{URGENT] MacBook Pro 13" Issue - Flashing Folder

[DougievanKola]

Hello all,

First time poster - Go easy on me if I have posted on the incorrect section of this site.

I'm not the best or technically gifted so trying my absolute best here.

Here goes.... My MacBook Pro 13" froze earlier today. Subsequently, I had reset the MacBook to find a white/grey screen with a Flashing Folder.

I've done a few searches online and accepted it could be an HardDrive issue.

I once again restarted the Mac and held down the Option/Alt key. The flashing folder has disappeared and it's only showing a cursor. Nothings happened since this point?

I restarted the MacBook again with the boot disk, it loaded a new installation screen. I completely ignored that and went to Disk Utility. It appears to NOT detect my Hardrive. It's only showing the inserted Disk and not my hardrive. This had worried me extremely as I have over 400 GB of important documents with no TimeMachine back-up.

I also have a second MacBook Pro - I removed the HardDrive from the initial faulty 13'' Mac and Inserted it into the 15'' MacBook I have and to my surprise, hey presto! The log in screen from my 13'' appears immediately.

Vice versa, I replaced my 15'' HD into the 13'' MBP where I am led to the exact same screen..... Flashing Folder?

I don't know what the issue seems to be and Apple Website want to charge me for a consultation call?

If anyone could be of any assistance, I would be extremely grateful.

I thank you in advance for your co-operation in this matter.

DvK,

 

[sparkyms]

Sounds like your hard drive had bit the dust.

I'm sorry but it sounds like you've lost your files :-/.

 

[DougievanKola]

Sounds like your hard drive had bit the dust.

I'm sorry but it sounds like you've lost your files :-/.

That's the point - I haven't. I inserted the faulty MBP, Hardrive into my 15" MBP and it everything works perfect!

 

[Raunien]

Sounds like your SATA cable on your 13 inch is damaged

 

[bogatyr]

Sounds like your SATA cable on your 13 inch is damaged

Or there is damage to the controller/mobo. If it was just a sudden break (i.e. while running the system and not after fiddling inside the laptop) it is more likely the controller/mobo.

 

[DougievanKola]

Sounds like your SATA cable on your 13 inch is damaged

Thanks - I've tried to switch the SATA from the 15" but the screws are so small and awkward and won't turn. Need to get hold of a Proper strong handles screwdriver. Will give that a try. Thanks for your reply.

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Or there is damage to the controller/mobo. If it was just a sudden break (i.e. while running the system and not after fiddling inside the laptop) it is more likely the controller/mobo.

Hi, sorry for my ignorance but what is a MOBO? Is that a Motherboard?

 

[Hats]

Hi, sorry for my ignorance but what is a MOBO? Is that a Motherboard?

Yeah, MOBO means motherboard.

 

[DougievanKola]

Yeah, MOBO means motherboard.

Thank you,

PS: Has anyone else got any ideas?

Guess we've narrowed it down to the MOBO or SATA Cable being faulty.

 

[Essenar]

Okay, relax and do the following:
With the 13" hard drive in your 15" MacBook Pro, save your files. Back them up and make sure they're all safe.

Once you're absolutely sure that your files are safe, also back up your files from your 15" hard drive.

What you're going to want to do is:
Reset the SMC and PRAM on your 13" Pro.
Once that's done, if the hard drive still won't post in the 13" Pro, then you probably have a bad cable or a bad logic board. At that point it's time for the Genius bar.

 

[Hats]

You could try to run a hardware test and see what it brings up.

See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US on how to preform it, it'll take a while though.

Err. That is if it's possible to do so without the hard drive... If it's not possible, try to install OS X on a USB storage drive and try to boot up from the USB drive so you can run the hardware test.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[DougievanKola]

The SATA cable on these machines often goes bad. I replace them all the time. It's a flaw in the cable design that causes it to degrade over time, often failing suddenly during use. Apple has been supplying replacement cables with small foam pads that stick over the cable where it screws into the Top Case to attempt to alleviate the issue, although I'm not entirely sure what effect this would have, if any.

I would easily bet that once you replace the SATA cable, your machine will be up and running again. Keep in mind that the SATA cable is part of the Hard Drive / IR Sensor / Sleep LED cable assembly, but even so, it's thankfully quite easy to change. (Linked guide is for a Mid 2012, however the process is the same for all Unibody MacBook Pro 13" models.)

Link to Apple Discussions article covering this very issue:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2648100?start=15&tstart=0

iFixit report of another user with the same issue:
http://www.ifixit.com/Story/234/macbook_pro_mid_2010_hard_drive_cable_failure

Thank you so much for your help guys - appreciated very much.