Need help - Tried to install win10 via boot camp and think I deleted hard drive using disk part “clean” command

[Horse86]

I have an iMac late 2009 that I was running high Sierra. I was attempting to install Windows 10 (from an ISO I had on a burned DVD) on a separate partition using boot camp. I created the partition in boot camp and was trying to format it correctly to install win10 on the new boot camp partition. Long story short I selected the windows boot option by turning on my iMac and holding down the option button. I went into diskpart and execute a “clean” command on the boot camp partition I made (because I saw this was a way to format it properly if Win10 install wasn’t working properly). In doing this I believe it deleted everything from my Mac. When I turn of the iMac I get the flashing folder with question mark. No short keys seem to work. Only think I get to work is if I put in the window ISO DVD and holding the option button the computer will see the windows dvd to boot from.
Did I lose everything that was on my Mac? Can I get my files back or restore it to how it was? The internet restore command doesn’t appear to do anything.
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Another thing to note is if I hold option key down on startup with the win10 iso dvd in the drive and enter the diskpart utility I now only see 1 drive and it only shows the 1 drive of 1Tb of space. The boot camp partition and other partition/drives (I’m assuming what the Mac OS was installed on) doesn’t show up now.

 

[EmlynDewar]

Did you create a new partition in disk utility, after you executed the clean command? :/

If not, boot into a Linux live environment (hopefully you have another PC to create a bootable USB).
From there, I'd download the program testdisk and have it search/restore partitions.
It's not much to look at, but it's one of my favourite disk utilities.

 

[Horse86]

I created the the new partition in disk utility before anything else. That’s where I partitioned the Mac hard drive to created the bootcamp 100gig hard drive. Then on the win10 install I went into diskpart and selected the bootcamp partition and did the “clean” command on it. But it looks like it deleted everything not just the bootcamp partition but also the Mac HD. After the “clean” command I couldn’t do anything as it basically bricked my Mac OS.

so you’re saying there is a way to get it back? I do have a 128gig flash drive I could use for a bootable USB...not sure it’s in the right format though. I’m assuming in needs to be in the “Mac format”.

I’m not all that familiar with Linux...at all. I DO have another iMac here...it’s actually a 2015 so it’s newer (running Sierra). Can you provide some direction on how I’d log into a Linux live environment on my working Mac to create the bootable USB? Is testdisk a free utility? Can I just get that downloaded from cnet downloads or something like that?

thanks in advance

 

[Fishrrman]

"Did I lose everything that was on my Mac? Can I get my files back or restore it to how it was? The internet restore command doesn’t appear to do anything. "

A 2009 Mac (ANY Mac) CANNOT do "internet recovery". That began in 2010.

You've just learned what having a cloned backup (created by either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper) is for.

Yes, it's "a hard way to learn". Go forth from this day, a sadder but wiser man.

Now... to get the 2009 going again...

You said you have a 2015 Mac running Low Sierra (10.12), is this correct?

OK, then do this to get the 2009 booted again.

1. You'll need an external USB drive (HDD or SSD).
2. You'll need CarbonCopyCloner, FREE to download and use for 30 days:

Download CCC - Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

3. Now, do this:
4. Connect the external drive to the 2015 iMac and use disk utility to ERASE IT to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format
5. Use CCC (accept the defaults for now) to clone the contents of the 2015 iMac to the external drive.
BUT... you probably don't want to clone everything... just the essential OS and applications, plus an account to get it going. That means you might leave stuff behind like movies, music, pics, etc. that would otherwise "clog up" the drive.
THIS IS EASY TO DO with CCC -- just use the "some files" option and UNCHECK the stuff you want to leave behind.
5a. CCC will ask if you wish to clone the recovery partition as well. YES, do this.
6. Take the cloned external drive and connect it to the 2009.
7. Now boot the 2009 and HOLD DOWN THE OPTION KEY CONTINUOUSLY until the startup manager appears.
8. Do you see the external drive in startup manager? GOOD. Select it with the pointer and hit return.
9. Do you get a good boot? Can you get to the finder? If so, start "looking around".
10. Can you see any of your personal files that were on your previous Mac partition? If so, GET THEM OFF OF THERE IMMEDIATELY. Copy them to the drive from which you're booted.

At this point, I would:
a. Open disk utility and ERASE the 2009's drive (Windows and all), again to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format.
b. Open CCC and clone the contents of the external drive to the 2009's drive.
c. When the clone is done, go to the startup disk preference pane and RE-set the internal drive to be the boot drive.
d. Try to boot this way -- do you get a good boot?
e. Then you're essentially done. You'll have to go through the internal drive and "do some pruning" to get rid of stuff that shouldn't be there.

IF you got this far, some recommendations:
- Don't be foolin' with bootcamp again. If you need Windows, use an emulated solution instead (such as VMWare Fusion, Parallels, Virtual Box, or Crossover).
- Continue to use CCC to create cloned copies of both the 2009 and 2015 iMacs. If you have these, they could save your behind in the future.

 

[Horse86]

Thank you for that awesome post.

I’m assuming I can’t do this on the 128g USB 3.0 flash drive I have??
Does the SSD or Portabke hard drive Need to be USB 3.0/3.1 etc?


I actually did have win10 running on parallels but it was slow and I want to use win10 to code/diagnose my Car and was worried my 2009 lackluster Mac wouldn’t handle it....didn’t want to brick my Car so instead I bricked my Mac hahaha!

any suggestion/recommendations on an external HSB HDD or SSD? I’d probably order online unless something like bestbuy would have them in store (if they are even open during this time) or Walmart.

PS thag erase it command scares me but it technically is just formatting the USB External drive to a Mac suitable drive....plus it’s already blank.
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To add....which method is easier and has a better chance of success...the Linux method or this external drive clone method?

 

[tyc0746]

Was there a reason for not using Bootcamp Assistant to do the partitioning & W10 installation, rather than partitioning manually.

I’m sure there is, but I’ve not done a Bootcamp install on such an old machine myself. I probably did 10 years ago, but not recently.

 

[Horse86]

Actually I believe I was using the bootcamp assistant to partition? I forget. But the partition I made was only 150gb out of the 1Tb of the Mac hard drive. What would be the difference here anyway if I used bootcamp or disk utility to partition?

I was using bootcamp to install win10 hence the partition being named “bootcamp”. It was during the win10 ISO DVD install that wouldn’t install on to the partition and avideo on YouTube said to use the diskpart/“clean” command on the partition to get win10 to install on it. Well that obviously didn’t work.

 

[Fishrrman]

"I’m assuming I can’t do this on the 128g USB 3.0 flash drive I have??"

Why not?
Just know that you'll be erasing it first. So if there's anything on it you want to save, copy that elsewhere.

If you "want the Mac back" try doing what I suggested above.

The name of the game:
a. Get an external drive that will boot the 2009
b. Boot using the external drive
c. Get anything you want OFF OF the INTERNAL drive
d. ERASE the internal drive and start over.

 

[Horse86]

Ok thanks fishrrman...I have close to 500gb on the hard drive if I recall so I won’t be able to move much off with that. Reason I asked about the thumb drive was is I didn’t know if that would be sufficient for a bootable drive and if it being a USB 3.0 thumb drive would work.

 

[Horse86]

So I did the part 1 of those directions and I was able to boot up in Mac OS from my USB drive. I was able to see both user accounts at the login screen bc I copied those to the USB drive. Got excited for a second. Logged in with one of the users, however, obviously nothing on the tool bar bc I didn’t clone any apps to the USB drive. Opened finder but nothing was to be found. No apps, no documents,nothing. Safe to assume it’s all gone? no other way of getting off my files I had on there?

I guess the silver lining is I can now copy over a Mac OS Onto the USB drive and re-image it. But it will be like an out of the box iMac (completely stock)

 

[Fishrrman]

"I guess the silver lining is I can now copy over a Mac OS Onto the USB drive and re-image it. But it will be like an out of the box iMac (completely stock)"

I think at this point "the solution" will be... "get any copy of the Mac OS onto it, any way that you can". And then go on from there.

If you can get booted, and if you can "see" the user folders on the internal drive, can you open them up and browse around?
Don't try to log in... you just want to see if there's something inside those folders.

It's still possible to "get inside" the folders of user accounts that you don't have permissions to access. A "dirty trick".
Here's how it goes.
1. Copy the user accounts to another drive (again, can be ANY kind of drive)
2. Mount that drive's icon in the finder
3. Click on the drive icon ONE time and then type command-i (eye) to invoke the get info box
4. At the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your password
5. Put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing & permissions)
6. Close get info.

Now you can open and view folders that previously had "locks" on them.

Again, the idea is to GET THE STUFF YOU WANT TO SAVE OFF OF the damaged drive -- then "attack it" with your tools to erase it, and get an OS installed and running.

 

[Horse86]

First want to say thank you again for your help on helping me get situated in this.

I’m confident I’ll be able to put a version of OS on my thumb drive and install that. First matter of importance is of course getting off any data I can.

so I think the only reason I was able to log into the 2 accounts is bc I cloned both accounts onto the USB drive along with the System dir for the OS (other things I cloned to the USB was Utilities: terminal, disk utility, and a couple others...CCC and a couple other apps I thought might come in handy). Am I missing something (app/ulitity)on the clone USB drive that would allow me to see the old data?

when I log into the Mac I get the plain blue desktop with a bunch of “?” On the toolbar (expected bc I didn’t clone over many apps). When I open Finder I only see the usual shortcuts (documents, files, applications, etc which are all empty). I do not see “user folders”...should I be looking somewhere else? (I feel it’s only recognizing the users bc they are on the USB drive)

if I look at the Mac drive in disk utility it shows the 1TB and there is no “color” to show data....just a grey “fuel bar”.

based on that...any recommendations