My iBook (700 Mhz G3) has been through a lot since I bought it in 2002. It's already had its hard drive and motherboard replaced. Now, just five months after I had it installed, the new hard drive is acting up.

My computer froze up on me as I was surfing the internet earlier today. I got the spinning beach ball. Left home for several hours and it was still spinning when I got back. I force restarted and I got the flashing question mark.

This has happened twice before. Both times I hooked my iBook to my girlfriend's iBook via firewire and started mine up as an external drive. Those two times that worked fine. I was able to verify and repair the disk and it started up correctly afterward.

This time, however, no such luck. I can, however, start up from a disk OK, and when I run Disk Utility it sees my hard drive, but it no longer has any volumes beneath it. Just looks like a generic 37.3 GB hard drive and I can't do anything to it. Can't verify. Can't repair.

I have an old version of Disk Warrior. It starts up in OS 9 and then crashes each time. So I haven't been able to use that.

I am currently working from an external SmartDisk I have set up as a boot drive. I learned my lesson about backing up last time when my other hard drive crapped out.

But, it would make my life easier if I could get my internal up and running again. Any ideas?

I shoudl mention that a few weeks ago, my hard drive was making really strange and scary noises. I repaired it using Disk Utility and it's been fine ever since. Well, until today.

Thanks for your help.

Dan
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http://shanghaidiaries.com

The odds are very good that your internal is toast. Sorry.

i think i would be buying a new drive by now too, easy enough to fit

sorry, but all the best