Clean reinstall Mac OS X
I have an iMac 27" 3 years old upgraded to Snow Leopard November 2010 all software updates current recently started experiencing problems with the following, when using Aperture 3 the system would slow down considerably, I would get the swirling colored ball endlessly unable to complete tasks I was trying to have done. Trying to close program and restart computer was not possible. Had to force quit application regularly and that would even get stuck in the process. Screen sometimes would go gray or white depending on what I was trying to do or what I had open. Then when I was finally able to close applications and restart computed I would get the flashing question mark. I had to do the powering off reset process regularly. I did notice that the back of the computer was getting much warmer to almost hot when the computer functioned in this manner. The fan turned on two times in the past month, this startled me as I did not know what the noise was at first, I thought I was loosing my hard drive at first. I read more discussions on troubleshooting Mac OS X in the past two days I am about ready to throw the thing through the roof! I have watched every YouTube video on complete operating system erase,formatting and reinstall. I backed up my system to an external hard drive and completed a complete secure system erase. I have attempted to reinstall my operating system as a clean install with the original operating disks when the system was purchased. Three attempts failed repeatedly, after carefully tracing and retracing my steps I brought the system to Apple Genius yesterday to see if there was something I was missing. My system was checked out and I was told it was not a hardware problem and that everything was completely wiped out and I should be able to make a complete reinstall without a problem. My start up disks at time of purchase were OS 10.5. I was told by the genius I could skip this and just use the start up disk from when we upgraded to Snow Leopard last November using OS 10.6 and do a software update check after reinstall. Went home and once again attempted to reinstall and the install failed twice then hung up for what seemed hours. I got fed up and stopped and just now went back for one more attempt before I bring it back to Apple again tomorrow! I can hear the disk spinning in the drive but the time estimated on the screen and how long it has hung for are not the same. I don't want to give up if this could possibly undo itself eventually. Has anyone run into problems like this when attempting to do a clean system reinstall. It looks so simple in video and in print but when it comes down to it, it just is not happening as one would expect. For example the disk verify estimate time given was 4 minutes it feels like it has been 15 already and the progress bar does not appear to have moved even a millimeter but I can hear noise coming from the disk as if it is spinning and doing something? Now the install progress bar reads 31 minutes remaining and again it does not appear to be moving or counting down the time, remains the same number 31 now for at least 5 minutes now? I am used to watching machines give detailed count down estimates with update adjustments given by at least 5 minute intervials? Is this normal for a complete reinstall or could my hard drive still be trying to fail?
