My MacBook won’t start up. First I tried recovery (control r) and the disk drive was locked so I could not reinstall Os lion. Then, per a suggestion of a user I tried internet recovery (control alt r) and now the disk is missing (as a destination) to reinstall. Thoughts?
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No disk to reinstall OS lion.
- Thread starter Adventuredug
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When you say the disk is locked, what exactly do you mean? Picture would help.
Go to Disk Utility in Recovery, you might need to unlock it with the password before you can mount it.
Make a backup with time machine and put that on another drive or external drive. Then procede, when you get to “transfer from another Mac” click from time machine backup and grab that file, then you should be good to go 😊
I believe that is the recovery partition... it's only 650MB. The other partitions aren't even visible. My guess is that your HD is dead, which would also cause your mb to not startup. (Sorry) How old is the machine? I hope you have been making backups. If you haven't been doing backups, then what I'd do is not muck with that disk anymore and risk really wiping it, put in a new HD (preferrably an SSD), install the os on the new disk, then hook the old disk up externally with a SATA-USB cable, and see if you can access any of your files.
I bought it from Apple in 2012. Unfortunately we did not back it up. The biggest issue is that all of our wedding photos are on it.
OP wrote:
"I bought it from Apple in 2012. Unfortunately we did not back it up. The biggest issue is that all of our wedding photos are on it."
FIRST, PRINT OUT THIS MSG.
You must keep it for reference.
I told you the year made was important.
The 2012 MacBook Pros have an internal drive ribbon cable that is prone to "going bad".
When it gets flaky, normal communications between the hard drive and the motherboard are disrupted -- to the user, it can look like "the drive isn't working".
But IT'S NOT the drive -- instead, it's a bad connecting cable.
We don't know if that's the case with YOUR MacBook.
But the course for getting repaired isn't difficult, and it's not expensive.
Here's what you should try:
First, STOP USING the MBP for the moment. Set it aside. You need a few things.
Go to ifixit.com. They have all kinds of illustrated repair guides.
Look up the ones on:
- changing drive for 2012 MBP (you didn't tell us what SIZE the screen is)
- changing drive ribbon cable for 2012 MBP
ifixit.com should also have the part number for the replacement ribbon cable. You can either buy it from them, or get it elsewhere online.
You'll also need these tools (cheap and easy to find):
- Phillips #00 driver
- TORX T-6 driver
You'll need this enclosure (it's cheap):
I'd also suggest that you buy a 2.5" SATA SSD, either 512gb or 1tb.
Also cheap. I'd suggest Crucial, ADATA, or Sandisk.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
For the moment, put the SSD into the enclosure and connect it to the MBP.
Now, boot to INTERNET recovery:
Command-OPTION-R
You'll need your wifi password.
The internet utilities take a while to load, be patient.
When the utilities are loaded open disk utility.
Does disk utility have a "view" menu?
If so, choose "show all devices" (VERY important step)
If disk utility DOES NOT HAVE a view menu, just go to the next step.
Now erase the SSD to:
Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format.
Now close disk utility and open the OS installer.
Start clicking through and see if you can install a copy of the OS onto the SSD.
Does it work?
When done, if successful, you should see the initial startup screen (choose your language).
For now, set up a new account.
IMPORTANT:
I recommend that you DO NOT USE the same name or password on your regular account (the one on the internal drive).
Use something else for now. You'll understand more about this later.
The idea here is to get the SSD all "prepped and ready" before you put it into the MBP.
Can you get this account done?
OK, next thing is to SHUT DOWN. Power OFF.
Now, use the tools to open the bottom of the MBP. Phillips 00 driver for this.
PAY ATTENTION to where the 3 long screws go.
Lift the back off.
Now you can lift out the old drive.
Once it's out, switch the ribbon cables.
BE CAREFUL -- DO NOT TOUCH ANY INTERNAL CONNECTIONS WITH METAL.
BE CAREFUL when you disconnect/reconnect the ribbon cable to the motherboard.
Now, open the external enclosure and take the SSD and put it into the MBP.
Put the old drive into the enclosure.
Put the enclosure aside for the moment.
Now, put the back cover on and secure it with 3 or 4 screws.
Turn over the MBP, press the power on button and IMMEDIATELY HOLD DOWN the option key and KEEP HOLDING IT DOWN until the startup manager appears.
Do you see the new SSD in the startup manager?
Then click on it with the pointer and hit return.
Do you get a good boot?
Fine -- your back in business.
Go to the startup disk preference pane and set the SSD to be the new boot drive.
Shut down, and put the rest of the screws into the bottom plate.
Now reboot (should work fine without the option key)
NOW connect the external drive in the enclosure.
What happens?
Does it show up on the desktop?
DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH IT YET.
If you can get this far, come back and we'll help more.
"I bought it from Apple in 2012. Unfortunately we did not back it up. The biggest issue is that all of our wedding photos are on it."
FIRST, PRINT OUT THIS MSG.
You must keep it for reference.
I told you the year made was important.
The 2012 MacBook Pros have an internal drive ribbon cable that is prone to "going bad".
When it gets flaky, normal communications between the hard drive and the motherboard are disrupted -- to the user, it can look like "the drive isn't working".
But IT'S NOT the drive -- instead, it's a bad connecting cable.
We don't know if that's the case with YOUR MacBook.
But the course for getting repaired isn't difficult, and it's not expensive.
Here's what you should try:
First, STOP USING the MBP for the moment. Set it aside. You need a few things.
Go to ifixit.com. They have all kinds of illustrated repair guides.
Look up the ones on:
- changing drive for 2012 MBP (you didn't tell us what SIZE the screen is)
- changing drive ribbon cable for 2012 MBP
ifixit.com should also have the part number for the replacement ribbon cable. You can either buy it from them, or get it elsewhere online.
You'll also need these tools (cheap and easy to find):
- Phillips #00 driver
- TORX T-6 driver
You'll need this enclosure (it's cheap):
SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)
SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)
tinyurl.com
I'd also suggest that you buy a 2.5" SATA SSD, either 512gb or 1tb.
Also cheap. I'd suggest Crucial, ADATA, or Sandisk.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
For the moment, put the SSD into the enclosure and connect it to the MBP.
Now, boot to INTERNET recovery:
Command-OPTION-R
You'll need your wifi password.
The internet utilities take a while to load, be patient.
When the utilities are loaded open disk utility.
Does disk utility have a "view" menu?
If so, choose "show all devices" (VERY important step)
If disk utility DOES NOT HAVE a view menu, just go to the next step.
Now erase the SSD to:
Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format.
Now close disk utility and open the OS installer.
Start clicking through and see if you can install a copy of the OS onto the SSD.
Does it work?
When done, if successful, you should see the initial startup screen (choose your language).
For now, set up a new account.
IMPORTANT:
I recommend that you DO NOT USE the same name or password on your regular account (the one on the internal drive).
Use something else for now. You'll understand more about this later.
The idea here is to get the SSD all "prepped and ready" before you put it into the MBP.
Can you get this account done?
OK, next thing is to SHUT DOWN. Power OFF.
Now, use the tools to open the bottom of the MBP. Phillips 00 driver for this.
PAY ATTENTION to where the 3 long screws go.
Lift the back off.
Now you can lift out the old drive.
Once it's out, switch the ribbon cables.
BE CAREFUL -- DO NOT TOUCH ANY INTERNAL CONNECTIONS WITH METAL.
BE CAREFUL when you disconnect/reconnect the ribbon cable to the motherboard.
Now, open the external enclosure and take the SSD and put it into the MBP.
Put the old drive into the enclosure.
Put the enclosure aside for the moment.
Now, put the back cover on and secure it with 3 or 4 screws.
Turn over the MBP, press the power on button and IMMEDIATELY HOLD DOWN the option key and KEEP HOLDING IT DOWN until the startup manager appears.
Do you see the new SSD in the startup manager?
Then click on it with the pointer and hit return.
Do you get a good boot?
Fine -- your back in business.
Go to the startup disk preference pane and set the SSD to be the new boot drive.
Shut down, and put the rest of the screws into the bottom plate.
Now reboot (should work fine without the option key)
NOW connect the external drive in the enclosure.
What happens?
Does it show up on the desktop?
DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH IT YET.
If you can get this far, come back and we'll help more.
^what @Fishrrman said...
as an alternative to an external enclosure, one of the cables work too: https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapte...1611598980&sprefix=sata+to+usb,aps,197&sr=8-3
as an alternative to an external enclosure, one of the cables work too: https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapte...1611598980&sprefix=sata+to+usb,aps,197&sr=8-3
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