Hard Drive Dead

Hello! I am new to this forum and was wanting to find out something about my old computer. Sorry if this thread is in the wrong place.
First off my machine:
Powerbook G4 17- aluminum
1.5GHz/512MB/80G/Superdrive

My hard drive has gone out and I am going to order a new one that is the same as the stock one and remove and install a new one. Once this is done will I need to get OSX from someone? I have a friend that is a mac programer and I can get an OSX from him. Is it hard to install? Will I be able to do this all on my own? I found a step by step video to help me remove and install a new hard drive. Is this all I need to do to make my old computer work?

yamaha said:

Once this is done will I need to get OSX from someone? I have a friend that is a mac programer and I can get an OSX from him.

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Your supposed to obtain your own OS install disk...not from a friend.

yamaha said:

I found a step by step video to help me remove and install a new hard drive. Is this all I need to do to make my old computer work?

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If all that is wrong with your old computer is a dead hard drive...yes...that is all it should take (a new HD & OS install).

Otherwise we have no "crystal ball" to know if there is something else wrong with it...so it's very hard to answer this question with 100% certainty.

Good luck,

- Nick

Nick answered all pretty much but was wondering, what symptoms does it have to tell you it's the hard drive? Just curious.

dtravis7 said:

Nick answered all pretty much but was wondering, what symptoms does it have to tell you it's the hard drive? Just curious.

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Probably a good question...ya never know!

- Nick

Alright i wil buy my own... Haha. Although I do have an old one 10.5.6 is that to old? The symptoms are constant grinding and clicking noise when I turn the computer on. It is right where the hard drive is on the left of the mouse pad. And also when turned on it goes strait to a grey, blue screen and does not do anything. No mouse no nothing.

The grinding for sure sounds like the drive is dead. It's sure old enough! If you let it sit on a bit does the PB ever come up with the gray screen with the Disk Icon?

yamaha said:

Although I do have an old one 10.5.6 is that to old?

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Not when you consider that the laptop is "old"...and OS 10.5.8 is the max. it can run.

yamaha said:

The symptoms are constant grinding and clicking noise when I turn the computer on.

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That does sound like a bad hard drive.

- Nick

Thanks for your help! I am already loving this forum.

dtravis7 said:

The grinding for sure sounds like the drive is dead. It's sure old enough! If you let it sit on a bit does the PB ever come up with the gray screen with the Disk Icon?

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No. It just stays at the gray, blue screen and makes those noise.