I can't get into my Apple computer.

My Imac PC continues to cycle through startup over and over and over, and never actually starts! I ran first aid on container 2 - Macintosh HD and got an error message - "object map is invalid". What does this mean and how can I fix this? THANKS!

Posted on Nov 10, 2023 2:06 PM

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10 replies

Nov 11, 2023 10:14 AM in response to 74hallord23

Well I am fairly certain the computer has suffered a hardware problem and needs to be repaired or replaced. If the computer is older than a 2019 I would recommend a replacement. You can try the steps in the link that Den.Thed suggests first though. If the computer is still not working the next step is to take it to your local Apple Authorized Service Provider to be professionally diagnosed. If you have been using Time Machine to backup the computer then your data is safe and you can use that to restore your data if you need to replace the computer. If you have not been backing up then there is a pretty good chance all of your data is gone permanently.


In the event you don't know of any Apple Authorized Service Provider's in your area you can use Apple Authorized Service Provider Locator (AASP) & Genius Appointment or you can call AppleCare and they will tell you where one is located in your general area. In the USA that phone number is 800 275-2273 and if you are located outside the USA please click AppleCare Contact Info to find the phone number for your area.

Nov 11, 2023 10:27 AM in response to 74hallord23

The errors you are getting are telling you the internal HD has failed. That means your data on it gone and you cannot backup after the fact, backing up is something that needs to be done daily. If you have not been backing up using Time Machine or some other method the only recourse to get your data back is to use a data recovery service however for most people that is very expensive, well into 5 figures for a partial recovery. This is why backing up using Time Machine is critical, to safeguard your data in the event of computer failures.


If you are not familiar with Time Machine then please click Back up your Mac with Time Machine, this only requires an external HD to backup to. Many experienced users on these forums prefer the OWC Mercury Elite Pro series of drives due to their high quality, reasonable cost, and the level of service offered by the vendor. Please do not use "Walmart" quality EHD's such as WD, Toshiba, Seagate, LaCie etc due to their high failure rate.


Best of luck.

Nov 11, 2023 5:05 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Hello. Thanks for replying. Not sure what you mean by "colloquial phrases"? I am NOT tech-savvy at all. I went online and followed a process recommended.


Anyway, when I turn on my computer, the screen is all white. Then the Apple icon appears, as does the progress bar. The progress bar begins to advance to the right and takes 20 minutes to reach the end! Once it's there, it does nothing for several minutes. Eventually, a message appears saying something like the computer has to restart due to a problem, and then the whole process starts all over again. And again. Without me doing anything. Until I just shut it down.


I then followed the steps to try to find and repair whatever the problem was. It involved selecting "first aid" when checking disks/volumes. When doing so, 1 volume (Macintosh HD) in Container Disk 2 resulted in the following:

first aid process has failed

error:(oid 0x28a441) om:btn:dev_read_finish(2663489, 1):Input/output error

object map is invalid

The volume /dev/rdisk2s5 could not be verified completely

file system check exit code is 8

Restoring the original state found as mounted

file system verify or repair failed. :(-69845)


I hope all that helps.

Thanks!



Nov 11, 2023 5:21 AM in response to den.thed

Thanks! I did look at that link and that's the process I followed to perform first aid in Disk Utility, which resulted in the error message I provided. It then says that if Disk Utility finds an error it cannot repair, then I would need to use Disk Utility to erase (format) the built-in startup disk of my Mac! So, I would have to backup all my files before that.


I was hoping that there was another way to address/fix the problem other than this drastic approach. If not, I will have to go further and find out exactly how to back up my files (considering I can't get into my computer directly), and then how to erase (format) the startup disk.


Thanks for your help.

Nov 12, 2023 8:48 AM in response to 74hallord23

Data recovery services are extremely expensive. You are about to learn why doing backups every single day is critical. Many experienced users on these forums make redundant backups, why because backups can fail too so when it comes to your data, redundancy is a very good thing. Would you trust your bank if you knew they did not backup????


Apple has made backing up as simple as they can by including Time Machine in Mac OS, all the user has to do is get an external HD, format it and Time Machine does the rest. Checking your backup regularly (about 1x ever 2-4 weeks) is smart too, just restore a file to verify that Time Machine is working okay.


I'm very sorry you are likely going to learn a tough lesson but I'm sure moving forward it won't happen again.


Best of luck!

I can't get into my Apple computer.

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