Mac Recovery Disk - Failure to Boot
Any ideas on why when I try to boot from my Macbook Air (2012) recovery disk, it fails to start. I just get the Apple Logo and spinning pin wheel.
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10)
If you don't already have a current backup, back up all data, then reinstall the OS.* You don't need to erase the startup volume, and you won't need the backup unless something goes wrong. If the system was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you may need the Apple ID and password you used.
There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.
If you installed the Java runtime distributed by Apple and still need it, you'll have to reinstall it. The same goes for Xcode. All other data will be preserved.
*The linked support article refers to OS X 10.10 ("Yosemite"), but the procedure is the same for OS X 10.7 ("Lion") and later.