Mac OS X Volume...Gone?

B

benvoliotw

Registered
Here's the story:

I have a top of the line Macbook Pro, 15", yadda yadda. Got the latest Snow Leopard installed and everything running fine. Installed Windows 7 through Bootcamp on a separate partion: running fine.

Just recently I decided to try to install Windows XP so that I could access some necessary applications that Windows 7 is just "too advanced" (chortle) for. I popped in the Windows XP CD and chose to boot from that, but it only showed Partition1 to format, and I'm pretty positive that was my Macintosh volume, so of course I canceled the installation process as to be able to go back into some desktop to access the internet to see what's up. When I cancel the installation, it reboots the computer, I'm holding the option key so I can choose to go back into the Macintosh volume, and -- there's no Macintosh volume to choose. It's only the Windows volume, and then a couple of seconds later, the Windows XP CD shows up to choose as well. ???? I choose the Windows volume (NOT the CD) and it takes me to a black screen with just the blinking cursor. And stays there. Forever. I restart, holding option again, and it shows me the same choices- NO Macintosh. I ejected the CD, and now of course it only gives me the option to go to Windows, which only goes to the black screen with the cursor.

What is GOING ON?!?! HELP ME PLEASE!

**Update**: Tried safe mode, just took me to the black screen with the cursor. Tried booting from the Mac OS X Install DVD and tried to repair the disk, but there's still no Macintosh HD. Nothing even showed up when it prompted me to choose on which disk to install Mac OS X. Am I screwed? I - of course- really don't want to have to take it to the shop.
 
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Sounds like you may have nukes your boot sector, normally I would suggest that you try Disk Utility from the DVD but you already have, I would thus go for bigger guns and spring for a copy of Disk Warrior, saved my butt mire than once. Even if it doesn't work now it is good to have in your toolkit.
 
So I could just put Disk Warrior in - even without a boot sector - and run it and fix things? Would I boot from Disk Warrior?
 
Disk Warrior comes on a bootable disk - so, you insert that in your drive, then restart while holding the 'C' key. You'll boot to the Disk Warrior app, which has saved/resurrected a lot of drives for me. Good luck!
 
Let me reiterate what DeltaMac has recommended. In the past, DW has found and recovered volumes Disk Utility will not. Back in the old days--
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--when there was a Norton Disk Utility, it fixed problems Norton could not fix.

I would further recommend that you have an External HD to which you frequently clone your drive. Back in the day--
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--the question, "well, you backed up your hard drive, right?" justly elicited flying bricks and homicide when backing up required hours of floppy discs to DVDs. However, now you can do it in minutes.

So, hopefully when DW finds the volume, you can try to repair it and/or make a disk image of it. THAT is worth copying. Again, back in the day, after I frelled myself, I did that and recovered my data.

Good luck, and let this be a lesson to you about the evils of Microsoft, citizen!

--J.D.
 
That is exactly it. Disk Warrior will do a lot of things that Disk Utility will not. It is almost always worth a try when dealing with Mac hardware issues.
 
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