Power Mac G4 hard drive a goner?

Question

Hello,
My Power Mac G4 "died" last Sunday. Initially, the it wouldn't start up at all. So, after reading some suggestions on the net (I have a Mac Book pro), I changed the battery.
It booted but the question mark folder came on. I couldn't even open the CD tray. Further reading had me use the command-option-F-O during start up and I finally got the install CD in.
I booted via the CD but when I went to utilities, my hard drive was nowhere to be found! It just showed the DVD drive and a USB flash drive that I had.
I called the local Mac service shop and he said that it would take from $50-1000 to diagnose and perhaps fix the problem.
Can I salvage my hard disk? Or is it a goner?
Thanks guys.

Answer 1

To start with, anyone who would give you such a ridiculous ballpark figure of $50-$1,000 to diagnose/repair a G4 with an AWOL hard drive has lost touch with reality. Depending on which model G4 that you have, its market value may be substantially less than the upper figure quoted. The fact that the hard drive isn't detected on the bus, would likely indicate that it has an electronic and/or mechanical problem. If either is the case, none of the software solutions ("DiskWarrior" or "Data Rescue") will work, because they require a mechanically-functioning hard drive. You can check the data ribbon cable for abrasions in the insulation that may have caused a short, but that's probably a long shot. You should also check that the power connection is plugged securely into the back of the drive, even though it's typically such a tight fit, that it rarely comes loose. The possibility of unexpected hard drive failure is the primary reason for routinely backing up the data, so you only need to worry about buying/installing a replacement. Professional data recovery companies can retrieve data from the most severely damaged hard drives, but the cost is quite expensive for the home computer user. If you don't have files on the hard drive that you need to retrieve, I'd suggest replacing it with a new one. If you post back with the G4 model/processor speed that you have, a compatible replacement can be recommended.