Macbook Pro won't start up, won't recognize Macintosh HD, and can't repair disk.

Since the beginning of April 2014 my mid-2012 11" Macbook Pro was experiencing poor performance - user interface was lagging during simple tasks like clicking, typing, and booting up. These bouts of lag, where the spinning beach ball would appear for 20 seconds or more, would render my computer unusuable. Additionally, in my console, I would receive messages about the computer being "forcibly disabling/enabling UI by application "XXXXXX").
I tried different remedies like deleting third-party software, uninstalling Chrome and Firefox, and emptying caches for Safari. None of these worked.
I then went to several different discussions on this site and found a few solutions, one of which needed me to restore permissions to my font book because some of my fonts were corrupt (in my Console I was receiving messages about fonts not loading/renaming themselves, messages other people had received and fixed). In the midst of restoring my font book using Base OS X fonts (I was replacing the fonts in my Macintosh HD with fonts from Base OS X, a task that required me emptying my current font folder), my computer crashed.
Ever since that time my computer will no longer boot up and goes directly to a flashing folder with a question mark. I tried booting in safe mode (failed), tried to repair my hard drive (hard drive, Macintosh HD, does NOT appear in my disk utility), cannot redownload OS X 10.7 over the internet (Macintosh HD is not an option for where to load OS to), and I did not back up my computer using time machine. The files on the computer were mostly emails and smaller school projects, all dispensible.
I now do not know what to do. Any help?

As far as I am aware there were no other issues. The suddenly slower speed of my computer beginning in late-March and early-April came out of nowhere, and my "fixes" of removing software and emptying caches were temporary remedies.
I think I should also include another piece of information - I discovered early on that if I squeezed the bottom of my Macbook Pro (literally squeeze) right beneath the CD drive, i.e. under the bottom-left corner of my Macbook, the computer would suddenly "work again" and complete all the tasks it was lagging on. Additionally, my kernel_task under Terminal had exceedingly high numbers for "Idle Wake Ups" - consistenly above 500, sometimes even reaching 100,000.

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MacBook Pro won't recognize 1TB external drive

Hey team,
My mid-2010 MacBook Pro won't recognize my WD My Passport 1TB drive. I was copying files from the drive to my computer when my computer went to sleep (didn't run out of power, just went to standby mode). Turned computer back on and now it won't recognize the drive.
It is a USB 3.0 cord (computer is only USB 2.0 and the cord works with other drives) and when plugged in, the light turns on and the disk spins but isn't recognized my this or other computers (also not in Disk Utility).
Tried a handful of disk recovery programs but nothing wants to 'see' the disk plugged in.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.

yes yes yes, I warn people about WD drives on this link:
Your dead external hard drive is likely fine! Great hope for your 'faulty' external HD
theReKleiner wrote:
What now?
Only option is to buy the SAME exact HD and swap controller boards, or pay someone a LOT more $$$ to do the same thing.
its not soldered there, its just a controller/ SATA "one piece"
They do that to save 50 cents in mfg. costs.
I mention your "issue" in that link. Which is why you do NOT buy WD ext. HD.
they make the controller board and SATA card one piece.
CURRENT MFG. THAT HAVE controller board and SATA cards as one piece are : WD USB drives, and Toshiba USB Canvio
However Toshiba didnt USED to do that, but they started doing it at the end of 2013.
avoid those 2.
To avoid that nonsense, buy Hitachi drives in USB.
Or, the best option:
Save money and invest in a bare hard drive backup and redundancy plan
Its cheaper
less fuss
more reiable, removes the nasty failure point of SATA card interfaces.
takes up lot less space.
Bare hard drives and docks. The most reliable and cheapest method of hard drive data storage, archives, and redundancies
The best method for your data archives and redundancies, which is also the least expensive, the most reliable, and the most compact option is the purchase of naked hard drives and at least one USB 3.0 HD dock ($40 roughly).
While regarding Time Machine and your Macbook or desktop, your primary backup is best saved to a conventional USB (or Firewire / thunderbolt) hard drive inside an enclosure, the most important part of your data protection begins after your 1st / primary Time Machine / backup; and these are your secondary (most important) data storage devices, archives and their redundancies.
However bare hard drives and docks (below) also work perfectly as a Time Machine backup, this is for home use, since the docking station is certainly not very portable as a notebook Time Machine backup device should be; nor should bare HD be packed around with a notebook, rather remain at home or office.
Six terabytes of 2.5" HD pictured below in a very compact space.
Bare hard drives and docks have the lowest cost, the highest reliability, and take up the smallest storage space
Drawbacks:
1. Care and knowledge in general handling of naked hard drives (how not to shock a bare HD, and how to hold them properly). Not a genuine drawback.
Advantages:
1. By far the least expensive method of mass HD storage on a personal basis. Highest quality naked HD can be purchased in bulk very cheap.
2. Eliminates the horrible failure point of SATA bridges and interfaces between external drives and the computer.
3. Per square foot you can store more terabytes of data this way than any other.
4. Fast, easy, no fuss and most simplex method of data storage on hard drives.

My MacBook pro won't recognize hard drive I put in it. It boots only to a white screen unless I boot to my recovery USB. If I do that then I can select my USB and my external time machine drive in the disk utility, so no problems there. But what do you

My MacBook pro won't recognize hard drive I put in it. It boots only to a white screen unless I boot to my recovery USB. If I do that then I can select my USB and my external time machine drive in the disk utility, so no problems there. But what do you think it is? It won't recognize any hard drive I put in the machine, so might it be the sata cable?

Boot the Recvoery USB, use Disk Utility to select the internal drive makers namea and size on the left.
Now select erase and select the midde option and click erase, it will take a bit to complete but it's best for the drive.
Now select Partiton tab, click the big box and Options: GUID and then Format: OS X Extended journaled and click apply.
Quit and you should be able to install OS X now with your Apple ID and password.
see
http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/08/lion-recovery-disk-assistant-tool-makes-external- lion-boot-recovery-drives/

My macbook pro will not start up. stuck on grey loading screen and spinning dial. HELP

my macbook pro will not start up. stuck on grey loading screen and spinning dial. i shut it down last night and now when i try to turn it on it will not get past this page. lights and sounds work but nothing happens. please help

Power it down by holding the power button down. Then try to power it up again. Post back. It would help if we knew what OS you are running, the model MBP...

2012 Macbook Pro won't boot from CD and freezes in single user mode

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If you have a 2012 MacBook Pro, you can't install Snow Leopard because it's not compatible, so it's normal that you can't start OS X.
Now, you have to install OS X Lion or Mountain Lion again. Hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your Mac is starting to start into OS X Recovery, and reinstall OS X. After reinstalling OS X, you will be able to use your computer.
You can't run an older OS X version than the one that came with your computer, because of some reasons:
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2. The firmware restricts the installation of older versions on the computer.
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When installing Maverick on my 17" Macbook pro I got the message that my HD is damaged and can't be repaired. I now can't restart without simply repeating the attempt to install Maverick and thereby returning to the same message. How do I abort install

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Attached is a screen shot of the error.

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Make sure you're running the most current version of itunes. Update if you have not done so, then:
Follow the steps here to remove & reinstall the AMDS to see if itunes will see your phone:
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A little history: I had an '09 MacBook Pro 13" and it was stolen from my hotel. Long story short, I was pretty much S.O.L. So, I decided to buy a new mac. After deciding against a new one ( I need the disk drive) I found a good one on eBay. Enter my 2009 15" MacBook Pro 3.06 Ghz/anti glare screen (very pleased with it).... EXCEPT, I can't charge it. Originially, there was a black "X" where the battery percentage is supposed to be. However, after resetting the SMC there is nothing where my percentage should be, no picture of a battery, no "X", just..nothing. So, I come here for the vast knowledge of you good people, hoping that yall may be of some assistance.
Recap:
Old laptop was stolen
bought new one on ebay
battery indicator showed black "x"
reset SMC
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see below for more info
Battery Information:
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          0
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          0
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          0
Battery Installed:          No
Amperage (mA):          0
Voltage (mV):          0
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Sleep on Power Button:          Yes
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          Yes
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          2
Sleep on Power Button:          Yes
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
Charging:          No

Well, I made the trip to the Apple store. After taking my mac behind closed doors for around 5 min, the "genius" came back and said my problem is the logic board, $310 fix. He also mentioned that when they send it in the technicians may or may not replace my logic board due to the fact that the previous owner has done some under the hood "tinkering". So, basically, I could be out $310 just for them to tell me they won't fix it
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Wouldn't I have other issues if my logic board was bad?
They didn't mention anything about my battery, could I ask apple to replace the battery to try that fix before assuming the previous owners tinkering wrecked the logic board?
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MacBook Pro won't recognize external drive via usb, will recognize same drive by firewire.

Title pretty much sums it up. I've had an external firewire 800 drive (Iomega eGo) for about 2 years now. I've got it partitioned and am using part as a time machine backup and the rest as a data storage/ data moving partition. A few days ago I realized that any data I put on either partition can't be copied off by either my computer or either of my two friend's MacBook Pros. The copy starts fine, but then always screeches to a halt around 5% (this is via firewire). This same drive also cannot be recognized via USB by any of our Macs (I plug it in, light comes on, but doesn't blink), but if I plug it into my Windows Desktop the USB recognition is immediate. I found this very strange. I could also copy files off of the drive via USB onto my desktop. If I let it sit long enough on a failed copy on our macbooks eventually it gives me an error code 36. I traced that to a likely hard drive failure on the part of the external. I found this odd because not even 3 days ago I was pulling iTunes songs off the drive onto my desktop with no trouble. Is there any way to fix this via software or the terminal or anything? Disk Utility says both partitions are 'OK'. I'd really like to not spend another chunk of change on an external, as I just spent $180 on a new HDD and SSD for my desktop.
Thanks in advance,
Jeremy

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
{ diskutil list; echo; diskutil cs list; } | open -ef
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
Paste into the Terminal window by pressing the key combination command-V. I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, you may have to press the return key after pasting.
Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign (“$”) to appear.
A TextEdit window will open with the output of the command. If the command produced no output, the window will be empty. Post the contents of the TextEdit window (not the Terminal window), if any — the text, please, not a screenshot. The title of the window doesn't matter, and you don't need to post that.
If any personal information appears in the output, anonymize before posting, but don’t remove the context.

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Mavericks
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Your Mac needs:
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2 GB or more of memory (More is better - 4 GB minimum seems to be the consensus)
8 GB or more of available space

Macbook Pro won't boot mac osx and files are not backed up!

I have a macbook pro 13" (mid-2010) model. I upgraded the HDD from a 500 GB to a 1TB and the RAM from 4GB to 8GB.
From when I upgraded the laptop till about a week ago, it was working fine - I partitioned the 1 TB into 2 parts using bootcamp I installed windows 7 operating system and on the other part I have snow leopard. Since lion osx and mountain lion osx were released i updated my mac os.
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Since I upgraded the hardware myself - the warranty that covers the computer is basically nulled. Please help I need to back up my files and repair my HDD. I am more concerned with backing up and saving all my data and I am willing to replace and buy a new HDD if necessary!
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If anyone can help me - I would appreciate it!

Since I upgraded the hardware myself - the warranty that covers the computer is basically nulled.
Warranty is not made void by upgrading memory or storage. If you have AppleCare then you should be fine.
Disk Utility is powerful, but not the most powerful tool out there. There might be other applications (sometimes expensive) that can fix the volume. If your Windows partition works but not the Mac partiiton that leads me to believe the issue is solvable.
Can you read the Mac files from your Windows partition?

My macbook pro won't connect to internet and won't shut off. Any suggestions?

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I've tried Command q'ing all running programs and still nothing.
Guidance would be much appreciated.

You could also try a Safe Boot - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564 - I would also make sure to get permissions repaired.
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Check and see if it's under warranty.
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Macbook Pro won't start up, won't recognize Macintosh HD, and can't repair disk.

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