MacBook Hardware Diagnostics

Did you see this line in The Apple diagnostics article?

If your Mac was introduced before June 2013, it uses Apple Hardware Test instead. 

Apple Hardware test is available on your drive PROVIDED your boot drive has never been replaced and never been completely erased. Unfortunately, no software is responsible for placing it back onto your Boot drive, so it tends to get lost. If your Mac had an original Installer/Utilities DVD, it is on the DVD.

a user has collected the readily-available version of Apple Hardware test on a GitHub site, and you can find the right one for your MacBook Pro and build yourself a bootable USB-Stick diagnostic stick with the Instructions there:

https://github.com/upekkha/AppleHardwareTest

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That's what happens if the original Apple Hardware Test partition on your drive is missing. I had my original boot drive

There's a way to grab a copy of Apple Hardware Test that's bootable through a USB flash drive or any other external drive partition. I'd have to look up how to do it.

Other than that it's pretty easy to just run it from Internet Recovery. You just need a solid connection to the internet. I prefer a wired ethernet connection, although it's possible to do so through WiFi. A WiFi password is fine. Other than that, it can't do it if there's some sort of approval/splash screen requirement such as at a hotel room/cafe/restaurant.

There have been some issues with trying to load the AHT after some macOS upgrades.

How to use Apple Hardware Test

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

What issues are you having independent of loading the AHT? Maybe we can help troubleshoot.

You can always take it in —In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"—

https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

There is a Wi-Fi diagnostics set built into your Mac, and it can be accessed by holding the Option key while clicking on the Wi-Fi icon on the menubar.

This can allow you to get some suggestions about your setup, and to Monitor your Wi-Fi during use, possibly to determine why it acts up during use.

Note: avoid selecting the badly-named Diagnostic Report option. It produces a Diagnostic DUMP of very setting on your Mac that might affect Wi-Fi performance and Zips it for sending to an Apple Networking Engineer. It contains NO suggestions, draws NO conclusions, and has no other human-readable content.

My reading of the Apple article on Apple Diagnostics (and the link inside it to Apple Hardware Test information) is that ONLY Apple Diagnostics is offered over the Internet. Apple Hardware Test is a stand-alone, built on a tiny stand-alone bootable (only) system.

I am not sure what you mean by your diagnostic stick "not Being recognized". I do not expect it to be seen as a recent version of MacOS, and therefore booting may not be straightforward. I DO expect you to be able to use Startup Manager (Option Boot) to activate it, and yes, it is really slow (like three minutes) to boot up.

<<Also no Apple Hardware Test (AHT) through Internet Recovery.>>

Yes, that is correct. Macs before 2013 can not use that mechanism to get a diagnostic.

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I think HWTech was muttering about diagnostic support loss after firmware updates, specifically for Mojave. I have not had occasion to try it personally and confirm or deny.

corrine460 wrote:

I have a MacBook Pro mid-2012. My wireless keeps dropping, even when the wifi icon shows all bars. I can disconnect and reconnect, and it will work for a bit. All other devices in my condo work, regardless of location, but the MacBook Pro is only consistently connected when I'm in my office where the router is.

I'm wondering if this is a network card issue or a problem with the rfid signal that's built into the screen. (Note I have dropped the mac a few times over the years so something might be lose.)

see—Grant Bennet-Alder

https://discussions.apple.com/message/33794588#message33794588

USB C dongle kills wifi

Why do I have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer?

Some USB 3 devices can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer.

Here are some tips to avoid this issue:

If your USB device has a cable long enough that you can move the device, place it away from your Mac—and make sure not to place it behind your Mac, or near the hinge of its display. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there might interfere with your wireless connections.

If you're using adapters or dongles on a Mac computer with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, plug them into the front port on the left side of your Mac, or into the ports on the right side (if your computer has them). These ports are the farthest away from the antennas, making interference less likely.

To avoid interference on the 2.4GHz band using Wi-Fi, try using the 5GHz band instead. You can change this on your wireless base station. Bluetooth always uses 2.4GHz, so this alternative isn't available for Bluetooth.

_________________________________________

Using USB devices with your Mac

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201163

Cable Recall:

Power Adapter cable recall

Apple USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program - Apple Support

https://www.apple.com/support/usbc-chargecable/

firmware update for the Apple Multi-Port display adapters (specifically to reduce interference).

About the USB-C Multiport Adapter Update 1.0 - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205858

LG-display recall -- to address Wi-Fi interference so severe, it knocks the Router off the air if too near the Router.

https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/03/lg-fixes-wifi-interference-problems-with-ultrafin e-usb-c-5k-display-new-units-unaffected/

In general, the Apple Hardware Test is located at:

/System/Library/CoreServices/.diagnostics

(folder with a leading dot is inherently invisible.) This makes it very difficult to manipulate in every way.

The folder where you would like to restore the invisible folder is completely locked by System Integrity Protection, so you have a really hard time "putting it back".

Then, you have to "bless" it to make it a potential D-for-diagnostics bootable option.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

My reading of the Apple article on Apple Diagnostics (and the link inside it to Apple Hardware Test information) is that ONLY Apple Diagnostics is offered over the Internet. Apple Hardware Test is a stand-alone, built on a tiny stand-alone bootable (only) system.

I am not sure what you mean by your diagnostic stick "not Being recognized". I do not expect it to be seen as a recent version of MacOS, and therefore booting may not be straightforward. I DO expect you to be able to use Startup Manager (Option Boot) to activate it, and yes, it is really slow (like three minutes) to boot up.

What I'm saying is that the USB flash drive that I set up last year with the instructions you linked is no longer available as a startup volume with an option boot. The drive still mounts when I load up Mojave. Not sure why. Also no AHT through Internet Recovery.

from above : your MacBook Pro and build yourself a bootable USB-Stick diagnostic stick with the Instructions there:

https://github.com/upekkha/AppleHardwareTest

For a 2012 MacBookPro9,1 the download from the github source, I can not get it to be functional alternative to access the AHT.

The github downloads however it seems to be empty folders, and therefore not bootable.

I would not beat my brains out trying to get to work 😉

I tried my old AHT on a USB flash drive and it's not recognized any more. Also no AHT via Internet Recovery with Mojave. Still - nothing wrong with my mid-2012 non-Retina (cross my fingers).