How to restore my hard drive

My hard drive is full and I want to  restore it to factory settings.

Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
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.
Erase the hard drive:
  1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
  2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
  3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
  4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.

Similar Messages

  • How to restore a hard drive through another computer?

    My mid-2007 iMac would not load up past the white screen. I tried everything and was unable to get the hard drive to boot up. I took it to the Apple store but due to the age if the machine they would not attempt to fix it. They were not able to boot the computer off an external drive or network. I removed the hard drive to salvage any data I could. I hooked it up to my Mac mini via a SATA enclosure. I was able to remove my photos, music, etc. I now want to restore the hard drive in a last ditch effort to try and save my computer. I have the drive pulled up in disk utility on my Mac mini. I verified the disk and attempted to repair the disk. Both times I received the message: "Error: Unrecognized file system" I am unsure how to restore this disk so I can return it to the iMac and try and get it to load up. Any other ideas?

    If the disk cannot be repaired, then try erasing and reformatting it using Disk Utility. If unable, then try with a different disk repair app, such as DiskWarrior, Drive Genius, or TechTools Pro. If still no go, get a new bare HD to put into the iMac.

  • How to restore from hard drive that won't boot?

    My Macbook Pro recently started hanging at the grey boot screen, and the hard drive was replaced under Applecare. I've got the old hard drive in a USB enclosure now, and everything on it seems to be readable despite it refusing to boot from this hard drive. Disk utility reports no problems. Is there a way to restore the files and applications from the old hard drive onto the new hard drive? I presume I can't just make a new time machine backup from the old hard drive and restore that?
    Thanks

    Try the migration assistant:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4413
    If that doesn't work, you'll have to use a data recovery tool:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689

  • I had to restore my hard drive and so the apps aren't on this computer anymore. How can I transfer them from the ipod to the computer?

    I had to restore my hard drive so the apps aren't backed up to my computer any more. When I go to update/backup my phone, it says it will delete all apps. How do I get these apps so they are backed up?

    Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

  • I restored my hard drive, how do i get my files back for iweb

    I had to restore my hard drive on my imac. I had backed everything up with time machine prior to the restore.  I have been able to get everything back up and running except my iweb.  The program and icon are showing but i cannot get my website back in the program.

    iWeb needs the domain file where it stores its content. The picture shows where it should be.
    If you made a backup you can restore it.
    If the backup is missing, you'll have to start from scratch. You cannot import published HTML pages.
    It's often discussed in this forum.

  • Restore the hard drive to the factory WinXP OS image - T60 1951-A31

    I'm trying to restore the hard drive to the factory WinXP OS image on a number of 1951-A31 ThinkPad T60. 
    Found these instructions in the trouble shooting guide:
    1. If possible, save all your files and shut down your operating system.
    2. Turn off your computer for at least 5 seconds.
    3. Turn on your computer. Watch the display carefully. While the message, “To interrupt normal startup, press the blue ThinkVantage button” is displayed, press the ThinkVantage button. The Rescue and Recovery workspace opens.
    4. Click Restore your system and follow the instructions on the screen.
    The problem is that Restore your system does not appear.
    I found a thread on Thinkvantage  looks promising:  No Restore Option
    The thread has this:
    04-03-2009 12:55 PM
    kamszelei, welcome to the forum,
    from a lurker 
    which version of Think Vantage System Upate do you have installed?
    If you have version 3.13.0009 installed please try the following; boot into Windows and run TVSU.  It'll update itself, restart, then update itself again. Hopefully the option to recover to factory content will then be available to you.
    Please also check the following registry key; HKLM\Software\Lenovo\TVT Common
    If the "System Type" key is 1, change it to 0. If it is already set to 0 don't change anything and let us know
    Unfortunately my Thinkvantage update system is saying it cannot connect because it is not running
    Here are my questions about ThinkVantage:
    How do I get Thinkvantage update to run?
    How do I find the version number for Thinkvantage
    How do I "boot into Windows and run TVSU
    My other question is this:
    Can I simply buy the backup DVDs with the original XP?
    Thanks
    (mod edit: fixed broken link)

    You need to have a harddrive installed that contains the original system restore partition, many people delete them because they are redundant and use up space and after a while, most of the content is outdated, meaning it will install 4-5yo system and software that you'd only want to replace or update anyway. I prefer to install from a windows setup disc, but you can buy the restore sets, it's a set of 7 or 8 CDrom, not DVD discs. Lenovo sells them I believe, or if you can find someone willing to copy a set and send them to you, it would save you some money. I can tell you that if I had a several of these to do, I'd much rather use a single windows setup disc, preferably one with the latest service pack and updates, so I'm done after a few mins and one disc, opposed to installing many discs, changing from one to the other, then in the end downloading and installing service pack three, then a few dozen hotfixes, it could turn into hours of work on each unit, but if you want them with all the preloaded software, then that is the only way. Good Luck
    ThinkPad W-510 i7-820QM(1.73-3.06GHz) Quad Core... ThinkPad T500, T9900, 8gb SSD...FrankNpad T-60p/61p (X9000 2.8ghz) 8gb SSD ips FlexView...ThinkPad T-61p (T9300 2.5ghz) 8gb ram...Thinkpad X-61 Tablet 4gb ram...ThinkPad A-31 (1.9ghz P4 1.5gb ram)

  • HT1553 I restored my hard drive from time machine. Why is iPhoto not displaying images properly?

    I restored my hard drive from time machine after power blinks corrupted the file system so badly that disk utility could not repair it. Since then, iPhoto has not displayed images correctly. Events are there, and blank squares are shown, but that's all. I rebuilt small and all thumbnails and permissions -- I think the top three or four options in the iPhoto rebuild utility, which took five hours to do but which seems not to have changed anything. The iPhoto library is still more than 100GB, so the photos are there. I didn't choose rebuild from backed up --- whatever the final option on the rebuild menu offers -- because that seems to be appropriate only when a backup is interrupted. Could certainly do it, though. How do I get iphoto behaving again? I have full time machine backups saved automatically and another fairly recent copy on a separate hard drive stored remotely. Thanks for whatever help anyone can provide. I've looked at existing questions and solutions without success so far.

    What version of iPhoto and system are your running?  Since you've tried rebuilding with iPhoto give this a try:
    Using iPhoto Library Manager  to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
    Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
    Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
    In the next  window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
    Click on the Create button.
    Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
    If you have an external HD you might want to have the rebuilt copy created on it unless you have well more than 100 GB available on your boot drive.
    OT

  • I dropped my macbook pro and the screen is broken can i still use it with an external monitor? Or can I or how do I transfer hard drive files to my mac mini?

    I dropped my 17" macbook pro and the screen is broken. Can I still use it with an external monitor? When I plugged it into a monitor I had used it with before, I'm not able to see anything on the macbook screen to control it. It came on but I just got the blue screen with nothing else after typing in my password. (Didn't see the password form just assumed it was there somewhere and it did go from space to blue screen but no desktop icons, files, dock strip at top or anything else, just blank blue screen) so I can't access the system preferences.
    Or can I / or how do I, transfer hard drive files to my mac mini? If not salvageable as is can I pull out the hard drive and make it an external harddrive? In otherwords is anything salvageable? It seems it's coming on I just can't access anything. BTW I was told it would cost aprox $1000 to replace the screen! I paid almost $4000 for this thing and it was running great - makes me sick to lose it!

    I'd like to promise you that everything will be fine if you just get the monitor going - but it's hard to know what the hardware damage might be. It might be the monitor, or the damage might be greater.
    Your best solution would be visit your local Apple Store and let them know what your situation is. They have access to diagnostics you don't, and they might be able to the best way to save your data and keep you computing. It's still not covered, but they can tell you what your current options are.
    Um, you might consider investing in a backup drive.
    And there other repair options, too. Powerbook Medic http://www.powerbookmedic.com/xcart1/pages.php?pageid=67 offers reliable repairs, and quotes prices well under Apple's.

  • On my macbook pro the hard drive icon is not on my desktop and I don't know how to find the hard drive or get the icon back on my desktop

    on my macbook pro the hard drive icon is not on my desktop and I don't know how to find the hard drive or get the icon back on my desktop

    Click on the Desktop. From the Finder menu select Preferences. Check the boxes for what you want on your Desktop. If they are already checked, then try unchecking and rechecking.

  • Since you can no longer backup to disk, how to restore from external drive without losing all ratings and playlists

    since you can no longer backup to disk, how to restore from external drive without losing all ratings and playlists?

    My own opinion is that you should install the later appropriate version of Silverkeeper. That said, I would in fact recommend if you can wait a few days for an answer, that you email the La Cie Silverkeeper backup team via the email link on the site at http://www.lacie.com/silverkeeper/
    They are careful to say they are not officially providing a backup service, but when I emailed them with a query regarding usage about a year ago after downloading Silverkeeper for myself, I got a reply within a couple of days that cleared up my question.

  • I restored my hard drive with time machine but when I log in I get "home folder protected by fire vault and needs to be repaired. But I can't get past the regular log

    I restored my hard drive with time machine but when I log in I get "home folder protected by fire vault and needs to be repaired. But I can't get past the regular log

    Maybe you might find some info to the right>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

  • How big of a hard drive will a DV7-1150us support?

    I have an HP Pavilion DV7-1150us that the hard drive failed in and needs to be replaced. How large of a hard drive will this PC support?

    The largest listed as an order option is 320GB- but I would think at least a 500Gb could be used. The biggest issue you face, if using Vista Recovery Discs, is that most hdd's are now AF (Advanced Format) and they rarely (never) work with this type hdd. I would suggest searching around for non-AF hdd if you will be using Vista.
    ******Clicking the Thumbs-Up button is a way to say -Thanks!.******
    **Click Accept as Solution on a Reply that solves your issue to help others**

  • How big a internal hard drive can I install in a G5 Powermac

    Model Name:          Power Mac G5
      Model Identifier:          PowerMac11,2
      Processor Name:          PowerPC G5 (1.0)
      Processor Speed:          2 GHz
      Number Of CPUs:          2
      L2 Cache (per CPU):          1 MB
      Memory:          4.5 GB
      Bus Speed:          1 GHz
      Boot ROM Version:          5.2.7f1
    How big a internal hard drive can I install in a G5 Powermac

    2.1 TB for certain & some 3 TB drives work if Partitioned to less than 2.1 TB but then it must be GUID instead of APM, most important is if it is SATA I 1.5Gb/sec compatible.

  • How big of a hard drive for 15" G4 667

    I have a 15" G4 667 and it has a 30gb... how big of a hard drive can i install in it... i would like to install a 160gb

    Hi, letmeno. If your 667MHz Powerbook has a DVI video-out port, it will format a nominal 160GB drive to its actual capacity (about 149GB) and use it happily, without any other limitations.
    If you have the 667MHz model with a VGA video-out port, only 127-128GB of a 160GB drive can be recognized in it, and the last 20GB of the drive's actual capacity will be unavailable. Partitioning the drive has no effect on this hardware limitation.
    A 120GB drive (the next size down) has a formatted capacity in any machine of about 111GB, so a 160GB drive actually provides a significant increase even in a Powerbook that can't use the whole drive. If you have the VGA model, and the difference between 111GB and 128GB is worth the difference in price between a 120 and a 160GB drive to you, go ahead and install a 160. Otherwise, even a 120 would certainly be a huge improvement over a 30.
    If you do buy a 160, any later Powerbook or other recent Mac model will be able to reformat it to its full capacity. Whenever you move on to a newer Mac, you can just mount the 160 in an external enclosure for continued use, put the 30 back into the Tibook, and sell it or give it away.

  • How large of a hard drive can i put in my Macbook Pro (early 2011)

    how large of a hard drive can i put in my Macbook Pro (early 2011) and where can i get one?

    You can find answers to both at OWC as well as installation tutorials. I think you will find 1 to 1.5 TBs are the largest.

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