HELP! HD locked on reinstall!

[PointerPapa]

With a stroke of bad luck, my only external backup drive I had fell and died. So yeah, I don’t have a backup, sad to say. Is there no way I can retrieve my files? Nevertheless, worse comes to worst, please share to me how to format the drive and reinstall anyway. Thank you so much Weaselboy!
[doublepost=1512564267][/doublepost]This is gonna be a hard lesson learned for me.

You are going to need access to another Mac so you can download the OS from that Mac and make the USB key following the instructions here.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

Like many others I have created an account to use this site to ask u/Weaselboy a question

2017 MacBook Pro A1707
256gb SSD First Aid reports no issues.
I attempted to wipe the drive to create a brand new instance for a new graphics designer that I hired. The MacBook will be a part of an enterprise Windows domain, but is the only non-PC machine. Command-R boot shows the following information:
Disk Utility:
Internal
Apple SSD SM0256L Media
OS X Base System

Attempt to reinstall OS, validation with Apple goes fine, however the primary drive is locked and cannot be installed to.



I am currently conducting a command-option-R boot to gain access to Terminal and list disk
diskutil cs list in command-R boot shows no logical storage volumes

Disregard: internet recovery mode allowed me to erase the odl primary disk > partition it for a new macOS x installation environment.

Cheers.

 

[Weaselboy]

Disregard: internet recovery mode allowed me to erase the odl primary disk > partition it for a new macOS x installation environment.

Glad you got it sorted. That Internet recovery option will usually do the trick. The command-r option leaves you booted the disk based recovery, and you cannot format the drive because you are booted to it.

 

[gtesta]

Glad you got it sorted. That Internet recovery option will usually do the trick. The command-r option leaves you booted the disk based recovery, and you cannot format the drive because you are booted to it.

weaselboy you have been a godsend to so many people here, I'm praying that you can help me out.

if i may preface this by saying, i would like to do anything possible to not delete the data on the hard drive as i really need to try and get documents off of it.

my comp froze (iMac i believe mid 2011) and i could only do a hard reset, holding the power button down. when it restarted it would only load half way and then shut off. i have another comp and have been googling non stop for days. i have booted in recovery mode and tried first aid on the main/only hard drive and receive the notice

"problems were found with the partition map which might prevent booting"
first aid found corruption that needs to be repaired. to repair the startup volume, run first aid from recovery."

when i run first aid on the partition "untitled" where all my data is i receive

"file system check exit code is 8.
updating boot support partitions for the volume as required
file system verify or repair failed.
operation failed "

this unmounts my untitled drive and i can't re mount, i have to restart comp and hold command+r


i then tried to re install OS X but both my main hard drive and the recovery hd are locked


on the first page you noted to do "diskutil cs delete "Macintosh HD" and you stated this should kill it

i am assuming this means wipe it out ? and once again id like to keep this hard drive intact.

i read that i can try copying the hard drive from disk utility - file - new image - image from "untitled"
and then i select my brand new external hard drive and get the error "mac operation failed with status 5"

I've read but haven't looked too far in to this option, but i read i can get a cable and connect the two lap tops and copy the data from the broken iMac to the working macbook. is this possible ?

i also read about the "ditto" command but not to sure what thats about.

is it possible to create a bootable disk on my external hard drive and use that and some how pull out the data from the internal hard drive once i have a working software/os on the computer ? (sorry if thats a really dumb question )

I'm sorry that was so long, i just wanted to be thorough and throw out all options. I'm all ears and so very grateful for any help anyone can provide

edit: created a bootable disk on my external hard drive. started comp held option. used hard drive to load os sierra. it loads until the end and then the macos utility screen comes up and it was like i didn't even run it through the external hard drive

 

[Weaselboy]

on the first page you noted to do "diskutil cs delete "Macintosh HD" and you stated this should kill it

Yes... that would delete your data if you have a Fusion drove (I doubt you do).

It sounds like you have a failed drive. The more you keep trying to fix it and reinstall the OS, the more you reduce the chances of recovering data off there. If you have important data on there that is not backed up anywhere, I would remove the drive and send it to a data recovery company to try and retrieve the data for you. It won't be cheap.

Once you get a new drive installed, you should be able to boot to Internet recovery with a command-option-r boot then erase the drive and reinstall the OS.

 

[gtesta]

Thank you. I was finally able to load the os on a new external hard drive . I’m going to try a program or two advertised as being able to get that data off of the hard drive since I have a working os on the comp now !

Thanks for the help !!!

 

[Mike3483]

You’ll never guess what. I have the same issue but struggling to resolve it even after reading the 18 pages on this thread.

It automatically starts in recovery but when I look to reinstall macOS high sierra my OS X base system disk is locked.
[doublepost=1518980096][/doublepost]Here’s an image

 

[Weaselboy]

It automatically starts in recovery but when I look to reinstall macOS high sierra my OS X base system disk is locked.

The key is you need to start un Internet recovery and not regular recovery. Hold command-option-r at startup and you should be able to select your wifi, then you will see a spinning globe while the recovery utility downloads. Then you will be able to erase the drive and reinstall.

Why are you doing this to begin with?

 

[Mike3483]

The key is you need to start un Internet recovery and not regular recovery. Hold command-option-r at startup and you should be able to select your wifi, then you will see a spinning globe while the recovery utility downloads. Then you will be able to erase the drive and reinstall.

Why are you doing this to begin with?

Want to factory reset so I can sell it. But it’s not going to plan
[doublepost=1518986464][/doublepost]Now trying internet recovery mode
[doublepost=1518987599][/doublepost]It gets stuck on this page. I left it last night like this all night.

 

[Weaselboy]

It gets stuck on this page. I left it last night like this all night.

When booting with command-option-r do you get the screen where you pick your wifi, then do you see the spinning grey globe?

What year model is your iMac?

 

[Mike3483]

When booting with command-option-r do you get the screen where you pick your wifi, then do you see the spinning grey globe?

What year model is your iMac?

No option to select Wi-fi and it goes straight into the spinning globe.

2011 model

 

[Weaselboy]

No option to select Wi-fi and it goes straight into the spinning globe.

2011 model

I don't man that grey screen you posted, but a spinning globe like this?



What year model is your iMac?

 

[Mike3483]

I don't man that grey screen you posted, but a spinning globe like this?

View attachment 751774

What year model is your iMac?

Yep it completes the spinning globe for twelve minutes. Once that is done it then loads the Apple logo previous image, and stays like that for over 12 hours

It is a 2011 iMac

 

[Weaselboy]

Yep it completes the spinning globe for twelve minutes. Once that is done it then loads the Apple logo previous image, and stays like that for over 12 hours

It is a 2011 iMac

It sounds like you may have some sort of underlying hardware issue then if it won't even load that recovery screen.

Do you maybe have access to another Mac you could use to make a USB installer and give that a try?

 

[Mike3483]

It sounds like you may have some sort of underlying hardware issue then if it won't even load that recovery screen.

Do you maybe have access to another Mac you could use to make a USB installer and give that a try?

I do have a MacBook Pro too so how do you do that?

 

[Weaselboy]

I do have a MacBook Pro too so how do you do that?

Ah good... just follow this.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

 

[ramonoak]

@Weaselboy can give me a hand?
I can't install the osx sierra, the installation say the Disk is blocked.
On the disk utility if I try to get the information about the partition the utility say the partition is not writable.
I have a mac mini (2010 I think). The Disk utility say the HD is ok if I make a repair.
But I can't install, reinstall or nothing else. I don't have nothing to save here, I can erase all.

 

[Weaselboy]

@Weaselboy can give me a hand?
I can't install the osx sierra, the installation say the Disk is blocked.

It sounds like you are in regular command-r recovery and not Internet recovery. Try following my instructions here to get to Internet recovery then erase the drive and reinstall.

 

[ramonoak]

It sounds like you are in regular command-r recovery and not Internet recovery. Try following my instructions here to get to Internet recovery then erase the drive and reinstall.

You are right, I'm on the regular command-r. Changed to command-option-r and now I'm waiting to erase the partition, it's taking a lot of time. 1 hour and 20 minutes now to wait and it's seen to increasing.

 

[Weaselboy]

You are right, I'm on the regular command-r. Changed to command-option-r and now I'm waiting to erase the partition, it's taking a lot of time. 1 hour and 20 minutes now to wait and it's seen to increasing.

Did you select secure erase by chance? That takes a long time, but a regular erase should take about ten seconds.

 

[ramonoak]

Did you select secure erase by chance? That takes a long time, but a regular erase should take about ten seconds.

I don't remember. But I'm waiting here. If I can install after I tell you here.

 

[ramonoak]

Did you select secure erase by chance? That takes a long time, but a regular erase should take about ten seconds.

I think it's a hardware problem. Now I can hear a noise from the Hard Disk.

 

[Weaselboy]

I think it's a hardware problem. Now I can hear a noise from the Hard Disk.

Yeah... not a good sign.

 

[ramonoak]

Yeah... not a good sign.

But I learned how to make a network recovey because of you. Thanks a lot dude.

 

[Weaselboy]

But I learned how to make a network recovey because of you. Thanks a lot dude.

You should be able to do the same with a new drive. Just pop the new drive in then go through the same Internet recovery process and format then install.

 

[Pineapplesareinmyhead]

You have something odd going on there. Normally there would be only one core storage volume listed that is the Fusion'd single logical volume.

Run this and tell me what it says. This will show the layout of the core storage volume.

diskutil cs list

I tried following the steps outlined in this thread, as I’m having the same issue. However, when I type the command:

diskutil cs list

the prompt says

No CorrStorage logical volume groups found