2011 IMAC 27" HDD clicking

[gokuu]

So my IMac decided to take a dive on me. The hard drive is clicking and when I try to boot i get a folder with a question mark on it.
I ordered and received a ssd drive, the owc cable for it and case.

But here is where I am stuck.

How do I get the OS on my new SSD if my old one doesn't boot?
I have looked for my disk that came with the computer but unable to locate it. I also know the ssd needs to be formatted. Does it have to be formatted from an apple computer?

Any and all help is much appreciate.

Thank you all

 

[rm5]

So my IMac decided to take a dive on me. The hard drive is clicking and when I try to boot i get a folder with a question mark on it.
I ordered and received a ssd drive, the owc cable for it and case.

But here is where I am stuck.

How do I get the OS on my new SSD if my old one doesn't boot?
I have looked for my disk that came with the computer but unable to locate it. I also know the ssd needs to be formatted. Does it have to be formatted from an apple computer?

Any and all help is much appreciate.

Thank you all

I have replaced hard drives with SSDs in several Macs. Here's how it goes:

• Put the SSD into the Mac
• Put the cover (display & glass in your case) back on and hope and pray that it still works
• Boot into Internet Recovery (Option + Cmd + R) or Internet Recovery with the oldest compatible OS (Shift + Option + Cmd + R)
• DEPENDING ON THE OS YOU'RE INSTALLING, format the drive as either JHFS+ or APFS. Make sure to select the ENTIRE DISK (topmost one) when doing this.
  • JHFS+ = High Sierra 10.13 and older
  • APFS = Mojave 10.14 and later
• Once the formatting completes, exit out of Disk Utility and install the operating system

NOW, if you want the data from the OLD drive, once the installation completes, you will open Migration Assistant and restore it from a Time Machine backup. By doing this, you get EVERYTHING you had when the backup was made.

Hope this helps

 

[gokuu]

I have replaced hard drives with SSDs in several Macs. Here's how it goes:

• Put the SSD into the Mac
• Put the cover (display & glass in your case) back on and hope and pray that it still works
• Boot into Internet Recovery (Option + Cmd + R) or Internet Recovery with the oldest compatible OS (Shift + Option + Cmd + R)
• DEPENDING ON THE OS YOU'RE INSTALLING, format the drive as either JHFS+ or APFS. Make sure to select the ENTIRE DISK (topmost one) when doing this.
  • JHFS+ = High Sierra 10.13 and older
  • APFS = Mojave 10.14 and later
• Once the formatting completes, exit out of Disk Utility and install the operating system

NOW, if you want the data from the OLD drive, once the installation completes, you will open Migration Assistant and restore it from a Time Machine backup. By doing this, you get EVERYTHING you had when the backup was made.

Hope this helps

So I know for sure It came with Snow Leopard. I found the package but only disc 2 is in it, SMH!!

So if Im understanding you correctly, I should be able to get the SSD in there, hope it works, Boot into Internet recovery, format the drive, exit out of disk utility, and from where will I install the OS? if I do not have my disk,

So sorry if this is an obvious question I should not the answer to.

 

[rm5]

So I know for sure It came with Snow Leopard. I found the package but only disc 2 is in it, SMH!!

So if Im understanding you correctly, I should be able to get the SSD in there, hope it works, Boot into Internet recovery, format the drive, exit out of disk utility, and from where will I install the OS? if I do not have my disk,

So sorry if this is an obvious question I should not the answer to.

I should have been more clear about this, sorry about that.

Actually, the 2011 iMac came with Lion (10.7).

These are your options:
1. Internet Recovery with LATEST compatible version = Opt + Cmd + R
2. I. R. with OLDEST compatible version = Shift + Opt + Cmd + R

So use the first one if you want the latest OS.

Heck, since it's Lion, you can use #2 because it's still on Apple's servers (I think)

 

[gokuu]

I should have been more clear about this, sorry about that.

Actually, the 2011 iMac came with Lion (10.7).

These are your options:
1. Internet Recovery with LATEST compatible version = Opt + Cmd + R
2. I. R. with OLDEST compatible version = Shift + Opt + Cmd + R

So use the first one if you want the latest OS.

Heck, since it's Lion, you can use #2 because it's still on Apple's servers (I think)

Thank you for the reply.
One last goofy question, do I have to format the ssd on a mac system? or can I do it on a PC?

 

[rm5]

Thank you for the reply.
One last goofy question, do I have to format the ssd on a mac system? or can I do it on a PC?

Yes, you should format the SSD on the Mac. Like I mentioned in Post #2, you should use the appropriate format. As a reminder:

• JHFS+ = High Sierra 10.13 and older
• APFS = Mojave 10.14 and later

Just make sure to format the ENTIRE DISK - the one at the top like what I circled and pointed the arrow to in the screenshot.

 

[gokuu]

Yes, you should format the SSD on the Mac. Like I mentioned in Post #2, you should use the appropriate format. As a reminder:

• JHFS+ = High Sierra 10.13 and older
• APFS = Mojave 10.14 and later

Just make sure to format the ENTIRE DISK - the one at the top like what I circled and pointed the arrow to in the screenshot.

Got it thanks so much, just wanted to make sure is all. I will report back with outcome.

 

[gokuu]

Yes, you should format the SSD on the Mac. Like I mentioned in Post #2, you should use the appropriate format. As a reminder:

• JHFS+ = High Sierra 10.13 and older
• APFS = Mojave 10.14 and later

Just make sure to format the ENTIRE DISK - the one at the top like what I circled and pointed the arrow to in the screenshot.

Good afternoon. So I got the ssd installed and the imac put together, I went with Shift+option+command +R
the screen for internet recovery came on, it showed 6 minutes and was counting down, I left for a bit came back maybe around the 2 minute mark I was looking at stuff online on my pc, and the Imac screen turns black, I have been waiting 20 minutes as I dont know if it is doin anything in the background I dont know about.

Is this normal or should something have happened already?

Thank you again for all the help.

 

[rm5]

Good afternoon. So I got the ssd installed and the imac put together, I went with Shift+option+command +R
the screen for internet recovery came on, it showed 6 minutes and was counting down, I left for a bit came back maybe around the 2 minute mark I was looking at stuff online on my pc, and the Imac screen turns black, I have been waiting 20 minutes as I dont know if it is doin anything in the background I dont know about.

Is this normal or should something have happened already?

Thank you again for all the help.

That's very weird. I'm still traveling right now, so I don't have access to either of my Intel Macs, but from what I remember, it should not turn black, it should boot into the recovery options.

Maybe it went to sleep? Have you tried clicking the mouse/keyboard a few times?

If after a few more tries it doesn't work, using a USB drive should be the fix.

To create a bootable macOS USB drive, you'll use the createinstallmedia script, which is very easy. However, let's cross that bridge if we come to it.

Let me know the results.

 

[gokuu]

That's very weird. I'm still traveling right now, so I don't have access to either of my Intel Macs, but from what I remember, it should not turn black, it should boot into the recovery options.

Maybe it went to sleep? Have you tried clicking the mouse/keyboard a few times?

If after a few more tries it doesn't work, using a USB drive should be the fix.

To create a bootable macOS USB drive, you'll use the createinstallmedia script, which is very easy. However, let's cross that bridge if we come to it.

Let me know the results.

Hey first of all, I really appreciate you getting back to me on Sunday and while traveling.

I did try clicking mouse and keyboard. And nothing.

Try as you suggest to re do it. And choose another option.

See image attached.
So I take it, I did ok reassembling the machine.

 

[rm5]

Hey first of all, I really appreciate you getting back to me on Sunday and while traveling.

I did try clicking mouse and keyboard. And nothing.

Try as you suggest to re do it. And choose another option.

See image attached.
So I take it, I did ok reassembling the machine.

Absolutely, I am more than happy to help.

Yep, looks like a perfectly fine reassembly job!

The image looks like it is working (1 min left), so just wait and see. Let me know what happens.

 

[gokuu]

Absolutely, I am more than happy to help.

Yep, looks like a perfectly fine reassembly job!

The image looks like it is working (1 min left), so just wait and see. Let me know what happens.

Black screen again. I do know what screen it’s supposed to switch to. It just doesn’t do it.

Another silly question. How can I create a bootable usb if my max is down? Lol it’s ok to laugh.

I do have a pc I can use if that helps . And a MacBook but it’s almost out of storage it’s my daughters.

 

[rm5]

Black screen again. I do know what screen it’s supposed to switch to. It just doesn’t do it.

Another silly question. How can I create a bootable usb if my max is down? Lol it’s ok to laugh.

I do have a pc I can use if that helps . And a MacBook but it’s almost out of storage it’s my daughters.

Please forgive my lengthy instructions.

To create a USB installer, you need another Mac (can't use a PC). So depending on what you mean by "almost out of storage," your daughter's MacBook might or might not work. You just need some Mac that is running a relatively new version of macOS (preferably Catalina 10.15 and later) that has at least 16 GB of storage.

So, how to do it? It's easier than it seems (I think so at least).

You need:

• A USB drive 16 GB or larger
• The other Mac with administrator password/privileges.

In your case, since a 2011 iMac can only run up to 10.13 High Sierra, you'll need to download it off the App Store. If you want a newer version than High Sierra, please let me know so I, or another forum member, can give you appropriate instructions for doing that.

Use this documentation to find the download link: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

Then, use the createinstallmedia command to create the USB installer.

A few prerequisites:

• The USB drive MUST be formatted as JHFS+ (erase the entire disk - top one in the hierarchy)
• Must be of a name you can easily type into the Terminal (not "My Amazing 16 GB USB Drive" or anything like that)

Open Terminal and DRAG & DROP the installer from the Applications folder into the window to quickly enter the pathname. Then, append /Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume <drag-and-drop disk here>.

***Obviously with Terminal commands, when you add to the application path, make sure there are no extra spaces anywhere***

If you want, you can append the --nointeraction flag to disable all those annoying prompts like "Are you sure you want to erase", etc.

Once the USB creation is done, take out the USB drive of the host Mac, and plug it into the 2011 iMac. Boot while holding Option to get the boot picker, and choose the respective disk (should be "Install macOS <version>")

Then, proceed with the installation process as noted in my previous post (make sure the disk is formatted, etc.)

Please let me know if you need help with this part; otherwise, let me know what happens.

 

[gokuu]

No need to apologize. Youre a great help.

Never mind, I youtubed it and getting it going.

 

[rm5]

No need to apologize. Youre a great help.

Heres where I am, Im on my daughters laptop, I am at the app store but when I hit open to get high Sierra, I get an error that says" this copy of the install macOS High Sierra application is damaged, and can't be used to install macos

Is this a fresh download? If so, it should NOT do this.

Try downloading it again. It should re-download the entire 5 (or so) GB installation image.

 

[gokuu]

Is this a fresh download? If so, it should NOT do this.

Try downloading it again. It should re-download the entire 5 (or so) GB installation image.

When I was in the app store it said open, instead of download, so I figured id look in the applications folder and its there. Im really trying to not take all your time, so what I did was follow your steps to make a bottable usb, and thats where I am now.

I am in terminal and it says, Copying Installer files to disk

 

[rm5]

When I was in the app store it said open, instead of download, so I figured id look in the applications folder and its there. Im really trying to not take all your time, so what I did was follow your steps to make a bottable usb, and thats where I am now.

I am in terminal and it says, Copying Installer files to disk

No worries.

When it's done (should be pretty close), just safely eject the USB drive, plug it into the iMac, and boot it while holding Option. Then, select the USB drive from the list, and wait patiently - it will take a LONG time to boot because it's a USB 2.0 connection.

Once it's booted, go into Disk Utility, select the entire drive, and erase it as JHFS+ (MacOS Extended Journaled). Then, quit out of Disk Utility, and install macOS on the SSD.

 

[gokuu]

No worries.

When it's done (should be pretty close), just safely eject the USB drive, plug it into the iMac, and boot it while holding Option. Then, select the USB drive from the list, and wait patiently - it will take a LONG time to boot because it's a USB 2.0 connection.

Once it's booted, go into Disk Utility, select the entire drive, and erase it as JHFS+ (MacOS Extended Journaled). Then, quit out of Disk Utility, and install macOS on the SSD.

So I booted from USB, it asked me for my wifi, did that, then apple came on screen with loading bar under it, when it got to the end, I got a black screen again. Now I am witing in case thats what Im supposed to do.

Do you think maybe the ssd drive is not getting power? Im just guessing, Ive never did this before, but if the screen works and she turns on Im not sure what can be happening

 

[rm5]

I highly doubt it's a problem with the SSD.

Try a PRAM/NVRAM reset - Option + Cmd + P + R on boot, wait for the second chime before releasing the keys.

I know I'm asking this VERY late, but what do you mean by a "black screen" - like the display just goes completely black?

If at all possible, maybe can you post a video of right before the screen goes black, so I can have some context? Or do you think that wouldn't be helpful...

My late 2012 Mac mini (which I no longer have) had this problem a couple of years ago when I was trying to reinstall macOS. I can't remember what fixed it though - maybe it fixed itself...

 

[gokuu]

I highly doubt it's a problem with the SSD.

Try a PRAM/NVRAM reset - Option + Cmd + P + R on boot, wait for the second chime before releasing the keys.

I know I'm asking this VERY late, but what do you mean by a "black screen" - like the display just goes completely black?

If at all possible, maybe can you post a video of right before the screen goes black, so I can have some context? Or do you think that wouldn't be helpful...

My late 2012 Mac mini (which I no longer have) had this problem a couple of years ago when I was trying to reinstall macOS. I can't remember what fixed it though - maybe it fixed itself...

No worries, Yes by "black Screen" I mean it goes cpmpeletly black and does nothing else after that.
I am going to try the PRAM/NVRAM reset now.

Heck I am the one asking a lot. I really do be trying to search around, but this seems to be a detailed issues i cant describe to google lol for help.

 

[rm5]

No worries, Yes by "black Screen" I mean it goes cpmpeletly black and does nothing else after that.
I am going to try the PRAM/NVRAM reset now.

Heck I am the one asking a lot. I really do be trying to search around, but this seems to be a detailed issues i cant describe to google lol for help.

Yes, your issue is quite complicated.

Now, if the PRAM/NVRAM reset doesn't help, could you try Apple Hardware Test?

You will need to download the respective AHT image off of this GitHub: https://github.com/upekkha/AppleHardwareTest

... and create a directory called ".diagnostics" in the /System/Library/CoreServices/ path.

 

[gokuu]

Yes, your issue is quite complicated.

Now, if the PRAM/NVRAM reset doesn't help, could you try Apple Hardware Test?

You will need to download the respective AHT image off of this GitHub: https://github.com/upekkha/AppleHardwareTest

... and create a directory called ".diagnostics" in the /System/Library/CoreServices/ path.

This is what i see before it goes black with no response.

 

[rm5]

This is what i see before it goes black with no response.

So it only gets THAT FAR before going black? Yikes!

And the PRAM/NVRAM reset didn't work?

Then you are having a much more complicated problem than I thought. Here's what I'm thinking.

(It's not a problem with the ____ because ____)

• Power supply, because then the computer wouldn't even turn on
• Display, because there would be no video at all
• The USB drive, because the createinstallmedia could have partially failed.

 

[gokuu]

So it only gets THAT FAR before going black? Yikes!

And the PRAM/NVRAM reset didn't work?

Then you are having a much more complicated problem than I thought. Do you have an old Time Machine backup?

i sure do have a time machine back up.

and i guess the pram/nvram didnt work.

 

[rm5]

Please refer to the edited post, I basically rewrote it... Sorry for the confusion.