I very much need my computer working for college and I know just about nothing about Macs. My computer turns on and shows a flashing globe that lasts for less than a minute and then I get a flashing question mark thing. I've put in the OS X CD but the trouble is it doesn't let me click to option "archive and install" and i don't wont to lose everything. I just want my computer back...can anyone help me using some easy explanations!!!

Hi Antonia,

The way to repair your Mac is to load the disk then upon startup hold down the c key.

this will force the computer to boot from the OSX dvd.

once you are in the menu you can choose to do several thing from the utility folder.

I would firstly verify the hard disk and see if that fixes your problem or alternately if that doesn't fix the booting problem i would do a reinstall of the OSX.

OSX will see the old operating system and before doing any deleting and so forth will ask you if you want a fresh install or go over the old operating system. Haven't done this ina while but you'll get the idea of it once your there.

Choose go over the old Operating System and once your up and going all your documents and e-mails will be neatly archived into a new folder named something like old_(username)...you will find it no problem.

Best of luck with it. It's not hard

Read this link for a great step by step way of doing what i mentioned:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/suppo...

P.S If you are still daunted by it all try calling a computer person who repairs macs in your area and see if they can come out, or for you to take the unit to them.

With the exeception of replacing the Hard disk if that is at fault the job shouldn't take to long and should be reasonably priced I hope as it is just labor and not hardware.

Again Best of luck to you.
Any Society That Would Give Up Essential Liberty For Temporary Security Will Lose Both & Deserve Neither.

ok so I tried following your directions and I used the link you provided but I still have a problem. After I select the hard drive and volume, I click the options button, but they only let me choose Install Mac OS X for the first time or Erase and Install. I see the Archive and Install but it doesn't let me select that. Why?

Have you tried the disk utility features that are available in the startup screen when booting from the disk?

What did they report?

It's a little hard to make great leaps of assumptions however the disk verify tool is a good start.

If all those fail then it may be a hard drive physical problem in which case you will need to consult a technician as things get tricky if you are unfamiliar with OSX

Again best of luck with it.

Any Society That Would Give Up Essential Liberty For Temporary Security Will Lose Both & Deserve Neither.

hey...first off,thank you for all of your help so far. I'm actually in the disk utility right now and I went to Macintosh HD-First aid-verify disk-and it says "HFS volume verified." I don't really know what this even means. I am hoping this is a good thing. It says that the volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK. Is there anything else I am supposed to be doing under disk utility? thanks so much!