weird symbol......

[bananashakes18]

ok well I have a mac book pro got it like three yes ago .... I was online and got up but my foot got caught and log story short my laptop fell .From like a desk to the carpet. I'm super scared now cuz it turns on but it just stays on a blue start up screen with a little folder in the middle going from the two faces to a question mark that's all it does. Does anyone know what that means? I'm going to set an appointment to take it in but I just want to know if anyone has seen that symbol and know what it means? I'm freaking out here :(

[FlwrPwer]

Used to happen on my mini all the time. theres a key combination to press that will boot the computer up. You have told hold down a key, with the power button at the same time.

I can't remember off the top of my head. I will try and search apple.com support for you to see if I can find the key combination for you.

Do not fret though. I have seen it and gotten around it :smile:

[bananashakes18]

Used to happen on my mini all the time. theres a key combination to press that will boot the computer up. You have told hold down a key, with the power button at the same time.

I can't remember off the top of my head. I will try and search apple.com support for you to see if I can find the key combination for you.

Do not fret though. I have seen it and gotten around it :smile:.


Thank u thank u thank u I love my laptop LOL Im so scared it got messes up. But it should be fine right? I mean they can't be that sensitive right. It didn't fall that hard . Err I hope to find out what that other key is to reset it. Will that earase all my info on my laptop?

[FlwrPwer]

.


Thank u thank u thank u I love my laptop LOL Im so scared it got messes up. But it should be fine right? I mean they can't be that sensitive right. It didn't fall that hard . Err I hope to find out what that other key is to reset it. Will that earase all my info on my laptop?

Nope...never had it erase anything.

Apparently this happens when the computer cant find the system software. Keep trying to reboot it and see what happens. I'll keep looking for the keystrokes.

[FlwrPwer]

Try this:

Resetting PRAM and NVRAM
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Your computer's PRAM and the NVRAM are reset to the default values. The clock settings may be reset to a default date on some models.

Special Thanks to psylichon who helped me search :smile:

[psylichon]

You can try that keystroke combo, but the fact that this happened right after a drop doesn't bode well for your situation, unfortunately. If the disk was writing something at the time, it may be ok, and all you need to do is repair permissions (from the disk utility... if you can get it booted). However the hard drive may have taken on physical damage, in which case you'll need to get a new one (just a hard drive, not a whole notebook). Let us know how it goes...

[bananashakes18]

Try this:

Resetting PRAM and NVRAM
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second tim
Release the keys.
Your computer's PRAM and the NVRAM are reset to the default values. The clock settings may be reset to a default date on some models.
Special Thanks to psylichon who helped me search :smile:

Thanks but it still shows the same symbol. :(

[psylichon]

:(

I think you need a new hard drive.

Try booting off the install CD and see if you can run disk utility from there and fix permissions there. That's the proper way to repair permissions on a boot drive anyway.

[bananashakes18]

yeah I was jus online when it fell. I closed it when it was on and that's when it fell.

If I have to replace the harddrive.. How much does that usually go for?

[FlwrPwer]

My mini used to show that screen every time i would disconnect it from the monitor and then reconnect it. It usually took a while, but I would eventually get OSX back.

But, it also came to our attention that my hard drive was corrupted which was probably causing this.

[bananashakes18]

cd... I don't remember what cd or what I did with it... Gosh... I'll see what I can do. I might just take it in to apple and see what they say

Thank you everyone for your help. I'll post up what happened when I figure out what to do

[psylichon]

The Apple Store should be able to hook you up. Good luck with it all!

[bananashakes18]

The Apple Store should be able to hook you up. Good luck with it all!

thanks :) I'm just worried about all the files on my harddrive. Will all that me lost? I know it will huh , I'm just hoping it's not. But I well a new hard drive isn't bad.

[psylichon]

Well it depends. If the hard drive just has screwed up permissions or directory structure from being turned off while writing, it should be repairable using the disk utility (from the boot CD). If the drive took on physical damage and will not spin up, it becomes quite an expensive chore to get your data back.

Hey, here's something you can try.... turn it on with your ear down on the keyboard and see if you can hear a hard drive spinning up. If so, you may be in luck.

[bananashakes18]

Well it depends. If the hard drive just has screwed up permissions or directory structure from being turned off while writing, it should be repairable using the disk utility (from the boot CD). If the drive took on physical damage and will not spin up, it becomes quite an expensive chore to get your data back.

Hey, here's something you can try.... turn it on with your ear down on the keyboard and see if you can hear a hard drive spinning up. If so, you may be in luck.

Yes when I turn it on I hear something spinning.

[psylichon]

My prediction: You'll be just fine.

[bananashakes18]

My prediction: You'll be just fine.


:( err hopefully. thanks again for the help.

[bananashakes18]

My prediction: You'll be just fine.

well i took it into the store today. i have to replace the hard drive. He said he heard a grinding noise when the computer starts up.

I guess its ok, I was going to upgrade the harddrive eventually. But I had done that key combo that was posted on here before... i was wondering.. by me doing that did that erase all my files on my hard drive?

[psylichon]

No, that just cleared the PRAM (program memory).... nothing to do with your hard drive.

Sorry to hear about your disk, but glad that was the only problem.

[bananashakes18]

No, that just cleared the PRAM (program memory).... nothing to do with your hard drive.

Sorry to hear about your disk, but glad that was the only problem.

thanks. ok good. i have so many pictures on there that i didn't finish backing up. thats the main thing i still want from my hardrive. everything else i can get again no problem. but pictures lol cant replace those.

thanks again :) oh by the way..in order to get any files on my hardrive.. would i have to take it to a disk recovery person or whatever they are called? the genius bar guy said something about that but that its a little pricey .

[psylichon]

Yeah if the drive physically isn't spinning up, they need to remove the platters and put them in another enlosure. This sort of thing is done in a clean room with dudes in space suits looking like they're handling toxic waste. Hence the cost involved.

[bananashakes18]

Yeah if the drive physically isn't spinning up, they need to remove the platters and put them in another enlosure. This sort of thing is done in a clean room with dudes in space suits looking like they're handling toxic waste. Hence the cost involved.

ah.. i see i see. one more question... once i get a hard drive.. have it installed and all that.. will i need the system recovery disk? if so... where can i get a replacement lol.. i can not for the life of me find it. this will be my first upgrade on my mac so im just trying to get as much info as possible before doing anything lol..:tounge: