Have Virgin Media Broke My Macbook (Safe Boot Issue)

Hey guys

Hoping someone can help me. I am pretty annoyed that my beloved macbook aint working.

I had internet issues with virgin where the speeds were rubbish. I called their tech support who went through a lot of unnecessary rubbish!

One of the things they asked me to do was a safe boot, and they talked me through how to do it. They asked me to turn off the computer and then turn back on whilst holding shift. I have read since that this may not have been entirely accurate and the timing of holding down the shift key is important.

Since that event, I closed my laptop screen as normal and have been unable to start it up since. The battery is charged but I have also plugged in the power cable to be sure. It gets to the blue screen with the apple and progress wheel then just dies. Tried a few times, normally and safe boot and the same happens.

Can anyone tell me how to fix this, or if this could have been a result of an incorrect safe boot. Any help would be very much appreciated as I have pics of my children on it as well as important work.... Haven't backed up in a while either!

Many thanks

Virgin's tech support, what a bunch of idiots they are.
I would get your install disc and run disc utility from there. Verify permissions and then your HD, and go from there. It should sort any issues and get you back running.
If not come back to us.

Thanks mate, will give it a try.

Do you think it has been Virgin misinformation that has caused it?

Well I can't for the life of me think why they would suggest you needed to do a safe boot to rectify a broadband speed issue.
They need to fess up and admit that the Superhub is junk.
Anyway, we'll tackle the speed issue after you get back up and running.

Hiya

Just managed to get round to this and not had much luck.

I started up from install disk and opened disk utility. Went to first aid but the verify permissions button was ghosted out and could not be selected. Clicked both repair and verify disk buttons but they both failed numerous times.

Please help!

It sounds like your hard drive may be dead, which coincidentally may have happened at the same time as the Safe Boot, but may not be caused by it. Run the hardware test to see what it reports (press and hold the D key as you boot with the install disc in the drive) Apple Link

Did the test and it dont look good. Got the error message:

4HDD/11/40000004:SATA(0,0)

From my investigations on line I guess this means the hard drive has died.

Is this right... any way to get the stuff off it?