Boot failure/disk cannot be repaired/disk is locked

[tburt]

[SOLVED]Boot failure/disk cannot be repaired/disk is locked

Hello. I have been using MacBook Air for quite some time without any troubles, but 2 days ago when i turned it on, it booted into "utilities". After some research, i launched disk utility, launched disk verification (i have one disk, 64 GB, into two partitions - one recovery, and one Macintosh HD, where all my files are kept), it told me that disk needs a repair. I launched disk repair and disk utility told me that disk cannot be repaired, that i need to make a backup of my data and reinstall mac OS x.
I did back up all my data on a 64 GB USB stick by making Macintosh HD.dmg with disk utility on USB stick(it was compressed into 34 GB or something like that, i checked it on PC through TransMac, so i wouldn't lose any data anyway), and then tried several things to make computer work again:

DiskWarrior: the computer wouldn't boot from USB stick with DiskWarrior(burned it on PC with TransMac) - it shows a "no-sign" instead of Apple logo, or even(after resetting PRAM) three beeps. Tested USB stick on friend's MacBook Pro (it was on desktop, didn't try booting from it) - program launched perfectly. Also, when in disk utility, it is displayed.

Booting from USB containing Lion 1.7.5 (just like mine on macbook air) - just a "no" sign

"Reinstall Mac OS X" Utility - it says that both drives (Macintosh HD and Recovery HD) are locked. I have seen troubleshooting this issue with terminal, but that requires booting to desktop, which i can't access. So i can't reinstall it

P.S. also i don't have any time machine backups.
Please, help me.

[EDIT]
Installing os x lion on usb stick from one of utilities on broken mac, want to see if this version boots to desktop so i can access diskwarrior.

Successfully booted from USB, ran hardware test on DW, it said that my drive is functioning normally. Left it rebuilding directories overnight. I woke up, and it found 1206 overlapping files and a bunch of another bad stuff. I pressed on rebuild, it fixed other stuff, but progress bar hasn't move don fixing overlapping files in 10 min. Waiting

Using diskwarrior at stage 12: rebuilding overlapped files gave me the error 2175 - 1, and said that i need to reboot from diskwarrior dvd. As i have mentioned above, for some reason it won't boot from DW, so i call it quits with DW. However, it (supposedly) left me good heritage: my main partition is now unlocked in reonstall os utility and now i'm reinstalling os on macintosh hd .

After downloading files for os install, it told me that disk is bfoken, that i need to retry install, rebooted me into utilities again. Before that, i went to disk utility and erased partition. Disk utility now tells me that disk appears to be ok, so i'm doing one last thing before replacing ssd: trying to reinstall system once again.

ISSUE SOLVED. Writing from subject MacBook.
After erasing main partition(mentioned in previous post), disk utility stated that disk was functioning normally. I went again to install mac os x(from utility), it went smooth and quick. Everything works fine.

 

[chscag]

It sounds very much like the SSD in your MacBook Air has failed and needs to be replaced. Also.. when you post to the forums please be specific as to which MacBook Air you have (year and model) as that helps us to help you.

If you already have a good backup that you can restore from and if you're able, swap out the bad SSD (depends on which model MBA you have) and restore your data. See the detailed instructions at www.ifixit.com.

 

[tburt]

MacBook Air A1465 11.6/1.7GHz/4GB/64GB Flash storage, 2012 year. If my SSD has failed, how could it allow me to make a working disk image of it? And why wouldn't it boot from diskwarrior or Mac OS X Lion distributive?

 

[harryb2448]

It can't it is too late alas. There are only two types of computer users according to noted author David Pogue. Those that have lost everything and those that are about to. Always have Time Machine or cloned backups up to date on an external hard drive.

 

[tburt]

It can't what? If you refer to creating a backup, then i have made it already. I have made it AFTER drive supposedly failed. With Disk Utility and a USB stick plugged in. Then i verified data on it with another computer - all data was present. Doesn't it indicate that the SSD is in working condition?

 

[cradom]

Restart holding the Option key down. Select the Recovery partition to boot from. Try repairing the drive with Disk Utility again. See what happens.

 

[tburt]

Same errors. Disk utility can't repair the disk, make a backup and reinstall system.
UPD: Installing os x lion on usb stick from one of utilities on broken mac, want to see if this version boots to desktop so i can access diskwarrior.

 

[chscag]

Same errors. Disk utility can't repair the disk, make a backup and reinstall system.
UPD: Installing os x lion on usb stick from one of utilities on broken mac, want to see if this version boots to desktop so i can access diskwarrior.

Again... when Disk Utility tells you the disk can't be repaired, that generally indicates it has failed. You can continue to try trouble shooting, but from experience, you will probably wind up replacing the disk. Mac Sales (OWC) sells replacement flash storage for your model MBA. (www.macsales.com) The instructions for changing it can be found at www.ifixit.com. Let us know how you make out with it.

 

[tburt]

Alright, thanks. If i will fail in booting from usb, i will try to erase main partition and hopefully that will allow me to install system on ot - right now it's locked. If it won't help either, i'll bring it to local apple reseller and probably end up buying new ssd

 

[cradom]

If Disk Utilities cant fix it, booting from an installer stick and trying to reinstall is a major waste of time.
Disk Warrior wont fix what Disk Util cant. All it does is rewrite the directory structure, not repair drives.
The only reason I wanted you to do what you did was to rule out that you were actually booting from the main drive instead of the Recovery drive (having a locked drive).
If you try to repair the boot drive it will appear locked and tell you to try from another booted disk.

 

[tburt]

Successfully booted from USB, ran hardware test on DW, it said that my drive is functioning normally. Left it rebuilding directories overnight. I woke up, and it found 1206 overlapping files and a bunch of another bad stuff. I pressed on rebuild, it fixed other stuff, but progress bar hasn't move don fixing overlapping files in 10 min. Waiting

 

[tburt]

Missing thread errors in disk utility log led me to a conclusion that the two utilities can be used togethet if neccessary

 

[tburt]

Using diskwarrior at stage 12: rebuilding overlapped files gave me the error 2175 - 1, and said that i need to reboot from diskwarrior dvd. As i have mentioned above, for some reason it won't boot from DW, so i call it quits with DW. However, it (supposedly) left me good heritage: my main partition is now unlocked in reonstall os utility and now i'm reinstalling os on macintosh hd .

 

[tburt]

After downloading files for os install, it told me that disk is bfoken, that i need to retry install, rebooted me into utilities again. Before that, i went to disk utility and erased partition. Disk utility now tells me that disk appears to be ok, so i'm doing one last thing before replacing ssd: trying to reinstall system once again.

 

[tburt]

ISSUE SOLVED. Writing from subject MacBook.
After erasing main partition(mentioned in previous post), disk utility stated that disk was functioning normally. I went again to install mac os x(from utility), it went smooth and quick. Everything works fine.
Special thanks to cradom' motivating signature. If not for it, I'd listen to guys right away.

 

[chscag]

Keep your fingers crossed... and make a backup using Time Machine and/or cloning software. That disk may act up again so stay alert with it. ;D