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Macbook Pro 2011 will not book Mavericks from SSD (I have tried E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.)

I have a late 2011 15" i7 MBP with 10GB of RAM (8GB + 2GB) running Mavericks 10.9.1 that I want to install an internal SSD on and run just the OS and all of my apps off of, while keeping my Home folder with all of my media on the orignal HDD. I researched online for OS X compatible and recommended SSDs and baught a Kingston 120GB SSD (http://www.kingston.com/us/ssd/v#sv300s3). I also researched and found the most recomended way to do so was with an MCE Optibay (http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OBSxGB- UNB&Category_Code=STORHDOPTIBAY&Product_Count=3). I baught and installed them with no problem. I took out the super drive and replaced it with the Optibay which I placed the original 500GB HDD in, then I installed the SSD into the main hard drive slot. I manually booted the Macbook (holding "option") from the HDD. Using Disk Utility I then erased the entire (brand new, already empty) SSD in the -Mac OS Extended (Journaled)- format and Partitioned it as a single drive with the -GUID Partition Table- scheme and the -Mac OS Extended (Journaled)- format. I then used the recomended program "Carbon Copy Cloner" and cloned my HDD to my SSD. When it finished with no problems I changed the Startup Disk in System Preferences to the SSD and restarted. When the Macbook booted it made the loud Apple "dunnnnn" as it always does, then instead of the Apple logo appearing a gay circle with a diagonal line through it appeared (like on a "no smoking" sign), I later found this error to backed the "Apple prohibation sign". After showing this error for about 20 seconds, the Apple logo appeared as normal, and after about 30 seconds my log-in screen showed up and I was able to log in. The only thing I can imagine happened is that it couln't read the OS from the SSD so it defaulted over to the HDD and booted from there. After this happened I researched online for suggestions and fixes to this problem and tried EVERY single one that I found.


Below is a list of every trouble shooting option I did (that I can rememember right now) and none of them worked (making sure to wipe the SSD properly between new attempts):

--Use CCC to clone everything on HDD except Home Folder to SSD

--Use CCC to clone entire HDD to SSD

--Use Disk Utility to clone everything on HDD except Home Folder to SSD

--Use Disk Utility to clone entire HDD to SSD

--Clone HDD to SSD with CCC, then remove HDD from Macbook, forcing it to boot only from SSD

--Download a clean copy of Mavericks from the App Store and directly install it to the SSD then manually boot from the SSD

--Download a clean copy of Mavericks from the App Store and install to a USB thumb drive via DiskMaker X app (http://liondiskmaker.com/), boot manually to the USB OS X installer, then install the OS to SSD via startup

--Download a clean copy of Mountain Lion from the App Store and install it to a USB thumb drivevia DiskMaker X app (http://liondiskmaker.com/), boot manually to the USB OS X installer, then install the OS to SSD via startup

--Put the HDD in its original place and put the SSD in the Optibay (this lead to more problems)

///--As I was cloning the HDD to the SSD with CCC it got to my one of my apps, "Audacity", and said that one of the files had a problem and couldn't clone it, so I just deleted the app entirely.

///--I went to reformat and partition the SDD again because CCC cloned about 5GB from the HDD to the SSD, and as I was erasing the SSD it said "failed to umnount disk". Then I tried to just partition it and got the same error. So I placed the SSD back into the main drive slot and put the HDD back into the Optibay. I booted from the HDD, went back into Disk Utility and was able to format and partition the SDD.


Every single time I tried to boot from the SSD after trying every fix and trouble shoot I would get the "Apple Prohibation" sign. Between yesterday and today I have spent upwards of 20 hours reading about solutions to this via blogs, forums, and websites, doing these trouble shooting techniques, and talking on the phone with Apple tech support, Apple store technitians, and Apple registered local computer store employees.


I also read that the SATA cable or SSD is sometimes faulty and turns out to be the cause in this issue, but there is no way of actually checking for that, and I am able to read and write to the SSD and HDD which are both connected via the SATA cable, so I don't think it's the SATA cable or the SSD.


Please if anyone has any other suggestions that I have not mentioned or was able to do an internal SSD install and clone their HDD to it with no problems at all afterwords, tell me how!!!

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 27, 2013 12:51 AM

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11 replies

Dec 27, 2013 4:28 AM in response to Brycius

It sounds like you've done a pretty thorough job researching what to do, so nice job on that. Andy may be right about the cable. One thing I noticed is that you RAM configuration is kind of odd. It sounds like you pulled one of the 2 gig modules and replaced it with an 8. While this really shouldn't affect anything, as a troubleshooting step can you put the original RAM back in? Mavericks does do some things with memory that previous versions of OS X didn't.


It's easy enough to try if you have the original RAM.

Dec 28, 2013 1:12 AM in response to BobRz

I put the original RAM back into the Macbook and tried everything again, didn't work. I also tried booting in single user mode to scan the HDD and SSD, didn't work. And I also tried scanning both the HDD and SSD in the startup disk utility, didn't work. I even purchased Apple phone support and after about an hour on the phone being elevated to the senior manager, they came the clear conclusion that they have absolutely no clue what the issue is. Guess my only option is to spend even more money and get a new SATA cable. Hopefully that one won't be faulty as well.

/cry

Dec 28, 2013 1:22 AM in response to Brycius

You did everything 'right' and yet in most cases such as you present, it turns out to be a bad SATA cable 99% of the time.


I, too, have a Late 2011 15" model and never had a problem with my SATA cable and my SSD. Most people don't. But then there are those few who do.


You can likely find a 'warrantied' cable on www.ifixit.com - however, I've never heard of anyone having problems with the much less expensive options on eBay!


Clinton

Dec 28, 2013 7:02 AM in response to Brycius

I have a hunch that the specs for the HD bay SATA cable are not very high - and, of course, the drives are tested on the line but only those which exhibit bad cable symptoms, I'm assuming, get the cable swapped out. And the SATA cables for the 2009 models were the worst, for some inexplicable reason.


I feel as though I just got lucky with my cable - I'll be installing a higher-capacity SSD in the next week or so and I'm quite anxious to see if the cable is going to hold up.


Clinton

Dec 28, 2013 11:20 AM in response to LowLuster

LowLuster, yes the SSD is in the main bay. I baught a Kingston because it was on a list of 6 recommended SSD brands that I read about (many on this forum) and I got a good amount of storage for a great price. And the Kingston has been working perfectly for 3 days (so far), I have been reading and writing off of it with incredible speeds.

Macbook Pro 2011 will not book Mavericks from SSD (I have tried E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.)

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