Startup disk in MacBook can’t be seen by Disk Utility or OS Reinstaller

So are you able to boot to the utilities screen when booting into Recovery Mode or Internet Recovery Mode? If so, what OS is booted (see what OS would be installed on that utilities screen). It is best to try booting into Internet Recovery Mode using Command + Option + R to attempt to access the Monterey installer, unfortunately some Macs may still only boot into the installer for the OS which originally shipped with the Mac from the factory.

Launch Disk Utility. Do you see the physical drive listed on the left pane of Disk Utility? You may need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the physical drive appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.

If you are booting an older version of macOS, then it won't show a valid destination for the installation which is normal.

If you can see the physical drive and "Macintosh HD" volume (default name unless you modified it)? If so, then run First Aid on the internal physical drive, then run First Aid on the hidden Container. Even if First Aid says everything is "Ok", click "Show Details" and scroll back through the report to see if any unfixed errors are listed. If there are errors, then run First Aid again to see if they can be fixed on the next pass.

Is this laptop still using the original Apple OEM SSD or is it using a third party SSD? This is important information to know since only macOS 10.13+ will be able to see a third party internal NVMe SSD.

MacManiac4Life wrote:

-As I said in my original post I tried command-R.

-As I said before, the physical drive isn’t appearing.

Yes, but it was not clear on the specifics. Remember I'm reading your post without knowing anything about your issue. The information you posted may make complete sense to you since you have first hand knowledge of the situation, but someone who has never seen your system your post was not clear enough to be certain of specific details which is why I asked those specific questions for clarification.

-And I did click View and Show All Devices.

This implies you are running macOS 10.13+ since the "View" option was not available in earlier versions of macOS.

The recovery disk was there, but the internal hard drive never showed up.

Then it means either the internal SSD has failed, or the SSD support circuitry on the Logic Board is bad indicating a Logic Board hardware issue. Everything being equal, the SSD is usually the weakest link as long as there has been no accidental liquid damage, or a severe impact which may have physically dislodged the SSD a bit.

If the SSD has failed, then it is possible to install a third party NVMe SSD into the laptop, but you will only be able to run macOS 10.13+ since older versions of macOS (and macOS installers) won't be able to see or communicate with a third party internal NVMe SSD. OWC has a drop in replacement if you feel it is worth investing money into this laptop & risking that the SSD is indeed the part which has failed. There is no easy way to confirm without having access to another known good SSD made for that laptop or to an external enclosure for the SSD (the enclosure is expensive).

-Also, reply to this with the word o r a n g e if you’re not a c h a t b o t.

o r a n g e

FYI, someone isn't likely to get to level 9 on this forum by being a chatbot. It has taken me years of posting on here to achieve that level. Chatbots have only been around for a couple of years at least in the public arena.

Sorry I never saw that you had responded on March 3.

I have never heard of that brand SSD that you tried nor of the Kingspec you just linked. While some Chinese products may be Ok, you just never know....quality & reliability are all over the place, they are just trying to undercut everyone else. While sometimes an unknown brand may be find, most times they are probably going to have problems of some sort. I barely trust the common name brand SSDs these days because even they are putting out some junk as well. The OWC SSD is from a vendor who has been supplying Apple compatible products & accessories for decades. OWC also supports their products & has great tech support if needed.

I am currently assisting another user who has installed yet another third party brand SSD into a similar Apple laptop (it is a brand I have seen mentioned a few times on this forum by users asking for assistance). So that brand does not give me confidence either.

I know the OWC SSD is much more expensive compared to those other Chinese brands. While it is possible to utilize a standard M.2 SSD which may be a bit more affordable, they require utilizing an SSD adapter....the only adapter which seems most compatible & reliable is from Sintech (This is just from reading this forum for years...I have no personal experience with the Sintech adapter). However, the M.2 SSD manufacturer will not assist you if there are any issues since you are trying to use an M.2 SSD internally on a Mac using an unknown adapter & computer. The M.2 SSD option increases the complexity because now you have the SSD, SSD Adapter, and computer to worry about & hoping all of them are working correctly and are actually fully compatible. I suggested the OWC because it would be the simplest solution that is known to work & have the best support from the vendor.

If you have an Apple Silicon Mac, those special startup keys no longer work. Here are the instructions for an Apple Silicon Mac:

Startup key combinations - Apple Support

Edit: You should always provide the exact model of the device and the version of OS when asking for assistance online. You can get the exact model by entering the system serial number on the check coverage page here:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

I've been on the forum long enough to know what causes people confusion so I try to respond so that I minimize points of confusion. Even if the OP is knowledgeable, I try to respond in a manner that someone with no knowledge may be able to follow the discussion and any instructions.

Make sure to actually reseat the SSD. I had one like that and it did not appear to be dislodged, but reseating the SSD brought it back. Hard to imagine since the SSD is screwed into place on the one end.

Please let us know how it goes.