User profile for user: JH_311
JH_311 Author
User level: Level 1
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Macintosh HD and reinstallation

Hello, is there a way to reinstall the operating system on an iMAC when "Macintosh HD" in Disk Utilities is no longer appearing?

This has happened to me twice now. The other time it was on my MacBook and an AppleCare agent walked me through the steps to do a reinstallation, and unfortunately, those steps led to the disappearance of "Macintosh HD" and the computer was unable to reinstall anything. Now the same thing is a happening with my iMAC, following the instructions again, and the same thing has happened. This can't be a coincidence and hoping to get some answers or advice on how to retrieve the Macintosh HD in Disk Utilities, which was perfectly working before going through those steps.

iMac 21.5", macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 27, 2020 10:31 AM

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User profile for user: macjack
macjack
User level: Level 10
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Posted on Jan 27, 2020 10:52 AM

I'm a bit confused, do you have an older Mac OS running now or have you erased it?

If it's running then you can boot up normally and go to the AppStore and download the OS you want. Which one is it?


Yes, previously that is the way Disk Utility was setup, instead of just showing volumes. If you don't have a running OS, choose diskOS2 and erase it then format it Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and install the original OS it shipped with and you can upgrade from there.

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User profile for user: macjack
macjack
User level: Level 10
111,234 points

Jan 27, 2020 10:52 AM in response to JH_311

I'm a bit confused, do you have an older Mac OS running now or have you erased it?

If it's running then you can boot up normally and go to the AppStore and download the OS you want. Which one is it?


Yes, previously that is the way Disk Utility was setup, instead of just showing volumes. If you don't have a running OS, choose diskOS2 and erase it then format it Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and install the original OS it shipped with and you can upgrade from there.

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User profile for user: D.I. Johnson
D.I. Johnson
User level: Level 7
28,871 points

Jan 27, 2020 10:40 AM in response to JH_311

Hopefully you have a backup of some sort so you can recover your data.

You may be able to restore the macOS by using recovery mode - Command (⌘)-R - at startup.


Here's a support document regarding macOS Recovery Mode and using it to restore your Mac to working order:

About macOS Recovery - Apple Support.





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User profile for user: macjack
macjack
User level: Level 10
111,234 points

Jan 27, 2020 10:36 AM in response to JH_311

What do you see when booted into Recovery > Disk Utility? You may have to go to the upper left of the Disk Utility window and click on View > Show All Devices to revel the actual drive. If you can see the drive then you can reformat it and should be able to install an OS.

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User profile for user: JH_311
JH_311 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Jan 27, 2020 10:43 AM in response to macjack

Thank you for your response. I was advised to try installing an old operating system (after not being able to install Catalina), and so the view is a bit different now. I don't see a "View" option to "Show All Devices" anymore. Currently, the side bar in Disk Utility reads "DiskOs2" and "Disk1>OS X Base Sysem" – and each of those items have the option to "First Aid", "Erase", or "Restore".

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Macintosh HD and reinstallation

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