Mac is making a whirring sound and screen is blank

My 2008 desktop Mac started making a loud whirring sound in the middle of the right when it was left on. It was turned off at the wall switch and when turned on in the morning, it started reving up with the same whirring sound and the screen was blank. After on for a few minutes, a file folder icon appeared in the middle of the screen with a large question mark in it. Mashing some buttons on the keyboard did nothing. Had just upgraded to Snow Leopard. Any suggestions?

Startup – Question Mark
Startup Issues - Resolve
Startup Issues - Resolve (2)

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Do 2-3 SMC resets and see if this takes care of the problem. If it does not then book an appointment with your local Apple Store to have it looked at by a Genius.
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http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2354
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Mac is making a whirring sound and screen is blank

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