Crashing / potentially simple hardware problem diagnosis help please

[MDJCM]

Hi,

MBP mid 2009 13" 2.26 with 4GB RAM (originally 2GB) and 1TB HDD & 120GB SSD.

Recently I've been getting full system slowdown and lockups, it's been getting worse and recently only holding down the power button will get out of it.

then on restart, just a grey screen with mouse cursor, no drives. I found that doing a NVRAM reset brings the drives back. But not sure what that tells me about the hardware?

Disk Utility scans of the 2 drives shows no problems. Could it be RAM? Or failing SSD?

Thanks

 

[Mik3F]

Do you have a USB caddy that you could use to plug your drive into and boot from there?

It could be a failing SATA cable. If so they are easy to replace

 

[damidget]

Try holding D when booting and run a hardware test

 

[MDJCM]

Do you have a USB caddy that you could use to plug your drive into and boot from there?

It could be a failing SATA cable. If so they are easy to replace

Now that you mention it, I think I remember replacing that part before :-/

I do have a Caddy but only USB2, I suppose if I Carbon Copy Clone my SSD to my old HDD and run off that for a while, that would rule things out. Thanks

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Try holding D when booting and run a hardware test

I've never got that to work before, will try again on next restart

 

[Mik3F]

Now that you mention it, I think I remember replacing that part before :-/

I do have a Caddy but only USB2, I suppose if I Carbon Copy Clone my SSD to my old HDD and run off that for a while, that would rule things out. Thanks

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I've never got that to work before, will try again on next restart

You can just put the SSD into the caddy and boot from that, see how it runs. If you don't get the same issue then its probably the SATA cable

 

[MDJCM]

You can just put the SSD into the caddy and boot from that, see how it runs. If you don't get the same issue then its probably the SATA cable

Yeah but it'll be tough work from it for a day as I only have USB2

But worst comes to worst I can do that, thanks