Cannot erase my hard drive from recovery utility

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Level 1

8 points

Cannot erase my hard drive from recovery utility

Hello everybody,

Massive bummer some hours ago. My system would not start. Restarted from OS X Recovery and scanned with disk utility to find out there was a non-repairable error in the hard-drive that told me I had to restore with time-machine. Luckily I had my system backed up and that is what I did. After the process I found out that although my data was back, I did not have any apps!! No safari, no itunes, no apple store to re-install apps, nothing... Maybe I should have stopped here and ask for help, but since my data was backed up, I thought it would not hurt to try the other option in the OS X Recovery: Reinstall OS X.

So I tried to reinstall OS X. It took a few hours, and when the system finally restarted to finish the installation, it prompted a message saying OS X could not be installed (don't remember the reason).

Now, when I try to boot the computer, it goes automatically to recovery, and practically I cannot do anything... I cannot use time machine because the mac hard drive does not show up as an option to install the system at. It does not let me erase the partition that the system created to install the OS X either (about 1.3 Gb) ... the options to "erase" are all greyed out.

I was trying to erase everything, but I am not being able, and it looks like there is not a lot I can do, since all options seem to be unavailable.... Could it be a physical error in the hard-drive? It was working perfectly before this happened, and the laptop did not left the desk in between.

The system is a MacBook Pro from 2012 (came originally with Mountain Lion, and was running on Yosemite now). The hard drive is a solid-state.

Any miraculous solutions are very welcome!!

Thanks!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012)

Posted on May 2, 2016 5:07 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

May 2, 2016 5:47 AM in response to dino_bergomi

You have to explain a bit more disciplined, please.

For example: the system created to install the OS X either (about 1.3 Gb) this is not clear: 1.3GB is much too small to install OSX on, so of course you can not go on. And you cannot use the RecoveryPartition for anything else than repair or reinstall on the "real" disk. The recovery Partition itself not even 1GB by a long shot...

Since you have the TM backup, what you can do is:

in the Recovery partition, open DiskUtility, select the disk (not the partition, but the disk with the "complicated" name: DiskUtility should give the size (128GB, 56GB or whatever): then in DiskUtility choose the Partition tab, then partition: 1 partition, OS X Extended (journaled), (advanced button:) GUID Partition table.

when done, quit DiskUtility, select install OSX and then TM ,or install from TM directly.

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Answer 2

dino_bergomi Author

Level 1

8 points

May 2, 2016 5:47 AM in response to Lexiepex

Hi Lexiepex,

Thanks for your reply.

I reckon I may have made some confusion, this is all not super-obvious to me. When I boot in Recovery I see the hard-drive with the long name, and another drive with about 1.3 Gb which I had assumed the system created to re-install the OS X. This is what I had assumed... but this 1.3 Gb partition could be just a recovery partition or something else. Sorry for not explaining properly. I'm not super familiar with the vocabulary, and I am fighting with this since some hours now.

Thank you for your suggestion. Before seeing your suggestion, I managed to boot (cmd+opt+R) with internet support, which allowed me to erase all the hard drive (except for that 1.3 Gb partition). This allowed me to start installing OS X again... which is what I am trying now. (again, I started this before seeing your reply).

If it does not work, I will try to do as you told.

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

dino_bergomi Author

Level 1

8 points

May 2, 2016 6:48 AM in response to dino_bergomi

Ok, after restarting Mac into Internet recovery (holding command+option+R before booting) I was able to erase the disk, and install again from scratch OS X Lion... I'm now updating to El Capitan. Finally, I think the long trouble (4 hours or so) is about to end.

Thanks Lexiepex for your suggestion. I would try that next in line but hopefully it will not be necessary now.

Before declaring the case closed though, I have one question bugging me: I was negatively surprised when I first restored the system with TimeMachine. Yes, I did get all my data back, but nevertheless, practically all applications were gone! To the point that I could practically not use the system. For instance, I did not have apple store app to restore any apps, nor any internet browser... so was pretty much locked. Is this the normal operation of TimeMachine (which I would think it is not so useful as compared to normally backing up your data then), or for some reason, my TimeMachine did not work as supposed to?

Thank you!

Dino

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Answer 4

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

May 2, 2016 8:27 AM in response to dino_bergomi

I can not reconstruct enough what you did with TM restore. But when you are in the Recovery Partition, you can choose from the menu for TM, and then TM restores completely.

It may be that your TM was not complete, I don't know. You never should dlete or do something on the TM disk: it is a cumulative system, thus TM should be let alone completely.

Good work done. happy computing 🙂.

Lex

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

684,057 points

May 3, 2016 11:04 AM in response to dino_bergomi

Check System Preferences/Time Machine/Options to make sure your Applications folder hasn't been excluded from your backup.

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