Dead HDD?

[dpark27]

Hello all,

I am currently getting a gray screen with a folder and question mark. I have tried resetting the PRAM and when I hold down the option key, no drives show up at all. I also can't boot into OS X in safe mode. I don't hear a clicking noise that you usually get from dead hard drives. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

The "clicking" of a hard drive only occurs if the hard drive fails in a certain way. There are numerous ways a hard drive can die, and only one of them produces a "clicking" sound.

Another symptom of a failed hard drive is the inability for the computer to "see" the hard drive.

If the drive is properly connected and powered inside the computer, and the computer fails to "see" the drive, then I believe one of the following to be the case:

1) The computer's IDE/SATA bus that the hard drive is connected to has failed, or...
2) The hard drive has failed.

If (1), then it's time to look into repair of the computer. If (2), then it's as simple as replacing the hard drive with a new one, reinstalling OS X, and restoring your data from the backups that you keep.

Boot form the hardware test CD that came with your computer (or Google how to run a hardware test on your specific model Macintosh) and see if any errors are reported.