seb29
Level 2 (155 points)

Q: Mavericks stuck on OS X Utilities screen

I restarted Mavericks only to find a nasty surprise. Now I'm stuck on the OS X Utilities screen. I have exhausted all available options shown on that screen.

 

1) I quit the OSX and chose the startup disk but when restarting, the OS X Utilities screen appeared again.

2) tried restoring from backup but I got a message saying "An error occurred while adding a recovery system to the destination disk"

4) tried reinstalling back to Lion but it said "Could not find installation info for this machine"

5) restarting while holding Command R gave me a warning logo (!) combined with the address apple.com/support

 

How can I fix this?

 

Thanks guys!!!!!!

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9), New CPU iMac

Posted on Nov 8, 2013 12:21 PM

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seb29

Q: Mavericks stuck on OS X Utilities screen

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  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Nov 8, 2013 12:25 PM in response to seb29
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 8, 2013 12:25 PM in response to seb29

    In Recovery Mode Run Disk Utility > Repair Disk

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 8, 2013 12:30 PM in response to macjack
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 12:30 PM in response to macjack

    command R freezes the computer so starting in recovery is not an option. I ran Disk utility from the Utilities screen but it said the partition map appears to be ok. Any ideas?

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Nov 8, 2013 12:35 PM in response to seb29
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 8, 2013 12:35 PM in response to seb29

    What does "New CPU" mean in your specs, did you have the CPU replaced recently?

    What happens when you boot up holding the option key into Startup Manager.

    Do you the the Recovery Volume and can you choose to boot from it. Navigate with your arrow keys the mouse will be non-functional.

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 8, 2013 12:44 PM in response to macjack
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 12:44 PM in response to macjack

    Tried that but it just brings me in the same loop again... Utilities screen, then "error occurred while adding a recovery system to the destination disk".

     

    Any ideas?

     

    CPU just means it's a work computer here.

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Nov 8, 2013 2:45 PM in response to seb29
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 8, 2013 2:45 PM in response to seb29

    If you can't start in Recovery Mode and your Mac shipped with 10.6 or later, make an appointment at the Genius Bar.

    If it shipped with 10.6 or earlier startup holding the "d" key from Disk 1, you should be able to use DIsk Utility there.

    But I'd erase the disk and start over. Do you you have a good backup in any case?

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 8, 2013 5:00 PM in response to macjack
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 5:00 PM in response to macjack

    It shipped with 10.8 but I would prefer not lugging the entire iMac into a crowded mall if at all possible.

     

    1) What if I load Mavericks onto a USB and try to boot it from there?

    2) If I erase the drive, what would my steps be after that point?

     

    Thanks!!!

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Nov 8, 2013 5:15 PM in response to seb29
    Level 5 (7,793 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 8, 2013 5:15 PM in response to seb29

    You can boot from a USB installer, you can create that via http://diskmakerx.com or use the standard Disk Utility instructions (put simply - restore the InstallESD.dmg to the USB stick).

     

    You can then use the regular installer utilities (Disk Utility etc) to inspect your disk or try repairs. It does sound like starting over will help.

     

    To erase & install…

    Open Disk Utility, select the internal HD, select the Partition Tab, create a new single partition & select GUID Partition table in the options, Apply that & all the data on disk will be gone.

     

    You can then Quit Disk Utility & continue to install OS X. The installer should re-create the recovery partition for you.

     

    Don't forget you can choose to migrate your backed up data via the installer or you can use /Applications/Utilities/Migration Assistant at any point in the future (e.g. once you are sure it boots OK).

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 11, 2013 6:56 AM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 11, 2013 6:56 AM in response to Drew Reece

    I tried the USB boot but now it says "a recovery system can't be created". Any ideas?

  • by keg55,

    keg55 keg55 Nov 11, 2013 7:03 AM in response to seb29
    Level 6 (8,514 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 11, 2013 7:03 AM in response to seb29

    Have you tried Internet Recovery? It's not the same as "recovery mode" or booting to the Recovery HD.

     

    Press/hold the COMMAND+R+OPTION keys until you see a spinning globe to boot into Apple's servers and their Recovery HD. From their OS X Utilities menu you can use Disk Utility and Reinstal OS X that came preinstalled (10.8 in your case) on your Mac.

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 11, 2013 8:06 AM in response to keg55
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 11, 2013 8:06 AM in response to keg55

    I tried this option but it starts then gives me an error screen of a world with an exclamation mark followed by "Apple.com/support.  -2003F"

     

    Any ideas?

  • by keg55,

    keg55 keg55 Nov 11, 2013 8:24 AM in response to seb29
    Level 6 (8,514 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 11, 2013 8:24 AM in response to seb29

    Boy, no idea what that is. I haven't experienced that error before with a Mac using Internet Recovery.

     

    And you tried the 3 keys I mentioned, right? Not just 2 (Command+R), correct?

  • by seb29,

    seb29 seb29 Nov 11, 2013 8:34 AM in response to seb29
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 11, 2013 8:34 AM in response to seb29

    Yes I pressed all three keys.

     

    Now I'm in Disk Utility under First Aid trying to Repair Disk but it keeps saying

    "Invalid B-tree node size

    The volume   could not be verified completely"

     

    Any ideas?

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Nov 11, 2013 9:15 AM in response to seb29
    Level 9 (74,064 points)
    iTunes
    Nov 11, 2013 9:15 AM in response to seb29

    You posted earlier you had a backup, so at this point I think your only option is to erase the disk using Disk Utility, and hope the reformatting will clear up the 'Invalid B-tree node size'. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the normal format. After that, try booting from the USB and reinstall 10.9. Use Setup Assistant to restore from your backup.

  • by keg55,

    keg55 keg55 Nov 11, 2013 9:26 AM in response to seb29
    Level 6 (8,514 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 11, 2013 9:26 AM in response to seb29

    seb29 wrote:

     

    Yes I pressed all three keys.

     

    Now I'm in Disk Utility under First Aid trying to Repair Disk but it keeps saying

    "Invalid B-tree node size

    The volume   could not be verified completely"

     

    Any ideas?

    It honestly sounds to me like you have a hardware issue. Specifically, your hard drive. Are you able to install to an enternal drive like a USB drive after going into Internet Recovery?

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