Help!! Can't get past this folder icon in the middle of my screen

Question

I received an external CD driver in the mail and wanted to make sure it would plug in to my laptop, so, with the computer off and unplugged, I plugged in the USB and then unplugged it. Then, I plugged my iBook in, and powered it on.
Right after I booted my computer up, the screen came on and a little folder appeared right in the middle of the screen. The folder is small, and is alternately flashing a question mark ? and the mac logo of the little square face. The mouse wont work, pressing enter doesn't do anything.
I just got this laptop from a friend, I used the computer at a cafe with no problems, went online, downloaded open office. That was 3 days ago, and since then hasn't been touched... Until today. Now it's doing this.
School starts Monday and this has to be fixed!! I know nothing about Macs, someone help?

Answer 1

None of the white iBook G3 series would be running OS 8.6 or earlier;
the first one (dual USB, 500MHz 12" LCD, etc) shipped with OS 9.1
in May 2001 and it could also run OS X.
The older iBook G3 in colors other than white, (blueberry, tangerine,
indigo, lime, graphite) were in two series, the earlier one of those
shipped with OS 8.6; in July 1999. The second of the series, had Fire-
Wire ports and a faster CPU. It shipped with OS 9.0.4. With adequate
hardware upgrade to support OS X, the oldest colors iBook G3s can
run, respective of age, oldest model: OS X 10.3.9 or maybe 10.4.
For some better ideas on what may actually help the computer you
have, information on what it is would be of great consequence. If
you have a correct bootable installer system CD (or DVD if a later
iBook with combo or superdrive installed) then you may be able to
start the computer from the Mac OS install disc and run Disk Utility
or the equivalent, to try and repair the disk, then choose a startup
volume on the computer's hard disk drive, and restart the iBook.
Since you indicate you had tried to install a freeware Office-like app
into the computer, it would not be running a pre-OS X system.
There may be some minor damages or corruption to the data files
on the computer's hard disk drive, so a disk utility that could try
and fix them may be a solution; so hopefully you have a correct
version Mac OS system install disc and can see if inserting that
into the iBook's optical drive and try restarting while holding the
C key down, this may let you boot from the Installer; in the menu
header of the OS (X is presumed) when you see a Finder-like
menu bar, there are choices and options in drop-down menus;
one of them is to run Disk Utility.
However, not knowing what the computer model really is or
the OS version running; or if you have any correct discs for it
to try & fix this problem, about the best you may be able to do
is use some keyboard commands and try to get the computer
to look for any available startup system.
• Magical Macintosh Key Sequences:
http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html
If the computer does have a bootable OS 8.6/9.2 system
and also an OS X, you may be able to find & boot from one.
• Mac OS - *flashing question mark* (search result)
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=macos+flashing+question+mark&aq=0&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=Mac+OSflashing&gs_rfai=&fp=bcdf8cbbf06dc4f
Without more information, there is no really simple answer;
as most tools you may need to get past the problem would
have to be present for you to continue. What kinds of OS
discs and software did you get with the computer? What
model is it? (What does it look like and what part number or
model number appears on the side of the iBook's case?)
• Identify iBook model:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1772
• Locate iBook serial number:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1590
Hopefully you can get it working again by Monday...
Good luck & happy computing!