Is it the system or the hard drive in my iBook G4?

I did every suggested Apple and discussion fix to get rid of the blinking ? folder on my iBook G4.
I was able to start up on an external firewire drive I plugged in plus on a retail Leopard DVD.
No matter what at no time I got a hard drive icon to wipe or re-install system software. Before I
go further replacing the drive and finding out that was not it (many with this problem did!), somebody
should know more than I if it really might be the drive or find the missing internal drive-icon.
I do not have the original CD for the iBook. Thank you so much for your time and patience.
W.W.

There is no Apple Hardware Test at that link for an iBook G4.
Walter,
Here is the link to Apple's suggestions on dealing with the flashing question mark:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
If you have followed all those steps, then I'm afraid you're going to have to go shopping for discs.
Which version of the OS is installed, do you know?

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Gareth
< Edited by Host >

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Is it the system or the hard drive in my iBook G4?

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