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OWC SSD causes MBP crash when using Carbon Copy Cloner

K

Karlington

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 9, 2011
16
0
Hi!
I've just received a OWC 120GB Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD disc. I installed it properly, but when I try to clone a copy of my Lion OS with Carbon Copy Cloner my computer suddenly hangs (faded gray screen with text in five different language – "You nee dto restart your computer.." – shows up and i have to restart my computer). This has happened several times in a row so it's not just a one timer. I have made a small partition on my regular HDD, where I've installed a new/clean Lion S, and it's from there I make my clone. Is there something wrong with my SSD-drive (without it my computer is working fine)? I have a new Macbook Pro 15 inch. I live in Sweden and it would really suck to have to ship it back if it's broken.

Please please please... Help me!

Kind regards,
Karl
 
I might be missing something in your description, but if you're just trying to clone a clean OS over why not just install clean to the SSD?

I agree it sounds like a kernel panic which may or may not be an issue with the SSD, but taking the clone out of the equation should narrow down the issue.
 
I highly suggest installing Lion as a fresh install. Cloning has always felt "dirty" to me.
 
Ant.honey said:
You didn't provide all the details, but the OWC drive is not the issue.
Click to expand...

I agree that cloning a new Lion installation doesn't make much sense, but I wouldn't be certain that the drive isn't to blame. I've had similar issues to the OP with an OWC SSD, followed by complete failure.
 
I'm kind of a noob at this so you're probably right. No need to make a clone. So now I tried to install a new clean Lion on my SSD drive but when it tries to download it (or what the heck it's doing) i get this message (translated from Swedish): "Can't download the additional components required for installing Mac OS X". Someone of you wrote that I didn't give alla the information and that's true; didn't mention that I also have put in two new RAM (4+4=8GB) memories. Can those two be the one causing the problem?

Thanks for all your help folks!
/Karl
 
Karlington said:
I'm kind of a noob at this so you're probably right. No need to make a clone. So now I tried to install a new clean Lion on my SSD drive but when it tries to download it (or what the heck it's doing) i get this message (translated from Swedish): "Can't download the additional components required for installing Mac OS X". Someone of you wrote that I didn't give alla the information and that's true; didn't mention that I also have put in two new RAM (4+4=8GB) memories. Can those two be the one causing the problem?

Thanks for all your help folks!
/Karl
Click to expand...

I doubt it. When you look under "about this mac," are you seeing a total of 8gb of ram if that is the case you should be okay there. Ram rarely fails and if it did you would see the dreaded beach ball coming up often. How did you format the drive, did you format it in GUID if not you need to because that is the only format that will work as a boot drive for Apple computers.
 
Ok friends!
Here's an update if you're interested:

So took out the new RAM and put in the old one just in case it was those two who was causing the problem. Unfortunately it wasn't so because the disc wouldn't install Lion anyway (the grey screen appears telling me to restart my computer). So I took out the SSD from my computer and took it to a guy at work who works as computer support (Mac enviroment). He put the darn disc into his Mac Pro and voila. It works like a charm. He installed Lion for me and it didn't complain at all. I thought; maybe it was just a temporary fault in installing Lion and that it probably will work fine now since it's there and all I need is to put it back in my MBP. So I did, turned it on, booted it on the SSD... AND IT WORKED! For five minutes. I noticed there was a small problem because my WIFI password didn't work (I know I typed it in correctly) and then all of a sudden it crashed (grey screen of death).

*****!!

What should I do? I think I have one life line left, and that is that the data doubler (you know the bracket that holds the SSD in place and also the thing that I connect the SSD to) is bad and need to be replaced. But if such a thing would be "broke", wouldn't it be almost impossible to even start the damn disc?

PLEASE help me here!
Do you have any clue what's going on?

Thanks!

Kind regards,
Karl
 
Does it work if you put the SSD in the main drive bay and not the optical bay? That would isolate the doubler as the cause.
 
OMG OMG OMG!!
Just received answer from a guy at Mac Sales (where I bought the disc):

"Karl,

This is what I was afraid of... The 8,2 cannot have a 6G SSD installed in the optical drive bay. You must install it in the Hard Drive bay then move the hard drive to the Data Doubler. After you do this the SSD should work without issue."

Friggin awesome! Just need to replace the SSD with the HDD and I'm hopefully good to go. I'll let you know how it turns out!

/Karl
 
Your problem is very simple - your putting a SATA3 6Gbps drive into a drive bay that only supports SATA2. (3Gbps)

System Information might display 6Gbps for the optical drive, but it's well known this bay is very finnicky and less stable with 6Gbps SSD's.

Put the SSD in the main HDD bay, (where it belongs!) and watch it work. :)

EDIT: My reply was late and after OWC's - but it looks like we both have the same idea.
 
Thank you all for your support here!
It now works nice and dandy and I'm probably one of the luckiest guy on my block... or something!

Not even mad at OWC for not displaying this kinds of facts more clearly. :)

Buy for now. ;)

/Karl
 
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