Macbook dropped, trying to re-install OSX but won't read HDD

Hi, just dropped my macbook a couple foot onto a hard surface. It doesnt go past the screen with the apple logo and cog so I tried putting in the OSX disk and rebooting holding C, All goes well until it gets to the part where it asks to choose a place to install the software, the HDD doesnt show up.

Any advice before I take it in to Apple?
Many Thanks.

Sean.

I'd be willing to bet your hard drive just needs to be reseated to the connector. What revision of the MacBook is this? Plastic or aluminum? Approximate age?

Sounds to me like you may have damaged your hard disk drive.

It's unlikely that your had disk has become loose or dislodged from it's connector as they are normally screwed in to place - but it's always worth a check as you never know your luck.

HelpdeskRules said:

Sounds to me like you may have damaged your hard disk drive.

It's unlikely that your had disk has become loose or dislodged from it's connector as they are normally screwed in to place - but it's always worth a check as you never know your luck.

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On the plastic MacBooks, it's held in place by friction (rubber rails). It wouldn't be easy to do it, but it's possible to get it to dislodge enough from the SATA connector that it wouldn't be recognized.

cwa107 said:

On the plastic MacBooks, it's held in place by friction (rubber rails). It wouldn't be easy to do it, but it's possible to get it to dislodge enough from the SATA connector that it wouldn't be recognized.

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I guess it's true when people say that you learn something new every day!

HelpdeskRules said:

I guess it's true when people say that you learn something new every day!

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It helps that I just finished replacing one for a customer with an early 2008 white MacBook last night

Hi, its the black macbook, about 4 years old, plastic. I have taken out the harddrive via the white plastic tab and re-inserted it, also checked RAM. All looks ok, but still no luck. I'm guessing HDD is damaged, is there any point in trying to take it apart myself? Maybe something just came loose?

Thanks again, sean.

cryingoutloud said:

Hi, its the black macbook, about 4 years old, plastic. I have taken out the harddrive via the white plastic tab and re-inserted it, also checked RAM. All looks ok, but still no luck. I'm guessing HDD is damaged, is there any point in trying to take it apart myself? Maybe something just came loose?

Thanks again, sean.

Click to expand...

The header that the drive seats into has a lead that runs to the system board. Theoretically, it could have come loose as well at that end. But that would require more substantial disassembly.

Check out repair guides at:

iFixit: The free repair manual

And helpdeskrules is right - it could easily just be a bad hard drive. If that's the case, you won't know unless you replace it.

cryingoutloud said:

I'm guessing HDD is damaged, is there any point in trying to take it apart myself? Maybe something just came loose?

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Hard Disks tend to be air-tight as even something as small as a smoke particle can cause your hard disk to fail if it gets under the read/write head.

A hard disk isn't generally repairable I'm afraid so if it is the hard drive then it's time for a new one.

They can only handle so much shock and dropping it on the floor causes quite a lot of G-Force on your drive.

Out of curiosity was it powered on or off when you dropped it?