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User profile for user: Frustrated_User111
Frustrated_User111 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Hard drive not seen when booting off instaltion media

I'm trying to upgrade my hard drive. I've got an early 2015 Macbook Air. It's currently running on High Sierra. I cant upgrade cause the hard drive is too small.

I've purchased a new 500 GB SSD. When I install it and run recovery, I just get a prohibited sign. I created a bootable media device as described here: How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

I've tried macOS, Mojave, and macOS High Sierra installations disks. The problem is that when I boot up off the media device, there is no disk availalbe to install the OS to. It only shows the USB device. No other hard drives are available.


Can any one assist with this issue?


Many thanks

Posted on Oct 4, 2022 6:33 AM

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User profile for user: Grant Bennet-Alder
Grant Bennet-Alder
User level: Level 10
133,231 points

Oct 4, 2022 7:05 AM in response to Frustrated_User111

new device has to be COMPLETELY erased in Disk Utility, using its immutable Manufacturer-given Device-name, not just "Macintosh HD" or any other user-created name. if "View all devices" is not even in disk utility, the tiny "view" menu can turn it on.



New in High Sierra and Mojave, the boot drive will be an Apple File System (APFS) drive before installation completes. I am under the impression that if it finds a MacOS Extended drive, it will simply convert it.



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Hard drive not seen when booting off instaltion media

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