Can't install mavericks because apparently my disk is damaged

My girlfriend's MacBook had the same "Mac HD damaged" message on install. I tried the recovery disk without much success. I zapped the PRAM by shutting down, hitting the power button while holding down option+command+P+R. Wait for the second startup chime. It did the installation again and worked after that. Your results may vary.

I did try the Pram reset multiple times as well as every option in Internet Recovery. I even tried to load Snow Leopard from the DVD with no success. All I have now is a blinking folder with ?.

I am planning on bringing the MBP to a generic Apple store to see if this is a software (hoping) or a hardware issue.

1. I have an external drive which i use as TM storage. before upgrading, i did a backup copy. Using the FireWire i attached the external TM drive. Then i restarted the pc (it was an apple before now for me is a pc), and pressed option during the restart.

2. After some time, a menu with all drivers appeared. I've chosen the one with the back up. I was in the ML emergency/install window. I went to disk utilities, and tried to eliminate the disk error with the apple software(search in the menu this option). But it said that the disk was damaged. (DO non reinstall the system now, becasue you can delete the precious copy, as the only drive which was seen by the pc was the backup drive)

3.After this, i restared again, this time with cmd+R pressed. Once again i was in the ML install, i chose to reinstall the system form a tm copy(search in the menu this option), and the main drive was back, so i've chosen the hd on the pc, and after 2h i was running ML on my pc again, with all the files/programs/setups as before.

4. As for now, Maveriks is banned from my pc.

Hope it helps.

Thanks for that reply. I also have my TM backups on external disc. When I tried the restore function from TM, I ended up back in the loop as it asked me for a destination drive of which both selections were greyed out. I even tried to load Mountain Lion on another external drive but that drive was not formatted right and I could not reformat.

I am hoping that my disc is corrupted and the techs can get me back at least to ML. If that is the case I will attempt the upgrade later on.

Hi Peter...when I first got the HDD error, I tried going to Disk Utilities from the Mavericks 'install screen'. As you've probably read, the disk repair button is greyed out. At that point, if you restart your Mac, then hold down cmd-R once the 'blank white screen' appears, and continue to hold until your pervious 'OS X Utilities' screen appears (i.e. your no longer in Mavericks - see image). You can then repair your HDD using ‘Disk Utilities’ or just recover from Time Machine. I was successful restoring from Time Machine – but it took 6h. I then tried to install Mavericks again. This time the installation went without a hitch. In hindsight, it might have been easier (and quicker) to repair the disk, restart again; which would have taken you back to the Mavericks install screen, and try again with the ‘disk errors’ repaired.

I tried that route but when I tried to repair the disk I got the message that the disc could not be repaired. Reading the process lines, I noticed that my partition needed to be resized but I could not because it was encrypted. I did have File Vault and encryption enabled on this computer. That may have been the issue.

I am furious about this. My son's Mac is completely effed up by this supposed upgrade. He is getting the HD is damaged and irreparable error message. We have tried to restart with CMD+R and run the disk repair, but it says the disk cannot be repaired. I cannot start in safe mode - the machine just shuts down if I hold shift after restart.

Presumably I'm going to have to take a day off work and get the ****** machine to an Apple store, the nearest of which is a 45 minute drive away.

Any other suggestions (in basic english please) welcome

EABowden wrote:

I am furious about this. My son's Mac is completely effed up by this supposed upgrade. He is getting the HD is damaged and irreparable error message. We have tried to restart with CMD+R and run the disk repair, but it says the disk cannot be repaired. I cannot start in safe mode - the machine just shuts down if I hold shift after restart.

Presumably I'm going to have to take a day off work and get the ****** machine to an Apple store, the nearest of which is a 45 minute drive away.

Any other suggestions (in basic english please) welcome

What are the specs of the Mac. Model etc.? Some Hard Drives that are on the verge of failure, often with no symptoms, can be pushed over the edge with a system update and need to be replaced. With Hard Drives in any computer, it's not a matter of if the HD will fail, but when. You can then reinstall the OSX and retreive all your data from the backup you made before installing Mavericks.

Cheers

Pete

I don't know exactly as the machine will not start up. On the receipt from when I bought it last December (just before the latest model came out) it says RFB IMAC21.5/2.5QC/2X2GB/500GB/6750M-GBR if that means anything to you.

And as for HD failing, I have owned about 8 windows PCs and Laptops over the years and never had this kind of problem, which makes me feel like an idiot for spending £1000 on a computer.

Thanks in advance for any help

EABowden wrote:

I don't know exactly as the machine will not start up. On the receipt from when I bought it last December (just before the latest model came out) it says RFB IMAC21.5/2.5QC/2X2GB/500GB/6750M-GBR if that means anything to you.

And as for HD failing, I have owned about 8 windows PCs and Laptops over the years and never had this kind of problem, which makes me feel like an idiot for spending £1000 on a computer.

Thanks in advance for any help

Unfortunately it happens. Microsoft and Apple don't make the drives. They are made by other companies (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, etc.). It sounds like it may well be still under warrenty, so I would have it back to the Apple store ASAP and make your displeasure known to them. I agree with what you are saying. I have also been very lucky with HDs over the years, but I know for a fact that many other have not been this lucky, despite the age (or agelessness) of their machine.

Good luck with it.

Cheers

Pete

So you are saying there is no option but to make a 90 minute round trip to an apple store? No fancy button pressing?

Oh, and I've just been online and it says 'no available appointments'. I guess they are inundated with other fuming customers!

EABowden wrote:

So you are saying there is no option but to make a 90 minute round trip to an apple store? No fancy button pressing?

You can try starting it holding down Command+R and opening DiskUtility and trying to repair it from there. Has worked for some people.

Cheers

Pete

Petermac is trying to help out here. You could call Apple since you are still under warranty but the wait might be longer than 90 minutes and there is the possibility you would have to take it in anyway.

Hi Petermac, Thank you for helping out here with the Maverick installation disc damage problem.

Some have advised this is due to hardware issues with the HD. Replacing the HD would no doubt solve the problem as this would ensure a clean installation.

But this drastic action seems unnecessary because some have been able to clear the "damage" with a 3rd party app, and then install Mav successfully. Others have been able to install after their HD has merely been erased.

It seems that Mav installation is sensitive to some aspect of the code sometimes somewhere present on ML running machines, and as a consequence the HD becomes "damaged".

After erasing, I did a download of ML in recovery mode (rather than Mav), and there were no problems with this install. Disc utility found no faults with my HD. I then opted to restore ML and my data, as was, from my time machine, so I am fortunate! Thank goodness Apple introduced recovery mode in ML. I won't try to install Mav until this issue has been sorted.

There are those without a backup, who deserve clear advice on the steps they might use to be able to recover their data to an external whatever. Some of this is scattered through this thread and the many other threads concerning Mav installation problems.

For those that did backup before the damage was done, it would help if you could give clear instructions to the baffled about recovery mode and restoring the system to ML from a backup.

Thanks Tim