Macbook Air boot problems

[MobileTechie]

Got a Macbook Air in that won't boot.

Normal boot goes to blank grey screen for quite some time and eventually goes to folder with question mark

D key startup does not start AHT but just ends in folder with ? again
Reset NVRAM goes through the motions but changes nothing
T key startup gives thunderbolt logo moving around the screen
Option key startup gives option to join wireless for Internet Recovery
Shift key start does not go to safe mode but folder again
Single user mode does not work - folder again
Verbose mode does not work - folder again
Cmd-R goes to "Starting internet recovery" and then acts as Option key startup above

Seems to me that the logical volume and/or the disk is trashed?

Ideally client would like data. If I remove the SSD and connect it to a Windows or Linux PC will I be able to get the data if the drive is still working?

If not what is the best option here re: recovering data and recovering the system?

 

[lcoughey]

Definitely the hard drive, which is likely an SSD with proprietary connector.

 

[cyabro]

Have you got another Mac you can connect it to once you've put it in Target Disk mode? (Hold T key at startup and wait for the Thunderbolt logo)

Then check and see if you can read the data on the disk from the other Mac.

 

[altrenda]

I believe Target mode only works between 2 FireWire or 2 Thunderbolt Macs. The Air doesn't have FireWire and only the latest ones have Thunderbolt.
This is the time a bootable OS X External drive comes in handy.

 

[cyabro]

I believe Target mode only works between 2 FireWire or 2 Thunderbolt Macs. The Air doesn't have FireWire and only the latest ones have Thunderbolt.
This is the time a bootable OS X External drive comes in handy.

Just today I've put an early 2008 iMac into Target Disk mode, connected it with a firewire cable to a brand new MacBook Air, using a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter, and it worked like a charm.

But yes a USB stick with OS X on it would allow you to test the machine can actually boot up and then you'd also be able to see if the SSD is accessible or not.
We have a 16GB USB stick with Mountain Lion on it that we use.

 

[MobileTechie]

Am I right in assuming the only way to produce such a stick is to use another Mac?

 

[cyabro]

Am I right in assuming the only way to produce such a stick is to use another Mac?

Yes

 

[MobileTechie]

I've got it to boot from an external DVD drive to Parted Magic.

It's not seeing an HDD at all - just the external DVD drive.

Assuming it should be capable of seeing the Mac's SSD drive, that would indicate the drive is toast. That would be a perfectly rational assumption on a PC. Is it a rational assumption on a Macbook Air?

 

[MobileTechie]

Nobody?

OK so I'm going to order a new drive on the basis that the Lion internet recovery system couldn't find a drive and nor could Parted Magic.

 

[lcoughey]

Nobody?

My professional opinion as the first response wasn't good enough for you? Sheesh.

With these drives, they tend to just die and the cost to recover is many thousands of dollars, if recoverable at all. So, your choice to replace and move on is likely the best choice.

 

[BrentfromZulu]

Not sure what MBA you have, but if it is recent it will be some sort of Goofy SSD. I would say just make sure that you do some homework on getting a compatible drive.

 

[MobileTechie]

New240GB Mercury Aura Pro 6G SSD (for MacBook Air 2012) - 240GB arrived and fitted. Not showing up. Does it need some kind of initialisation / formatting first?

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

New240GB Mercury Aura Pro 6G SSD (for MacBook Air 2012) - 240GB arrived and fitted. Not showing up. Does it need some kind of initialisation / formatting first?

Unless it's something on the board not seeing drives. But the real problem is 3rd party drives just aren't going to work with the ROM. Sorry.

Best I can advise is try an Apple branded SSD.

Should've heeded BrentfromZulu's post just before yours.

 

[MobileTechie]

I did check the drive was compatible before I bought it.

Anyway, turns out it just needed formatting. Booted to the network recovery function and used the disk utility to Erase the disk which created a new formatted volume.

Now it shows up fine.

OSX lion reinstall via the internet. Everything seems to be working perfectly.

 

[Markverhyden]

I did check the drive was compatible before I bought it.

Anyway, turns out it just needed formatting. Booted to the network recovery function and used the disk utility to Erase the disk which created a new formatted volume.

Now it shows up fine.

OSX lion reinstall via the internet. Everything seems to be working perfectly.

I've never seen a 3rd party drive that was formatted for OS X. Booting into the recovery partition or the recovery disk is the first thing I do after installing the drive. By the way, how much did that SSD cost over there?

 

[MobileTechie]

I've never seen a 3rd party drive that was formatted for OS X. Booting into the recovery partition or the recovery disk is the first thing I do after installing the drive. By the way, how much did that SSD cost over there?

It was £235

 

[betosbar]

Maybe a stupid cuestion but, do you try to press the alt key when the system is power on?, maybe the OS is corrupted but you have access to the recovery partition and can fix the disk and fix permissions.

You can use a external dvd drive and run diskwarrior to repair the system files.

Sorry for my english, I writing you from Mexico.