No disk options when installing OS X

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

Hello!

I wanted to do a clean install so I did a Time Machine backup, booted on my USB of Mountain Lion, went into Disk Utility and tried to erase my hard drive.
It failed saying there was "not enough space", I didn't read it entirely because I thought it was a "success" message...

I thought I just had to do it again but I don't have the option to erase anymore (only two tabs, the main one and the "partition"), I can't boot on it, after the login it loads forever with a crossed out circle instead of the apple.

I can't even reinstall OS X since it is not in the list of available disks.
I can't even use my Time Machine backup since I can't select the disk where the data will be sent.

I'm ****ed $:\$

Is there a solution or an alternative to Disk Utility? I don't care if I lose my data since I wanted to format the disk.

Thanks a lot for your help!

PS: I did a repair on the disk, it says everything looks OK...

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Well actually, it sounds like your hard drive has crashed. Replace it.

Edit: you didn't happen to remove the partition, did you? Do you see anything in Disk Utility on the left besides your attached thumb drive?

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

Really? How could it crash like that? Just by trying to erase it? Not even with secure format...

Thanks anyway, I'll see the prices and tutorials to replace it!

EDIT

Actually yes I did, I saw the Bootcamp partition, since I was not using it anymore I decided to remove it before to erase the disk. Is it bad?

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
Really? How could it crash like that? Just by trying to erase it? Not even with secure format...

Thanks anyway, I'll see the prices and tutorials to replace it!

EDIT

Actually yes I did, I saw the Bootcamp partition, since I was not using it anymore I decided to remove it before to erase the disk. Is it bad?

No, not bad, but it sounds like you removed your OS X partition also. Select the hard drive in Disk Utility on the left; on the right, select the Partiton tab; under Partition Layout, if the box is all gray (meaning there is no partition), then press the + button at the bottom; then hit Apply.

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

I just did it, but nothing happens, there was a confirmation window but now no loading or anything, do I have to wait?

And will I have to always use a partition for the OS?

Thanks for your help, I hope it'll work!

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
I just did it, but nothing happens, there was a confirmation window but now no loading or anything, do I have to wait?

Nope, it should be ready. The gray area should now be white with a name for the partition. It'll either say "untitled" or "Macintosh HD".

And will I have to always use a partition for the OS?

Thanks for your help, I hope it'll work!

Yes. The hard drive is useless without at least one partition.

I forgot to remind you to make sure it was formatted using "Mac OS Extended (journaled)". That's the default, so it should be fine.

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

It is still gray but there is now written "3 Partitions" (the original, the one I created and the old Bootcamp which is gray and named Free Space).

I click Apply, confirm it but when I try to close the window it says that there are unsaved changes and asks me if I want to close without saving. Should I?

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
It is still gray but there is now written "3 Partitions" (the original, the one I created and the old Bootcamp which is gray and named Free Space).

I click Apply, confirm it but when I try to close the window it says that there are unsaved changes and asks me if I want to close without saving. Should I?

Oh no no no no! Delete all with the minus button, then add a single one. You should end up with only one partition covering the entire drive.

I see now what you did. You removed the Boot Camp partition, but didn't add the space back to the 1st partition. Although now I dont understand why you couldn't see the drive before.

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

I can only delete the partition I just created, I can't click on the minus for Bootcamp (it's grayed)... How can I add the space back to the main partition?

I think I'll just buy a new hard drive so it's clean and without useless partitions...

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
I can only delete the partition I just created, I can't click on the minus for Bootcamp (it's grayed)... How can I add the space back to the main partition?

Ah. I get it now. I thought you were booted off the installer on a thumb drive. You aren't. You are booted off the internal drive. Resize your primary partition by dragging the bottom edge down.

I think I'll just buy a new hard drive so it's clean and without useless partitions...

That won't help.

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

I can't drag it, the mouse icon doesn't change when it's in the middle of the two partitions :/

Maybe I could try to make the Bootcamp partition from Free Space to extended (journaled)?

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
I can't drag it, the mouse icon doesn't change when it's in the middle of the two partitions :/

Where in my post did I say to drag from in between the 2?

You know what? The gray area wouldn't have said "Boot Camp". It's unpartitioned and unnamed if gray. You are trolling me, aren't you?

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

Sorry I used to resize the partition by doing that, then I don't understand what you mean by dragging the bottom edge since the bottom of the main partition is just next the gray partition (therefore I'd have to drag from in between the 2...)
I say Bootcamp because it was the Bootcamp partition before I format it, now it turned gray and there is nothing written on it, on the right it is named Free Space and the format is Free space too.

Sorry if I was not clear...

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

My bad. It's the corner, not bottom edge.
Resize Partitions in Mac OS X with Disk Utility

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

I don't have the dragging widget, I took a picture of the screen:

http://i.imgur.com/2WhhZ.jpg

Do you think I could take out the disk, plug it to my PC, wipe and place it again in my Macbook? Is there a tool on PC to format it using OS X Extended (journaled)?

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
I don't have the dragging widget, I took a picture of the screen:

http://i.imgur.com/2WhhZ.jpg

Do you think I could take out the disk, plug it to my PC, wipe and place it again in my Macbook? Is there a tool on PC to format it using OS X Extended (journaled)?

Whoa! That's not supposed to look like that. What version of OS X are you running, and what Mac model/year do you have?

And what is that disk3 there?

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

Macbook Pro 15 2010 I think.

I had it a few weeks before Lion so on the disk is the CD I had when I bought the Mac (Snow Leopard maybe? I don't remember) and on the USB is Mountain Lion which is the OS X I was using lately.

$:\$

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Ok. I still don't know why you can't resize that partition. That troubles me. Your Mountain Lion on USB... are you able to boot off of that? If so, do so and use Disk Utility to remove the Macintosh HD partition and make a new single one. You can get to DU by selecting it from the menu once you are past the language selection screen.

Vilarix · Sep 4, 2012

Well, I am on the DU from the Mountain Lion USB, it's the only way since I can't boot on the drive to use DU... And I can't remove the partition using it...

Are you sure that formating the HD using a PC is not a good solution?

$:\$

Lifeisabeach · Sep 4, 2012

Vilarix said:
Well, I am on the DU from the Mountain Lion USB, it's the only way since I can't boot on the drive to use DU... And I can't remove the partition using it...

Are you sure that formating the HD using a PC is not a good solution?

$:\$

No, it's not a good solution. You wouldn't be able to format it. I can only suggest replacing the drive at the moment. You shouldn't be having this problem at all and at the moment, I can only assume the drive is defective, though I'd rather see what someone else here has to say if they stumble along.