Ok, my wife has a Mac Mini late 2009 2ghz model. The other day she restarted it and it started up, giving the grey screen with the apple and loading circle, then it gave the stop symbol (ghostbuster symbol), then it went back to the apple and then it loaded to Mac OS X Utilities. Every time I boot it up it goes to Utilities, but here is the real problem...
I have tried restoring to a previous point from Time Machine, it lets me select the date but then when I click next it stays on Searching for days and never finds any drive.
If I try to run a verify it does verify it ok but when I try to repair it, it says Error and then tells me to backup my files and re-install Mac OS X. It won't let me burn an image of the drive because it errors.
I have tried booting 10.8.2 from USB Flash Drive (8GB), it will not boot to it via holding C nor does holding options key, still goes to Utilities no matter what I try. I tried booting to the AppleCare CD (TechTool) but it keeps spitting it back out when it goes to the Stop Symbol (ghostbuster symbol), does the same with a DiskWarrior DVD as well.
I cannot get it to do anything, could the hard drive be bad in it even if it does verify it and tells me to re-install on it? Should I run the re-install Mac OS X? I mean she has files on there she needs to keep, I know we have Time Machine but I do not trust that every file on the drive she needs is backed up to Time Machine and if it can even be brought back over to the main drive after a re-install. Anyway of re-installing but keeping all users and files or am I wasting my time because the drive is gone?
I have tried restoring to a previous point from Time Machine, it lets me select the date but then when I click next it stays on Searching for days and never finds any drive.
If I try to run a verify it does verify it ok but when I try to repair it, it says Error and then tells me to backup my files and re-install Mac OS X. It won't let me burn an image of the drive because it errors.
I have tried booting 10.8.2 from USB Flash Drive (8GB), it will not boot to it via holding C nor does holding options key, still goes to Utilities no matter what I try. I tried booting to the AppleCare CD (TechTool) but it keeps spitting it back out when it goes to the Stop Symbol (ghostbuster symbol), does the same with a DiskWarrior DVD as well.
I cannot get it to do anything, could the hard drive be bad in it even if it does verify it and tells me to re-install on it? Should I run the re-install Mac OS X? I mean she has files on there she needs to keep, I know we have Time Machine but I do not trust that every file on the drive she needs is backed up to Time Machine and if it can even be brought back over to the main drive after a re-install. Anyway of re-installing but keeping all users and files or am I wasting my time because the drive is gone?