Hi My Mac Book Pro died on me yesterday and now when I try to start it up the apple logo comes up as normal and the spinning circle starts rotating as normal, then suddenly the screen goes blank and the machine is dead again. I have tried starting with the battery removed and I get the same results, can you help? Regards John

1. Restart.
2. Press F2 key couple of times
3. Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
4. Reset SMC. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Choose the method for:
"Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
If this does not help, contact Apple.
Cheers

See if you can start your Mac in safe mode:

Shut down your Mac and wait 10 seconds.

1. Press the power button.
2. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold down the Shift key. You should press the Shift key as soon as possible after you hear the startup tone, but not before.
3. Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple logo and progress indicator (spinning gear).

To leave safe mode, restart your Mac normally without holding down any keys during startup.

If you can boot in safe mode, you have something on board your computer that's interfering with startup. If you've recently installed software, system extensions or 3rd party preference panels (Adobe and Microsoft stuff is notorious), try to disable or de-install it. If you can't get booted in safe mode, you may have a hardware or memory problem that might require technical repair. Repost your progress.

Reset the PMU!

Unfortunately, this sounds like a problem with your hard drive/ logic board. To Fix This You Will Need To Go To The Apple Store And They Will Most Likely Have To Replace Or Repair It. the Process Takes About 2 Days - 1 Week (Just To Set Expectations.) :(

You will need some install disks to even begin working on your issue.
Your options:

• Find someone with the same model MacBook Pro and borrow the disks.
• Buy a copy of Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6) and use them. If you are going to buy a set you might as well update to Snow Leopard (10.6)
• Check eBay for install disks but make sure they are for the same model MacBook Pro.
• Contact an Apple service center and purchase a replacement set of install disks.

Once you have a install CD, I would recommend backing up your system by making a disk image of the hard drive to an external drive. Then doing a clean install and then using the Migration Assistant to restore your user files to the clean install on your hard drive.

Check for a failing hard drive<br> <br> Trying booting from the Mac OS X install disc. insert the Mac OS X install disc. press the start button, while holding down the "C" key on the keyboard<br> <br> Once you are running from the disc. go to Disk Utilities select the hard drive click the "repair permissions" button at the bottom.<br> <br> If you get any red errors listed or it doesn't seem to finish repairing the permissions you have a failing hard drive and it will need to be replaced.

Remove the RAM chips and re-insert. Now try.
Go to System Preferences, Accounts, click on your user account, then click on login items and select all the choices, and then click on the - icon box. Now try this thing out. Nothing still? Shut the thing down and wait 5 seconds. Now remove your battery and make sure your AC adapter is not plugged in. Now press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. Now put back in your battery and plug back in the AC adapter and power this beast up. Any luck? No? Power down and wait 5 seconds. Now press the power button and immediately press the apple logo key-option key which is next to the apple logo key-the P key- and the R key at the same time. Wait for 3 bong sounds and then you can release the keys. Still nothing? Your fu.kd bud, because you got an expensive paper weight. You gonna have to repair or replace the logic board.

Try to reset the PRAM and SMC follow the Process in Apple webpage.If still the issue persist try removing the Ram and check with a good one if you have any.this should solve the isue.If still the issue arise then it can be a logic board problem

This could be an issue where you may have a few Startup items in your StartupItems folder in your System Library which may be affecting your Macbook's startup.

So I recommend you boot your Mac into Safe Mode to see if you can't remove a possible folder(s) that may be affecting your Mac's start up function.

Try these steps:

-SAFE BOOT MODE-
• Reboot your Mac
• Upon restarting your Mac, press the Shift key.

• Hold the Shift key until you see a White Screen with Gray Apple icon and eventually a spinning gear.
• When you see the Spinning gear, release the Shift key.

• Allow the Mac to continue booting up. Also this may take a little while.
(NOTE: this may take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to load to the Safe mode screen depending on the performance of your Mac, but if it exceeds this time, shutdown your Mac and try just once more. It may have just frozen up the first time around for you.)

• You are going to enter the Safe Mode (which looks like your main desktop environment the only difference is certain start up items are disabled.)

• Once within the Desktop in Safe Mode
• From the Finder Menu, click Go> Go to Folder
• Type in this line: /System/Library/StartupItems

• This path, is going to take you to the System Library folder which has all of your Mac OS X Startupitems.

• Remove all of those folders to the Trash.

*Reboot your Mac normally and see if you can access your normal User desktop environment.
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Let me know if this helps!

Regards,

-Mactechtrainer

The flashing folder with hard drive symbol is telling you that the computer cannot find a bootable system folder (operating system). This could be because the hard drive is working properly, or the operating system folder has become corrupted. Try booting up from the system CD or DVD that came with your Mac Book Pro and see if it can repair your hard drive.