High Sierra Killed My Hard Drive?

I had a similar problem. Nothing would fix my drive. I was scheduled to go in for a genius appointment on Saturday, but was able to finally fix myself. Previous attempts via Recovery drive, Internet Install and using Disk Utility to reformat all failed.

Instead of booting into the Recovery Drive by restarting holding down Command R, this time you are going to hold down shift option command R

• Keep holding until you see a globe.
• When you get to the recovery window, select Disk Utility.
• Erase your internal drive, Macintosh HD. Format as HFS+
• Quit Disk Utility
• Select to Reinstall macOS.

This will reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available. For me it reinstalled Yosemite. My drive is formatted as GUID HFS+.

I skipped the log into iCloud and did no further setup.

My next step was to upgrade to High Sierra. I have a SSD drive so the install process did the conversion for me to APFS.

Now I have a working drive with a clean blank High Sierra install. I did not use migration, but setup manually.

If you want to upgrade to Sierra instead of High Sierra you can use this link to download Sierra. Sierra is no longer available to download, and unlike earlier macOS versions it will not appear in "Purchased".

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208202

Let me know if this works for you.

I had one problem with the install and that was the computer couldn't read the APFS installer on the SSD. I then formatted it has HFS+ (journaled) and it all worked fine to get it installed, then once it installed it converted and the computer could read it. It's because computers older than last year can't read APFS natively as a boot device. The EFI has to be updated to do it and many can't do it unless they are HFS+ first.

Your USB installer should have installed. It could be the firmware needs updating. (also see below)

About EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Mac computers - Apple Support

If you don't see a firmware version listed in this article, it means that either a firmware update is only available as an automatic update, or no firmware update is needed.

If you still have problems, call OWC to see what they recommend. They should be able to talk you through the setup including updating firmware if needed.

-- thanks to petterihiisila of Finland posting on the MacRumors site:

Firmware error with High Sierra?! | MacRumors Forums

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/firmware-error-with-high-sierra.2072535/#po st-25124789

I booted into rescue mode, checked the partitions with "diskutil list" and "verifydisk" (terminal), and fixed the EFI partition. "diskutil repairdisk <your EFI disk/partition>".

You can find more details of the error in the ia.log file, in the installation directory. Look for lines related to firmware, it might refer to inability to mount the MS-DOS EFI partition. That's what I had. But I don't have the logs anymore.

I did the fix above without booting into rescue mode. High Sierra install went without a hitch afterwards.

Is your HDD formatted as anything other than APFS? Many will tell you that SMART errors mean the drive needs to be replaced period but myself and others have noted that High Sierra simply doesn't play well with any other format than AFPS at times.

Had SMART failures on 4 areas on my old 2009 iMac after erasing the drive to do a clean install. Using TechTools Pro eDrive repair tools on an external drive cleared 2 of the 4.

The remaining two were due to the temperature test and just 5 reallocated sectors which is nothing. I've got exactly that many on my brand new iMac and it still passes the SMART test with them.

After almost giving up I saw a thread from someone else here who said that reformatting the drive in APFS completely solved the problem, and guess what? It did for me as well. SMART passes now and the install worked.

Another poster here in the support forums has been bypassing the SMART fail install issue by restoring to an external, upgrading there, and then restoring back to his SMART failing internal. He's been doing this for 6 years without the drive failing or causing problems despite it not being deemed fit enough for MacOS to install directly.

Is your HDD formatted as anything other than APFS?

DO NOT format a rotational HDD drive as APFS! Only format SSD drives as APFS.

If your data is backed up, boot into the Recovery Drive by holding down Command R at startup. Open Disk Utility and erase your internal drive. Format as HFS+. When you install High Sierra it will format a SSD drive as APFS, but will leave rotational HHD drives as HFS+.

How to tell what type drive you have...

Under the Apple in the Menu bar select “About this Mac”.

Select System Report.

Select Storage in the side bar.

Select Macintosh HD to show your internal drive.

This example show a rotational drive.

This example shows a SSD drive.

Hi JeepRuby101,

I got the same issue with you when I upgrade to High Sierra. I use macbook air mid 2013.

I thought that my SSD die. But it's not die, SSD just change to APFS format and it cannot boot from this SSD.

Now, it's solve and I saved my data, here are my solution:

1. Prepare a blank USB or external hard disk have storage >16G (the MacOS High Sierra more than 14G).

2. Prepare a external hard disk to backup your data.

3. Step to fix:

- Install MacOS High Sierra on the blank USB from internet.

- Run MacOS High Sierra from your USB and copy data to external hard disk. ---- Saved your data

- Re format your Mac SSD by Disk Utility to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

- Re install MacOS Sierra to your Mac SSD and boot again. You can use your old TimeMachine backup to restore.

Now, I copying data back to my Macbook to continue working.

Hi JeepRuby101,

I got the same issue with you when I upgrade to High Sierra. I use macbook air mid 2013.

I thought that my SSD die. But it's not die, SSD just change to APFS format and it cannot boot from this SSD.

Now, it's solve and I saved my data, here are my solution:

1. Prepare a blank USB or external hard disk have storage >16G (the MacOS High Sierra more than 14G).

2. Prepare a external hard disk to backup your data.

3. Step to fix:

- Install MacOS High Sierra on the blank USB from internet.

- Run MacOS High Sierra from your USB and copy data to external hard disk. ---- Saved your data

- Re format your Mac SSD by Disk Utility to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

- Re install MacOS Sierra to your Mac SSD and boot again. You can use your old TimeMachine backup to restore.

Now, I copying data back to my Macbook to continue working.

You will need to boot into the Recovery Drive and select to reformat your internal drive. This will erase everything on your drive. Upgrading to High Sierra formatted as APFS. To revert to Sierra, the drive needs to be formatted as HFS+ Mac OS Extended Journaled.

After you erase the drive you need to install Sierra on the drive. Since you had High Sierra, I'm not sure the top option (see below) will install High Sierra or Sierra. You might have to do the third option. This could put an older version than Sierra. Once you get an OS installed you can then upgrade to Sierra. Apple has pulled it from the App Store but they have provided this link to download:

Download Sierra

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-sierra/id1127487414?ls=1&mt=12

Recovery Drive has these options:

• command R to reinstall the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac, without upgrading to a later version

• option command R to upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac

• shift option command R to reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available

It seems not all third party external drive work with the upgrade to APFS. You need to report to Apple.

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. These are mostly user to user discussions.

BugReporter http://bugreporter.apple.com

Free ADC (Apple Developer Connection) account needed for BugReporter. Setup a free account

http://developer.apple.com/programs/register/

How to attach a sysdiagnose to send Bug Report

Mac OS X Feedback (no account needed)

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

Reformat your drive from APFS to HFS+

This only works in the High Sierra Recovery Drive.

You can use Disk Utility in High Sierra Recovery Drive to erase and reformat the drive HFS+ Mac OS Extended Journaled.

• Boot into the Recovery Drive by holding down Command R when restarting.
• Open Disk Utility > Select Erase
• Select format > HFS+ Mac OS Extended Journaled

If you can boot from another drive you can install Sierra if you still have the installer. If not...

Download Sierra

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-sierra/id1127487414?ls=1&mt=12

What Diane said worked for me too. Several weeks ago I acidentally formated the harddrive as APFS in the setup utility. It then couldn't see it for booting. I booted back from the USB and then erased the partition and recretaed it as HPFS+ then it could work. You can just reformat an existing partition because it won't show up with anything but APFS.

I had a friend put the High Sierra update on a flash drive for me.

Please clarify...

Did you create the bootable installer as specified in the link above?

When you say update, is this the full High Sierra installer or an update to High Sierra?

Try this....

Get a USB 3.0 HHD drive formateted as HFS+ (see below). Always reformat a drive using Apple Disk Utility

Attach to your friends' Mac and install High Sierra on the drive. (DO NOT reformat. You don't want APFS on a HHD drive)

After installing you will log in and setup a user account.

Eject drive

Attach to your Mac that is shut down.

Hold down Option key when booting your Mac.

Select the external drive with Sierra.

After logging in, open Disk Utility.

Select the internal SSD drive. What format does it show? Make sure it's formatted APFS.

Use clone software to clone High Sierra to your internal drive. This will bypass installing.

Software used to Clone:

CarbonCopyCloner http://www.bombich.com/download.html (All options are available free for 30 days)

Use CCC to put the Recovery Drive on your internal drive. Cloning Apple's Recovery HD partition | Carbon Copy Cloner | Bombich Software

I would recommend that you buy a 3TB or 4TB drive. I like My Book Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBBGB0040HBK-NESN

The 4TB has been on sale for $99 on Amazon. BestBuy, Staples, Office Depot will all match Amazon prices.

You can partition large drives. This way you can backup your drive before updating to a new macOS. If things go badly you can boot from the backup and be right where you were before updating. Much faster than Time Machine.

Destroyed and unreadable are two different things.

Boot into the Recovery Drive by holding down Command R when restarting.

Open Disk Utility

Run First Aid on your internal drive, Macintosh HD

Erase your internal drive as HFS+

Quit Disk Utility

Select to Reinstall macOS.

The High Sierra installer will reformat as APFS on your SSD drive.

After logging into your drive, apply all updaters before you bring back any data.

If you want to revert to Sierra, you can reinstall the version that came with your Mac then upgrade to Sierra. Instead of booting into Recovery with Command R, use Shift Opt Cmd R. You must first erase and reformat as HFS+.

• command R to reinstall the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac, without upgrading to a later version

• option command R to upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac

• shift option command R to reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available

A similar thing happened to me. You need to boot from a thumbdrive holding down option at boot and select the USB drive and go to the OS installer. Go to disk utility and then erase everything - that includes the recovery and all. You won't be able to do it unless you boot from another physical disk. You need to reformat it as HFS+ rather than APFS because recovery mode then can't see or boot neither can the High Sierra Installer (boot from USB) (at least at 10.13.2). **When you boot after the install and it asked you to encrypt with File Vault click NO. There are problems with encrypting an APFS volume.**

I had one computer that did what you are talking about and it was frustrating for hours, but it took about 10 minutes to fix and then I could reinstall.

Looking back over your screenshots.....

It appears you are using Disk Utility in Yosemite or older. The internal disk is showing as Read Only. Connection type shows as external which is puzzling. If you select the Base system does the Mount point show as / (slash)?

The last screenshot with multiple untiltled partitions indicate a problem with the drive. One last thing to try.

Assuming you are booted from Recovery....

Open the Terminal under Utilities in the Menu bar.

1. diskutil list

(identify your drive, for example disk0)

2. diskutil unmountDisk force disk0

(replace disk0 with your identifier from step 1)

3. sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/disk0 bs=1024 count=1024

(replace disk0 with your identifier from step 1)

4. diskutil partitionDisk disk0 GPT JHFS+ "MyDisk" 0g

(replace disk0 with your identifier from step 1, and MyDisk with whatever name you want...usually Macintosh HD for the internal boot drive)

It is possible that your drive has died. The cost you were quoted seems awfully high.There are videos that show you how to do this yourself. In the US we use OWC sales. See OWC videos: http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/

You'll need the model year, serial number and model identifier.

• Under “About this Mac” you'll see model year.
• Next Open System Profiler > Hardware
• Copy the Serial number and model identifier

Example:

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)

Model Identifier: iMac15,1

Serial Number (system): XXXXXXXXXXXX

Since you are in the UK, check out this site for purchasing: https://www.flexxmemory.co.uk/

Their sales should be able to help you selecting the correct drive.

Here is a MX300 525GB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal solid state drive, SSD by Crucial for £129.95 (Inc. Tax) https://www.flexxmemory.co.uk/apple-mac-memory/imac-ram/upgrades-for-2012-2013-a nd-2014-imacs/late-2012-imac13-1/mx300-5…

Try running disk First Aid checks from the Recovery Partition Disk Utility. If you had encryption before this, it should now be formatted APFS Encrypted and would account for the encryption key requests. If the computer continues not starting, I suggest using the Time Machine or Internet Recovery options.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314