MacBook Air Not letting me Reinstall OS X Disc

muaaman · muaaman #1 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 03:01 AM

Hello,

I have a 2012 model for the Macbook Air that suddenly crashed on me as I was working. It now appears with the question mark folder icon blinking when I open it.

I held down "Option" and it started to do an internet recovery. Afterwards, it gave me an option to Reinstall Mac OS X. When I get to the step of Select the disk where you want to install Mac OS X", it is blank.

What should I do?

dtravis7 · dtravis7 #2 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 04:50 AM

I would say Hard Drive died but the 2012 Air is a SSD. Strange its not showing up. When you get to that installer click on the tools menu up top and launch Disk Utility. See if the drive shows up there. If so erase or Partition it.

chas_m · chas_m #3 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 09:32 AM

This does indeed sound like a failed SSD. Very unusual, thus I would strongly suggest getting an Apple tech to have a look at that.

chscag · chscag #4 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 03:18 PM

As advised, take it to Apple. If your 2012 MBA is still under warranty Apple will replace the SSD. Even if it's no longer under warranty, I would still take it to Apple since that SSD is not easy to replace as a do it yourself job. Hopefully you have been making backups?

harryb2448 · harryb2448 #5 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 06:40 PM

And not unusual for SSD to crash. Have a Kingston, G.Skill Falcon and an OWC Mercury that would not accept firmware update in the bottom of my parts cupboard so they fail like any hard drive.

muaaman · muaaman #6 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 07:03 PM

If I did not make ANY backups, what options do I have with recovering my files?

harryb2448 · harryb2448 #7 (**permalink**)

07-15-2013, 08:21 PM

Ohh dear ohh dear. Backups are essential. Your first chore when all is up and running is purchase an external hard drive and use cloning software or Time Machine to keep a backup. You might like to download Data Rescue 3 demo and see if that recognizes anything on the failed drive. Commercial recovery will cost an arm and a leg, or maybe even more!

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

chas_m · chas_m #8 (**permalink**)

07-16-2013, 05:18 AM

*facepalm*

I clearly don't know enough about SSDs, but as I've only very rarely heard of one failing I know even less about how to recover one. I would have thought that most HD-based recovery tools wouldn't be able to work with a failed SSD since it uses a wholly different approach to accessing file fragments.

JohnCL · JohnCL #9 (**permalink**)

07-16-2013, 10:45 AM

I didn’t want to be negative yesterday, but I knew the "I Have no backups" was coming!

dtravis7 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 04, 2005 Location: Modesto, Ca. Posts: 28,079 Mac Specs: iMac 2.4 C2D 10.10.2, iMac 2.16 C2d 10.6.8, Macbook2007 10.8.4, Mac Mini 10.8.4, iPhone 3GS Note 8!!	07-15-2013, 04:50 AM I would say Hard Drive died but the 2012 Air is a SSD. Strange its not showing up. When you get to that installer click on the tools menu up top and launch Disk Utility. See if the drive shows up there. If so erase or Partition it. ...Dennis Mac-Forums Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 42,640 Mac Specs: 27" iMac i5, 3.2 GHz, iPad 3, iPhone 5c, 3 iPods, Yosemite	07-15-2013, 03:18 PM As advised, take it to Apple. If your 2012 MBA is still under warranty Apple will replace the SSD. Even if it's no longer under warranty, I would still take it to Apple since that SSD is not easy to replace as a do it yourself job. Hopefully you have been making backups? COMMUNITY RULES Writing a Quality Post
	QUOTE Thanks

harryb2448 #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2007 Location: Nambucca Heads Australia Posts: 18,810 Mac Specs: iMac i5 2.7GHz, 16GB memory, OS 10.10.2	07-15-2013, 06:40 PM And not unusual for SSD to crash. Have a Kingston, G.Skill Falcon and an OWC Mercury that would not accept firmware update in the bottom of my parts cupboard so they fail like any hard drive. *Hang on to those original install discs like grim death! Using OS X.7 or later make a bootable USB thumb drive before running Installer!*
	QUOTE Thanks

harryb2448 #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2007 Location: Nambucca Heads Australia Posts: 18,810 Mac Specs: iMac i5 2.7GHz, 16GB memory, OS 10.10.2	07-15-2013, 08:21 PM Ohh dear ohh dear. Backups are essential. Your first chore when all is up and running is purchase an external hard drive and use cloning software or Time Machine to keep a backup. You might like to download Data Rescue 3 demo and see if that recognizes anything on the failed drive. Commercial recovery will cost an arm and a leg, or maybe even more! http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php *Hang on to those original install discs like grim death! Using OS X.7 or later make a bootable USB thumb drive before running Installer!*
	QUOTE Thanks

chas_m #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 22, 2010 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 18,096 Mac Specs: Mid-2012 MBP (16GB, 1TB HD), BenQ second monitor, iPhone 5s 32GB, iPad Air 2 64GB	07-16-2013, 05:18 AM facepalm I clearly don't know enough about SSDs, but as I've only very rarely heard of one failing I know even less about how to recover one. I would have thought that most HD-based recovery tools wouldn't be able to work with a failed SSD since it uses a wholly different approach to accessing file fragments. Cheers, chas_m -- My essay for switchers and newbies • Keeping your Mac in top form
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muaaman #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 15, 2013 Posts: 3	07-15-2013, 03:01 AM Hello, I have a 2012 model for the Macbook Air that suddenly crashed on me as I was working. It now appears with the question mark folder icon blinking when I open it. I held down "Option" and it started to do an internet recovery. Afterwards, it gave me an option to Reinstall Mac OS X. When I get to the step of Select the disk where you want to install Mac OS X", it is blank. What should I do?
	QUOTE Thanks

muaaman #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 15, 2013 Posts: 3	07-15-2013, 07:03 PM If I did not make ANY backups, what options do I have with recovering my files?
	QUOTE Thanks

JohnCL #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 29, 2009 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,189 Mac Specs: -->	07-16-2013, 10:45 AM I didn’t want to be negative yesterday, but I knew the "I Have no backups" was coming! 2.4GHz 13" rMBP 256gb \| 2.5GHz Mac Mini w/ FusionDrive \| Mac Pro 3,1 2x 2.8GHz \| Dual 2.0GHz PowerMac G5 \| 24" ACD \| 64GB Verizon iPhone 6 Plus \| iPad Air 2 64GB LTE \| iPad mini 2 16GB \| Gen 7 Nano \| Gen 4 iPod Touch \| TV1 \| TV3
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