Clean Install gone bad.. Can't access HD now!

Question

Level 1

3 points

Clean Install gone bad.. Can't access HD now!

I recently was doing a clean install on my HD and while booted up on the Recovery Partition, I accessed the Disk Utility and formated and my system restarted and I got an error. I took the HD out of my Macbook and into an External HD Enclosure and plugged it into another Macbook and it now shows up on that Disk Utlity as Macintosh HD with no option of Partitioning the drive. I can't figure out what else to do. (FYI, its the very TOP drive, ignore the 500.11 GB and 320.07 Hard drives, The very top one listed as Macintosh HD is the one I screwed up!)

Posted on Sep 5, 2012 11:56 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Sep 5, 2012 12:13 PM in response to Eddie Hart

Did you have FileVault enabled on this disk? If so you must disable the user lock of FileVault:

OS X (Lion/Mountain Lion)- About FileVault 2

OS X Lion- Using FileVault 2 and Lion Recovery

Boot to the Recovery HD and open Disk Utility from the main menu:

Select the volume Macintosh HD.
In the Disk Utility toolbar, click Unlock.
Type the disk password when prompted, i.e. the login password of any unlock-enabled user on the affected Mac.
Click Unlock.

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Answer 2

Eddie Hart Author

Level 1

3 points

Sep 5, 2012 1:23 PM in response to Kappy

Not sure if it was enabled but I did that right now and no option was given to Unlock so I assume I didn't have it enabled. Anything else? I hate to let it go 😟

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Answer 3

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Sep 5, 2012 1:37 PM in response to Eddie Hart

Normally you would see the Drive Size and Model # first, Like the other drives in the DU window you posted (something like 500GB ST95xxxxx), then the Macintosh HD Partition below it, Like the others with OS X & Media Drive.

What that means to me is your drive is TOAST, because the manufacturers drive model number isn't showing at all.

Simplest thing to do at this point is Replace the drive with a new one. You were going to start fresh anyway and there is no better way to start fresh then with a brand new drive.

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Answer 4

Eddie Hart Author

Level 1

3 points

Sep 5, 2012 1:44 PM in response to Shootist007

Aw really?! That blows! If I take it too the Apple Store would they replace it? It's no longer under warranty but just curious.. or am I better off getting a cheaper one online?

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Answer 5

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Sep 5, 2012 2:06 PM in response to Eddie Hart

Eddie Hart wrote:

Aw really?! That blows! If I take it too the Apple Store would they replace it? It's no longer under warranty but just curious.. or am I better off getting a cheaper one online?

If it's out of warranty Apple will NOT replace it for free but they will surely sell and install a new drive for you.

But you can do that yourself as you already have the case apart and have removed the old drive, you know how to do that. All you need is a new drive. You should be able to find one at your local electronics store or order on over the internet.

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