Enable journaling can't be selected

Question

Enable journaling can't be selected

my early 11 mackbook pro 15 inch with 8gb ram crashed.

Started up from another hard drive.

My main hard drive doesn't seem to be screwed, just the system.

I was going to replace the Snow Leopard system but it said it couldn't be installed on the hard drive because journaling wasn't enabled.

Opened Disk utility, opened file but enable journaling is grayed out.

Puzzled because the system was installed from the factory. Why didn't they have to enable journal to install it originally?

Does anyone know how I can get the enable journaling entry to become active. OR does anyone know how I can get around this without erasing the whole drive?

Thanks,

Diderot

MacBook Pro, 8 gig ram, HDD, 2.3 gigahertz

Posted on Jun 10, 2011 12:32 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

musicspirit

Level 3

578 points

Sep 24, 2017 3:20 PM in response to Richard Davis6

I found the answer - I am sure this is the problem with all of these queries ( see my same query below).

When you get the drive it is formatted for Windows - hence Mac Journal option cant recognise it.

The actual message that Disk Utility gives is wrong - it asks you to quit and select 'Enable Journaling' but in fact that is always greyed out...

.. Until you select "Erase' in the options of Disk Utility bar - once you do this, it erases the Windows format from the drive ( it takes a very short time!) and then you are able to do whatever you want, select what kind of journaling and partition etc

HTH !

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Answer 2

Jun 10, 2011 2:26 PM in response to Richard Davis6

Disconnect all devices from your computer when troubleshooting if you have not already done so.

Boot up from your install DVD and run "Repair Disk" from the Utility menu. When done, restart back to your desktop, repair permissions and restart your computer.

Open up Disk Utility. Are you able to enable journal now?

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Answer 3

Jun 11, 2011 11:11 AM in response to Richard Davis6

the computer is less than a month old

I'd particularly like to narrow down the conditions that cause the problem so I could try to avoid the scenrio.

You have 90 days of free phone tech support plus your MBP is still under it's one year warranty. Suggest that you take full advantage of your warranty. Let Apple tech support deal w/it. And since you want to know exactly what is wrong, ask the repair techs. Only they can tell you after your MBP is physically examined.

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Answer 4

Sep 24, 2017 8:30 AM in response to rated pilot

I have been through this thread and have the same issue with a Seagate Backup Plus Hub .. cannot 'enable journaling' and cannot partition the hard drive... Enable Journaling greyed out

Any suggestions much appreciated

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Answer 5

Jun 10, 2011 12:42 PM in response to Richard Davis6

Richard Davis6 wrote:

Opened Disk utility, opened file but enable journaling is grayed out.

Diderot

It's suppose to be greyed out and your format should show the following:

Format : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

You did not indicate what your format showed.

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Answer 6

Jun 10, 2011 1:33 PM in response to Richard Davis6

Using Disk Utility, the format on the disk that came inside my MacBook Pro identified as Mac OS Extended.

There is no parenthetical note about journaling after that.

Do you know how I can get the option for journaling under the file menu to become activated so I can enable journaling? The option is grayed out at present.

Thanks,

Diderot

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Answer 7

Jun 11, 2011 5:51 AM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Thanks Baby Boomer for your attempt at helping me.

I got a message that I could not repair the disk using Disk Utility. Besides, in the meantime I had been rounding all my software up again and when I determined I had it all in one place for reinstalling, I decided to just erase the hard drive and reinstall the System and other programs.

So hopefully, it will solve my problem.

I'm still troubled however, since the hard drive, like the computer is less than a month old and I believe it may be a lemon since it crashed and burned for no apparent reason. I wonder if it will do it again. I have also been running across reports from other people with early 2011 MacBook Pros with Snow Leopard who have had the same problem.

Anyone know more? It seems that it happens when the computer has been idling or asleep for some time. People come back to the computer to find the screen black and that the computer is dead. And when they try to restart it first seems it will startup fine but then the screen goes black and the computer dies.

I'd particularly like to narrow down the conditions that cause the problem so I could try to avoid the scenrio.

Thanks again,

Diderot

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Answer 8

HeyRob

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2011 5:54 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Sorry, can you clarify: If the format says "journaled," that means that journeying has been enabled already?

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Answer 9

Nov 26, 2016 9:56 AM in response to Richard Davis6

I have a Lexar 16GB USB external disk that had the same problem. Solution: (1) Unmount the volume you want to program. (2) Then, go to File and you will find that Enable Journaling is activated.

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