Macbook won't boot

My friend has had her macbook for a year.. and now suddenly it won't boot. It stops in a "dos" like state, where it says localhost :/root#. Does anyone know what to do? the 1 Year guarantee just went out :S

 

unfortunate!

try putting the os x cd in and hold "c" when you start up the machine.

 

it doesn't work

 

Ouch. As masterchef said, try doing the Apple Hardware Test. Put in the OS X Install Disc 1, restart computer and hold down C as it starts up.

 

I scanned the disk, with fsck.. and it found a Invalid key index (4,23167) and that the volume couldn't be repaired..

and the C button startup didn't work..

 

Hmmm...see if she can reinstall OS X.

If not, she has to bring it to the Apple Store then...if she wants it fixed. It will cost her to have it fixed by the Geniuses, since her warranty is out.

 

She has contacted apple store.. and the genius there, said that it was probably the memory :S but after checking the harddrive, it seems to be a hard drive problem? and I can't reinstall os x..

isn't there any way to reformat the harddrive without accessing the osx disk?

 

If the check is showing a bad HD. Why not just order a new faster and bigger HD

 

if it was the hard drive, you would have been able to boot from the dvd.

it might be the memory as the apple guy suggested. luckily (if that is the problem) memory is not expensive.

 

so should I try to replace the memory? or should she get it to Apple?

 

Something similar happened to me this week end, and it was the RAM, not the HDD. Good for your friend, as RAM is cheaper and easier to replace.

 

if you have another laptop sitting around (that uses the correct memory type) try swapping the memory and see if it works.

 

Sadly I don't... so should we take a chance on new memory? or let apple get their hands on it?

 

Well, since you're out of warranty Apple will charge you to change the RAM and they'll charge you for the RAM itself also...so I'd say try some new RAM yourself. Changing RAM on the MacBook is easy, so do it yourself.

 

its possible that just one of the sticks is bad. try removing each one individually. if you can get it to boot with just one ram module in, then you know the other one is damaged.

 

ok, the sad news is that it's not the memory.. I used the memory of my own computer, which just happened to fit.. and still the same thing.. just to double check, i tried the macbook memory in my computer, and it booted without problems...

 

... your desktop computer?!?

what?

 

Think he means he tried it in his own notebook

 

I think you are right..

 

OK, update on this.. We've managed to find mac os x disks that work, apparently the first one didnt.. We try to reformat, but it stops at the second disk saying there is a problem and the process can not continue. Any ideas on this?

Apples warranty went out 6 weeks before it happened, and there have been problems before, but apple still wont extend the warranty.. But we keep at it.. someone said it might be HDD after all..

 

Yeah if it goes through part way through the disc's and then kills out it's likely a problem writing to the HDD or the discs are bad... But since the disc's weren't how the overall issue started your pretty much looking to get a new HDD. Now that's GOOD news.. Cause frankly if it was anything besides ram \ HDD it'd likely cost a whole lot more.