2011 15" MBP and OCZ Vertex 4, Major Compatibility Issues

[AML225]

My vertex 4 has firmware version 1.5, it is detected at a negotiated link speed of 6Gb/s in my early 2011 15.4" Macbook Pro's optical drive SATA slot. I have tried installing both Lion and Mountain Lion on the drive using USB drives that have both successfully installed the OSs on other computers. It repeatedly fails after it completes "Preparing for Installation". The only message I see is "Installation failed, please try again."

In addition to this, the drive is not recognized AT ALL in the normal HDD SATA slot, only in the optical bay SATA slot. In the optical SATA slot the drive is recognized and shows up just like a normal connected drive in finder. I can move files to and from it no problem, all indications suggest it is working perfectly. I cannot however install Mountain Lion to it without failing. I am currently typing booting from my regular HDD in the normal HDD SATA port (so I know that connection works) and the Vertex 4 in the optical slot. I have formatted the drive several times and it will not work.

I also attached the Vertex 4 through USB via an external SATA adapter. Mountain Lion installed to the drive no-problem this way. I have since re-placed the Vertex 4 in the main and optical SATA ports but it will not boot to this drive or be recognized/seen at all in the main SATA slot. I can select it at startup but it just hangs and eventually boots into my normal HDD.

I have reset SMC, PRAM, tried every combination of SSD and/or HDD drive locations, and done what I would consider my due diligence as someone who is familar with Macs and computers in general.

What should I do? Thank you all very much for the help in advance.

 

[AML225]

Well I gave up trying the Vertex 4 and swapped it with the Vertex 3 that was in my desktop PC. I got it working no problem but it ONLY works in the main HDD SATA slot (sounds like this is typical) and it will only connect at a negotiated link speed of 3 Gb/s SATAII. I wonder why that is...

 

[MacMojo1]

I just picked up a Vertex 4 256gb and installed it yesterday in my '11 MBP. Works great but I could not get the OCZ Linux firmware update to work so I am stuck on 1.41.

 

[AML225]

I just picked up a Vertex 4 256gb and installed it yesterday in my '11 MBP. Works great but I could not get the OCZ Linux firmware update to work so I am stuck on 1.41.

Make sure you used a wired (not wireless) internet connection.

 

[MacMojo1]

Make sure you used a wired (not wireless) internet connection.

Thanks but the mac updater says I need to be in AHCI mode. I never get the option to do that before it fails.

Then I try the other updater and it fails too. Not the end of the world but I like being on the latest release especially if there is performance to be gained.

 

[arashb]

Alright I'm a bit confused. With the Vertex 4 in your optibay enclosure it ran at negotiated link speeds of 6 gigabit? And you're positive you're on an early 2011 and not the late?

And now your Vertex 3 can only get Sata II speeds in the normal HDD slot?

 

[AML225]

Alright I'm a bit confused. With the Vertex 4 in your optibay enclosure it ran at negotiated link speeds of 6 gigabit? And you're positive you're on an early 2011 and not the late?

And now your Vertex 3 can only get Sata II speeds in the normal HDD slot?

Correct. The Vertex 4 was never even detected in the main HDD SATA port. I'm 100% positive this is an Early 2011 MBP. I ordered before the late 2011 models were even announced. The Vertex 4 worked fine in the optical SATA slot but installing OSX repeatedly would fail. I installed OSX on the Vertex 4 while it was connected through an external USB enclosure, it would not boot in the optical SATA slot and was still not detected at all in the main SATA slot.