Reformat and restore?
I have a mid 2010 imac that I recently maxed out the RAM in. It has been running lightning fast until yesterday. Lightroom will not download pictures and other applications are slowing down. My internet connection doesn't work either (although my macbook connects just fine). I ran disk repair and it said to run from startup disk.
I ran from startup and it said the disk could not be repaired and to perform backup, reformat, and restore. I'm a photographer and I back-up daily, so losing information is not a concern of mine. I've just read where this doesn't always fix the problem or there is a better solution. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Hey G.
This all sounds all too familiar.
Ditto what Kappy said but I'm using TechToolPro, essentially they do the same thing.
This sounds like a situation I had earlier this year where a drive failed on me totally
and irreparably, TechTool never even saw it coming!
First things first, backup and then reformat. Hopefully some kind of bad sector mapping-out
is builtin but not guaranteed. I don't think DU will inform you if you've got bad sectors,
you'll need professional tools like mentioned above. It's pointless using a disk that is
going to fail again.
You've got a few options...
1) Use existing disk and hope that it's just a one-off event and forget about it.
2) Borrow the original Pro Disk Utils disk from a friend to check your drive.
2) Get worried and buy professional disk utilities to give you some options.
3) If reformatting doesn't solve the problem buy a new drive and Pro Disk Tools anyway.
Also you didn't mention if you've got any Anti Virus software? The first thing you
should be thinking about even before backing-up. It would be pointless to backup
infected files that could reinfect your machine in the future... I'm using Sophos.
A.
Similar Messages
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Reformat and restore directed by disk utility
I have mid 2011 Air. Disk utility has told me to reformat and restore system to solve problem with SSD. Won't reformating destroy the ability to restore ystem fron the SSD? How should I do this?
On systems delivered with Lion or later, you have the recovery partition, which is what you are booting from when you boot with the command and r keys held down. The recovery partition is a separate partition on the hard drive/SSD and is not visible in DIsk Utility. Think of it as the same as install disks you used to get with the system. When you say to erase the disk, you are erasing the partition that houses all the system/data, not the recovery partition.
See this for general description of OS X recovery, noting it says you can erase your hard drive from thru OS X recovery.
See this for how to use Time Capsule for recovery
See this for more details on OS X recovery -
I would like to reformat and restore my hard drive on my iMac and have good instructions for doing this. My question is, if I use the Mac OS Install DVD will it format to Mountain Lion or an older OS? Maybe this happens in the restore step, but I don't want to end up with an old OS. Thank you!
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: 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. -
Reformatted and Restored and Still get Excl Mark
All seems to stem from downloading a podcast and then when I synched my ipod it froze the system.
Have had all the usual do not disconnect freezes and pc freezing but have got to a point where I get the folder and exclamation mark appearing on the ipod.
With further tinkering I have eventually managed to reformat and restore using both the original and latest updater software, got the icon telling me to plug into power to reflash the software but it still returns to the exclm mark.
Any ideas if there's anything further I can do or does it need to go back to Apple? (I have a week left before warranty expires!!!)Just for info I returned my iPod to Apple last week and have just found out my replacement is on the way!!
Woohoo, and hopefully a whole years warranty for this one - I just hope this one doesnt break down so often. -
In reference to question the computer gave no warning but lost internet connectivity. I shut down for a while and when returned it would only boot to gray logo screen with spinning gear. Ran disk utility and on Mac HD drive it stopped after "Updating boot support partitions as required". Then in red: Error: Disk utility can' repair this disk ....disk, and restore backed up files. I'm running OS X 10.8 and had just updated the iOS about three days ago. Not familiar with reformat process on MacBook Pro and would like some ideas whether I should go to the Genius Bar here in Sydney or try it on my own. I have been using time machine to back up to a 1TB La Cie drive right up to the crash. Thanks for any advice.
Well it turned out the drive was shot. Took it to the genius bar yesterday and they ran a test on the drive before trying the restore routine again. Drive failed.
Replaced the drive and got the MBP back today. Pretty quick and decent service once you get an appointment.
Now having trouble figuring how to do the Time Machine saved files. Have several applications which I'd like to keep but not sure how to trans the apps from my backup to the new. Hunting for answers on that on the web.
Thanks for you help, Eustace. -
My 2nd gen. ipod became corrupt, how do I reformat and restore it?
I had my i pod working and tried to take the songs out and put new ones in. Then a error message came up saying my i pod was corrupt. Some how I lost everything and now I don't know how to get anything back into my PC so I can reprogram new songs into the i pod. I can't reformat or restore the i pod because it says the server could not be connected. Can anyone help me fix this issue??? PLEASE!!!!
Unable to contact the iOS software update server gs.apple.com
Error 1004, 1013, 1638, 3014, 3194: These errors may be the result of the connection to gs.apple.com being redirected or blocked. Follow these steps to resolve these errors:
Install the latest version of iTunes.
Check security software and ensure that communication to gs.apple.com is allowed. Follow these stepsfor assistance with security software.
Check the hosts file. The restore will fail if there is an active entry to redirect gs.apple.com. Follow theadvanced iTunes Store troubleshooting steps to edit the hosts file or revert to a default hosts file. See "Blocked by configuration: (Mac OS X/Windows) > Rebuild network information."
Try to restore from another known-good computer and network.
If the errors persist on another computer, the device may need service.
The "device may need service" means a hardware problem. In that case make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar -
Reformatting and restoring with Time Machine
I want to reformat my hard drive to de-clutter and improve my computer's performance. I have been using Time Machine for a while to back everything up, so I thought I would just restore with it. But if I do that will I just be reinstalling all of my clutter? Does TM really put a hard drive back EXACTLY as it was before? Any suggestions?
mabowman wrote:
I want to reformat my hard drive to de-clutter and improve my computer's performance. I have been using Time Machine for a while to back everything up, so I thought I would just restore with it. But if I do that will I just be reinstalling all of my clutter?
yes, you will.
Does TM really put a hard drive back EXACTLY as it was before?
yes, it does.
Any suggestions?
do an erase and install and manually restore only what you need. pretty tedious but is the only way to achieve what you want. after you reinstall you can access your old TM backups in browse mode. control-click on TM in the Dock and choose "browse other TM disks". this will let you browse your old backups and restore what you want where you want to.
Use [this post|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6185507] as a guide on what to restore. -
Selling old mac, how do you reformat and restore?
I bought a mac mini off a friend and now I'm getting a new one but first I have to sell the mini.
My first question is how do I reformat my hard drive, I want to get rid of ALL of my files just to make sure nothing is on it that would compromise my security.
Also my friend didn't give me the restore discs. So does anyone know the repercusions of using another freinds restore discs?
I have a Mac Mini 10.4.11 with the superdrive and my friend who has restore discs has a iMac 10.4.11.It might work for just the Disk Utility, to zero the drive, but it won't install OSX. If it doesn't work, create a new administrator account, logout, login to the new account, delete all other accounts and their data, empty the trash, then use Disk Utility to Erase Free Space. A single pass of zeros is enough.
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Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
*** ??? I need to take out the data from a WD320 that shows this error and then format the WD and put the data into again
THANKS !!!I'm sorry, is there a question here? You seem to know precisely what you need to do…
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Can I fix a disk with this message?
Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.Some problems can indeed be fixed this way. But working from Recovery_HD or Disk Warrior DVDs and working in the restricted environment those provide can be difficult. You can literally spend days working on this problem (while your regular work is unavailable) only to discover the old drive is unsalvageable.
There is no way to know up front whether you are facing a major Hardware failure or a minor software glitch, or something in between. Often you are forced to work from the drive you no longer trust. I continue to recommend you do this work from a different, fully functioning Mac OS X booted from a different drive.
If you have had the foresight to (as The hatter often recommends) clone your virgin install onto another drive for use in such situations, you will be able to recover from such problems in record time. If not, my previous recommendations stands:
Buy a new Drive. Or two. Install Mac OS X from scratch on a new drive, and get your Mac running again. Later, you can use the full power of Mac OS X to attempt to rescue your data, if needed. Then Zero the old drive, to see if it can hold data again reliably.
If the old drive eventually provides some needed data, and is salvageable, Merry Christmas. -
Reformatting Computer's Hardrive: Need help with Backup and Restore?
Hi,
I'm getting ready to reformat my hardrive and I'm backing up all of my files. All apps will be reinstalled after the drive is formatted.
I have a ton of music that I've purchased from itunes and mp3s that I've ripped from my CDs in my main itunes folder. I will backup this folder (if necessary). Do I need to back up the licenses? If so, where are they stored? Or, what's the best and most efficient way to go about this backup and restore process? If my Ipod has all my music/videos, will it just copy all the music/videos back to my newly reformatted hardrive while maintaining the original folder structure? I assume I will have to install a fresh copy of itunes first. Also, I'm worried about the licensing for the purchased music. Is there something special I need to do with these files?
I appreciate it if someone can give me the detailed steps to go about this without issue. I'm thinking this is a pretty easy question to all the techies out there...
Thanks,
BrandonBack up or copy the iTunes folder. There are no licenses to worry about, buy Deauthorize your computer in iTunes before you reformat. After you restore everything play one of the songs you purchased from the iTunes Store and enter your Apple ID and password to Authorize your computer.
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Disk Repair reported that it could not repair the HD Disk. I am to reformat the disk and restore backed up files. OSX Utilities give me a choice of restoring from time machine backup (which I have on MyPassport) but no information on reformatting the disk, which I assume I have to do first. How do I reformat the HD ...or does the restore from Time Machine do both things?
Boot OS X Recovery and use Disk Utility.
If Disk Utility reported the disk cannot be repaired though, you should replace it with a new one. -
iMac won't start up, disk utility tried to repair disk it shows "keys out of order" error message in red and advises me to back up files, reformat disk and restore backed up files. I have no idea how to back up and restore etc... Help! Please!
Get an external drive of sufficient capacity to hold everything on your internal drive.
Partition and format the external drive.
Drive Partition and Format
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. 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. 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 Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Clone your internal drive to the external drive.
Clone Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion using Restore Option of Disk Utility
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.
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue
button.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it
to the Destination entry field.
5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
the Source entry field.
6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
Boot from the external drive.
Boot Using OPTION key:
1. Restart the computer.
2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the
"OPTION" key.
3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
4. Select the external disk icon from which you want to boot.
5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.
Reformat the internal drive and install OS X.
Install or Reinstall Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
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, Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks 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.
Open Startup Disk preferences and set the internal drive as the startup volume, then click on the Restart button.
Restore your data from your external drive backup. -
Need to reformat hard drive and restore Time Machine backup. What's the safest way to proceed?
I have a Mac desktop, purchased in 2007. We upgraded last year to Snow Leopard. It has been slow for a few days, and yesterday wouldn't go past the gray screen. Tried booting in recovery with no success, same for safe mode. Even tried fsck -fy. Eventually went to the Snow Leopard install disk and tried to repair disk, but got an "Disk Utility can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files" message. I've got Time Machine back ups on an external hard drive, but I want to make sure I do this right and don't make things worse. What steps do I need to take?
In most of the cases, that Disk Utility message means that the hard drive is damaged.
However, you can try to erase the disk and restore the Time Machine backup to see if it works. Follow these steps:
1. Insert the Snow Leopard DVD and press the C key while your Mac is starting.
2. Go to Utilities menu > Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD on the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk. If there's an error during this step, take the Mac to an Apple Store to get a new hard drive.
3. Close Disk Utility, go to Utilities menu, choose the option to restore a Time Machine backup and follow the steps.
If the computer is slow after doing this, take the Mac to an Apple Store as soon as you can -
Hi to All,
I was just wondering how my Safari Bookmarks were auto restored after I performed a Disk Erase/Reformat, and re-installed from scratch my OS X Mountain Lion. After my login into the new reformatted OS X Mountain Lion Disk, I noticed my old Bookmarks were there as before on the Safari Bookmarks Bar.
I know this is not a priority support question But I was just wondering how this was done, so I may continue to learn about Mac OS X Mountain Lion and its features like Safari, iCloud, and so forth
Thanks in advance for the feedback. Cheers!Thx! Linc Davis,
I anticipated you will contribute to my question
I know iCloud does it, but I was confused on whether iCloud does it automatically or if I did something to enable this feature. Would you please confirm?
Thx & Cheers!
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