Macbook Air won't allow me to erase. Format and Name are greyed out.

I'm looking to sell my original Macbook Air and after going through each step from the OS X Erase and Install tool from Apple Support, everything still remains greyed out, not allowing me to erase. I've tried restarting with command, R, and I've also tried shutting down and starting up holding the down the option key. Neither allows me to erase. Any suggestions?

Shut down the computer.
Restart the computer and try again.
A new Mac comes with 90 days of free tech support from AppleCare.
AppleCare: 1-800-275-2273
Best.

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please help!

Shut down the computer.
Restart the computer and try again.
A new Mac comes with 90 days of free tech support from AppleCare.
AppleCare: 1-800-275-2273
Best.

The print menu on my MacBook Air won't allow me to select two sided printing, how do I do this?

Hi Community,
I recently purchased a MacBook Air (my very first Mac) and I cannot access all of the printing options when I print. I am able to print and the printer driver was downloaded, but my options are limited. I cannot enable two sided printing, which is something I was able to do with my current printer via my old laptop. I am in grad school and have a lot of journal articles to print and read that are 60-70 pages each. I'd much rather print these two sided to save paper. I have the latest version of OS X (version 10.8.5) and my printer is an HP Laser Jet P2035n.
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Read the post by iron badger at the bottom of the page.
Check out the last post by iron badger. http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Macintosh-Compatible-Products/LaserJet-P2035n-Doub le-sided-printing-Mac-OS-X-10-6/td-p/2359047#.UjybmBb3YzU
Best.

Macbook air won't allow me to install any torrents, what do i do?

I have been trying to install uTorrent and my Macbook Air fails to install, what do i need to do?

Contact the Utorrent group about this.
Torrents are 99% illegal downloads, ...seek help from them, Reconsider your use of same.

I need to erase free space on my hard drive. But when I am in disk utility the format and name are pale as is the erase free space button so I cannot erase free space.

My start up disk is full. I have been through my computer and erased a lot of music and video to free some space. I then went to disk utility to erase free space and find that the erase free space button is pale and therefore won't work. Nor can I select or deselect MacOS extended journaled.
Advice please?!

Recovering Disk Space
If you have less than 20% disk space then it is time to roll up your sleeves and search for what you can delete and what you can offload to another disk.
If you have less than 10 GB you definitely need to delete or offload some files or purchase a lager disk or SSD (see below). You may want to maintain at least 20 GB of free space so when your disk starts filling again it will have some room before it hits that 10 GB mark again. More headroom is better. If you let the space fall much below 9 GB you might not be able to boot your machine.
Initial easy steps to gain disk space:
- Delete all files in the Downloads folder.
Empty the Trash.
- Start iPhoto.
Empty its trash.
Restart.
- Restart in Safe Mode:
Restart the computer.
As soon as you hear the chime press and hold the right shift key.
Be patient. Hold it down until you see the Apple icon.
Empty the trash.
Restart in normal mode.
- Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.
    Hold the option key down and click "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.
    Select "Library" from the drop down menu.
    Library > Mail > V2 > Mailboxes
    Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.
- Empty the Trash.
- Restart.
- Re-index your system disk (Macintosh HD):
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2409
Time Machine Snapshots:
If your disk is 80% full that is normal. Time Machine uses up to 80% of the disk space for local snapshots. To get rid of these snapshots simply plug in your Time Machine backup drive and run a backup. See About Time Machine's 'local snapshots' on Mac notebooks: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4878 and What are Local Snapshots? http://pondini.org/TM/30.html .
If you are concerned that the “Other” category of disk usage is taking too much space and for information on deleting files then look here: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5142
Backup:
Run a Time Machine (or other) backup since you are about to delete and move files and you may need to recover from any inadvertent mistakes or decisions. You will need one external hard drive for your Time Machine (or other) backup and a second if you plan to offload some files. (See suggestions for where to purchase hard drives at the end of this message.)
For more about backups:
Time Machine Basics: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Most commonly used backup methods:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3045
Methodology to protect your data. Backups vs. Archives. Long-term data protection:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6031
Deleting files:
Then use the free application OmniDiskSweeper http://www.omnigroup.com/more to explore your volume in descending order by size so you can attack the problem from the top down, deleting the largest unwanted files first. Delete with caution and do not delete any system files. Remember to empty the trash after trashing the files.
Additional reference on freeing disk space:
http://pondini.org/OSX/DiskSpace.html
Offloading files:
Consider moving some of the no-often-used large files or directories to an external disk. Use ODS again to find them. As noted above this will be at least your second hard drive. Your first one(s) is/are for your Time Machine (or other) backup(s). Do not offload files onto a Time Machine disk.
Format the second drive as Mac OS Extended (journaled). Using OWS to find large files/folders and copy them from the system drive to the external hard drive and delete them from your internal drive.
Then  > System Preferences > Time Machine > Options… > Remove the offload HD name from the exclusions list.
Now both your system disk and your external offload disk will be backed up onto your Time Machine disk.
From: http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
To move your iTunes Music folder to another disk or partition:
To change the location of your iTunes Music folder, carefully follow the instructions in the AppleCare® Knowledge Base document "iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder."Additional information can be found in iTunes Help.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.thexlab.com/105/ 00000849.html
Laptop users may want to consider having two iTunes libraries: a small library of current favorites on their computer, while their complete library resides on an external hard drive. Utilities like iTunes Library Manager enable you to easily have multiple iTunes libraries you can use with your account. https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/7689/itunes-library-manager
To move your iPhoto Library folder to another disk or partition:
To move the iPhoto Library folder to a new location, employ the instructions in the AppleCare Knowledge Base document from http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2506 corresponding to the version of iPhoto you are using. Additional information can be found in iPhoto Help.
Laptop users may want to consider having two iPhoto libraries: a small library of current, favorite photographs on their computer, while their complete library, or archives of older photos are saved on an external hard drive. Utilities such as iPhoto Buddy and iPhoto Library Manager enable you to have multiple iPhoto libraries that you can use with your account.
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/12175/iphoto-buddy
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/7158/iphoto-library-manager
Hardware — Bigger disk/SSD:
If your system has upgradeable storage then if you are still tight on disk space consider larger storage. If you have a disk consider replacing it with a one TB disk. Check out a one terabyte HGST 7K1000 7200 rpm, SATA III drive from OWC http://eshop.macsales.com ($100). If you have an SSD consider increasing its capacity to 240 or 480 GB. A standard 240 GB SSD would cost from $200 to $280. See OWC and Crucial: http://www.crucial.com/ for options. OWC sells 120, 240 and 480 GB SSD upgrades for MacBook Airs. A 240 GB upgrade costs $265.   http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/ . If your Mac is under warranty or AppleCare replacing the SSD will void the warranty.
PlotinusVeritas gives some great suggestions for purchasing external hard drives in this thread:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5602141?tstart=0

MacBook Pro won't sync with iCloud, although iPhone and iPad are fine.

My MacBook Pro keeps telling me it can't sync with iCloud because my password may be incorrect. I keep re-entering the correct password, but this keeps on happening. iCloud seems to be working fine with iPhone and iPad. Also, there are 2 iCloud accounts showing on my MacBook, but if I try to delete one, it seems to delete both.

Your signature says you have 10.3.x but presumably this can't be correct - could you please make sure it's correct to prevent confusion. 10.7.2 is required for iCloud - your Mac won't be able to sync with pre-Lion systems.
The fact that you have iCloud accounts showing does suggest you have Lion: are they showing in System Preferences>iCloud, or where? You can only enter one there.
Are the two different or the same? You could try deleting both and then starting the setup again from scratch.

My MacBook Air is not allowing me to see others or myself during gchat but the green camera light above my screen is working. The pictures worked earlier today and all of a sudden they're no longer present.

My MacBook Air is not allowing me to see myself and others during gchat. The little light beside the camera goes green, so it's working but I still cannot view anything. I have used the camera and computer for gchatting with no problems previously. Thanks!!

Then, out of the blue, the original ID for my AE shows up on the iMac and phone and when I selected it my Wi-Fi worked, and is working.
My first thought is that the AirPort Express is normally good for 4-5 years on average, so you may be getting some signals in that regard.
The AirPort Express reset itself back to factory default settings. The big question now is if you re-configure it again whether it will hold those settings. Not likely....my opinion.
The other problem that you have is that Mountain Lion operating system no longer supports the older version of the AirPort Express that you have.
Oh, and incidentally, my AE was cutting off a lot about a year ago and I took it into an Apple Store and they did something with the software in the device and the cutting off improved but still would occur at least twice a week
It's really time for a new AirPort Express, which will offer much faster reliable performance....and it will be compatible with AirPort Utility on the Mountain Lion operating system.

My macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

my macbook air won't get past the white apple screen. I've tried power cycling the batter but won't help

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

My new Macbook air won't connect to my Vizio HDTV.

My new Macbook Air won't connect to my Vizio VO32LF HDTV. I bought a mini-displayport to HDMI cable to connect the two. When I connect the cable, and switch to the appropriate HDMI input on the TV, my Macbook Air screen will flash blue for a second, and then return to normal. The TV reports it's unable to find a signal. I use the HDTV as my primary monitor, so I'd really appreciate some help on getting the two to place nicely together!

Cp,
Thanks for the reply. However, it appears that the issue is not with the hotspot, but with the network settings in the MacBook Air as every other device I have (including non-Apple devices) will connect to the iPhone hotspot. Another symptom is that my MacBook Air can find my iMac (and other network devices) on my wireless network, but the iMac can't find the MacBook Air.
KDR

Macbook Air won't detect Apple TV or wireless printer

I purchased a Macbook Air with Mavericks a couple of months ago and had a wireless HP Photosmart printer, which I set up on the macbook. The machine recognised it over the wireless network and then all of a sudden one day I could not print to it. So I removed it to try a reinstall and the macbook would not detect it again after that. I have had to buy a cable to physically connect the printer to the machine when I need to print or scan.
Then I recently got my hands on an Apple TV a couple of weeks ago and it is working fine on the network, I can mirror the iPad on it but when it comes to the macbook, the Airplay Display is showing "No device detected". However, when I open iTunes and all of the Home Sharing is enabled etc (I have followed all of the guidelines to enable all of the settings for sharing ...), I go into Computers on the Apple TV and it attempts to load my iTunes library for a couple of minutes, after which time it says it could not connect.
I'm basically wondering if there is some setting on the macbook that I can't find that may need to be changed to allow me to see devices over the wifi at home.
I've been looking for a while but may just be looking in the wrong places. Any help appreciated for an Apple Noob

Try the following steps, check whether things are working after each step where appropriate, before trying the next.
Check AirPlay is turned on on the Apple TV (turn it off and on if it already is)
Check that both devices are on the same network (Settings > Wifi, on the mobile device and Settings > General > Network, on the Apple TV).
Restart the Apple TV (Settings > General > Restart).
Restart the Apple TV by removing ALL the cables for 30 seconds.
Restart your router. (Also try removing it’s power cord for at least 30 seconds)
Restart your mobile device.
If you are still having problems, the following article(s) may help you.
Troubleshooting AirPlay
Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections
Recommended Wi-Fi settings
Wifi Diagnostic Software (for Mac users)
You may also find some help on this page, where I’ve collected some of the more unusual solutions to network issues.
When making adjustments to your network for better optimisation, you may find some of the points mentioned on this page helpful.

My macbook air won't turn on.. last night it was still working properly... when i woke up this morning, i went to turn it on but it didn't respond..i tried plugging the charger and the lightning cord showed a green light which is normal when charging..

my macbook air won't turn on.. last night it was still working properly... when i woke up this morning, i went to turn it on but it didn't respond..i tried plugging the charger and the lightning cord showed a green light which is normal when charging..i tried to open the macbook air again but nothing happened.. no fans, no chimes, no light in the laptop showed..what should i do? please help..thank you

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
A green light means that your battery is full or that it can't be detected. If you can't start up the Mac, probably your logic board or battery aren't working.
Take the MacBook to an Apple Store or reseller to get your battery or logic board replaced. If the MacBook is in warranty, this repair will be free

My MacBook Air won't turn on? I have to dropped it but earlier in the day I got a notification about a full single drive. I have tried the ideas in the communities but its still not working, help!

My MacBook Air won't turn on? I have to dropped it but earlier in the day I got a notification about a full single drive. I have tried the ideas in the communities but its still not working, help!

See this article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
Find the section that applies to your computer, and follow the instructions.
Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.

My macbook air won't detect display when trying to hook up with mini port and hdmi cable

The screen turns blue and all it just won't show arrangments and then mirro display.. help!

Try it, a complete power off/on!
MacBook Air using Sony TV as monitor via Thunderbolt and HDMI.
I could not get my 32inch Sony Bravia to "see" my 2102 MBAir using the Thunderbolt-to-HDMI adapter and a known good HDMI cable.
So I took my MBAir to my local Apple Store,Encinitas California, along with the TBolt Adapter and a known good HDMI cable.
The salesman tried the same connection from my Air to their 40inch Sony Bravia using my cables. It worked perfectly. The Apple salesman advised I return home and make the same connections to my 32" Sony, turning it off and back on. I realized I had already done that test several times. Then, it occurred to me that _Sony "off "using the Sony Remote Control is not the same as _Sony off completely. So I returned home and disconnected the AC power from the 32" for over 30 seconds then turned it back on with the Air &Sony connected via the Thunderbolt-to-HDMI connection and with the MBA turned on. The image came right up on screen and is still working. So, is this yet another case of " when in doubt re-boot" ?

MacBook Air won't connect with TimeCapsule

I recently bought the new Time Capsule and for a while it was happily backing up both my and my wife's MacBook Airs. Then it stopped backing up my wife's computer. On investigation I find my wife's MacBook Air won't connect to the Time Capsule. When I try to select the Time Capsule as the back-up disk an error message appears: "There was a problem connecting to the server "John's AirPort Time Capsule"". I can see the Time Capsule in Finder on my wife's computer but when I click on "Connect As" I get the same error message. On my computer the Time Capsule appears in Finder as Connected, but disconnecting it doesn't make any difference to my wife's computer.
Any help gratefully received.
J

First, restart the Time Capsule by disconnecting the power adapter and reconnecting it. If other devices on the network can see it, you can skip this step.
From the menu bar, select
 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Network
Click the lock icon in the lower left corner of the window and authenticate to unlock the settings, if necessary. Click the Advanced button, then select the TCP/IP tab in the sheet that drops down. Click Renew DHCP lease.
Try again to back up.
If you still can't, open the Time Machine preference pane and delete the TC from the list of backup destinations. You may have to unlock the settings by clicking the lock icon in order to do this. Then add it back.

Macbook Air won't allow me to erase. Format and Name are greyed out.

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