A1181 Macbook with SATA cable problems

[gingerbenn]

Ok I have an A1181 Macbook that basically was't seeing the new installed hard drive. I was advised by someone via the Apple store to replace the hard drive/sata cable, so ordered a replacement cable via ebay.

Once installed new cable, hard drive was displaying and ready to clone my system back on to the new hard drive via superduper. Midway through copying using superduper the new internal hard drive just disappeared.

Every since the Macbook won't see to see the internal hard drive very well,
sometimes it will be viewable via disk utillities but seem very slow.
I've since taken the hard drive out and cloned my 10.6 system on to it and it boots fine via a usb caddie connected to the macbook. But as soon as I put the drive back inside the macbook, the macbook can't seem to read the drive.

Whats the chances I have and bad 2nd sata cable?
Or is there something else wrong with the macbook somewhere?

Oh would a broken IR sensor cable cause any problems also?

Any help would be greatfully.

 

[Altemose]

If the part was not a genuine Apple part you may be seeing just another lemon of a cable. I have had two in a row bad ones so it is worth a shot to replace it again and verify that it is routed without any kinks.

 

[gingerbenn]

If the part was not a genuine Apple part you may be seeing just another lemon of a cable. I have had two in a row bad ones so it is worth a shot to replace it again and verify that it is routed without any kinks.

Ok I'll try and get another cable, it was a genuine used Apple part for this macbook but it did look more knacked then the one I took out.
But it was strange when first put the replace cable in the hard drive seem to be working fine and visible etc, then all of the sudden it just disappeared.

 

[Altemose]

Ok I'll try and get another cable, it was a genuine used Apple part for this macbook but it did look more knacked then the one I took out.
But it was strange when first put the replace cable in the hard drive seem to be working fine and visible etc, then all of the sudden it just disappeared.

All it takes is one shift on that cable to crimp it the wrong way and knock it out. Some people who work in the used parts industry practically rip them out of machines carelessly which is why yours probably looked beat up. With their luck, 95% of cables removed that way work fine still.

 

[gingerbenn]

All it takes is one shift on that cable to crimp it the wrong way and knock it out. Some people who work in the used parts industry practically rip them out of machines carelessly which is why yours probably looked beat up. With their luck, 95% of cables removed that way work fine still.

Strange, put in the old sata cable and everything is working again.

 

[Altemose]

Strange, put in the old sata cable and everything is working again.

Glad you got it running correctly. I wonder if the old cable was simply crimped the wrong way causing issues.