computer won't turn on - funny file icon with question mark

Hi Lucy00000000 -

The flashing question mark means your computer cannot find any installed system to start up from. So I have to ask... How were things before this? What did you do recently that was different from before? Did you perhaps change a setting in the System Preferences/Startup Disc area?

If you like you can try restarting the book while holding down the 'Option' key ...then selecting a ystem from a choice given (if one is given of course).

I have the same thing but eventually the apple shows up and my MB boots up fine.
This started after I sent my MB in for the random shutdown and they replaced my heat sink.

That doesn't sound good.

Can you startup with your install CD? (insert the disc (with power on and in any state) then restart holding down the 'C' key) and then once booted from this launch Disc Utility to check your drive.

Did you have important things backed up before this happened???

same thing happened to me last week.
tried the choose boot target using the 'press c with setup cd 1' but my hdd was gone.
tried to fix the permissions etc. but my hdd still gone (make sense)

i conclude that my hdd was damaged and cannot be use again (very2 frustated that day, have a several projects going on, and haven't back it up).

my macbook was suffering from severe 8x main logic board replacement due to RSD / RSS. i think the 'ab normal' shutdown caused my hdd down to its knee.

the good part: they gave me new hdd.
the best part: they can't recover my projects & files.

hi there i had the same thing after installing a shield for my mac, it turned out that some the humidity came in and my mac wouldn't start/boot the next day, so i figured it must be the harddrive.
my solution was to get out th hd dry it's connectors and resetted properly.
never had a problem since.