Hard drive erase?

hello, i installed os x 10.2 on my powermac g3 b/w and not it shows the flashing mac sign and question mark, i put the cd in and i went to disk utility and it does not read my hard drive what do i do? i want to erase it.

The Install CD for Mac OS X has very limited options.
I suggest you go back to Mac OS 9 CD, where the CD is a System/Install CD and other software can be run to help identify the problem.
Apple System profiler will tell you whether the Drive is still there, or has really become invisible. A PRAM Reset may allow missing Hardware to appear again. It is possible your PRAM battery was weak and has died. Mac OS 9 Drive Setup may show your drive in an odd state or with a specific problem.
Did you pull the main AC plug and/or install/remove any Hardware for this install? If yes, the PRAM battery becomes a prime suspect, and the seating of the sound card in its slot should go on the suspect list also.

Similar Messages

I was given an iBook G4 with the hard drive erased. Is there a free reformat/reboot download available?

I was given an iBook g4 with the hard drive erased. A local Mac tech stated the unit could be reformatted online. I've not been able to find anything to help. Is there a downloadable program?

You should be able to gain a clue if the sticker with the serial number on it remains intact.
Check out the Apple Knowledge Base article on How to find the Serial Number for that information.
Is there any other path to pursue other than paying bucks to have a local Mac Tech restore it?
Yes, but you will need the Install and Restore discs.
Can another Mac cink with it to retrieve this data?
There is no data to "retrieve," since the hard drive has been erased. What you need is an installation and restoration of the operating system and original applications. This is accomplished with either a compatible full retail install disc (or discs) or the original Install and Restore discs. We are right back to needing to know which exact model it is in order to advise you further.

Why can't i use realplayer with my mac anymore? it worked fine until i had the hard drive erased and reset

why can't i use realplayer with my mac anymore? it worked fine until i had the hard drive erased and reset

Did you remember to reinstall it?

Hard Drive Erase, Clean Install and Time Machine

I am currently running OS X 10.10.3 and I want to do a clean install. All my content is backed up with Time Machine via external drive.
First, how do I erase my hard drive and install a fresh version of OS X 10.10.3?
Second, is it better to use a USB drive for the clean install or just you the Recovery Mode?
Last, once i finally have a clean installation of OS X 10.10.3, am i able to access my external drive via time machine to bring back some of my old files...i have read that the folder in the external drive is not accessible and not accessible through time machine.
I appreciate the response and guidance!

Hello Jacob,
All of these are good questions to have when erasing and installing OS X Yosemite. To answer your first question you would need to boot to either your Recovery HD or through the Recovery USB and follow the steps in the first article below. Either option will get the task accomplished and will install OS X Yosemite. For your final question about restoring from a Time Machine back up, you will see the option to restore when going through the setup process of your Mac. Let me know if the information below is of help or need further assistance.
OS X Yosemite: Erase and reinstall OS X
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18869
OS X: About Recovery Disk Assistant
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202294
OS X Yosemite: Recover your entire system
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18848
Take it easy,
-Norm G.

Hard drive erasing issue

Ive been having issues lately with my Intel iMac locking up and freezing on me. Today while logging out the machine locked up, the spinning black circle on the screen stopped so i turned off and back on again.
I disconnected all accesories bar the apple keyboard and mouse and i unplugged the mains for 10 seconds and put it back in. The machine then wouold not boot up but got stuck at the white screen.
I tried pressing the apple key when turning on and i got the mouse pointer but no drive loaded.
I popped in my Leopard CD to boot from that and after waiting AGES it eventually showed the CD to click but nothing else. After a further 15 minutes of waiting the machine eventually booted into the CD and i was able to load up Disk Utility.
My hard drive was showing but when i clicked to verify the drive it gave me an error about invalid node.
When i clicked to repair the disc it said something about invalid sibling.
Im opted to erase the disc as i had all data backed up but when clicking to erase it gets stuck at Partitioning map.
I tried this twice with Journaled and Journaled Case-sensitive and got the same thing.
I then opted to erase but with zero Out Data. The zeroing took about an hour and went fine, but then it comes up with Creating Partitioning Map and gets stuck again.
Im at a lose now, can anyone help as it seems my machine is very poorly

HI,
Here's how to boot from the install disk and check the hard drive for errors.
*"about invalid sibling."*
Insert Installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger and later) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
*(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel. It should say: Verified)*
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
*If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.*
When you are finished with DU, from the Menu Bar, select Utilities/Startup Manager.
Select your start up disk and click Restart
While you have the Disk Utility window open, look at the bottom of the window where you see Capacity and Available. Make sure there is always 15% free disk space. Not enough disk space can cause directory corruption.
If Disk Utility cannot repair the disk then your next option is DiskWarrior
If you cannot boot from your install disk, try booting in Safe Mode
Carolyn

Old compy's hard drive erased-how do i get songs back on new compy?

kinda complicated... had itunes and ipod mini for about 1 1/2 years. My lovely computer's hard drive was completely wiped out by a virus (and i wasnt maintaining it well =/) and my parents bought me a new compy. I still listen to my ipod mini... but i cant upload new songs because i dont even have itunes on my new compy yet... is there any possible way to get those songs back on this new compy without erasing the precious songs on my ipod mini?
Dell Dimension E310 Windows XP

Hello,
Hope this help
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=464031&tstart=0

How to uninstall and reinstall PS after hard drive erased?

How do I uninstall and reinstall PS after my hard drive has been erased? I tried the uninstall icon but it came up as error and now is gone.

Run the Creative Suite Cleaner Tool, thne reinstall. just be aware that you may have lost an activation and may need to call support to reset them...
Mylenium

Need to retrieve photoshop elements software after hard drive erased

hello. i purchased photoshop elements 11 two days ago, but had to erase my hard drive this morning. is there a way for me to retrieve the photoshop elements software or must i purchase it again? i have the serial number, btw.

Yes, simply download the trial version or the version listed on your account and reinstall it with your serial number. If you need to reset activations, contact support by phone or webchat.
Mylenium

Disk Utily - Problem with Hard Drive Erase

I have just upgraded my 12" PowerBook G4 Aluminium with a 80GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K100. I cannot get the disk to Erase (and hence format) in Disk Utilty.
I booted from the Mac OS X Panther Disc One and ran the Disk Utilty. The new drive is visible in the left pane. I selected it, clicked on the Erase tab, selected MAC OS Extended (journaled), clicked Erase, and then Erase again (from the "are you sure?" Dialogue box). A progress bar then appears in the bottom right hand corner with the caption "Partitioning" to the left of it, and about 2mm of blue showing as progress. It does not, however, make any further progress, no matter how long I leave it. I understand, from what I have read, that the erase process is normally quite rapid?
I have tried the Erase routine several times now, each time with the result described above. The caption "partitioning" seems strange, as I am not trying to partition the drive.
I have spent hours trawling the web looking for a solution to this problem, but without success. I am extremely frustrated by the situation, especially as the physical replacement was actually pretty straight-forward.
Has anyone come across this problem before? If so, what's the diagnosis and is there a resolution?
PowerBook G4 12" Aluminium Mac OS X (10.3) 867MHz, 256MB RAM, 40GB HD

Hi Gerry:
When erasing (formatting/initializing, take your pick) a hard drive for the first time, Disk Utility will show one entry for the hard drive in the column on the left. (This entry typically includes the manufacturer and/or model information.) During the initialization process, Disk Utility will by default create one partition (formatted volume) utilizing 100 per cent of the available capacity.
1. Select the hard drive to be erased.
2. Go to the Erase tab, select the Volume Format (by default it is Mac OS Extended (Journaled)), and give the volume a name.
3. Click on Erase. The captioning first states that it is partitioning the drive, and the progress indicator holds at a couple of millimeters for anywhere from a few seconds to a minute. It should then change to "Formatting", and the progress bar will complete within a few more seconds.
I just erased a 400GB external firewire drive and the whole process took less than a minute. If it gets stuck on "Partitioning" and it never says "Formatting", then I'd suspect the hard drive. Some defect on the drive is preventing Disk Utility from creating the partition.
You could try using the Partition tab instead of the Erase tab; try to make two equal partitions, and if it's successful, delete the partitions and try to make one. Kappy, who's one of the veterans around here, always suggests using the Partition tab for initializing a new disk. Maybe he knows something we don't.
Andrew

Hard Drive Erase Help

I am trying to erase my hard drive and do a clean install. In the process I accidentally made a partition of half my drive as free space. I tried to convert it to journaled but when I click apply nothing happens. I made a Mountain Lion Install USB. I have booted from it and entered Disk Utility. I figured I'd go ahead and erase it and it would give me the free space back. However, when I click on my drive I only have the First Aid and Partition tab. I am posting pictures as to show you exactly what I'm looking at.
The first picture is to show that I don't have all the tabs that I think I should. I should have an Erase tab along with a couple more I think.
The second picture is where I accidentally created a huge partition of free space. When I click apply to make it journaled nothing happens.
What should I do?

I think I know the issue. This is your startup drive. You cannot make changes to it while booted from it. You must use the Recovery HD partition to make the change.
Drive Partition and Format
1. Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
2. When the main menu appears select Disk Utility and click on the Continue button. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Select the partition you don't want at the bottom of the partition map, then click on the Delete [-] button. Click on the Apply button.
4. Now use the triangle gadget in the bottom right corner of the remaining partition and drag it to the bottom to make a single partition. Click on the Apply button.

Lost Power during Hard Drive Erase

I lost power about a half way thru a 35 swipe of my hard drive now I can not install OS.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
Your hard disk may be damaged now.
However, try to erase it again. Insert the Mac OS X DVD that came with your computer and press the C key while your Mac is starting. Then, open Utilities menu > Disk Utility, select your hard disk at the top of the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk.
If you don't find the hard disk or you can't erase it, take the computer to an Apple Store or reseller to get it replaced. Normally, hard disks are unusable after turning off a computer while you were erasing it

Hard drive erased, cannot install system!

Hello y'all,
I wanted to install Leopard on my old Macbook. While in the installer, I went to disc utilities and erased my hard drive. Then I started installing the system just as planned.
Here's the problem: my laptop doesn't have a battery, so when my thigh yanked the cord off the thing died and the installation was zoot. When I restarted and tried to install again, I got the message saying that I needed to upgrade my system to v10.5 or later! Because I erased the disc image! So, I tried to install the other disc I have: v10.4.10, but it tells me that it "can't be installed on my computer". WHAT IS THIS MADNESS? What is a woman to do now?!
I am pretty sure that I already had 10.5 installed on my computer in the first place... I know... I wasn't trying to uprgade it ok? I was trying to reset my laptop.
Any help, condolences, or life stories are welcome and much appreciated.
Thank you!

Drive Preparation and Installation
1. Boot from your Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. After formatting has finished quit DU and return to the installer. Install Leopard.
Be more careful of the power cord and get a replacement battery. Running the computer without a battery installed will result in the CPU throttling down in speed, thus making the computer run slower than it would with the battery.

Hard drive erased iMac G5 X l0.4.11. Help?

Hard drive was erased. I need to find out how to get the original software - mac mail, safari, etc. that came with the computer. Can anyone help?

No disks came with the computer. Same thing with my Lion I am returning. It was already on the computers when purchased.
I think with Lion they just started changing how things work in terms of relying upon online services and flash drives, and not optical discs, but I am just remembering what I have read here. Before Lion all computers came with a set of OX discs should you need to re-install the system on the computer. In theory when you sold a computer those discs should go with the computer since they are no good on any other model. In practice a lot of people seemed to throw them away or lose them, which left subsequent purchasers of the computer (e.g., you) in the lurch when it came to needing to install something. You either need to buy a set of discs from Apple with the system version that came with the machine, or find a set of black, retail version system discs for a newer version that will also work on a G5 (i.e., 10.5). If you go the second route do not get fooled into buying a set of grey discs that came with somebody else's machine that they should be keeping for when they sell their machine to a third person. Those discs likely won't work on yours.
How are you "returning" Lion?

Netbook hard drive erased......HELP!!!!!!!

Netbook hard drive is erased by tech. Manual directions installed Mozilla instead of WinXP. Cannot access my pics, documents, etc. Tech from Vipre refuses to help. Can anyone tell me how to re-install OS and have my WinXP back?

Hi:
The only way you are going to be able to do that is if you can still get a set of recovery disks for your PC.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07143&tmp_task=solveCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lan...
Paul

Hard Drive Erased

My computer was stolen a couple weeks ago but fortunately recovered by authorities. The culprit apparently erased/reformatted the hard drive and all files and programs are deleted. It appears as though no new data was installed. Is it possible to recover old data? How? Thank you so much!

You'll need an external drive and something like Data Rescue II but it's possible ...
http://www.prosofteng.com/
You'll have to Boot the system from an external source and then run Data Rescue II and recover the files onto a drive _other than the one wiped off_, the 'best' solution would be an external Firewire drive with Leopard installed on it together with a copy of Data Rescue II and enough free space for everything that was on the old drive. Once you've recovered all the files to the external then you can copy them back onto the 'wiped' drive.

Hard drive erase?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for