Boot from flash drive via USB Thunderbolt adaptor on Mid 2012 MBP

[gerhardw50]

I have a mid-2012 MBP with dead USB ports (they got damaged in an airport security scanner) and would like to do a clean OS installation. Apart from a network install, is there an update/method that would allow me to boot from a USB flash drive via my USB/eSATA Thunderbolt adaptor? In recovery mode I can see the flash drive but cannot set it as the startup disk; in system preferences the flash drive is not listed as a startup disk. Thanks very much.

 

[Fishrrman]

Is this a retina MBP, or is it a non-retina (with the DVD drive)?

If all you want to do is to reinstall the OS, why not boot to INTERNET recovery (NOT "the recovery partition") and try it that way?

Command-OPTION-R
...at boot.

You'll need your wifi password, the internet utilities will take a while to load.

I'd like to know how a security scanner damaged the ports?
(just wondering)

 

[gerhardw50]

Is this a retina MBP, or is it a non-retina (with the DVD drive)?

If all you want to do is to reinstall the OS, why not boot to INTERNET recovery (NOT "the recovery partition") and try it that way?

Command-OPTION-R
...at boot.

You'll need your wifi password, the internet utilities will take a while to load.

I'd like to know how a security scanner damaged the ports?
(just wondering)

Thanks very much for your response. It's non-retina but the DVD drive is no longer working as well. Truth be told, I want to install BigSur using the Bensova/Patched Sur. In relation to the USB ports, all I know is that they were fine before the scan and when I booted up in the hotel they were dead. There was no fall or other bag pressed on mine. This happened at the Trinidad airport in 2017. Apart from those faults, the machine is working flawlessly as I'd put in an SSD.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd skip any "patches" and just run it as it is now, with the OS that's on it now.

 

[gerhardw50]

I'd skip any "patches" and just run it as it is now, with the OS that's on it now.

Thanks again. It's time for a new one anyway. Though I will keep this one to travel with and it's really been the most faithful laptop that I've had. Previously, it was all Windows and I'd gotten this one used from a friend, more out of curiosity so that I could be verse in MacOS as well. It has a 2.9GHz processor with 8GB RAM and a Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD; so it's a pity it is not supported by BigSur as it would have run it easily. Maybe when I find a cheap replacement logic board I'll repair it. I really like how these MacBooks stand the test of time — I had only last week brought back a 2009 MBP to life for a friend by upgrading the RAM to 4GB and installing an SSD with El Capitan. But just out of curiosity, is it possible to get these older models to boot via Thunderbolt?