2017 13" MBP: Target Disc Mode to the rescue?

[dantracht]

Hello all,

Hope everyone is staying safe. Here's the dilemma I am facing with my a 2017 model 13: MacBook Pro, non-touch bar base model. This was belonged to my boss, who never turned it off, and gave to me to try and do something with:

• When started, it only shows a flashing folder with a question mark on the screen.
• I cannot get this machine into recovery mode, command-r does nothing.
• I can only get it into internet recovery mode.
• Once in internet recovery mode, it does not show, in disc utility, the internal hard disc drive. Only the small portion with the base system on it. I am therefore unable to erase the hard drive and re-install a fresh copy of MacOS.
• I have tried SMC and PRAM resets, to no avail.
• I cannot get the Mac to boot into safe mode.

My question is:

Is there anything target disc mode can do? I would need to get a thunderbolt cable to get it to connect to my late 2015 iMac at home, that does not have usb-c ports as I'm sure you're aware.

Would target disc mode be able to do anything every other method I've tried has not?

Or is the SDD in this MacBook Pro totally dead requiring an expensive repair?

Thanks in advance, and stay safe!

Dan

 

[chabig]

All evidence suggests that your SSD is dead, so target disk mode won't do anything for you. I think you need to talk to Apple about repair options.

 

[dantracht]

All evidence suggests that your SSD is dead, so target disk mode won't do anything for you. I think you need to talk to Apple.

I was afraid of that. I'll let him know he needs to send it in for repair. I wonder how much a ssd replacement would cost?

 

[chabig]

Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

 

[dantracht]

All evidence suggests that your SSD is dead, so target disk mode won't do anything for you. I think you need to talk to Apple about repair options.

Potentially silly question:

Could I use an external HD to run Mac OS on it for the time being?

 

[chabig]

Yes of course you could do that.

 

[dantracht]

Yes of course you could do that.

Potentially silly question part 2:

I have a 1tb seagate backup plus HD or whatever it's called. Could I use that as the HD in place of the dead internal one for the time being until the HD can be replaced?

 

[chabig]

Yes. That will work. In fact, booting from the external will be a good way to troubleshoot your problem. If everything works fine, you’ll know the internal SSD is bad. If it won’t boot from the external, something more serious is broken.

 

[dantracht]

Yes. That will work. In fact, booting from the external will be a good way to troubleshoot your problem. If everything works fine, you’ll know the internal SSD is bad. If it won’t boot from the external, something more serious is broken.

Thanks, I'll give it a try and let you know. Thanks!

 

[profcutter]

Just keep in mind if it’s not a solid state drive, it will be sloooooooow. Like you’re not used to waiting so long for the line to move when you boot up, and you may think something is broken slow.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I can only get it into internet recovery mode.
Once in internet recovery mode, it does not show, in disc utility, the internal hard disc drive. Only the small portion with the base system on it. I am therefore unable to erase the hard drive and re-install a fresh copy of MacOS."

Please go back and try this:
(PRINT OUT these instructions)

1. Boot to internet recovery again (command-OPTION-R)

2. Let the utilities load up (takes a while)

3. Open disk utility

4. IMPORTANT STEP: Go to the "view" menu and choose "show all devices"

5. Now look at "the top line" over on the left. This represents the actual physical drive inside.

6. Click on the physical drive line first, THEN click the erase button.
- If you're going to install Mojave or Catalina, erase to APFS with GUID partition map.
- if you're going to install High Sierra or earlier, erase to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition map.

7. Does the drive erase now?

8. If so, now you're ready to open the OS installer and try again.

NOTE:
You DIDN'T TELL US WHICH VERSION of the OS you're looking to install.

Everymac.com says the 2017 MBP shipped with Low Sierra (10.12).
I would NOT use Catalina (if that's what the installer offers you).
Low Sierra or Mojave would be better.

There is an additional trick to get the original OS that shipped with the Mac you have:
Restart with THIS key command:
shift option command R
This gets you a special version of internet recovery that will load the original version of the OS that came with the Mac (which I think will be Low Sierra)

 

[DeltaMac]

Potentially silly question part 2:

I have a 1tb seagate backup plus HD or whatever it's called. Could I use that as the HD in place of the dead internal one for the time being until the HD can be replaced?

I have 2 Seagate "Backup Plus Hub for Mac" drives. I have tried multiple times to make a bootable partition on either one. I was never successful, would not boot any Mac. The electronics on the drive apparently do NOT support bootability. Good for backups/archives, but you cannot use it as a bootable option on a Mac.

 

[dantracht]

OP wrote:
"I can only get it into internet recovery mode.
Once in internet recovery mode, it does not show, in disc utility, the internal hard disc drive. Only the small portion with the base system on it. I am therefore unable to erase the hard drive and re-install a fresh copy of MacOS."

Please go back and try this:
(PRINT OUT these instructions)

1. Boot to internet recovery again (command-OPTION-R)

2. Let the utilities load up (takes a while)

3. Open disk utility

4. IMPORTANT STEP: Go to the "view" menu and choose "show all devices"

5. Now look at "the top line" over on the left. This represents the actual physical drive inside.

6. Click on the physical drive line first, THEN click the erase button.
- If you're going to install Mojave or Catalina, erase to APFS with GUID partition map.
- if you're going to install High Sierra or earlier, erase to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition map.

7. Does the drive erase now?

8. If so, now you're ready to open the OS installer and try again.

NOTE:
You DIDN'T TELL US WHICH VERSION of the OS you're looking to install.

Everymac.com says the 2017 MBP shipped with Low Sierra (10.12).
I would NOT use Catalina (if that's what the installer offers you).
Low Sierra or Mojave would be better.

There is an additional trick to get the original OS that shipped with the Mac you have:
Restart with THIS key command:
shift option command R
This gets you a special version of internet recovery that will load the original version of the OS that came with the Mac (which I think will be Low Sierra)

Thanks very much for this, and I apologize for the delay in responding. I took a break from devices over the weekend.

As this is my boss, I am going to assume he never updated from the OS that came with this device originally, so Low Sierra?

I tried your steps, and the only option this machine gives me is to go into internet recovery. I start the laptop, and get a lit, but blank screen. Holding command-Option-r does nothing UNTIL I release those buttons, which then, after a time, lets the machine go into internet recovery. Any other combination of keys, command-r, shift-option-command-r, etc, does nothing except, again, get the laptop into internet recovery. No other version of recovery will load, or I get the flashing folder with the question mark.

I've attached images of what disc utility shows. No internal HD, and what is shown does not give the option to erase.

Thinking the SSD is 100% dead on this.

I did get the bottom lid off, am I able to replace this myself, or should I not even bother?

Thanks again, everyone, for your help with this!

 

[Fishrrman]

Look at the images you posted directly above this reply.
Look at disk utility in the upper left corner.
See where it says, "view"?
Have you gone there and chosen "show all devices"?

 

[dantracht]

Look at the images you posted directly above this reply.
Look at disk utility in the upper left corner.
See where it says, "view"?
Have you gone there and chosen "show all devices"?

Yes, and I should have clarified. These images reflect what is shown AFTER I chose "show all devices."

 

[DeltaMac]

You have no internal drive. It's dead, or it has been removed.
The "Apple disk image" in your Disk Utility is provided by the restore system. In your case, that's the internet restore, so the image listed is through your internet connection, and not even local to you.
Even if you choose to install the provided system, you don't have any destination for that install.
You COULD connect and install on an external USB drive, to at least have something to boot from and use as a system --- but, right now, there is no working internal drive.

 

[dantracht]

You have no internal drive. It's dead, or it has been removed.
The "Apple disk image" in your Disk Utility is provided by the restore system. In your case, that's the internet restore, so the image listed is through your internet connection, and not even local to you.
Even if you choose to install the provided system, you don't have any destination for that install.
You COULD connect and install on an external USB drive, to at least have something to boot from and use as a system --- but, right now, there is no working internal drive.

That's what I was afraid of.

 

[dantracht]

That's what I was afraid of.

Forgive the potentially silly question: but any options to replacing it myself?

Also, what would you suggest as an external SSD if I went that route?
[automerge]1587486767[/automerge]

You have no internal drive. It's dead, or it has been removed.
The "Apple disk image" in your Disk Utility is provided by the restore system. In your case, that's the internet restore, so the image listed is through your internet connection, and not even local to you.
Even if you choose to install the provided system, you don't have any destination for that install.
You COULD connect and install on an external USB drive, to at least have something to boot from and use as a system --- but, right now, there is no working internal drive.

Also, what would you suggest as an external SSD if I went that route?

 

[DeltaMac]

Replaceable internal drive? Yes.
Apple does not make that easy, however. The SSD card has a proprietary connector.
You have to go with a replacement Apple SSD. You can get those on eBay that are removed from other MacBook Pros.
I *think* you can get a more standard replacement nvme storage card, and use an adapter that you can get somewhere. You would need to search that out. (Someone who knows might also post other info on this thread)

Or, available external drives. Posters here usually mention Samsung X5, which uses that fast Thunderbolt 3 port on your 2017 MBPro. I would make my own with a USB 3 enclosure. Will not be as fast as Thunderbolt 3, but for most tasks, not noticeably slower..... But - you will have a booting laptop again. Just won't be as portable, as you will always have that drive hanging off a port.

 

[dantracht]

Replaceable internal drive? Yes.
Apple does not make that easy, however. The SSD card has a proprietary connector.
You have to go with a replacement Apple SSD. You can get those on eBay that are removed from other MacBook Pros.
I *think* you can get a more standard replacement nvme storage card, and use an adapter that you can get somewhere. You would need to search that out. (Someone who knows might also post other info on this thread)

Or, available external drives. Posters here usually mention Samsung X5, which uses that fast Thunderbolt 3 port on your 2017 MBPro. I would make my own with a USB 3 enclosure. Will not be as fast as Thunderbolt 3, but for most tasks, not noticeably slower..... But - you will have a booting laptop again. Just won't be as portable, as you will always have that drive hanging off a port.

Thanks so much.