My MacBook pro won't recognize hard drive I put in it. It boots only to a white screen unless I boot to my recovery USB. If I do that then I can select my USB and my external time machine drive in the disk utility, so no problems there. But what do you

So...this is an internal hardware SATA drive you're putting into your MacBook?

And, a lot of SATA drives come formatted as NTFS or another Windows format, which can't be used to boot a Mac. Was it preformatted as Mac OS Extended? Did you already have OS X installed on that drive?

If it's a blank drive you're installing, try booting from your System Install disk (hold down C during startup), or use System Preferences/Startup disk to select your USB as the startup before turning it on.

It's been a while since I did this, but I recall needing to set some dip switches on the drive itself before installing. It needs to be Drive 0, I think.

But I'm just diving in here until a real expert sees your plight...

Boot the Recvoery USB, use Disk Utility to select the internal drive makers namea and size on the left.

Now select erase and select the midde option and click erase, it will take a bit to complete but it's best for the drive.

Now select Partiton tab, click the big box and Options: GUID and then Format: OS X Extended journaled and click apply.

Quit and you should be able to install OS X now with your Apple ID and password.

see

http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/08/lion-recovery-disk-assistant-tool-makes-external- lion-boot-recovery-drives/

That definitely sounds like it could be a SATA cable problem. I would be willing to bet it is. Especially if there are any kinks or scratches on the cable. If it's damaged a SATA cable can have trouble pushing data through resulting in your computer freezing up. If you have an external enclosure for an internal drive you can boot from that. If your operating system works fine then it probably is your cable. In any case the cables aren't too expensive so it's worth a try.

Hi tyque, how did you go with the new cable?

I have the exact same problem, flashing folder popped up and nothing happens after so i replaced the internal HDD with a SSD. Mac recognised new drive in disk utility but couldnt format the new drive, used a friends Mac to format new drive and installed OS via friends Mac on new drive but my mac still wont boot when I connected new drive via internal SATA cable. Having said that Mac recognises new drive in the disk utility and wont recognise the old drive (original drive).

Tried booting via usb enclosure and Mac is able to boot with both original HDD and the new SSD, even tried installing OS on a USB stick and it works that way too.

Not sure if my problem is the same as yours but I thought I would ask the outcome of your attempts to fix the issue.

I am using late 2010 13inch Macbook Pro.

Hi, i also have had the exact same problem as Tyque. Can someone please help out harrish & I !

Look as if tyqre's problem was solved by ordering a new SATA cable... you may want to start your own thread and let us know, specifically, what you've tried and what did or didn't work.

Clinton

Hi Jacob and Clinton

I have also ordered the same cable in my last attempt to fix the issue myself. As I've been told that I cant buy this cable directly from Apple unless I get my Mac serviced there, so I had placed an order on ebay USA.

I am expecting the delivery sometime next week and I will make sure to come here and post the results. If you can hold on till then you may either find a fix or save yourself a $50.

Tyqre, if you are able to give your results it would be greatly appreciated by me and Jacob.

Harish

Hey All,

The replacement HDD cable did the magic and Mac now works as it was before.

Issue solved. Thanks to the original solution Lucas.

Harish.Coss