Unable to install OS X Yosemite on my Mac

Good computing !

when I try to reinstall OS it won't let me, telling me my disc is locked. no option to unlock disc

I am in the same boat.

Have a mid-2011 27" iMac running Mavericks, tried to upgrade to Yosemite but never got past the "22 minutes remaining" mark, and then it showed an error that said my disk needed repair.

Since the disk that was running was the one that needed repair, I made a boot-USB for Yosemite and started my iMac off of that. The disk had a ton of permissions errors which could not be repaired, and the disk itself could not be repaired. There had been zero malfunction or trouble with the disk until I tried to upgrade.

Now, I when I try to command-R from the startup, I am given options to install OS X or restore from backup, but my hard disk is "locked" and there is no way I can see to unlock it. I tried to change permissions in the command-line with chmod but nothing seems to do the trick.

I went so far as to run to Best Buy to get a Thunderbolt cable and opened my iMac in T mode from my MacBook Air, and I can mount the iMac drive and drag files back and forth, but even DiskWarrior says it cannot repair the drive.

Apple tech support on the phone said my drive is fried and since I'm under AppleCare I am going into the store tomorrow.

This all seems a bit much, and I think if I knew how to unlock those drives, much of this would be solved.

So: anyone know how to unlock a drive?

im having the same problem here. MacBook Pro that was working perfectly - tried to do the upgrade and now won't go past the 22min mark of uploading.

Says I need to verify or repair my disc, but when I do on Disc Utilities that says it can't repair.

I Can't even re-install Mavericks as it says my HD disc is locked.

Im so annoyed - my Mac is completely un-usable. Have I just lost everything on my Mac?

I Stupidly haven't got most of my files backed-up , and I'm really quite rubbish with computers anyway...

if I do what you have suggested and erase my Macintosh HD, will that mean all my pictures / music / documents etc are all gone and unrecoverable ?

sorry if I sound stupid, but I really don't know, and im

worried about losing all the pics of my kids on my Mac. This bloody thing has really annoyed me.

Ill defo be backing up in the future.

TrafficJamZombie wrote:

I Stupidly haven't got most of my files backed-up , and I'm really quite rubbish with computers anyway...

if I do what you have suggested and erase my Macintosh HD, will that mean all my pictures / music / documents etc are all gone and unrecoverable ?

sorry if I sound stupid, but I really don't know, and im

worried about losing all the pics of my kids on my Mac. This bloody thing has really annoyed me.

Ill defo be backing up in the future.

This thread is marked as Solved. You really need to start a new thread if you want eyes on it.

Yes you NEED a back-up. Yes all your files will be GONE if you erase / reformat / partition your HD.

TrafficJamZombie wrote:

I Stupidly haven't got most of my files backed-up ,

Then you are going to lose your files one day, maybe now, maybe later

You are not ready to erase your hard drive until you have a backup.

ONe option may be to try and boot a version of Linux on a separate usb and then transfer all your data onto an external hard drive. Then you'll have a back up and you could try the erase option to restore your Mac

Ok, well I have written this elsewhere but no one is replying.

I am having the same trouble but none of the options suggested has worked. I have downgraded to Lion, updated and reinstalled Yosemite from that = fail. I have now managed to get Mavericks back on there via bootable USB installer, but after updating everything and reinstalling yosemite, I am in the same position. Yosemite wont install. It has removed my recovery disk as well. I have tried to back up from a time machine back up but that fails as well. I have downloaded several versions of the Yosemite Installer and each one has had the same result.

I have not had any issue with disk permissions.

mishlich wrote:

Ok, well I have written this elsewhere but no one is replying.

Let's see, you have provided no information (except that it won't install) in a post at the end of some other persons question.except

Try harder, stat your own thread, provide details of your Mac, give us something to go on.

And rather than confuse other peoples threads, start your own, they're free

Where did you ask questions without getting a reply, it wasn't here (I checked),

What you should do is get a back up NOW of the files. Phone a friend or whatever(if you don't have another mac) start the machine in T mode(start holding down the T) so it becomes a hard drive. Connect it to another mac and get everything backed up THEN reformat your drive whilst connected in that way(if it won't reformat it is fried) THEN install Yosemite and put your documents and apps back on it. If that all scares you bite the bullet go to the Apple Store or someone who can help you-you REALLY don't want to lose everything-the reality is there was problem something already wrong on the drive and the upgrade just went screwy. Good luck.