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User profile for user: jewelzez
jewelzez Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Prohibitory Symbol

#1

I believed that my Macbook air had a virus, so I tried to restore it to it's original system. Now it only shows a black screen with a circle with a line through it. They apparently call it the Prohibitory symbol. Apple support told me to do the command-R and reinstall MacOS. After a few hours, it said that it was not successful.


Then, I did a bit of online research and tried a few different things. The first was doing the shift-option-command-R which also was not succesful and gave me the message macos a server with the specified host name could not be found.


Other attempts I tried the Option--command-R and received the following message: Could not create a preboot volume for APFS install.


I saw some recommendations to erase the ssd....drive, which I attempted, and thought it was successful, but after restarting the computer it is back.


Can anyone help? Or is a visit to the Apple store necessary?

MacBook Air, iOS 11, MacOS High Sierra

Posted on Jun 30, 2018 1:11 PM

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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,741 points

Posted on Jul 1, 2018 10:30 AM

Install El Capitan or Later from Scratch


If possible backup your files.


  1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the CommandandRkeys until the Apple logo appears. When the Utility Menu appears:
  2. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on Continue button.
  3. When Disk Utility loads select the volume (indented entry, usually Macintosh HD) from the Device list.
  4. Click on the Erase icon in Disk Utility's main window. A panel will drop down.
  5. Set the Format type to APFS (SSDs only) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
  6. Click on the Apply button, then wait for the Done button to activate and click on it.
  7. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
  8. Select Install OS X and click on the Continue button.


This will install the version of OS X you had installed. You must have a functioning Recovery HD.

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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,741 points

Jul 1, 2018 10:30 AM in response to jewelzez

Install El Capitan or Later from Scratch


If possible backup your files.


  1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the CommandandRkeys until the Apple logo appears. When the Utility Menu appears:
  2. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on Continue button.
  3. When Disk Utility loads select the volume (indented entry, usually Macintosh HD) from the Device list.
  4. Click on the Erase icon in Disk Utility's main window. A panel will drop down.
  5. Set the Format type to APFS (SSDs only) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
  6. Click on the Apply button, then wait for the Done button to activate and click on it.
  7. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
  8. Select Install OS X and click on the Continue button.


This will install the version of OS X you had installed. You must have a functioning Recovery HD.

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Prohibitory Symbol

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