Install problems, won't recognize Mac HD

A few days ago I had a problem with my computer in that it would not startup in "Mac" mode. I have boot camp and it does start up in Windows w/o any problems. So, I reinstalled the software and it still didn't work. I was going to try to reinstall one more time (was going to do an erase and install), but now it won't give me the option of installing on the Mac HD. It only gives me the option of installing on the Windows partition, which is a very small partition on my HD. When I use the option key to start up, it gives me the option of EFI boot or Windows, where it used to say Mac HD or Windows. Is my hard drive dead? I appreciate your help!!

Your GPT (GUID Partition Table) map is hosed.
I hope your data is backed up.
There is a little program called Test Disk that may be able to repair
the GPT partition table.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
Kj

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Networking 2 computers to share files problem. won't recognize login/pass

hey
i really need help with this.
i now have 2 computers, a powermac G5 and a powerbook G4 connecting to each other with an ethernet cable so i can share files. for some reason when i try to connect as a user instead of guest it won't recognize my login/or password. it was working briefly before.
the only thing i did different was go into my account settings in both computer's preferences and changed the user name and password so they would be the same. they were the same before other than a capital letter but that sometimes affects things so i wanted to make them the exact same. now no matter what i try i cannot login to the network other than as a guest. and i want to be able to access my whole other computer.
this is what it says:
'Unknown user, incorrect password, or login is disabled. Please retype the name and password or contact the server's administrator.'
appletalk is on in the ethernet tab.
file sharing is on.
i've repaired disk permissions.
any help on this asap would be great. thanks

See this.
How to use an iPod with more than one computer.
You say the iPod is already set to manual transfer. If so, files cannot be automatically be erased from the iPod when connecting to a different computer that does not contain the same files.
Manual transfer is how you have control of the iPod when using it on more than one computer. Files on the iPod are added and deleted manually by the user and not automatically by the computer and iTunes.

OS 10.4 disk 2 install problem on mother inlaws mac mini

The installation OS 10.4 disk 1 went ok but disk 2 would not mount. Called apple care and they sent me a replacement for disk 2. When I mounted the replacement disk 2 it said to insert disk 1 to install "OSX and the bundled software". Are they telling me that I have to re-install the system I disk again to install the applications on disk 2?
Ron

Ron, I have to tell you that your post isn't very clear.
Are the Install discs you have mentioned Mac mini-specific ?
I guess you are trying to install (re-install ?) bundled software w/out OS X, but in order to do this, you have to launch disk one and go through the options to select what you want to install. Then the Installer should prompt you to insert disc #2 and proceed.
Mac mini | 1.25 Ghz G4 | 1 GB RAM | 40 GB HDD | AirPort Extreme Mac OS X (10.4.3) External 250 GB LaCie HDD | LaCie FW DVD-RW DL 16x | 20 GB iPod w/Color Display

Tiger/Panther install problems - won't boot from Tiger DVD or Panther CD

My Mum has an iMac G3 CRT, running at 500MHz, with 1GB RAM, a 20GB HD, & a slot-loading internal CD-RW.
The iMac in question is the model described here: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac500indigo.html
She only uses the machine for email & web browsing, but because it runs OS 9, it won't run a modern web browser (it's stuck on Internet Explorer 5.1.7) so lots of websites don't load properly or work at all. This is fair enough as IE for the Mac hasn't been updated since 2001.
My idea was to upgrade the machine from OS 9.2.2 to (ideally) 10.4.11, or failing that, 10.3.9, which would then let her use the current version of Safari, or possibly even Firefox. (Any thoughts on which would be easier for a currently IE-using technically-challenged pensioner would be welcome, although I prefer Safari myself, despite its shortcomings).
The iMac only had it's original 128MB of RAM until recently, but I persuaded her that it would be a good idea to spend 70-odd Pounds on 1GB of RAM so that OS X could not only be installed (which would let a modern browser be used) but would run at a useable speed. The minimum requirement for Panther is 128MB of RAM, but I suspected that it would run like treacle on a 128MB G3, and I was hoping to go for Tiger anyway, which requires 256MB.
As Tiger comes on a DVD (I have the retail/generic version) and the iMac has no DVD drive, I borrowed a friends external LaCie FireWire DVD-RW drive (the Porsche styled one). The DVD mounted first time, and the Startup Disk control panel let me select it.
When I restarted, I got the initial OS X pale grey screen with the dark grey Apple logo in the centre, with the spinning circle thing below, but after a minute or so, I could hear the DVD stop spinning in the drive, and a few seconds later the dark grey Apple logo changed into a dark grey "circle with a line through it" logo, with the normal circle thing still spinning below. This is how things stayed for many minutes, so I just restarted with the external drive off, and eventually got back to a normal 9.2.2 boot-up.
Next I tried running the "Mac OS X Install" application on the Tiger DVD from within 9.2.2. This started and came up with a big Tiger logo screen with a button labelled "Restart". Clicking it brought up an OS 9 error dialogue though, which said something along the lines of "the Tiger DVD cannot be selected as the startup disk" with a number 2 in brackets at the end of the error message - like this: (2)
This error occurs both if I select the Tiger DVD in the Startup Disk control panel prior to running the "Mac OS X Install" application, or if I select the internal hard disk. I know the DVD isn't faulty, as I used it to successfully boot my own Mac (a Power Mac G4 Mirror Drive Doors) just the other day, in order to repair permissions on the startup disk.
At this point I gave up on Tiger and tried to use the first of 3 Panther CDs that I have. These 3 CDs are burnt copies that came with my own Mac and contain version 10.3.2.
The CD refused to be selectable in the Startup Disk control panel. It's icon was greyed out, and so I couldn't boot from it. I tried running the "Install Mac OS X" application on the CD from within OS 9, but got the same error with the 2 in brackets when I clicked the "Restart" button, just like with the Tiger DVD.
Initially, I suspected that these Panther discs might be machine-specific, rather than the retail/generic version, because of the first CD being greyed-out in the Startup Disk control panel, but then the error dialogue that matched the one I got when I tried the Tiger DVD makes me think that my Panther CDs might be generic after all. Examining the first CD on my own Mac, it appears to be generic, but I'm not 100% sure, as the CDs are copies and as such don't have the usual identifying information on the labels. There are no machine-specific files that I can find on the first CD, which is dated January 9th 2004.
Various websites mention that when Tiger was current, Apple would swap a retail copy of the DVD for a set of CDs. I've looked on eBay but not been able to find any. This doesn't surprise me though, as there will be very few copies of Tiger on CD out there, and even fewer copies that people would want to sell.
There are a few retail copies of Panther available on CD, but if my current burnt copies of these discs are in fact generic, then buying a new set would make no difference. Besides, I'd prefer to use Tiger.
The Tiger minimum requirements (see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1514) say:
"To use Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, your Macintosh needs: DVD drive (DVD-ROM), Combo (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) or SuperDrive (DVD-R) for installation"
What it doesn't say though, is whether the DVD drive has to be an internal one with Apple firmware/modifications, or whether an external 3rd party one will do. However, I know from various websites that it's possible to load Tiger onto this sort of Mac, and sometimes even older non-FireWire Macs, despite what the minimum system requirements say.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd be much obliged!
Thanks.

The problem is now solved, but I'm not sure how I managed it, unfortunately.
Having read the article at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75430, I checked both my Tiger DVD and my first Panther CD, and neither had the firmware updater on them, despite what the article said, so I downloaded it. However I was sure I'd applied a firmware update to the iMac a long time ago, and the 4.1.9 version number seemed familiar.
When I checked, I had in fact already applied the firmware update a few years ago!
I tried running the "Mac OS X Install" application on the Tiger DVD from within 9.2.2 again, and got the same error message as before. I was wrong about the error code though. It was minus 2 in brackets, not 2 in brackets.
The full text of the error message is:
An error occurred.
"Startup Disk was unable to select the
install CD as the startup disk. (-2)"
I tried selecting the DVD manually in the Startup Disk control panel (as before) and running the application again gave the same error message (also as before).
I then went into Extensions Manager to see if there was anything there that might be interfering with things. The only thing that caught my eye was the LaCie SilverLining control panel (which I think was version 6.4.5a). This was something that originally came on a floppy disk accompanying an external hard drive that I used to use years ago at a place I worked, and I used to find it invaluable back in the OS 9 G1 Power Mac magneto-optical external drive days!
I couldn't remember what it was doing on the iMac, but I switched it off, and then clicked "Restart", hoping that when I rebooted (in OS 9) the error message wouldn't come up when I ran the "Mac OS X Install" application.
However, I'd forgotten that I'd switched the Startup Disk control panel to the DVD, so when the iMac restarted, the initial OS X dark grey Apple logo screen appeared, and I expected the dark grey "circle with a line through it" logo to appear shortly afterwards, but it didn't! The iMac booted up from the DVD, which then let me install Tiger! I was then able to apply the 10.4.11 update, plus all the others that Software Update provided. About half a dozen restarts and several hours later, the iMac is now fully updated & configured, favourites are copied over to Safari 3.1.2, and all I have to do is teach my Mum how to use the OS X Finder, Mail & Safari, as opposed to the OS 9 Finder, Outlook Express & Internet Explorer...
Switching off the SilverLining control panel seemed to do the trick, but since the iMac then rebooted from the DVD, not the internal hard disk, I don't see how it could have possibly had any bearing on things! Very weird!
Anyway, thanks to Allan Jones & spudnuty for their advice. All's well that ends well!

Install problems with grey e mac disk for i mac

hi all.
i have an i mac computer running 10.1.5. i bought a 10.2.4 disk from owc and installed it. now my finder is flashing and the hard drive won't come up. if i buy a full retail version of 10.2 will it fix this problem? will my files be lost?
if i decide to upgrade to 10.3 or 10.4 will my files be lost?
any suggestions would be most appreciated!
thanks,
elissa s

Unfortunately, you cannot install a new version of OS X on top of an old version. Do you have access to another Mac with Firewire? If you do then you can connect the two by a Firewire cable. Boot your computer into Target Disk Mode. Then boot the other computer normally. After the other computer starts you hard drive should appear on its Desktop. You can then transfer your files. After backing up your files eject your hard drive from the other computer's Desktop, shut down both computers and disconnect the Firewire cable.
Now you can erase the hard drive and install a new OS X. If you are unable to do the above let me know.

Install Disc Won't Recognize Hard Drive

Perhaps I should take it as a sign from above and NOT install.
When I went through the install, my internal hard drive wasn't recognized but my two external hard drives were. I restarted after turning them off and this time no drive was recognized -- there was the ? mark and the CD rom as my two options when I attempted to quit.
I chose network since I had no choice and luckily the system booted from my hard drive and is working normally.
I hesitate to try again -- haven't seen posts with this problem.
Anyone have any insight?

First, be sure your internal drive is formatted/partitioned GUID with the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) filesystem.
Perform a disk check/repair and a file permission verify/repair.
Zap the PRAM and NVRAM
That is about as clean as you can make your system.
Let us know if it works this time.
Maybe it was a message from on high? Letting you know you were not yet ready?
Think only nice thoughts

EMac Problem - Won't recognize HD

I have gottem my eMac to boot up with the eMac install disk. Want to run Disk Utility but there is no HD to select! Ran Apple Hardware test and everything passed. When booting there is a subtle clicking in the back of machine that repeats itself and the machine will not boot up into OSX. If it's not a hardware problem according to AHT how can I get DU to find the HD so I can fix it?
help.
Thanks,
JB

I ran into a problem with memory faults that Apple Hardware Check didn't catch. So there is precedent for Apple diagnostics not catching everything that could be wrong.
I've had hard-drives fail on laptops; the clicking noise is fairly typical of a hard-drive failure.
Try installing OSX onto a fire-wire drive and using that as your boot disk. You don't need to re-partition it if you already have a firewire drive for backup; just install OSX. Then use the system profiler to see if the internal hard drive is recognized by the computer.
Replacing the hard-drive in an eMac is not a job for novices. If you're used to working on computers and are very patient with small fiddly wires and screws, then there are good reference materials on the internet to guide you through it. The power-switch, for example, is needlessly fragile so be very careful when lifting the plastic shell off the eMac. Be aware that the CRT in an eMac contains lethal voltages if not discharged properly. There are also internet resources on how to do this. I don't have the links handy, but you can search "eMac dis-assembly" as I did to find them.
The folks who make Drive Genius also make a data-recovery program that I've heard good things about, but not used personally. Hopefully you have a current backup of your data....
Good luck!

MX 2004 re-install problem, won't run!!!!!!!!

I have had Director MX 2004 installed on another computer. I
used PClink to transfer my files to a new computer. I can not run
ANY Macromedia product. I uninstalled all Macromedia products and
tried to re-install Director MX 2004. I get a message that the
install was successful but when I try to run Director nothing
happens, no errors, just no Director program.

Thanks for your quick response...
I already followed that link. I downloaded the iMac Superdrive update and installed it. And that Superdrive Firmware update is only for G5's and eMac's.
I thought it might be a bad disc, so I went to the Apple store to exchange my disc for a new one. And the new one doesn't work either.
So, I'm still at a dead end. Any other ideas?

Can't Install Leopard, Won't Recognize Tiger

Hi - I want to install Leopard on an iMac currently running the latest edition of Tiger (10.4.11 or so?). It meets all of Leopard's tech requirements as well. However, when I begin the process, the Leopard install system says it can't install on my iMac because I'm NOT running Tiger.
This is incorrect - in fact, the iMac came with Tiger pre-installed, and that's the only OS it's ever run. How can I convince the Leopard install disc of this fact? I don't see any options for communication besides the "OK" button. It's doubly frustrating because when it then tells me I have to restart, and asks which disk to boot from, it shows my iMac RUNNING TIGER as one of the options.
Is there a way to tell the Leopard OS disk that I DO in fact have Tiger currently installed?
Thanks in advance -

I'm most confused - not hard to do on a weekend morning with only one cup of coffee. If you have the retail Leopard installer it doesn't matter what version of OS X your iMac has. I used the same disk to install Leopard on top of 10.3 and 10.4 so something weird is going on. BTW, BootCamp should have nothing to do with it - my own computers had BootCamp beta when I upgraded to Leopard.
What kind of upgrade are you attempting? Archive & Install or Erase and Install? If you are attempting the A&I what the installer might really be trying to tell you is that there's not enough disk space to perform that installation. Then again, I know that Leopard's installer is able to give that error message properly. The installer might be coming across a weird error when it is checking the drive so run Disk Utility and make sure the drive doesn't need to be repaired.

Imac won't recognize mac external firewire 800 drive

iMac suddenly stopped recognizing my firewire 800 gdrives. worked this afternoon, and the drives worked on my macbook pro. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Reset the SMC > Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the computer's power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.
Then the PRAM > About NVRAM and PRAM
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.
Reconnect your FireWire Drive.

Macbook Pro (late) 2008 won't recognize HD and MAC OS X installed, but recognizes SAME HDD with Windows installed ... where is the problem !???D a

Macbook Pro (late) 2008 won't recognize HDD and MAC OS X installed, but recognizes SAME HDD with Windows installed ... where is the problem !???
And HDD is APPLE certified ( 250 GB )

Hello JashaCOLD,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing with your external hard drive. I found an article with steps you can take when an external device is not being recognized.
I recommend following the steps in the section titled "Top troubleshooting tips" in the following article:
USB and FireWire Quick Assist
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1151
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

Have an older 17 MacBook Pro, running OS 10.5.8. Software update says everyting is current. Just bought new iPhone 5S. Mac won't recognize phone, says I need newer version of iTunes. Have no problem with computer recognizing old phone or iPad.

Have an older 17 MacBook Pro, running OS 10.5.8. Software update says everyting is current. Mac doesn't have iCloud, preferences still shows MobileMe. Just bought new iPhone 5S. Mac won't recognize phone, says I need newer version of iTunes. Have no problem with computer recognizing old phone 3 or 1-1/2 year old iPad. I suspect I need to update OS, but as software update isn't telling me to do so, can I? What version would I need to go to?

Your MacBook Pro can be updated to run Mac OS X "Snow Leopard". Buy it. That will enable you to run the latest iTunes version.
Online (US): http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Online (UK): http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Germany: http://store.apple.com/de/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Elsewhere: call the phone number in the Apple Online Store
Apple's price is $19.99, £14.00, €18.

I was going to use iExplorer to try to copy Notes from iphone 4 to my iMac but changed my mind. Deleted iExplorer. Now my Mac won't recognize when my iPhone is plugged in. Is iExplorer the problem? How do I fix this?

I was going to use iExplorer to try to copy Notes from iphone 4 to my iMac but changed my mind after downloading iExplorer to my iMac. Deleted iExplorer from my iMac. Now my Mac won't recognize when my iPhone is plugged in. Is iExplorer the problem? How do I fix this?
I am using the Yosemite OS on m

Hi TakesTwo2Tango,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you should definitely be seeing a plus sign after tapping Edit, so I would try a couple relatively easy things (closing the Music app, resetting the iPhone):
iOS: Force an app to close
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5137
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Turning off and on (restarting) and resetting
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1430
Cheers,
- Ari

Installed 8gb RAM on mac mini model A1347 but it won't recognize past 4gb, any way to fix this to recognize the full 8?

Installed 8gb RAM on mac mini model A1347 but it won't recognize past 4gb, any way to fix this to recognize the full 8?

What RAM did you buy?
Try reseating the modules, they need to be pushed firmly into the slots before tilting them down into the clips.
see > Mac mini: How to remove or install memory

I plugged in my brand new nano to my husbands desktop to get it registered, but had a problem mid way through when I tried to used an apple login that already existed. Now it's not registered and the computer won't recognize my device. How do I fix this

I plugged in my brand new nano to my husbands desktop to get it registered, but had a problem mid way through when I tried to used an apple login that already existed. Now it's not registered and the computer won't recognize my device. How do I fix this?

iPod not recognized in 'My Computer' and in iTunes for Windows
Call U.S. iPod and Mac technical support: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273) to register your iPod Nano.

Install problems, won't recognize Mac HD

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