Please Help, Error with the Macintosh HD

How do you back up your files on the Macintosh HD, Disk utility Page?

That's the problem Apple really hasn't solved.

There is a method to copy the entire MacintoshHD as a image to another drive, but it has to be working and no corruption as it copies the whole thing.

Right now all you care about is getting as many users files off the drive as the programs and OS X can be replaced.

Because to fix your issue requires a erase of the drive (along with OSX, file and programs) and a fresh install of OS X.

Perhaps even the drive itself might have to be replaced.

So what do you do?

Since your RecoveryHD works you can install OS X onto a EXTERNAL powered drive (free data you want to keep of course) boot the computer from it and then access the internal drive to grab files.

Even if the file struture of the drive is defective, like what it's telling you, you can even recover deleted files off hard drives that are not encrypted (Filevualted) with Data Rescue type software installed on the external drive.

So you can learn how to do that here

.Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive

Also other recovery options

My computer is not working, is my personal data lost?

Veeju69 wrote:

Thank you for your help, however i have now got an External powered HD, and am able to locate it on the left list, now how do i actually make the back ups of my files on this?

If the external drive has any data you want to keep, you can't use it. Buy a new powered external drive and connect it to the machine.

The external drive has got to be either empty or the data on it you don't care about because you need to format it and formatting it erases all the data on the drive.

If your sure, then click on the drive on the left and click Partition, select 1 partition, Option: GUID and format OS X Extended Journaled and give it a name and click Apply.

Once that is completed, quit Disk Utilltiy and Install OS X onto the external drive, you will need your AppleID most likely.

Once OS X is installed on the external drive. Quit and reboot the machine holding the OPTION/ALT key down.

A list of icons of drives appears on the screen, select the external drive OS X to boot from.

Once you setup OS X, you can then access the internal drive and grab your files.

If the internal drive doesn't mount on the desktop, then install Data Rescue and run it against the internal drive, it will find all the files it can recover. Then it will cost you $100 to recover the files.

Once your files are recovered, then you can hold command option r and wipe the entire internal drive and reinstall OS X fresh just like you did the on the external drive.

If this is all going over your head, then take the machine to a local PC/Mac tech and tell them you need data recovery.