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Format and reinstall

H

headviking

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 2, 2008
77
0
I am having problems with my MBPS (ML). I have a time machine backup as of yesterday. What is the procedure to reformat and reinstall my my OSX? I mean if I start my MacBook (command R). Will there be an option to reformat and reinstall all my apps using time machine, to what if was before? I downloaded ML from apple store so I do not have a disk for it. If I am missing a step please advise.
Thanks.
 
So from what I have read. I boot using (command r). Use utilities to erase my drive (or should I repartition). Reinstall OSX using the same command r. Then restore using my time machine back up. Now will this bring back all apps settings, emails and stuff?
 
headviking said:
So from what I have read. I boot using (command r). Use utilities to erase my drive (or should I repartition). Reinstall OSX using the same command r. Then restore using my time machine back up. Now will this bring back all apps settings, emails and stuff?
Click to expand...
That's the idea. No need to re-partition.
 
Might have a new problem. Tried to boot using cud r and the screen freezes to just the apple logo. Unable to go any further. Now what? This is starting to frustrate me.
 
headviking said:
Might have a new problem. Tried to boot using cud r and the screen freezes to just the apple logo. Unable to go any further. Now what? This is starting to frustrate me.
Click to expand...

Is this the 2009 MBP you put the Samsung 840 SSD in you mentioned in another thread?

What problems have caused you to want to reinstall?

The fact you cannot even do a command-r boot to recovery is not a good sign.

Attach your Time Machine disk then option key boot to that. It will get you to a recovery partition on the Time Machine disk.

Once that starts launch Disk Utility and tell us what a verify disk on the Samsung SSD tells you?

Also, if you reinstall the OS, then restore from a Time Machine backup you are going to put any problems you had right back in place. The whole idea of a fresh install is to erase and reinstall the OS then manually move apps and data back to avoid importing problems.
 
Ok now I have been able to power up to OS X Utilities. I select Disk Utilities. Select my hd. Click verify and comes up with errors like
"Unused node is not erased (node = 16117)
volume bitmap needs minor repair for orphaned blocks
Error: this disk needs to be repaired. Click repair disk"

Then another window opens and says "Disk utilities stopped verifying "H""

When I press OK and click repair it goes through all it's checks and comes back "The volume H appears to be Ok."

Now when I go back to reinstall OS X . I got some errors "could not find installation information for this machine please contact AppleCare".

I think my drive it cooked. And yes this is the samsung SSd 250.
 
Now was able to start restoring my machine using TM. It's at 3% now. Let's see what happens.

----------

We'll at 5% it! rebooted. $&@£%#^+
 
My son has a MBPS as well. Could I use his to loginto my apple account to download a copy of my OSX mountain lion, so I could either burn on a DVD or USB thumb drive. May I could use the utilities from their to see if I could install a new copy of ML?
Every time I use the disk utilities I get a different result. Sometimes all is good after an erase and other times I get errors and it tells me to repair.
 
headviking said:
Every time I use the disk utilities I get a different result. Sometimes all is good after an erase and other times I get errors and it tells me to repair.
Click to expand...

Sounds like that drive is toast. :( No amount of reinstalling is going to fix this.

It is possible the drive is okay and the drive cable is bad, but this is a far less common issue.
 
That is my thought as of now. I was able to go through all the procedures up till the reinstall of OSX. But after 3 hrs. It did not reboot. And when I choose to "choose startup disk" no drive was listed. I will be replacing the SSD drive tomorrow.
Now to start off fresh can I just use my sons MBP to download from the apple store a copy of ML and put it on a USB stick and use it to setup my new drive?
 
headviking said:
Now to start off fresh can I just use my sons MBP to download from the apple store a copy of ML and put it on a USB stick and use it to setup my new drive?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can do that or if your Time Machine backup is current you can just plug that in and option key boot to the recovery console on the TM disk. From there just format the new drive then restore. That will put the OS and all your apps and data back on the new SSD.
 
Just finished installing a new sad. Used my bootable OS X and I get a message "There was a problem installing "Mac OS X". try reinstalling>

Now what. tried on two different usb.

Thanks for any help
 
headviking said:
Just finished installing a new sad. Used my bootable OS X and I get a message "There was a problem installing "Mac OS X". try reinstalling>

Now what. tried on two different usb.

Thanks for any help
Click to expand...

Were you able to see the new disk in Disk Util and format it to Mac OS Extended?

How did you make the USB installer? You might try making it with DiskMaker X to make sure it is done correctly.
 
Thanks for all the help your giving me. anyway I am creating another usb 8g stick using Diskmaker right now.
 
Same thing........
I might just make aa appointment with the apple people to see if I am replacing my MBP. Need to save some $$$.

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even tried using my TM disk. I get a folder blinking symbol.
 
headviking said:
Same thing........
I might just make aa appointment with the apple people to see if I am replacing my MBP. Need to save some $$$.

----------

even tried using my TM disk. I get a folder blinking symbol.
Click to expand...

Ackk... :eek:

So you can option key boot from the TM disk and even that can't see the new internal disk? Sounds like the bad cable I mentioned. This is far less common, but it happens. :(
 
L booked an appointment with apple guys an our local apple store. I'll let them look at it. If it's the main board, my wife says it's OK to buy a new one. Let's hope. I'll let you know what the see.

Thanks for your help.
 
Just got back from the Genius guys at the apple store. After about 1.5hrs. they finally found my problem. It was the ram that stopped working. So the guy advised me to buy my own ram and install it. But before he sent me off on my way he used there ram and installed the operating system to make sure thats what is was. I am here typing this using the new ram that I installed. Total cost $99.00 for the ram. I all say that I was a litle disappointed. I was hoping to come home with a new (with the wife's OK) 15" rMBP. Maybe next year.

Thats all for all the suggestions that I got. Maybe someone else here will read my issues and learn that ram can cause these types of issues.
 
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