iMac 2010 - deleted things I shouldn’t in disk utility

I got the grey folder with the question mark when I’d deleted items out of the disk Utility. Don’t ask me what as I was click happy with my new second hand MAC. I’ve gone into recovery internet mode and I’m getting an error of the server can’t be contacted when trying to install high Sierra again. Or I get stuck on an apple grey screen with a loading screen for hours. I have 2 dvd disks with it too. I was just trying the factory reset the thing as the previous owner still had so much rubbish on there.

Earlier displays & monitors

Posted on Nov 26, 2023 9:11 AM

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den.thed

Level 10

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Posted on Nov 26, 2023 10:11 AM

A factory reset requires the superdrive to be working and the original gray disc set.

The short version is to startup from the original gray disc 1 in the iMac's superdrive.

Go to Utilities > open Disk Utility > format the Internal drive GUID Partition Map/Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Go back to Install OS X and Install the original Snow Leopard version that is on the install disc 1.

Then follow thru and install the Apple iLife App's one disc #2 when prompted.

After that update to the latest version of Snow Leopard and then to High Sierra.

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iMac 2010 - deleted things I shouldn’t in disk utility

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