Harddrive.........GONE!!!

The computer is an old Power Mac 5400/200. But Windows experts, you may know something too so please don't skip over this thread!

I slept in really late this morning (which turned out to be a bad thing) and so my little bro came in to play Elroy Hits the Pavement on it, but then my mom told him to get out because he hadn't asked me to use my computer.

She then reached around the back of the computer, found the power switch, and killed the computer right then and there. Though when I woke up we had to go to our friends house (about 30 miles away) because both our parents were going to be gone (I'm 14 and they still don't trust me )

So, when we came home about 2:45 I started up my computer because I had to finish writing a paper that is due on Monday. But, it wouldn't. The little disk with a flashing ? inside showed up, and I thought oh this always happens, the harddrive will spin up after a few seconds. But it didn't.

So then I got the System Install CD (Mac OS 8.5) and booted up from that. Once the desktop showed up a little dialog popped open and read:

This disk (the harddrive not the install CD) is unreadable by the computer. Would you like to initialize it?
Name: untitled
Format: Mac OS Standard 1.5 GB or Mac OS Extended 1.5 GB.

I was speechless. I just sat there and stared at the screen for five minutes not knowing what the hell was wrong. So I finally hit "Cancel" because initializing a disk erases the entire thing.

First I checked the harddrive cables. Ok.
Then I checked if there was anything near it that could've erased it. Nope.
So finally I decided to tell my parents. Bad idea.

Now I'm here on my parents computer trying to find out what is wrong with it! And if you say "well it's a stupid macintosh duh" I'll

The harddrive was near it's capacity of 1.5 GB at the time (only one or two MB free) so is it possible that it couldn't write anything else so it went crazy and erased the whole thing? Do harddrives DO that type of thing?

I had some legal files on there that my parents need for a lawsuit against our contractor that needed transfering to our new computer, but I hadn't done it yet. And if we lose these files it could mean something really bad for our family

[edit on 4/10/2005 by diehard_democrat]

[edit on 4/10/2005 by diehard_democrat]

Maybe a cable is unseated from the drive or to the MB

Open the case and be certain that all the cables are seated firmly.

This could have happen when your mom reached back and pulled the switch.

I'd go that route first. Could be a coinky-dink, but things do happen.

I already checked the cables:

Originally posted by myself
First I checked the harddrive cables. Ok.
Then I checked if there was anything near it that could've erased it. Nope.

And I reset the mobo, unhooked all the cables, stuck them back into place, and still nothing.

I'm beginning to think that the harddrive really did erase itself... :shk:

[edit on 4/10/2005 by diehard_democrat]

Take it to your local pc doctor! Simple as that.

IF the data is really important.
Get a copy of Norton for macintosh.
Make sure it's a version that will work on your OS.

Run the Disk doctor program...At first it may not see your disk.
if it doesn't You have to "scan for disks" (thats in the uppder menu), IF the disk is spinning, it should find it. Then let it run..
Usually the problems are related to the "catalog B tree" and it may take
a couple of runs of DIsk Doctor to fix things up..

IMPORTANT: Do NOT run speed disk! until your disk runs with no errors from Disk Doctor.


Don't fret yet!The disk and data are probably all still there.

If you have some other questions, or would like some other info, before you start...U2U me..

Space

P.S. This has worked for me dozens and dozens of times.
I support quite a few macs on my network..


[edit on 10-4-2005 by spacedoubt]

What you do with the mac is take it to your garage, take a hammer out, and smash it into little pieces. I swear, freaking macs, why anyone would use those paperweights IDK. Oh yeah, no one hacks them, but as the commercial explains, there is no need to. It was funny, it has a old rusted out yugo witha Mac Apple Symbol on it and a new shiny Jaguar with PC on the side. A guy goes up and the commercial stops, a voice comes on and says "You are going to steal a car, which one do you steal? A: Yugo B:Jaguar C:Neither" Then the guy goes and steals the Jaguar/PC. The voice comes back "Just because people don't steal your car doesn't make it better."

Or another one I had a link to it but now it won't work, be back with it soon.

Here it is

members.cox.net...

[edit on 11-4-2005 by James the Lesser]

Funny movie . I hope that guy gets hit by a bus.

Ok, so I took my iMac and installed Mac OS 8.5 onto a Zip disk (yes the whole operating system is only 85 MB) so I can use that as a startup disk on the PowerMac and use the Norton Disk Doctor CD at the same time. Though the only problem is I don't have Norton Disk Doctor...

Anyway it works just fine if you don't mind having a 100 MB "harddrive" and only 6 MB or so of free space!

[edit on 4/13/2005 by diehard_democrat]