Help with FLASHING QUESTION mark when starting the mac

Hi All,
My mac just froze,i had to do force shut down,when i restarted it i had the flashing question mark.Did all the instruction that are given in the site:restarting with the installation CD and then using the *disc utility*-BUT i could not find the hard drive that i need to do the "repair disc " on.So i did what the document said and i reset the PRAM-still my hard drive does not show up in the disc utility.I also tried to reset the SMC but again -same result.
please please try and help me,is my HD doomed? is there anything else i should try?

I have the exact same problem.
Today, when I turned my macbook on, it was so slow, that I decided to restart it. When I turned it on again, I got the folder with a questionmark in it on the display. Tried to put the installer CD in, but it couldn't find the HDD. Ran the Disk Utility, which said: "Invalid node structure" and "Invalid record count".
I think the HDD is "destroyed", because it makes strange sounds. But how? And why?
The Macbook isn't even a year old.
Any help?

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Choose Macintosh HD (your normal startup disk drive) and click the right-arrow.
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Hello!, I have a MacBook Pro but there was a flashing question mark when I start the MacBook, it does not go away, I have read the tips on you all site, but I can't find anything, it is for the Mac, not for a MacBook. Can anyone help me please?? Thanks!

Question (?) Mark, Blinking Folder, or Gray Screen at Startup
These are related but not identical issues. Their causes are outlined in Intel-based Mac- Startup sequence and error codes, symbols. Solutions may be found in:
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
Mac OS X- Gray screen appears during startup
In most cases the problems may be caused by one or more of these:
Problem with the computer's PRAM - See Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.
Boot drive's directory has been corrupted - Repair with Disk Utility.
Critical system files are damaged or deleted - Reinstall OS X.
The disk drive is physically non-functional - Replace the hard drive.
Note that the information I have provided is what Apple recommends, If other users suggest different solutions than found here, then be sure what they recommend does not impact on your warranty, if any, or ability to get continuing Apple service.
Please don't start removing drives or changing cables unless you know what you are doing and have exhausted other non-invasive alternatives outlined here. If you perform any work yourself that is unapproved by Apple, then you will void any warranty you may have and lose all further Apple Support.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
The main difference if you are using Lion or Mountain Lion is that you must first boot from the Recovery HD. Simply boot from the Recovery HD to perform the above.
Reinstall Snow Leopard Without Erasing The drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
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If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
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