MacBook Pro only boots from Windows discs, not any Apple ones or Mac Recovery ones

Question

Level 1

0 points

MacBook Pro only boots from Windows discs, not any Apple ones or Mac Recovery ones

Hi,

In DESPERATE need of some help here, please!

I've got a mid-2010 MacBook Pro, i7, 17", 8gb, which is presenting me with the most bizarre situation.

I''ve used my MacBook for my 2 week holiday with no problems. I used it to download all my photos, and on the last day it started to run very slowly and I recognized a HD problem. I waited until I was home before using DiskWarrior to try and recover my photos. Disk warrior told me that the disk was physically broken, and now nothing will recover my files. I've spent hours on it, and the disk is definitely dead.

Wanting to fix my computer, regardless of what happened to my photos, I bought a new 1tb 2.5" internal drive and installed it. I tried to install from an OSX Leopard disk, and it just froze at the bootloader. I tried making a USB boot stick for Snow Leopard, and it just freezes at the Apple logo, without even a spinning wheel. I then tried booting Disk Warrior, and again it just freezes at the Apple Logo, with no spinning wheel! Running out of options, I tried booting from a Windows 7 disc, and amazingly it worked perfectly, with no problem at all! I am completely confused, and cannot understand why I can't boot any install cd, operating system or recovery program that is designed for OSX, but I can install Windows!

I have currently tried; using Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion install discs and USB drive versions.

Taking out RAM one at a time to see if I have a faulty module, which I don't appear to.

Booting from USB without a hard disc installed.

Checked that my new HDD works, which it does.

Reset SMC, NVRAM and PRAM

Installing OSX on the internal HDD from another Mac, then re-inserting the HDD and booting from that.

This is my second 17" MacBook Pro in 2 years, and at £1500 a go, this will have to be the last time I buy a Mac if this can't be fixed. I am really losing my patience with Apple now, especially as I treat the laptop well, and have never dropped or dinged it.

I CANNOT understand this, or make the MacBook boot any kind of software designed for Macs. I can only assume that there is a problem with the EFI Firmware, but I cannot see how I can repair it on this particular model as there is no repair disk on the Apple website that lists this particular model. I desperately need this computer for school, work and music production, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll book an appointment at the Apple store tomorrow, but it's a pain to drive 2 hours to the nearest one, when I've got no guarantee they'll help me.

Thanks,

Alex

MacBook Pro

Posted on Aug 5, 2012 3:09 PM

Reply

Answer 1

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Aug 5, 2012 3:13 PM in response to scantyaunty

You need to format the disk GUID partition first, then install in your computer, then boot from install DVD.

Reply

Answer 2

scantyaunty Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 5, 2012 3:29 PM in response to wjosten

The first thing I did when I got the new hard disk was connect it to another Mac via a USB adaptor, then format it as GUID, 1 Partition, HFS+J, then put it into the MacBook Pro, but have had no success 😟 I could try it again. What I'm doing as-we-speak, is using the Linux Boot disk used by Hackintosh-ers to get PC's to boot Mac Discs. It's the closest I've got to getting anywhere!

Alex

Reply

Answer 3

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Aug 5, 2012 3:31 PM in response to scantyaunty

I suspect the original drive did not fail but the cable going from the drive to the logic failed.

Do you have a way to connect either or both new and old drive to the MBP with something like a SATA to USB adapter or drive enclosure. If you don't I suggest you get one and connect the original drive to your MBP and hold down the Option key at boot and select that drive connected by USB. If the system boot from that drive then it ios fine (or near fine) and it is the cable that has failed.

If the original drive does not boot the computer then yes the drive is bad.

Then connect the new drive with the SATA to USB adapter and boot the computer from one of the install discs/USB and partition and format that new drive before you install it in the system.

By chance is the new drive you bought a Western Digital brand? If it is some Mac's have problems with some of the WD models and that may be why the system is hangiing when the drive is physically installed in the system. That will not change even if you partition and format it outside the system. When you again install it inside the system you will have those same problem from the incompatibility of the drive to the system. So if it is a WD brand take it back and get ANY other brand drive.

NOTE about Adapters and Enclosures

I like the adpaters because you can use them on many different types of drives where an enclosure works mainly only on the size drive, physical size, that enclosure is made for. Also Notebook drive size enclosures normally do not come with AC adapters and draws power from the USB port it is connect to. That can be a problem on some notebooks as some do not supplyu lenough power from one USB port to fully power the drive.

END NOTE

Also I disagree with the above statement about how the drive needs to be first partitioned and formatted before it is installed in the system. That should not make any difference as you are not trying to Boot off that drive.

Reply

Answer 4

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Aug 5, 2012 3:56 PM in response to Shootist007

Shootist007 wrote:

Also I disagree with the above statement about how the drive needs to be first partitioned and formatted before it is installed in the system. That should not make any difference as you are not trying to Boot off that drive.

Old school here...install new drive in external enclosure...zero erase/format...install OS/clone...make sure all works...then install in computer 😎.

Reply

Answer 5

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Aug 5, 2012 4:02 PM in response to wjosten

Yeah I hear you but when I'm installing a new drive in any system that new drive is the only one connected.

And booting from an install disc or USB shouldn't hang just because the drive isn't partitioned and formatted.

Reply

Answer 6

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Aug 5, 2012 4:04 PM in response to Shootist007

Shootist007 wrote:

And booting from an install disc or USB shouldn't hang just because the drive isn't partitioned and formatted.

Yep, been there done that, bought the T-Shirt, & worn it out. You learn over time.

Reply