Issue with Hard Drive

[omcoree]

Hi,

My password was not recognized so I could not access to my session and I had to do a Command + R to get into the recovery mode.
I have made a Reinstall OS X so I can connect again.
But now I cannot boot on the older OS X and have no access to my data.

It looks like there is a partition now.
How can I boot back on older HD ?
How can I access to my data ?

Thanks for you help,

 

[honestone]

Need to know the following:

1. What exact Mac model do you have?

2. What exact Mac OS are you using?

3. This is critical: are you making backups to an external device?

4. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs?

5. Do you have any third party software? And do you have either MacKeeper or CleanMyMac. If you do, get rid of them IMMEDIATELY, as they cause more harm than good.

 

[omcoree]

1. What exact Mac model do you have?
IMac Retina 5K 27 inch Late 2015

2. What exact Mac OS are you using?
I think it was Yosemite but then I had to go to Recovery mode and now install macOS Sierra Version 10.12.3

3. This is critical: are you making backups to an external device?
No back up

4. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs?
Never in the last 2 years

5. Do you have any third party software? And do you have either MacKeeper or CleanMyMac. If you do, get rid of them IMMEDIATELY, as they cause more harm than good.
No

 

[honestone]

Well, without any backups, and without doing any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, it si difficult, at best, as to what to recommend for a solution. If, though, you do not need anything at all on the iMac, then a solution exists.

So, that is the question: do you need anything at all on the iMac?

Additionally, how are you making posts here, if not from your iMac? Do you have access to another Mac? And if so, what Mac model is it, and what OS is it running under?

 

[omcoree]

I did a Command + R that gave me the possibility to reinstall an OS X Sierra on the computer and had created a new user login. My former OS X was Yosemite. But now it looks like I have created a partition at the same time so meaning that I have access to all application but have no access to my former session. Not sure how to find the old access to that former session.

If I use a recovery data software I can see my files, so I will try to recover all my data by using this software but then what should I do ? Is there a way to connect again on that former user session ? Can I format and reset totally my computer ?

I have another iMac at home on Yosemite 10.10.5 from 2009.

Thx for your help!

 

[honestone]

Before I (or others) render any advice, need to know the exact iMac 2009 model you have.

But. to give you an idea of what you can do, hopefully that 2009 iMac has a Firewire 800 port on it. Assuming it does, you can purchase a Firewire 800 cable, and an Apple Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 adapter (http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD464LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter).

You would then connect the adapter to one of the Thunderbolt ports on your 2015 iMac, then connect the Firewire 800 cable to the other end of the adapter, and finally connect the other end of the Firewire 800 cable to a (maybe only one?) Firewire 800 port on your 2009 iMac. Boot the 2009 iMac. Once it gets to the desktop, boot the 2015 iMac while holding down the T key. What this will do is boot the 2015 iMac in "Target Disk Mode", and your 2015 iMac's internal drive will appear as an "external" drive on the 2009 iMac's desktop. From there, you can use the various tools on the 2009 iMac to "operate" on the 2015 iMac's internal drive.

This link describes Target Disk Mode:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201462

But first you'll need to let us know what exact 2009 iMac model you have.

 

[omcoree]

I have a THUNDERBOLT2 on iMac 2015 but a Firewire on my iMac 2009 so I need to find an adaptor to do the link ? will it work ?
I will then try to use Target Disk Mode.

What should I do then with the iMac 2015 once I back up all the files ? can I do a full format of the hard drive ? what should I use to do that ?

Thx again for your help,

 

[honestone]

I provided the Apple link for you regarding the Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 adapter. You'll also need a Firewire 800 cable. Finally, on your 2009 iMac, you'll need to have the file entitled "Install MacOS Yosemite". If you don't have it, you should be able to download it form the App Store. Assuming you downloaded it before, it should be under your "Purchases". Just re-download it again.

Yes, you will first use Disk Utility on your 2009 iMac to Erase and Format the internal drive on your 2015 iMac.