SSD can't format after trying to delete whole drive that had Bootcamp partition as well as macOS.

[PapuaNewGuinea]

Macbook Pro 13" Mid 2012, 8GB RAM, i7 2.9GHz.
Only 1 SSD, Samsung Evo 860 EVO 250GB.

So I was using Bootcamp Windows 10 and macOS Mojave 10.14.2, but suddently I could not use the macOS part, it was glitchy and even writing my password to login would take 10 minutes.

I then wanted to wipe the whole SSD and install macOS High Sierra instead, since I had no access to macOS at all. I have been trying for two days to wipe the drive completely (gparted, diskutil, disk utility).

In the Internet Recovery I see Mountain Lion, and I even tried formatting the drive with a Mountain Lion USB, and it also failed.

It's my internal and only SSD in the Mac, and I am certain it is not a hardware failure.

-bash-3.2# diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *250.1 GB disk0
1: 0xEE 1.0 MB disk0s1
2: Windows_NTFS 83.9 GB disk0s2
3: 0xEE 166.2 GB disk0s4
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: Apple_partition_scheme *1.2 GB disk1
1: Apple_partition_map 30.7 KB disk1s1
2: Apple_HFS Mac OS X Base System 1.2 GB disk1s2
/dev/disk2
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk2
/dev/disk3
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk3
/dev/disk4
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk4
/dev/disk5
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk5
/dev/disk6
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk6
/dev/disk7
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *6.3 MB disk7
/dev/disk8
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *2.1 MB disk8
/dev/disk9
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk9
/dev/disk10
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk10
/dev/disk11
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk11
/dev/disk12
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk12

[doublepost=1549647984][/doublepost]And after trying to erase the drive in Disk Utility in Recovery Mode (OS X Mountain Lion), it gives the error:

Disk Erase Failed
Disk Erase Failed with the error:
File system formatter failed.

In Disk Utility I now see my main drive like this:

• 250.06 GB Samsung SSD 860 EVO 250GB Media

disk0s2​

• Superdrive

----------------------------------------------------------------

• disk1
  Mac OS X Base System

[doublepost=1549648280][/doublepost]

 

[Fishrrman]

My thoughts:

You will need either an external drive or a USB flash drive 32gb or larger.

Boot to internet recovery.

Connect the USB drive or flash drive.

Open Disk Utility. Choose the USB drive and ERASE IT to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled. Quit Disk Utility.

Download the full Low Sierra installer from this URL (don't know if it will work in Europe):
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-sierra/id1127487414?ls=1&mt=12

Once you have it, open it and "aim it" at the USB drive (NOT at the internal drive).

See if you can get a bootable copy of the OS installed on the EXTERNAL USB drive.

If you can get that far, you now have "an alternative way" of booting the MBP to the finder.

Can you get this far?
If you can, then we can "go further".
But you need to do this first.

 

[PapuaNewGuinea]

Thank you for replying.

First of all, I only have 8GB and 4GB USB drives (currently one with macOS High Sierra and the other with OS X Mountain Lion). I thought it might work with the Mountain Lion since the Macbook is shipped with it.

Should I go and buy a bigger drive? You mention 32GB, which is a lot. But if needed, I'll do it. And I use my girlfriends Macbook Pro with Sierra - it is running so well. So I am writing for her Macbook now. I am downloading macOS Sierra right now.

I can boot into Internet Recovery and also boot from USB, where I have tried with the High Sierra and Mountain Lion.

Should I create the bootable USB from my girlfriends Macbook? I will do that now.
EDIT; creating macOS Sierra USB right now, as you suggested.

By the way, I have tried with some Linux stuff to completely erase the SSD, Gparted, KillDisk, and they only see 232GB of the drive, which I do not understand why. Diskutil show all 250GB.

 

[PapuaNewGuinea]

Ok, I misunderstood what you said.

So I need to install Sierra on a USB drive that I can boot into. I will do that.

 

[Fishrrman]

I think you need at least 32gb of space to do a Mac install on a flash drive.
16gb -might work-, but that's not certain.

The idea is to create an EXTERNAL boot drive.
Now you can boot the Mac, even if the internal drive won't work.
Once you have the Mac booted to the finder, you can "go to work" on the internal drive.

But having that EXTERNAL "boot source" is very important.

 

[PapuaNewGuinea]

I think you need at least 32gb of space to do a Mac install on a flash drive.
16gb -might work-, but that's not certain.

The idea is to create an EXTERNAL boot drive.
Now you can boot the Mac, even if the internal drive won't work.
Once you have the Mac booted to the finder, you can "go to work" on the internal drive.

But having that EXTERNAL "boot source" is very important.

Installing macOS Sierra on my external 500GB harddisk right now. I am getting excited!
[doublepost=1549834743][/doublepost]Ok, macOS Sierra works from the external drive.
I am ready for the next steps.

 

[PapuaNewGuinea]

I tried various repairs, formats, repartitions and still, I can't make it erase the drive.
Currently looks like this:

[doublepost=1549842966][/doublepost]First Aid messages

I have also tried from the Recovery of the external drive. No help there as well.
[doublepost=1549844817][/doublepost]verifyVolume

repairVolume

 

[Fishrrman]

Hmmm... another thought.

The 2012 MBP -- it's the kind that you can open and change out the internal drive and RAM, right? (a "non-retina" MBP)??

In that case, could it be the ribbon cable that connects the drive to the motherboard?
These have a history of failure in the 2012 MPB non-retina models.

The cable isn't expensive and changing it out is easy.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.
If you've changed the drive on your own, you already know what to do.

When the cable "goes bad" on you, it will look like the drive has failed, report errors, etc.
One way to check this is to take the drive OUT OF the MBP, and connect it via an adapter.
If the drive then tests out ok, boots, accepts an OS install -- then it almost certainly points to the cable -- a "bad connection".

 

[PapuaNewGuinea]

I will try to put it in my girlfriends Macbook Pro 13" Late 2011.

Hmmm... another thought.

The 2012 MBP -- it's the kind that you can open and change out the internal drive and RAM, right? (a "non-retina" MBP)??

In that case, could it be the ribbon cable that connects the drive to the motherboard?
These have a history of failure in the 2012 MPB non-retina models.

The cable isn't expensive and changing it out is easy.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.
If you've changed the drive on your own, you already know what to do.

When the cable "goes bad" on you, it will look like the drive has failed, report errors, etc.
One way to check this is to take the drive OUT OF the MBP, and connect it via an adapter.
If the drive then tests out ok, boots, accepts an OS install -- then it almost certainly points to the cable -- a "bad connection".

You were right!! I took out my SSD and put it into my girlfriends MacBook Pro 2011, and here I successfully formatted it and installed macOS Sierra, using the external macOS Sierra boot drive that you told me to create. Satisfying!

I still need help, though. When I format the SSD, it says it formats 233GB (the drive is 250GB), and I feel like it is still messed up, even though I have Sierra running right now.

My wish is to completely erase my SSD and install a clean OS like Sierra or even Mojave.

I also erased the drive with gparted and it also show the SSD as 233GB.


There is just the SSD in my girlfriends Macbook here, but it shows another virtual drive also.
Here is a current diskutil list

 

[Fishrrman]

"I still need help, though. When I format the SSD, it says it formats 233GB (the drive is 250GB), and I feel like it is still messed up, even though I have Sierra running right now.
My wish is to completely erase my SSD and install a clean OS like Sierra or even Mojave.
I also erased the drive with gparted and it also show the SSD as 233GB."

233gb "formatted out" is probably "all you're going to get".
So... stop agonizing over it.
It is what it is.

If the drive runs fine when connected externally, it IS the internal ribbon cable.
Replace it, and I predict your problems will be solved.