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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Hard Drive Malfunction?

rosesanguina - Jun 10, 2005 - 9:50 pm

I am running a PowerMac G4 800mHz tower on OS 10.3.9. After a power failure the other day, I started up my computer without difficulty and let it go to sleep. When I came back to use it, it seemed to be working fine until I attempted to open up a third program (I was running iTunes and QuickTime), at which point the hard drive began making a clicking sound and the entire computer hung up. I attempted a force quit at first, but when the whole system hung up, I used the restart button on the front of the tower. When the computer started up again, the screen made it to the startup screen with the spinning wheel, but the hard drive was still making clicking sounds, so I restarted again, at which point I failed to even get a startup screen. I attempted to boot from the install CD, and when I got to the screen asking which drive I would like to install on, the options were blank. It seems the hard drive is the only problem, as the LED lights up and the fan runs and I can obviously boot from a CD.

Jeremie - Jun 10, 2005 - 10:20 pm

Nooo!!!

The poor Mac, gone before its time!!

Naah I am just kidding, but the power failure kept your Macs hard drive from putting the heads away properly and from there it kinda went downhill for your poor baby, take him or her in and have a "certified" Apple tech replace the hard drive for you, they might be able to recover the data, I am sorry..

Sorry to bring this bad news to you...
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Jeremie Bell

rosesanguina - Jun 10, 2005 - 10:40 pm

Jeremie,

There's not the possibility that the drive's just overheated and will work once the computer cools down, is there? It's just...dead?

Jeremie - Jun 10, 2005 - 11:14 pm

Well think about it, how many days has it been since the power outtage?

The way you stated it above it seemed like it has been like 2 days (im stuffed in the head by my finals so if i misinterpreted it, please dont kill me! ^_^)

Tell me if I was mistaken

Sorry for the inconvenience...
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Jeremie Bell

rosesanguina - Jun 10, 2005 - 11:20 pm

You're right, two days approximately since the power failure. I just meant that the drive itself might have been overheated since the computer's been on all day and my apartment was probably about 90 degrees. I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why the drive would work at first and then just suddenly stop working. Also, I don't know if you saw my other question, but does the fact that I have two drives in there and the computer's not recognising either of them mean anything?

Sorry to keep pestering you. Either way I'll have to take the computer in to the store tomorrow; I'm just trying to figure out what to brace myself for.

Jeremie - Jun 11, 2005 - 9:27 am

Well, the second drive should be recognized, if you could see it in the installer window...

It seems that the combination of the heat (NEVER OPERATE YOUR BABY IN OVER 70 DEGREE WEATHER!!!) and the power failure did your poor computer in...


Best of luck when you take it in...
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Jeremie Bell