iMac crash, HD locked, Time Machine broken

[Schweutsch]

Hi all,

I've been having problem with my time machine ever since I installed lion. All of a sudden the computer couldn't detect the external hard drive with the backups. And since I am a poor student I had all my pictures and music set on the external too (stupid I know, but there was no room for it on the computer anymore).

So I started panicking.

But I did see the external HD in disc utility. So of course I tried to do whatever I could so I atleast could get my photos out of there. After trying to repair the disc in disk utility, it said there was some node problem or something like that, that it couldn't be used as a time machine anymore unless I reformated it but that I from now on would be able to view my files in Finder so I could get out whatever I needed before resetting it.

So I did save my photos.

Unfortunately my old external HD was way to small for the music and any of the backup-files. And I had to get to work. I left the computer on and wanted to go further when I got home.

Well, got home. Started to try to put the music back in the computer where I did have the space after deleting some other files.

And the computer crashed.

Now the COMPUTER WON'T START normally - it gets to the white screen with the apple and the wheel starts turning. The bar that always shows up when something is bad starts to fill up but only makes like a quarter and then the computer is shut down. When I try to start with the *alt (opt)-key it won't start from the normal Hard drive. When I tried to start from recovery HD (new lion thingie) it wouldn't detect the time machine (I still want to save alla my files). I couldn't reinstall lion since the INTERNAL HARDDRIVE IS LOCKED And after a few tries the computer won't start from the recovery HD either. Right now I've got the snow leopard cd in and just tried to install that one again. No luck - still everything is locked.

I'm a bit confused. Don't know where to go from here really. I still can get into a terminal through the snow leopard cd. Still can see the external HD in the disk utility but can't see it in the terminal.

Hmm, guess I could move everything with the terminal to some borrowed external Hard Drive (perhaps buy a new one, get my salary on monday...) or I have to be able to sudo- unlock the hard drive (but I don't know how to do that)...

Or is there a better way??


Is it a hardware problem? should I insert the original install-cd and do a test? Right now I'm afraid to do so since every time I shut down the computer something new happens and it gets more broken.

 

[Doctor X]

Wow.

I am suspecting your Internal HD is failing since the Lion partition seems to be failing as well?

First question to answer: was there anything on your primary Internal HD [Int-HD--Ed.] that you have NOT backed up?

If the answer is "yes" than stop messing with it and continue on with my suggestions. If "no" then you can relax a bit as you follow them.

Assuming the Ex-HD is fine, leave it alone. It has your data. You need to get a working computer. This is why I rant about making bootable clones as in Here. The point is if you had a bootable clone . . . you could boot off that and figure out what is wrong with your Internal HD.

Sorry, but advice is going to cost a bit of $$$. Look at the linked thread. Get another Ex-HD--1 to 2 TB are standard and not too expensive. Look at it this way, one can hold all of your music, photos, and French lichen porn. Boot off your Utility Disc/Snow Leopard disk, format the New-Ex-HD, load the OS.

Now, hook up the Old-Ex-HD . . . see if you can bring "you" back from the Time Machine. Migration Assistant may do the trick for you--after you load the OS it usually asks you if you want to do this.

Once you do that you can NOW start to look at your Int-HD. IF you have data on it you have NOT backed up previously, then DO NOT do this until you have a recover program. Seriously.

Go ahead and make "you" on the New-Ex-HD--download your favorite browser if you do not like Safari, update it by DOWNLOADING the Combo-Updates--last thing you need is to have a faulty download of an update. Trust me. Take the time. Make some coffee.

IF you have NO data on your Int-HD that you do NOT have on your New-Ex-HD and Old-Ex-HD then you can simply try to wipe the Int-HD and see if it is workable. Then you do not need, now, a recovery program like I mentioned--Tech-Tools and/or Disk Warrior. You should invest in the second for the reasons I discuss in that thread.

IF you have data on your Int-HD you have not backed up, then you need to basically do what I described--get DW. In THIS case do not bother frelling with the Int-HD while you are doing all of these other things because the more you try to access the a FAILing Int-HD the more you move to DEAD. You need to have your tools handy.

If DW cannot recover it . . . well . . . there you go. Then you have to get into far more expensive and weird remedies--like sticking the thing in a freezer--search for that!

A cloning program will make your life simpler because you have bootable clones. As I post this, my Int-HD is dying--what sparked my thread is coming true--it has "bad blocks." I am booted on my clones Ex-HD awaiting for my NEW FASTER, BETTER, BIGGER MUWAHAHAHA

[Get on with it!--Ed.] . . . sorry . . . new Int-HD which should arrive Friday .

I just have to stick it in, boot off the Ex-HD, clone and go!

Hope that helps.

--J.D.

 

[Schweutsch]

Thanx for the reply, but still, I can't "detect" my old external hard drive with anything except disk utility (also not with the terminal). So my files on it, including all my backups are non available. I've been thinking about disk warrior but I can't afford it right now
(just bought a brand ned ex hd that I'm going to install).

But still! I can get to all my files on the computer through the terminal so right now I'm starting to copy everything important from iMac to new ex hd. And then I guess I'll have to reformat the imac's int hd and reinstall everything.

wish me luck!