Imac utility disk

I have an imac that's maybe 3 or 4 years old. Some how all of my 999,345,127,424 go volume has been used. So I am in recovery mode on utility disk and am trying to erase it. But it says erase process has failed. Unmounting disk couldn'the open disk operation failed. By the wayear my system won't boot up. It goes to the white screen with the apple logo and the status bar loads almost to the end and it turns off. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is what happens when a computers internal storage is allowed to be totally utilized. Just like not letting an automobiles gas tank get completely empty...a computer's internal storage should not be allowed to get 100% full.

What you probably need to do is boot the computer from an external drive with the Mac OS installed on it...so you have access to the computers internal (full drive)...to delete some files from it (creating some free space)...so the computer can once again be booted from the internal drive.

By the way. What you tried by booting into the Recovery Partition...launching Disk Utility...and erasing the drive. Would result in a 100% loss of any data on the internal drive. Is or was this the desired outcome?? Generally speaking...users with a full 1 terabyte drive have at least some information/files that they do not want to lose.

- Nick

Yes I was trying to delete all the data because it was mostly videos. So I would need another computer to do this?

imacuser201612 said:

Yes I was trying to delete all the data because it was mostly videos. So I would need another computer to do this?

Click to expand...

If your goal is to completely erase the internal storage (with no worries about losing any data)...this should be doable via the Recovery Partition & Disk Utility (which it sounds like you've tried already).

Just in case this wasn't done exactly correctly. When you open Disk Utility...try each choice in the list. The 2nd choice in the lst is usually the main storage partition.

- Nick

So the disk was erased, and I went to reinstall OS X but it could not be done when I tried to login into my apple account.

Just seems like one problem after another doesn't it??

How did the disk get erased this time...and not before. Always great to find out what the solution/problem was.

As far as reinstalling the OS. Not enough info. What exactly did you try/what are you trying to do? Need details. Don't want to guess at what was tried...and then maybe spend time answering something that didn't need answering.

- Nick

After my last message I left the computer alone for a while. When I came back I tried doing the erase from utility disk and it worked and then I did the first aid function. So after I did that I went back to OS X UTILITIES and went to reinstall OS X. Then it told me to login into my apple account so I put in my information and it was loading then it said it can't be done.

imacuser201612 said:

Then it told me to login into my apple account so I put in my information and it was loading then it said it can't be done.

Click to expand...

Were you able to sign successfully with your Apple ID info?

If so...what exactly can't be done? There are many versions of the Mac OS.

- Don't know exactly what model iMac you have.
- Don't know exactly what OS version was installed previously.
- Don't know exactly what OS version you are trying to reinstall.

These are all details that can help figure things out.

- Nick

It didn't let me sign in.
It's a imac model no A1312.
I don't remember the previous OS.
I was trying to install OS X El Capitan.
But started to redo the install after the last message, and it's currently installing with about 5 minutes left. So I am hoping it goes well this time. If it don't work this time I just don't know what more I can do.

imacuser201612 said:

It didn't let me sign in.

But started to redo the install after the last message, and it's currently installing with about 5 minutes left. So I am hoping it goes well this time. If it don't work this time I just don't know what more I can do.

Click to expand...

If it didn't let you sign in...how is it doing the OS install now. Or were you able to sign in later?

- Nick

A1312 does not tell us much as the same number applies to 2009, 2010 and 2011 models. Unless you upgraded the operating system, Recovery will not work as it requires at least Lion OS X.7, and the latest of these models, 2011, used Snow Leopard OS X.6 when it was new. Do you have any DVD that came with the iMac? Your problem is you cannot erase a drive you are booted from. And you do not say if you have an external drive that has been backed up by cloning software.

I think your best, and maybe only, solution is topurchase a copy of Snow Leopard DVD OS X.6 from Apple Online for $20, and update further from there if required.. Where did you get the El Capitan you were trying to install? Have you used your Apple ID previously to download an operating system?


http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

I was able to sing in later.

La, La, La...Mi, Mi, Mi.

Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do....



- Nick

@Nick ROTFL

Yes...getting a bit silly. But couldn't resist!

- Nick