Disk Erase failed with the error- Operation timed out

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Disk Erase failed with the error- Operation timed out

I've checked my computer- Mac Book White in Apple store, everything is fine just the hard disk has been corrupted. Needed to erase and reinstall. By the time I wanted to erase it, I can't erase and appears "Disk Erase failed with the error- Operation timed out".
Anyone knows how to solve this question would be nice.
Thanks

Mac Book White, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Oct 12, 2010 1:05 PM

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Answer 1

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Kappy

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Oct 12, 2010 1:45 PM in response to dominc_tsang

How were you trying to erase the drive? This is what you should do:

Hard Drive Preparation

1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.)

2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.

3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.

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Answer 2

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 13, 2010 9:18 AM in response to Kappy

My mac has also installed bootcamp, after my mac failed to start up. I could still use Window for awhile after that it also failed to start up too. Yesterday, I tried to repair. Though it failed but when I try to fix my mac again by inserting the mac os dvd and run it, in disk utility has shown disk02 and bootcamp which hasn't shown it before just the 465.9GB hard drive that stuff. I try to erase the disk02 which is Mac System. It failed in different kind of errors like underlying task and failed to unmounting, something like that. I kept trying erasing and now it just keep loading, the mouse keep spinning whole night. For the first time I saw it has been for a while so I quit it and restart my computer and all I see is the mac disk image is gone just window is on the screen. I just don't get it, I thought I've erased but it still said unavualible in my disk02.

Any more suggestions??

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Answer 3

Kappy

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Oct 13, 2010 9:59 AM in response to dominc_tsang

Did you follow my instructions? That is did you just erase the drive or did you repartition the drive? If you cannot do both then most likely the drive is dead.

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Answer 4

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 14, 2010 1:53 PM in response to Kappy

Last night, I successfully erased my hard drive and reinstall.
After I put the Window XP dvd in it first to repair something, then I partition the HD into 1.
Unfortunately, after reinstall and I just update things as usual by using the software update. After restart my computer when it open there's a bunch of codes pop out in the apple loading screen, something like panic kernel and ask me to restart the computer, but it doesn't work so I erase my drive again and try it today again.
Do you have any thing can explain and solve this kinda problem??
Btw it works after I change the partition thanks.

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Answer 5

Kappy

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Oct 14, 2010 2:33 PM in response to dominc_tsang

It's not very clear to me what you are doing after erasing the drive. I don't understand why the Windows disc is being used. Are you partitioning the drive using GUID? Did you select the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format? Are you using the OS X installer disc that came with your computer or are you using a Leopard installer disc that was purchased retail and is a later version than the one that was originally installed when the computer was new?

If you are prepping the drive correctly, installing a compatible version of OS X, but are still getting kernel panics immediately after the installation, then you may have a hardware problem with your hard drive.

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Answer 6

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 14, 2010 4:20 PM in response to Kappy

Well I think I really did install it correctly.
kernel panic is only happen whenever I update the software. I don't know whether it was because of Mac OS 10.5.8 Combo Update.
If hardware problem, can I still fix it??

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Answer 7

Kappy

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Oct 14, 2010 8:12 PM in response to dominc_tsang

Well give this a try:

Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.

If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

Now download a utility like TinkerTool System or Leopard Cache Cleaner - VersionTracker or MacUpdate - and use it to clear out your system, user, and font caches.

And, try this for the software update issue:

Fix for Software Update

See Troubleshooting Automatic Software Update in Mac OS X.

Delete the following files:

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist
/Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist
/Home/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.xxx.plist

"xxx" is a number.

/Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate/ (delete entire folder)

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Answer 8

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 16, 2010 2:45 PM in response to Kappy

I've run the installation dvd again. In Disk Utility, I could see SMART Status says: verified.
But when I run the verify for my HD, it said:

First Aid Failed
Disk Utility stopped verifying "Mac"(my drive name) because the following error was encountered:
Filesystem verify or repair failed

This is what I see in the list:

Missing thred record (id=242862)

242869
242921
24298
242935
242943
242951
242958
242965
242972
146007

It should be 537367 instead of 537421

And when I repair it, it said: invalid sibling link

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Answer 9

Kappy

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Oct 16, 2010 3:09 PM in response to dominc_tsang

If you have Disk Warrior you may be able to repair the drive, otherwise you will have to reformat it.

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Answer 10

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 16, 2010 10:08 PM in response to Kappy

reformat? I don't think it works.
I did it twice and after updating, it just shows panic kernel.

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Answer 11

Kappy

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Oct 17, 2010 8:27 AM in response to dominc_tsang

Sounds like you may have a hardware issue. I'd guess bad RAM.

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Answer 12

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 17, 2010 8:09 PM in response to Kappy

so if I change the RAM it will be ok?
or can the RAM be fixed?

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Answer 13

Kappy

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Oct 17, 2010 8:39 PM in response to dominc_tsang

I don't know. It's just a guess, not a known fact. Might be a good idea to take it in for service.

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Answer 14

dominc_tsang Author

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Oct 31, 2010 2:47 PM in response to Kappy

I also they could take it in but they won't because I have my personal stuff so they won't take it. It would be much easier if the do so.

Anyway, my computer broke down again, I think it was the problem as last time; opening itune try to hear some music, when I skip some part it suddenly load, the arrow became the circle keep spinning. This time I waited, and the itune forced to quit but the arrow kept in the circle status, well I just ignored it and watched awhile video. After that I restarted my computer it loaded for awhile and stopped popped out "you need to shut down your computer by pressing the power button for a several seconds or press the restart button" of course with some other languages too.

Do you know anything that could help saving my computer?

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Answer 15

Kappy

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Oct 31, 2010 5:47 PM in response to dominc_tsang

Take it in for repair.

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