iMac Hardrive failure?

[overlord20]

I just received a "broken" iMac g5. I plug it in and turn it on to receive a blinking folder in the middle of a gray screen with a question mark on it.

The guy I got it from said the "logic board" was bad, but after some research this blinking folder with the question mark screen leads to believe a bad HDD? Can anyone confirm?

EDIT: if this could be moved.. I lost the Mac forum so I thought it was deleted or something. Thanks and sorry. Spacey tonight.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Either one of you could be right. The blinking folder with a question mark just means it thinks it can't find an OS to boot to. Have you tried installing a copy of OSX on it yet? If you have and it didn't/doesn't work, then yeah just open up the iMac and replace the drive. If that fails, the logic board is shot.

 

[overlord20]

Am I able to do this with standard PC keyboard? (Never really worked with a Mac or OSX). I feel like I am learning the PC all over again (software wise).

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Yes and no. A PC keyboard will work, but the buttons are a little strange. e.g. the windows button is (I think) the command button equivalent, etc.

 

[overlord20]

I put the disk in and restart, I get nothing still a blinking folder.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Did you hold down C, or Option?

 

[overlord20]

Okay.. I held down alt, and what came up is a refresh icon and an arrow icon. Nothing happens when I click on either.

I thought I would try ubuntu or debian but I can't get the OSX disk out . I was going to duel boot Debian or Ubuntu with OSX.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Is there anything above the arrow icon? No disc or anything?
I'm thinking the guy you bought it off wasn't lying, logic board could be shot

 

[35g700]

You should be able to do a force eject of the OS X Disk by holding down the main mouse button when you turn the computer on.

I'd recommend booting from the install disk and running the Apple hardware test.

 

[overlord20]

Well, I didn't buy it so, it was just a venture. Yeah there is no disk above the arrow icon.