he replaced it with a new one, partiated it and it should be good to go for a new installation from my mac os x install dvd with snow leopard. I tried installing, but after two minutes it kept saying "unknown failure". I tried many times.


I went back to the repair store and he tried replacing the new hard drive with a second one. Maybe it was a failure on the hard drive from the fabrication. My mac could recognize the drive, but just wouldn't complete the install. Well, he put in the second one and started installing from usb. Still snow leopard. The installation went fine and I got to the part with questions about network and registration. When I got to my full name and my folders name, it froze when pressing next. For a long time. So instead I tried pressing the back button. Suddenly it froze again and I wasn't able to move neither back or forward. So I - after a loong time of waiting again - pressed the off button and shut down the computer.


When starting up it kept circling with the " wheel" under the Apple for a really long time. I loaded my install dvd and went disk utilities. The hard drive was there, but when running control /verify it went like all red. And when trying to repair it couldn't because of a failed. Not much information. SoI tried making a new partion but when doing that the old one disappeared and it wasn't able to make a new one.


Now when I start up my Mac the questions mark is blinking again! And I'm back to step 1. What happened here?? Is my mac simply ruining every hard drive attached? :S


I would really appreciate some help and opinions. The repairman is sure that it's not the cable connecting the hard drive :/


Thank you in advance, hope to get some fast help!

-Anne

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010)

Posted on Nov 9, 2012 11:37 AM

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6 replies

Nov 9, 2012 11:47 AM in response to annestenvad

Well when you see the Flashing Question Mark it's the firmware telling you it can't find the bootable OS it's supposed to boot from.


It might have forgotten it or it might be trying to boot the wrong one, or one that doesn't exist anymore.



Hold the option key down while booting up, you'll get a selection, pick the boot drive and once in, set Startup Disk in System Preferences.


You might be having other hardware issues.


..Step by Step to fix your Mac

Nov 9, 2012 2:35 PM in response to annestenvad

annestenvad wrote:


I'm not able to run a test myself, right? I'm definitely going back to the repair store tomorrow!


Wrong! Check out KB Article: Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test



Personally, I would not be running no test. Apple has a 90 day warranty on all their repairs. Return your computer to the repair shop but this time.......



When it’s time to pick up your computer from the repair shop:


*** Before you leave the repair shop, make sure you have the repair tech(s) power the comp up and demonstrate that it is indeed working & repaired properly too your satisfaction.***

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My MacBook Pro keeps starting up with a question mark even though I got the hard drive replaced and os x installed again!

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