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Huh, just before this you said it did not show up when you tried to repair it.↓



Does it does it not show up, if it shows up that's something, last week I had a problem and the disk showed up in Disk Utility but could not repair it, I then used DiskWarrior to repair it and it did.

I'm sorry - I meant the USB drive.

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Huh, just before this you said it did not show up when you tried to repair it.↓



Does it or doesn't show up, if it shows up that's something, last week I had a problem and the disk showed up in Disk Utility but could not repair it, I then used DiskWarrior to repair it and it did.

What I said before was that it shows the disk drive GB and then underneath that the "untitled 1" where I have my files. I wanted to know which to choose. Sorry for complicating.
 
I'm sorry - I meant the USB drive.

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What I said before was that it shows the disk drive GB and then underneath that the "untitled 1" where I have my files. I wanted to know which to choose.

I am getting a bit confused here (late at night).

If you inserted the USB disk it should show you, if it's an 8 GB it says so and choose that disk, but you can not install using disk Utility, you must go back, close Disk Utility and go back to the screen where you can choose to install, choose install and then point it to the (8) GB USB stick.


Note, I will go to bed soon.
 
Try to make this quick.
By downloading OS X Lion onto my storage device, it won't erase any of my other files, right?
 
Try to make this quick.
By downloading OS X Lion onto my storage device, it won't erase any of my other files, right?

No, as long as you make sure you install it on the USB stick or any other disk by looking how big the inserted disk is, so if the USB is 8 GB and another disk which is lets say 250 GB then you know not to install on the 250 GB because that's the internal disk.

If you are uncertain what you do, STOP and let someone else do it.
 
I am getting a bit confused here (late at night).

If you inserted the USB disk it should show you, if it's an 8 GB it says so and choose that disk, but you can not install using disk Utility, you must go back, close Disk Utility and go back to the screen where you can choose to install, choose install and then point it to the (8) GB USB stick.


Note, I will go to bed soon.

I'm so grateful for all the help you have given me. I understand you're tired. :eek:

This can be a review for anyone else that comes onto the thread:

Okay. I unplugged USB. I went to try and download Mac OS X Lion again and a disk doesn't even come up, which I take it means I have no hard drive to use if I were to transfer. So, the Mac OS X Base System that came up in Disk Utility before was like a "factory system," not my original personal files which were somehow crashed. So - I need a new hard drive, is that correct? If I did save it only my USB, got into the computer, you're saying, there is that one possibility I could find them there, and so I should go ahead with the USB?

Will installing Mac OS X Lion on USB just put it on there? My other personal files untouched, safe on the USB? I know this is my USB coming up because it wasn't there before I connected it.

And finally - if there is no hard drive when I reinstall OS X on my USB, then I go out, buy a hard drive and reinstall Lion onto it? Will apple let me keep reinstall Lion twice?
 
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I'm so grateful for all the help you have given me. I understand you're tired. :eek: This can be a review for alone else that comes onto the thread:

Okay. I unplugged USB. I went to try and download Mac OS X Lion again and a disk doesn't even come up, which I take it means I have no hard drive to use if I were to transfer. So, the Mac OS X Base System that came up in Disk Utility before was like a factory system, not my original personal files which were somehow crashed.Yes, that was the Install partition So - I need a new hard drive, is that correct?Probably If I did save it only my USB, got into the computer, you're saying, there is that one possibility I could find them there, and so I should go ahead with the USB? If it is the only partition besides the Install partition then Yes

Will installing Mac OS X Lion on USB just put it on there? My other personal files untouched, safe on the USB? Safe on USB, if it installs there your files are safe, except if the hard drive failed.

And finally - if there is no hard drive when I reinstall OS X on my USB, then I go out, buy a hard drive and reinstall Lion?Yes Will apple let me keep reinstall Lion twice?Yes

Answers all in Bold, and I go to bed now, success and greeting from Asia.
 
Answers all in Bold, and I go to bed now, success and greeting from Asia.

Thank you. I am successfully running my laptop off my external drive awaiting the shipment of a new hard drive.
The only remaining question I have is, once I have reached this point, in what way do you recommend trying to access the internal hard drive to see if anything was salvageable from it?

Not expecting anything prompt. Rest well and hope to hear back. :)
 
You can buy an app, called disk warrior, or take to your local computer repair. I have mine failed two months ago and paid $99.00 to recover 820gb of data on a 1tb drive.
 
You can buy an app, called disk warrior, or take to your local computer repair. I have mine failed two months ago and paid $99.00 to recover 820gb of data on a 1tb drive.

For me, I'm now using my mac off an external drive (where I downloaded lion), but I can't find the internal drive from here. Under "Computer" in Finder there's only "Network" and my external drive. I think it suffered some heat damage. How did the software access your damaged drive?

Local repair shop won't fix apple (they told me you have to sell their merchandise to do so). :mad:
 
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For me, I'm now using my mac off an external drive (where I downloaded lion), but I can't find the internal drive from here. Under "Computer" in Finder there's only "Network" and my external drive. I think it suffered some heat damage. How did the software access your damaged drive?

Local repair shop won't fix apple (they told me you have to sell their merchandise to do so). :mad:

Does it show up in Disk Utility?
 
Thank you. I am successfully running my laptop off my external drive awaiting the shipment of a new hard drive.
The only remaining question I have is, once I have reached this point, in what way do you recommend trying to access the internal hard drive to see if anything was salvageable from it?

Not expecting anything prompt. Rest well and hope to hear back. :)

It is a simple answer, if the drive does not show up in Disk Utility it >99% sure it is gone, <1% for the remaining chance a cable is loose.

You can buy an app, called disk warrior, or take to your local computer repair. I have mine failed two months ago and paid $99.00 to recover 820gb of data on a 1tb drive.

Don't buy anything if the drive does not show up, yes Diskwarrior is great, I myself mentioned it but it does not work on a drive not showing up in DU

For me, I'm now using my mac off an external drive (where I downloaded lion), but I can't find the internal drive from here. Under "Computer" in Finder there's only "Network" and my external drive. I think it suffered some heat damage. How did the software access your damaged drive?

Local repair shop won't fix apple (they told me you have to sell their merchandise to do so). :mad:

As I told you before yesterday, open Disk Utility, if it is not there it is↑↑↑↑Look above(99%....)
 
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