Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
No entry sign on boot
- Thread starter mcmul
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Is this the sign you are getting?
If you were just happily using your Mac and it spontaneously rebooted, and now you get this sign... it is very likely a bad drive. It could also be a bad drive cable or even a bad logic board, but the bad drive is more likely.
Do you have a USB recovery key or another bootable disk like a Time Machine backup you could use to option key boot to just to see if the system works otherwise.
If you were just happily using your Mac and it spontaneously rebooted, and now you get this sign... it is very likely a bad drive. It could also be a bad drive cable or even a bad logic board, but the bad drive is more likely.
Do you have a USB recovery key or another bootable disk like a Time Machine backup you could use to option key boot to just to see if the system works otherwise.
That is indeed the symbol. It all seems very unexpected as I haven't had any issues at all. Unfortunately no backup options so I am pretty screwed right now; no other Macs in the house either to create one. Can't even get to the Disk Utility at boot.
You have my sympathies but you have been living dangerously, you'll find out soon just how dangerously.
Can you get to an Apple store? They may be able to get it to boot off a USB if they have one and then you could see how bad the drive is. Prepare for the worst though (loss of everything on the drive), best case would be it turns out to be a cable and the drive itself is fine.....fingers crossed.
Can you get to an Apple store? They may be able to get it to boot off a USB if they have one and then you could see how bad the drive is. Prepare for the worst though (loss of everything on the drive), best case would be it turns out to be a cable and the drive itself is fine.....fingers crossed.
Thanks man, I will try that. Fortunately the majority of the data is backed up on externals and Dropbox. (I was referring to OS DVDs and bootable backups.)
Apple store has 1-2 week lead times nowadays so I may be without the laptop for sometime. :-(
If the MacBook is out of warranty and you were going to try and install a new drive, provided your MacBook is a 2010 or later (with the latest firmware updates), you can use Internet Recovery to reload the OS without disks.
Out of warranty. (Let's out giant roar.)
How can I get to Internet Recovery if after selecting the Recovery boot option it shows the same no entry symbol?
Verify disk permissions... Failed
Repair disk permissions.... Passed
Verify disk permissions... Passed
Verify disk... Failed
Repair disk... Failed
"Utility can't repair this disk... Disk, and restore your backed-up files."
Odd wording there. Anyway, I am screwed.
Hmm. Try reformatting the HDD and reinstall the OS. Note that if you use Internet Recovery, it has to download the entire OS from Apple, so even on a fast connection (mines ~30Mbps Down) it can take 40+ minutes.
If issues persist (slow boot, no boot, etc), the HDD is most likely bad and will need replacing. Now would be a great time (if you have the money) to install an SSD.
It could be corruption, but since hard drives hate being moved it is probably damaged. Unfortunately, even carrying a computer with a hard drive running can damage it. Lenovo/IBM ThinkPads, Apple MacBooks, and some other premium laptops try to avoid it by using a sudden motion sensor to park the drive in the event of movement. It, however, isn't 100% perfect but helps. SSDs are the way of the future for both reliability, speed, and simplicity.
Again, it is an SSD so apparently they're no different. FFS comes to mind, lol.
----------
Thanks, I thought I did...
Afraid that I would have to agree with you.
Sorry you are having this trouble my friend, but I have to say I enjoy your attitude about the whole thing.
It does sound like your SSD took a dirt nap on you. If your machine is on this list (and has had updates applied) or newer, you should be able to pop in a new drive then use Internet recovery (command-option-r) to format the new disk then reinstall the OS that came with the machine.
Otherwise you are going to need to access another Mac to make yourself a recovery USB key. The backup your mentioned... how was that made... Time Machine??
The drive itself may be under warranty. I believe my 840 Evo has a three year limited warranty, so you may not need to pay to get a new drive. Plus, it is easy to install and recover from.
Sorry you are having this trouble my friend, but I have to say I enjoy your attitude about the whole thing.
If your machine is on this list (and has had updates applied) or newer, you should be able to pop in a new drive then use Internet recovery (command-option-r) to format the new disk then reinstall the OS that came with the machine.
Otherwise you are going to need to access another Mac to make yourself a recovery USB key. The backup your mentioned... how was that made... Time Machine??
Thanks
I would normally get very irritated and stressed about the whole though but it's just so unexpected. Also, I am pretty sure that "babe, the laptop just stopped working" is the perfect excuse for another laptop with my wife! ;-) I'm thinking the retina 15" refresh....It unfortunately wasn't made with Time Machine and is just scattered data from externals disks and Dropbox.
Can we safely say that it is only the disk at fault here and a simple reformat would fix it?
I think it is definitely the disk but no, a reformat may not fix it - but it's worth trying.
Thanks for confirming! Time to get an enclosure, copy the data just in case then reformat. Thanks for the help guys.
That working one second and no drive the next is classic SSD controller failure. I would be very surprised if a format and reinstall fixed this.
You can tell Mrs. E a random guy on the Internet thinks you deserve a new Macbook.
That working one second and no drive the next is classic SSD controller failure. I would be very surprised if a format and reinstall fixed this.
You can tell Mrs. E a random guy on the Internet thinks you deserve a new Macbook.
Hm, I have just purchased an enclosure for the drive to see if I can copy the data off. (I was working on an XCode project in my spare time and would really, really like it back; everything else is backed up.) Do you think I have any chance of mounting the disk and getting the data off? I only ask because Disk Utility can see the drive though not repair or boot from it.
I did indeed and have the go-ahead
Deciding which retina specification I want! 
Hm, I have just purchased an enclosure for the drive to see if I can copy the data off. (I was working on an XCode project in my spare time and would really, really like it back; everything else is backed up.) Do you think I have any chance of mounting the disk and getting the data off? I only ask because Disk Utility can see the drive though not repair or boot from it.
I did indeed and have the go-ahead
I would say the chances of being able to see that volume in an external enclosure and pull data off are slim.
Congrats on the new Retina!
Hard lesson in why people use source control. Before you start your Xcode project up again, sign up for a free Git service, and use it.
I had that sign recently
samsung evo 250 -purchased Jan....new Evo replaced Sat though when I installed there is a white tape join on the sat cable-suspect this to be when my logic board was replaced gens bar a few weeks ago
The new EVO came pre installed with the latest firmware
working brill
samsung evo 250 -purchased Jan....new Evo replaced Sat though when I installed there is a white tape join on the sat cable-suspect this to be when my logic board was replaced gens bar a few weeks ago
The new EVO came pre installed with the latest firmware
working brill