Hard drive issues

[spadz93]

Have a Macbook Pro 8,2 with a samsung 500gb SSD. Out of nowhere, the machine freezes, and when I go to boot back up, I get the dreaded folder with a question mark. "Okay, can't see the boot OS, no problem. Let's check recovery to see what's up" Disk utility in recovery doesn't show any drive at all. Panic starts to set in. I take the drive and put it on a dock, and connect it via usb to another computer to see what's up. Drive pops right up. I got a little curious, and was actually able to boot via usb from the ssd on the affected macbook pro. Immediately thought it was the cable, so I ordered a replacement, and that didn't fix it either.

Tl;dr, got the folder with the question mark, hard drive tested positive for functionality, cable didn't solve the problem. Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[CoastalOR]

Late 2011 15" MBP it could be - a failing SATA ribbon cable (my choice from the symptoms).

 

[spadz93]

Late 2011 15" MBP it could be - a failing SATA ribbon cable (my choice from the symptoms).

Check my second to last sentence "cable didn't solve the problem"

 

[CoastalOR]

Check my second to last sentence "cable didn't solve the problem"

From your symptoms, a problem with the SATA connection is the only thing that makes sense.

There have been threads on the forum that peoples "new" cable was also bad. They ended up having to get another cable. I would suggest returning the cable for a replacement or get another cable from a different source and if it works return the original new cable for a refund.

 

[Fishrrman]

Do you have the original HDD from the Macbook (assuming it came with one)?
Can you put that -- or another HDD or SSD -- into the Macbook?
Does the second drive produce the same problems?

 

[spadz93]

From your symptoms, a problem with the SATA connection is the only thing that makes sense.

There have been threads on the forum that peoples "new" cable was also bad. They ended up having to get another cable. I would suggest returning the cable for a replacement or get another cable from a different source and if it works return the original new cable for a refund.

Okay. This is my girlfriend's machine, and I also have a 15" macbook pro, but a year newer, so maybe the cables will be the same and I can try my working one on her machine.

Do you have the original HDD from the Macbook (assuming it came with one)?
Can you put that -- or another HDD or SSD -- into the Macbook?
Does the second drive produce the same problems?

The original drive is gone, but I tried 2 other known working hard drives, and the machine didn't pick those up either

 

[CoastalOR]

Okay. This is my girlfriend's machine, and I also have a 15" macbook pro, but a year newer, so maybe the cables will be the same and I can try my working one on her machine.

You have a 2011 15" MBP so a year newer would be a 2012 15" MBP (non-Retina)? If yes, then the cables are different.
Here is what ifixit.com shows:
2011 - https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Part...ibody-Early-2011-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF161-086-1
2012 - https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Part...Unibody-Mid-2012-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF161-100-1

 

[spadz93]

You have a 2011 15" MBP so a year newer would be a 2012 15" MBP (bon-Retina)? If yes, then the cables are different.
Here is what ifixit.com shows:
2011 - https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Part...ibody-Early-2011-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF161-086-1
2012 - https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Part...Unibody-Mid-2012-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF161-100-1

Well, I did it anyway, and my cable works in her machine. They must have sent me a crap cable. Funny, iFixIt has never sent me a bad part

 

[CoastalOR]

Well, I did it anyway, and my cable works in her machine. They must have sent me a crap cable. Funny, iFixIt has never sent me a bad part

I'm glad you figured it out. There is always a chance of DOA equipment, just bad luck. Those ribbon SATA cables are pretty fragile.