Today, the mac, when switched on, can up with a folder icon with a question mark on a grey screen. Stayed flashing like that.
Jen switched it off and tried holding command and R to reboot it following advice she read on the internet. It didn't work the first few times then said it was doing an internet reboot.
Now it sitting on this screen.
Is it going to have wiped the memory? Is there anything we can do to salvage all our files?
For the last wee while it's been running mega slow in iPhoto but we've not used it a lot so not really worried about it.
Jen switched it off and tried holding command and R to reboot it following advice she read on the internet. It didn't work the first few times then said it was doing an internet reboot.
Now it sitting on this screen.
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image.jpg
Is it going to have wiped the memory? Is there anything we can do to salvage all our files?
For the last wee while it's been running mega slow in iPhoto but we've not used it a lot so not really worried about it.
What has happened so far looks to be normal behaviour (in Bold in my quote) so follow the rest and as long as the HD isn't fried you should be able to repair the boot sectors.
Quote:
Or if you are running 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks, boot from the recovery partition (Command +R on boot) and use Disk Utility to repair your OS 10.7 or 10.8 partition.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is, then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions. After repairing use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for restarting from your hard drive.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.
This is what's in disk utility.
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Is media your boot drive?
If you highlight the MAC OS X base system folder do you see a first aid button in the options?
The Base system is the mounted recovery drive. Media is the only physical drive detected
I think Jen might post, I'm not at home. Her last text to me said Can you ask on the forum if I reinstall Mac OS X will that keep all our files? It gives that option.
In disk utilities there is only a media drive and the first aid tab is greyed out.
Below that is disk 1 and Mac OS X base system, the first aid tab for that is alpo greyed out x
In disk utilities there is only a media drive and the first aid tab is greyed out.
Below that is disk 1 and Mac OS X base system, the first aid tab for that is alpo greyed out x
There is a first aid tab but it is greyed out. The Mac OS X base system shows file numbers ext when selected but the Media drive shows nothing. Does this mean it is not recognising the hard drive?
Once booted up it came up with a menu of Mac OS utilities. In this there is the option to reinstall Mac OS X, restore from time machine backup or disk utility. If I were to reinstall Mac OS X would this work?
Once booted up it came up with a menu of Mac OS utilities. In this there is the option to reinstall Mac OS X, restore from time machine backup or disk utility. If I were to reinstall Mac OS X would this work?
reinstalling would wipe the partition, so don't do that yet.
Do you have a second hard drive hooked up? Internal or USB? The main drive probably wouldn't be called Media, unless it was specified as that. By default, it would be Macintosh HD or similar.
So yes, it looks like your main drive is not being detected.
Do you have a second hard drive hooked up? Internal or USB? The main drive probably wouldn't be called Media, unless it was specified as that. By default, it would be Macintosh HD or similar.
So yes, it looks like your main drive is not being detected.
Would you recommend taking it into an apple store?
I don't have another hard drive connected but do have one I can use
I was just wondering what the Media drive was. If that's the only drive, then it looks like your partitions have gone for a burton.
I'd take it to the store if it's convenient. Zio is obviously busy
I'd take it to the store if it's convenient. Zio is obviously busy
Ha ha! 
I've been watching this all unfold, but you've so far given the exact same advice I would, DavPaz!
sdg, if you've got an external hard drive you can use, and you're not worried about losing whatever may be on it, you can reinstall Mac OS X to that. Then you'll be able to boot the Mac off of it and check what's on this 'Media' drive and copy off any files you want to rescue. That's what I'd do in any case. Just make sure you definitely tell the Mac OS X installer to install to the external drive (normally shows up a copper colour) rather than the internal drive (which will be a grey colour).
I've been watching this all unfold, but you've so far given the exact same advice I would, DavPaz!sdg, if you've got an external hard drive you can use, and you're not worried about losing whatever may be on it, you can reinstall Mac OS X to that. Then you'll be able to boot the Mac off of it and check what's on this 'Media' drive and copy off any files you want to rescue. That's what I'd do in any case. Just make sure you definitely tell the Mac OS X installer to install to the external drive (normally shows up a copper colour) rather than the internal drive (which will be a grey colour).
Sorry for the thread necro, but I guess my question is technically an Apple Mac problem.
My MacBook Pro wants me to update to OS 10.15.4
My research tells me this version is not without its problems.
Mac owners: should I wait for a new-new OS version?
My MacBook Pro wants me to update to OS 10.15.4
My research tells me this version is not without its problems.
Mac owners: should I wait for a new-new OS version?
Do you have plenty of disk space? That's the main problem I've had - on the update to (I think) 10.15.2, the update downloaded and extracted itself, then ran out of space to actually install. Bricked computer. I have kept plenty spare since. Otherwise I like it - the podcasts app alone is great. That said, I don't do work on it, and I have a separate Air that is still on Mojave, for the sake of the games that no longer work on Catalina.
Annoyingly, on the latter, Steam can happily identify those which haven't been updated to 64 bit, but not which ones work (some do, some don't).
Annoyingly, on the latter, Steam can happily identify those which haven't been updated to 64 bit, but not which ones work (some do, some don't).
If you use any old software, avoid Catalina
I've got about 11GB free, so I will struggle. Currently on Mojave, as I'm not sure what benefits Catalina brings.
Catalina benefits software developers who can force you to upgrade and blame Apple.
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