Can I use a removed internal drive as bootable in a USB enclosure?

[jacek_e]

I want to replace the internal drive in macbook pro mid-2015.
I wonder if it is possible to put 'old' internal drive in usb enclosure and boot my old macOS from it?

As is, without formatting, installing the system etc..
(I would like to keep the possibility of using it)

 

[Fishrrman]

The internal drive from a Mac laptop won't fit into a standard USB enclosure.

I believe this is what you need:

OWC Envoy Pro 1A Portable Enclosure for Apple and OWC SSDs

Add your own Apple SSD from most 2013-2019 Mac models or select OWC SSDs, including Aura Pro X2, Aura N2, and more. Rugged, bus-powered, portable.

eshop.macsales.com

By the time you pay taxes and shipping, it might be getting close to $70.
So stop and consider whether or not it's worth it.
How large is the internal drive you want to use?

 

[next_cube]

There are also some cheaper USB enclosures on Amazon or sometimes Transcend JetDrive upgrade kits like eg Transcend JetDrive 855 (USB or Thunderbolt 2 enclosures) pop up on eBay.

 

[jacek_e]

It's only 250GB, but has been enough so far😉
I came up with the idea to put it in enclosure so that it wouldn't get wasted in a drawer.

I assume that it would not be a problem to buy a new usb extrenal drive and clone macOs partition on it(?),
but using an old disk is also a solution.
Main question it's still the same:
Will this drive be able to act as a legacy(bootable) drive in the appropriate USB enclosure?

 

[DeltaMac]

The simple answer is Yes. You will need the appropriate USB enclosure, as Apple (as they often have done) provided a storage slot that takes a card with a connector that won't fit on anything else, There's a couple of suggestions on what to look for when shopping for the "appropriate" external USB enclosure, posts 2 and 3 will cover that just fine. Some newer Macs will have a security chip, or special setup with the CPU, which may limit booting to only the original boot drive, making booting to an external drive more challenging. Your 2015 MBPro is not limited in that way by the hardware.
(Big limit right now, is the cost of that new replacement drive 🙄

 

[Mrbobb]

usb enclosure and boot my old macOS from it?

It might be intolerably slow, not suitable for daily driving.

 

[Fishrrman]

For only 250gb, the OWC enclosure probably isn't worth it...

 

[jacek_e]

OK. Thank you for your answers.

@DeltaMac:
Unused disk with DRAM cache from that 'era' was hard to find at all..
I found a 1TB WD black SN750 for 220$ 😳 in some storage scraps,
and maybe i'll get it.
Maybe... because the ordering procedure looked a bit like this, I'm not sure if they actually have it.