robodelfy
Level 1 (4 points)
Notebooks

Q: Macbook pro 2011 stuck at boot, can't use safe mode or recovery mode!

Hi

 

My 2011 Macbook pro, Yosemite which has worked fine for years won't boot. I was using it earlier and tried to start Ableton Live, and that got stuck. I tried to 'force quit' and it wouldn't so I held the power button to shut it down. Then it would not restart. It just hangs about 1/3 of the way on the loading bar with the apple logo above.

 

I have tried all the usually steps, resetting SMC, NVRAM. It hangs when I try to use safe mode, or recovery mode. Also if I try and boot from my Time machine backup drive, it hangs.

 

I checked the disk in disk utility using target disk mode from another mac and it said it was ok. I also used disk warrior, and rebuilt it, no change.

 

So now I am downloading Yosemite. I am wondering what I should do now? Can I install yosemite again, if so how, as I cannot enter any of the modes? I can only seem to use target mode from another mac.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.0.x), Macbook Pro late 2011

Posted on Sep 6, 2016 1:57 PM

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robodelfy

Q: Macbook pro 2011 stuck at boot, can't use safe mode or recovery mode!

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Sep 6, 2016 2:11 PM in response to robodelfy
    Level 10 (269,995 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2016 2:11 PM in response to robodelfy

    All things considered after you fixed the disk using Disk Warrior did you erase the disk using Disk Utility? I suggest the following which assumes the drive really is OK:

    Network Install of El Capitan

     

    1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the Command-Option-R keys until a globe appears.
    2. The Utility Menu will appear in from 5-20 minutes. Be patient.
    3. Select Disk Utility and click on the Continue button.
    4. When Disk Utility loads select the drive (usually, the out-dented entry) from the side list.
    5. Click on the Partition tab in Disk Utility's main window. A panel will drop down.
    6. Set the partition scheme to GUID.
    7. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
    8. Click on the Apply button, then click on the Done button when it activates.
    9. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
    10. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

     

    This should install the version of OS X that was pre-installed when the computer was new.

  • by robodelfy,

    robodelfy robodelfy Sep 6, 2016 2:30 PM in response to robodelfy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 6, 2016 2:30 PM in response to robodelfy

    Interestingly, I just put my stuck Macbook pro in to Target mode, and used another macbook pro with the same OSX to boot using my broken one as the startup disk.

     

    It starts fine like that, and I am using it now. So what does that mean, it makes me think that the hard disk is not the issue. But mine still will not boot?  Very odd, any ideas?

  • by robodelfy,

    robodelfy robodelfy Sep 6, 2016 3:03 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 6, 2016 3:03 PM in response to Kappy

    Hi, I just tried this and it took me to internet recovery right?

     

    But after the 5 minutes of loading it just hung like the other recovery modes. So that is not an option!

     

    I tried using my friends macbook and HDD as the startup by putting it in Target mode and choosing it from mine, but that also got stuck!