windows installs, os x doesn't

[Narpstar]

Hey guys,

Anyone had trouble with this? I pop a snow leopard disc in, or a Yosemite USB drive, and I get one problem or another (apple logo changes to circle with a line through it, just gets stuck on apple logo screen, etc).

But I have no problem installing any version of windows.

I get an option for internet recovery too, but it just gets stuck.

Back story - I just bought this second hand. Its a 2011 iMac 21.5". When I got to the house of the ppl I bought it from, they had attempted to reformat and were on the disk utility screen. I can't even get there now.

Thanks in advance guys!
Ben

 

[Pieterr]

The mid 2011 iMac came with 10.6.6 so the retail Snow Leopard DVD you have may be too old (e.g. 10.6.3).
Booting from a Yosemite Install USB should work though.
If you are able to boot from that USB, select Disk Utility and erase the internal disk of the iMac. Then boot again from USB and try to install OS X.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...inch-aluminum-mid-2011-thunderbolt-specs.html

 

[Narpstar]

Thanks Pieterr,

I had the same idea but because I couldn't access disk utility, I used the windows install process to reformat the HDD. Do you think that should work? Or did I just royally screw up my machine?

 

[yjchua95]

Thanks Pieterr,

I had the same idea but because I couldn't access disk utility, I used the windows install process to reformat the HDD. Do you think that should work? Or did I just royally screw up my machine?

Reformatting from Windows won't work because it can't format in Mac OS Extended (journaled).

You really have to get into Disk Utility from your USB. It's accessible from one of the menu items in the top bar.

 

[Narpstar]

Reformatting from Windows won't work because it can't format in Mac OS Extended (journaled).

You really have to get into Disk Utility from your USB. It's accessible from one of the menu items in the top bar.

Yeah but as I said before, I can't access the disk utility. When I arrive at the screen to choose the boot option (DVD/USB etc), there IS no bar at the top of the screen. So I can choose the boot option but nothing else.

 

[yjchua95]

Yeah but as I said before, I can't access the disk utility. When I arrive at the screen to choose the boot option (DVD/USB etc), there IS no bar at the top of the screen. So I can choose the boot option but nothing else.

*facepalm*

You need to select USB and boot into it first (stating the obvious here). Then only you'll be presented with the options.

Refer to the images I attached. First, I selected my boot device (in this case, my OS X installer in a USB stick). Once booted into it, I selected Utilities → Disk Utility.

 

[Narpstar]

Oh, i see. You can't get to disk utility without a boot disk. I thought that was pre boot disk! OK then. In that case my problem is that I can't use any is x related boot disks! They all fail in one way or another. Guess I need to track down a boot disk I know is working first.

 

[yjchua95]

Oh, i see. You can't get to disk utility without a boot disk. I thought that was pre boot disk! OK then. In that case my problem is that I can't use any is x related boot disks! They all fail in one way or another. Guess I need to track down a boot disk I know is working first.

It's easy to make one.

Download Yosemite from the App Store on a working Mac, and stick an 8GB USB stick into the Mac. Then, use DiskMaker X (free app) to create the bootable stick.

 

[Narpstar]

It's easy to make one.

Download Yosemite from the App Store on a working Mac, and stick an 8GB USB stick into the Mac. Then, use DiskMaker X (free app) to create the bootable stick.

Great, thanks! I'll do that, and report back with my results.

Cheers for the help guys!

 

[Narpstar]

Well, that was it! All of my previous bit disks were duds. Created a new one as per your directions, and Yosemite installed just fine.

Now I'm having issues with the computer freezing frequently... but that's something else entirely.