If you’re still experiencing issues starting up your computer, there are some alternatives to try, including use of fsck in a command-line interface. Disk Utility will then run a scan and repair on the disk. Select your OS X volume, and click “Repair”. Click the triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display a list of your disk volumes and partitions. Once in Disk Utility, either from an installation disc or in the Recovery System, proceed to the “First Aid” tab. (Do not click Continue in the first screen of the installer, or you’ll have to start up from the disc all over again to access Disk Utility.) Choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. Hold the C key during start-up after inserting the disc.
If running Mac OS X v10.6 or earlier, you’ll need to run Disk Utility from a Mac OS X install or restore disc. After the startup process is complete, go to the 'Utilities' menu and select. (Note: you can also access Disk Utility from Mac OS X Internet Recovery – for more information, click on the Apple link at the bottom of the page.) Following Recovery System start-up you should see a desktop with an open “Mac OS X Utilities” window. Failing that, startup from your Mac OS X installation disc (insert it, then restart while holding down the 'C' key). If running Safe Mode is unsuccessful in fixing start up issues, or if you’re using a version earlier than Mac OS X 10.2, fix file system issues using Disk Utility:īoot into the Recovery System – press command+R as early as possible during start-up, and hold until the Apple icon appears.
Note: Safe Mode won’t work if you have a firmware password. Safe mode should take itself though any checks and repairs, and you can restart your computer without holding any keys to leave safe mode. A progress bar should then appear, indicating that safe mode is performing a directory check. Release the key when you see the gray Apple icon and spinning wheel. Make sure your computer is shut down – then when turning the computer back on, start holding the shift key immediately after you hear the start-up tone. If using Mac OS X 10.2 or later, you can start up in Safe Mode, which automatically performs disk check and repair: This article provides a couple preferred ways to fix these issues on a Mac computer. I'm nearing my wit's end as it seems I've tried the few options available at this point, and I would be grateful it anyone has any suggestions or hypotheses as to what's going on and how I could go about fixing it.Improper shutdown or power interruptions can create file system errors that stunt the start-up process. Yesterday I also exchanged the RAM and the battery, but I put the old ones back in and it still behaves the same so I don't see how that could be the issue. I have another fresh hard drive that I could swap, but when I did swap it and then turned the computer on, it just goes to the apple and the spinning circle and stays there forever. Try running this application again." That's as far as I can get, and to clarify, I haven't been able to get beyond OS X Utilities at all. Soon into the installation process, after it asks to verify my information with apple, a message pops up: "An error occurred while preparing the installation. When I go to "Reinstall OS X" it launches right into the Capitan installation, not the OS X 10.6 installation CD which is in the drive. When I go to Disk Utility I see Capitan there, but as with my hard drive, I can't erase it and neither can I eject it. Now here is what seems to have triggered the issue: I had just downloaded OS X Capitan and was attempting to install it, but the installation failed after the part where the computer restarts. I tried erasing the hard drive (I have a recent backup), but it always tells me "Erase process failed." I tried restoring from Time Machine Backup, and although it found my backups on an external hard drive, it doesn't seem to recognize them. I tried repairing the hard drive in Disk Utility with first aid, but it says it can't complete the repair. After 5-10 minutes, it asks me to select a language, and then proceeds to OS X Utilities. Upon pressing the power button, the computer immediately turns on and chimes like normal, then goes to the white screen with the apple and a progress bar. I have tried safe mode, resetting PRAM and SMC, recovery mode, everything I know of.
My early 2011 Macbook Pro which uses 10.6 Snow Leopard is going straight to OS X Utilities upon startup, no matter whether I use any startup keys or what those startup keys are.