Mac Pro wont take install of MacOS

[sambates123]

I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro that will not accept any install of MacOS via USB. I have tried 3 or 4 different versions via different USB drives and I cant get past the initial phase of the install.

History
This Mac has had a new NVME as the OEM one went bad. I have tried a known compatible and a normal NVME using an adapter and the outcome is the same.

Procedure
I boot from USB, format the NVME as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then go through the normal install procedure. It then reboots back to the USB utilities and I go round and round in a circle. When I go back to Disk Utilities I can see about 8GB of data on the NVME so it is taking to the drive but not making it bootable.

 

[Fishrrman]

"This Mac has had a new NVME as the OEM one went bad. I have tried a known compatible and a normal NVME using an adapter and the outcome is the same."

By "normal NVME", do you mean the Apple-labeled drive that originally came with the MBP?

Do you have an EXTERNAL USB3 drive available (either SSD or platter-based)?
If so, power down, reboot, and try installing the OS onto the EXTERNAL drive, and see what happens.

 

[sambates123]

Its not, no.

I have a feeling it needs a firmware upgrade to get newer NVME's to work. I cant do that without MacOS installed via a close match to the original. I guess I may need to get on eBay and find a close match.

 

[Fishrrman]

You will need an Apple original equipment drive that is as same as the SSD that came with it.