macOS reinstallation issue

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Hi all,

For work stuff, I was required to install a Windows OS. While trying to do this via bootcamp, my macbook air told me there was something wrong when partitioning the disk. I needed to clean up the disk anyway, I decided to do a hard reset and wiped the disk with the erase option in disk utility. Now I am trying to reinstall the macOS, but it won't do that. Checking the logs, it states that the new hdisk with the new name I gave it, is a read only disk. This means I can't get any installation files saved on it. Also, there is not the option of erasing that new disk either. I tried partitioning the hard drive via disk utility, however that doesn't work either.

Main question is how I can get the read only disk to be a writeable disk?

Hope somebody can help?

Thanks in advance!
 

Cory Cooper

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Hello and welcome.

-Which exact model MacBook Air?
-Which version of OS X?
-Obviously, you do not need any of the data that is/was on the drive, correct?

C
 
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Hello and welcome.

-Which exact model MacBook Air?
-Which version of OS X?
-Obviously, you do not need any of the data that is/was on the drive, correct?

C
MacBook Air model A1466 EMC2559. 2012 model.
I believe I had OS X Sierra (the latest right?) on the mac.
I don't need any of the data that was on the drive.
 
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MacBook Air model A1466 EMC2559. 2012 model.
I believe I had OS X Sierra (the latest right?) on the mac.
I don't need any of the data that was on the drive.

Hi,,I assume this is the machine you have:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...acbook-air-core-i5-1.8-13-mid-2012-specs.html

I also have a 13" MacBook Air, but it is a mid 2013 model. And the internal SSD is 251 gig.

To determine the exact Mac OS you are using, click on the Black Apple Icon located in the upper left hand corner, and then click on "About This Mac". The next screen will tell you the exact Mac OS on your Mac. If it is the latest version of Sierra, it will be OS 10.12.3.

Even though you don't need any of the data on the drive, have you been making backups to an external device?

Now, to completely wipe everything off your internal SSD, and assuming you do not have a bootable backup, you'll need to boot to the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. This link describes both how to do that, and what is on that partition:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

Once there, you would start with Option #4, Disk Utility, and have it Erase and Format your internal SSD (not sure about also Partitioning it, given that (apparently) you need a Bootcamp partition. Once that completes, you would select #2, Reinstall macOS. That process should 1) download the newest version of Sierra from the App Store, and 2) do a clean, "virgin" installation of OS 10.12.3 (a newer update, OS 10.12.4, will be coming out any day) onto the partition you choose. Once that completes, you'll be offered the opportunity, via Migration Assistant, to "migrate"/copy any needed "stuff" from a backup. If you have no backup, and then re-start your Mac, you'll need to go through the typical setup process for a new Mac, with the new OS.
 

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