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noahhaworth

macrumors newbie
Jan 6, 2019
3
1
Hello all.
I bought a iMac today mid 2011 27 in.
I wanted to change it from new user to my own name and ended up getting locked out of system preferences. so after doing that I decided to just wipe the iMac clean and start over. However when I was in disk utilities I deleted my recovery disk like an idiot.
I have followed certain instructions such as Internet recovery however, I'm now waiting on this screen.
I would veev much appreciate help.
Thanks, Noah
 

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CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,030
1,150
Oregon, USA
Hello all.
I bought a iMac today mid 2011 27 in.
I wanted to change it from new user to my own name and ended up getting locked out of system preferences. so after doing that I decided to just wipe the iMac clean and start over. However when I was in disk utilities I deleted my recovery disk like an idiot.
I have followed certain instructions such as Internet recovery however, I'm now waiting on this screen.
I would veev much appreciate help.
Thanks, Noah
Your iMac originally shipped with Snow Leopard (10.6.6 or 10.6.7 - DVD) which was not distributed via the internet. If your iMac was upgraded to a newer OS then the EFI Firmware ROM could have been updated to support internet recovery.

Do you know which OS was on your iMac?
see the "Internet Recovery Mode requirements" section:
https://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/02/25/how-to-start-up-your-mac-in-internet-recovery-mode/

Do you see the globe when entering internet recovery?
 

noahhaworth

macrumors newbie
Jan 6, 2019
3
1
It had High Sierra something on it.
It was upgraded.
The globe happens, I wait 30 minutes.
Then am stuck on the (Pictured above) screen .
 

noahhaworth

macrumors newbie
Jan 6, 2019
3
1
Might have been able to figure out problem.
I am downloading original os to computer as we speak.
Going to just upgrade to High Sierra.
I will keep yally updated if ya want.
Thanks,
Noah
 
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Alphaom8ga

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2019
5
1
I'm not quite sure how you got in this mess, but here is how to fix it. (I am assuming here there is not some underlying hardware issue that got all this started).

Hold command-option-r at boot and select your wifi when asked. Then you will see a spinning globe while the recovery utility downloads and installs. Once that is done you will see the recovery screen. From there launch Terminal from the Utilities menu and enter the line below exactly like I have it, including the quotes. That will blow off the Fusion drive.

Code:
diskutil cs delete "Fusion Drive"

Now quit Terminal and launch Disk Utility. You should see a screen like this offering to fix the Fusion drive. Go ahead and click Fix to rebuild the Fusion drive.

View attachment 610983

Now quit Disk Utility and click reinstall OS X at the top and wait for it to finish and restart. This will put you on the OS X version that came from the factory. You can update to El Capitan after if you like.

What you are seeing locked there in your second screenshot is the Recovery HD partition, and that is as it should be and not the problem. The problem is you borked the Fusion drive somehow and this will fix it.


Hi weasel, don't suppose you can help me with my a
Yeah... that sounds like a goner.

Once you get the new drive in you need to get to Internet recovery and start Disk Utility like I showed in my earlier post and it will offer to remake the Fusion drive. After that you will no longer see those two drives to chose from, but only the one Fusion drive.
Hi weasel. Don't suppose you could help me with my a1311 Mac I just got...brought it faulty from a friend. The machine boot straight up into a recovery or some sort and shows the disk as being locked...thinking the drive may be faulty? Many thanks
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
What year model is it?

Can you boot to Internet recovery with command-option-r at boot? You should see a grey screen with a spinning globe.
 
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Alphaom8ga

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2019
5
1
What year model is it?

Can you boot to Internet recovery with command-option-r at boot? You should see a grey screen with a spinning globe.

Thanks, believe it's the 2009 model...if I hold command + r at startup It loads through the normal apple logo and loading bar till it reaches the MacOS utilties box?
[doublepost=1547049998][/doublepost]
Thanks, believe it's the 2009 model...if I hold command + r at startup It loads through the normal apple logo and loading bar till it reaches the MacOS utilties box?

It's not currently connected to a network unless connect it via WiFi once loaded
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
Thanks, believe it's the 2009 model...
2009 won't have Internet recovery. Do you have access to another Mac where you can download macOS and make a USB key installer? Then you can boot to that and see what's up with the 2009.

Short of that, you are sort of in a bind here.
 
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Alphaom8ga

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2019
5
1
2009 won't have Internet recovery. Do you have access to another Mac where you can download macOS and make a USB key installer? Then you can boot to that and see what's up with the 2009.

Short of that, you are sort of in a bind here.

Ah I don't currently, only have Linux and windows machines. Maybe my friend will let me use his mac briefly. Could you possibly tell me what OS recovery I need or is there a way I can easily tell? Many thanks
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
Ah I don't currently, only have Linux and windows machines. Maybe my friend will let me use his mac briefly. Could you possibly tell me what OS recovery I need or is there a way I can easily tell? Many thanks
If your friend had OSX Mavericks he could download that for you then use that to make the USB key installer.

Another option is there are a lot of sellers on Amazon that still sell the Lion DVD. You could but that and boot to it.
 
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Alphaom8ga

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2019
5
1
If your friend had OSX Mavericks he could download that for you then use that to make the USB key installer.

Another option is there are a lot of sellers on Amazon that still sell the Lion DVD. You could but that and boot to it.

Thanks very much...will go about sourcing a disc/usb key to boot from and get back to you if ok.
 
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brentemi

macrumors newbie
Mar 5, 2019
2
0
It means you don't have a Fusion drive configured.


Hi Weaselboy. I have read a ton of these threads and am having very similar problems to the above. However, when I follow some of them, they aren't fixing my problems. Currently, I am trying to erase my MacBook Pro 2011 to be a brand new computer. I think I successfully erased my disks and now I am trying to reinstall OS X so that I can start fresh... however, both my disks are locked. when I delete "macintosh hd" or "fusion drive" or even list to see what mine is called (disk0s2) and delete that, it says "Recovery HD odes not appear to be a valid core storage logical volume group UUID or name". Any ideas? I see you have been very helpful to many blind users like myself, and would love your help.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Alphaom8ga

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2019
5
1
hii, just to update on my problem of having the disk lock (Probably not much use)

it turned out was doing something wrong in the process of formatting/reloading recovery or something along thoose lines.. after much toing and froing the machine no longer had locked disks. Sorry can't be more helpful on what did, but can confirm the hard drive wasnt at fault and it was from within that inbuilt apple recovery enviroment that somehow the disk became unlocked. Cheers
 
Last edited:

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
Hi Weaselboy. I have read a ton of these threads and am having very similar problems to the above. However, when I follow some of them, they aren't fixing my problems. Currently, I am trying to erase my MacBook Pro 2011 to be a brand new computer. I think I successfully erased my disks and now I am trying to reinstall OS X so that I can start fresh... however, both my disks are locked. when I delete "macintosh hd" or "fusion drive" or even list to see what mine is called (disk0s2) and delete that, it says "Recovery HD odes not appear to be a valid core storage logical volume group UUID or name". Any ideas? I see you have been very helpful to many blind users like myself, and would love your help.

Thanks in advance.

Can you get to Internet recovery by holding command-option-r at boot. After selecting your wifi, you should see a grey spinning globe for a while then the recovery screen will come up. Can you get to that screen?
 
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brentemi

macrumors newbie
Mar 5, 2019
2
0
Can you get to Internet recovery by holding command-option-r at boot. After selecting your wifi, you should see a grey spinning globe for a while then the recovery screen will come up. Can you get to that screen?


Didn't realize you responded. So sorry. I got to the screen. It said OS X utities at the top. I was here when I deleted my hard drive. At least I think I did. Now the goal is to get out of this screen and reboot to a completely new mac. Except i think i need to reinstall the OS now, correct?
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
Didn't realize you responded. So sorry. I got to the screen. It said OS X utities at the top. I was here when I deleted my hard drive. At least I think I did. Now the goal is to get out of this screen and reboot to a completely new mac. Except i think i need to reinstall the OS now, correct?
Did you see the grey spinning globe first before getting to the recovery screen? That part is important, because otherwise you are in regular recovery and not Internet recovery.
 
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Hlly

macrumors newbie
Mar 10, 2019
5
0
I tried to restore my 2011 MacBook Pro to factory settings and when it was erasing Macintosh hd something went wrong and now when I try to reinstall OS X it says that recovery hd is locked and I have no idea what to do
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
@Weaselboy I am getting the same output when following your prompts but both my "Macintosh HD" & "Recovery HD" are locked. Is this something you can help with? It's a 2013 13 Inch Macbook Pro. Thank you!

I tried to restore my 2011 MacBook Pro to factory settings and when it was erasing Macintosh hd something went wrong and now when I try to reinstall OS X it says that recovery hd is locked and I have no idea what to do

Can you get to Internet recovery by holding command-option-r when booting?
 
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MBAir2010

macrumors 604
May 30, 2018
6,975
6,354
there
that happened to me a couple times, i rebooted using an USB of snow leopard (or Lion) IF holding command-option-r when booting does not work.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
yep I can

Good deal... then follow my instructions from this earlier post to erase the whole drive. Once that is done, just reinstall the OS.

Can you command-option-r boot to Internet recovery?

Then from there start Disk Utility and enable "Show All Devices", then select the drive itself at the very top like mine is in blue there. Then click the erase button to erase the whole drive.


View attachment 786142
 
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Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,481
16,194
California
I can't find Macintosh hd anywhere so I can't erase it
Get back to Internet recovery then in the Utilities menu at the top, select Terminal.

Then type in the line below and hit return and tell me what it says.

Code:
diskutil list
 
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