Mac not booting up properly

[doylw]

Hello,



I wonder if any of you can help. I'm having issues with my mac in the when it boots up it gets half way through the loading before failing and turning off again.



I have followed the instructions suggested by apple.



I have tried going into disk utitlity and selecting first aid but it fails on my hard drive. I've tried to reinstall my OS but my hard drive is locked.



It appears that my only option is to reformat my hard drive but it's not backed up. Is there anything I can do to save it??



Thanks in advance

 

[Fishrrman]

You need to tell us WHICH Mac you have, and WHAT YEAR it was made.

 

[Mac4Brains]

stop messing with it and back it up. the system sees that there is a major issue and locked the drive to protect the data. after you back it up format the drive using the secure security format. install the system and play with it for a while to make sure that it is not a total drive failure. if it appears happy after that then bring in the data from the backup. but keep the backup around incase this happens again.

 

[hobowankenobi]

There is a very real possibility your drive is failing, or has failed.

As mentioned, be sure your data is backed up first, and then format the drive....and test it. If it is failing, a reinstall of the OS could result in errors, failure, or never completing (hanging).

 

[doylw]

You need to tell us WHICH Mac you have, and WHAT YEAR it was made.

It's a 2013 iMac and the OS is OS X El Capitan
[doublepost=1550126447][/doublepost]

stop messing with it and back it up. the system sees that there is a major issue and locked the drive to protect the data. after you back it up format the drive using the secure security format. install the system and play with it for a while to make sure that it is not a total drive failure. if it appears happy after that then bring in the data from the backup. but keep the backup around incase this happens again.

The issue is that I can access disk utilities but I can't seem to start it in safe mode. So I can't back anything up at the moment, it seems to me the only thing I can do is format the drive but I don't want to lose the data on my hard drive.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"It's a 2013 iMac and the OS is OS X El Capitan"

Does it have a fusion drive inside?
If so, is it a 3tb fusion drive?

These have a record of failure due to the 3tb platter-based drive.

OP also wrote:
"The issue is that I can access disk utilities but I can't seem to start it in safe mode. So I can't back anything up at the moment, it seems to me the only thing I can do is format the drive but I don't want to lose the data on my hard drive."

Be aware that if you have a fusion drive and "part of it" (usually the platter-based hard drive) has suffered a mechanical failure, you're probably not going to get that data back anyway.
This is what "backups" are for.

Can you try this RIGHT NOW:
a. Power down, all the way off
b. Press the power on button
c. Hold down "command-option-R" and keep holding it down until the internet symbol appears. You may need to enter your wifi password.
d. This should get you to internet recovery.
e. Open Disk Utility and try the "repair disk" function on the internal drive
f. What results do you get?

 

[doylw]

OP wrote:
"It's a 2013 iMac and the OS is OS X El Capitan"

Does it have a fusion drive inside?
If so, is it a 3tb fusion drive?

These have a record of failure due to the 3tb platter-based drive.

OP also wrote:
"The issue is that I can access disk utilities but I can't seem to start it in safe mode. So I can't back anything up at the moment, it seems to me the only thing I can do is format the drive but I don't want to lose the data on my hard drive."

Be aware that if you have a fusion drive and "part of it" (usually the platter-based hard drive) has suffered a mechanical failure, you're probably not going to get that data back anyway.
This is what "backups" are for.

Can you try this RIGHT NOW:
a. Power down, all the way off
b. Press the power on button
c. Hold down "command-option-R" and keep holding it down until the internet symbol appears. You may need to enter your wifi password.
d. This should get you to internet recovery.
e. Open Disk Utility and try the "repair disk" function on the internal drive
f. What results do you get?

Thanks for your reply, I've tried this a couple of times already and each time it fails to complete the first aid/repair disk.

Also, earlier today I ran a diagnostic and it couldnt find any issues with the machine.

 

[Fishrrman]

"I've tried this a couple of times already and each time it fails to complete the first aid/repair disk."

Sounds like a failed internal drive.
My suggestion at this point:

Get an EXTERNAL USB drive, and try to install a copy of the OS onto that (instead of fooling with the internal drive).

You need a way to get the Mac booted, and it will boot and run just as well from an external drive as from an internal one.

I'm going to -guess- that you have a failed internal drive.
Again -- WHAT KIND of drive is inside?
This is IMPORTANT information to let us know about.

I think the reality you face is:
- a failed internal drive
- data that probably won't be recoverable (unless you have a backup)

The "best way forward" at this point may be
- get an EXTERNAL USB3 SSD, and set that up to be "the NEW boot drive".
- perhaps when you get up and running that way, you -might- be able to "get at" the internal drive and get your data off of it (but I still consider this to be "a slim chance", at best).

Do you have an external USB drive right now?
Do you happen to have a USB flashdrive that is 32gb or larger around, right now?

 

[Mac4Brains]

use the backup hard drive and install a system on that disk so the build in mac drive shows up as a basic data disk. then back it up.

 

[wilson109]

Try swapping out the charger or power cable, or using a different power outlet. The charger itself may be damaged.

 

[davegoody]

Try swapping out the charger or power cable, or using a different power outlet. The charger itself may be damaged.

It’s an iMac, so thee is no charger, it’s a desktop....... this is not related to an issue with power, the hard drive is faulty......