I Have a 2012 MacBook Pro, and I just installed a Samsung 850 Pro SSD. When I screw the hard drive in (either the bottom 2 retaining screws or the retaining bar), it won't power on. When I leave the hard drive "un-retained" it works perfectly fine. As soon as I tighten the retaining screws, nothing! I'm afraid I'm shorting the circuit somehow. Did I miss something during the install?
MacBook Pro
What size MBP is this?
"When I screw the hard drive in (either the bottom 2 retaining screws "
These are not normally dealt with since they are already tightened.
"or the retaining bar), it won't power on."
So that's the bar that secures the HD in the enclosure?
So when you say:
"it won't power on."
It doesn't make any noise at all?
"When I leave the hard drive "un-retained" it works perfectly fine."
So that would point to a HD cable problem or pinch, That's why I ask:
"What size MBP is this?"
Pull the HD cable lead to the logic board after you've secured your HD.
Boots to flashing "?" - bad/pinched/shorted cable?
Still won't start. Total mystery!
Hey spudnuty thanks so much for answering so fast!
It's a 15 inch MBP.
The bottom 2 retaining screws... I just unscrewed them in hopes of narrowing down what was causing the problem. Was that a bad idea?
You are correct about the retaining bar... I meant the bar that secures the HD.
The powering on part... yeah it literally just does nothing at all.
I am going to try pulling on the HD cable lead right after I finish this response!
Also, it does the same thing when I put my old hard drive back in. They both work fine as long as I don't secure them. I've been starting to think it might be the cable too, but I've been googling for hours :-/ I haven't been able to find anything that says a bad/loose HD cable will cause the computer to not turn on, at all... is that possible?
Thanks again for the response, I'll let you know in a minute how your suggestion goes.
No change after trying to pull the cable after I secured the hard drive. No power and no noise at all. Same thing though, took the bar off and it turned right on.
would it be unwise to try unscrewing the 2 screws securing the cable, and pulling it tight and re-securing it? (Obviously not so tight that I break it)
Uhh, well:
"going to try pulling on the HD cable lead "
What I meant was to detach the HD cable from the logic board.
Ahhhh.... I definitely read "pull" in the wrong context...
Very well, removing cable.
I got the flashing question mark!
i guess I shouldn't be excited but at least its something..
so how do I determine if it's just how the cable is being positioned, or if the cable is bad?
Yah that's my fault for using tech slang.
So I just noticed that, even if I just push it down into place it won't turn on. As long as I just set it in there loosely, it will turn on.
And I'm on a tech board, so I should know better :-)
"i guess I shouldn't be excited but at least its something.."
No, you should be excited, that's what it feels like when you solve a problem.
"so how do I determine if it's just how the cable is being positioned, or if the cable is bad?"
Kinda doesn't matter. Securing the hard drive and then getting a non start means that the startup diagnostic has found a major problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_startup
"The Macintosh startup chime is the single note or chord (depending on model type) played when an Apple Macintosh computer is turned on. The sound indicates that diagnostic tests run immediately at startup have found no hardware or fundamental software problems."
So replace that cable. When you secure it and you get a non start then that cable has probably shorted. If you mess around with that cable and get it to run you run the risk of being able to get a start up and the computer runs but then moving it or something shifts and that cable shorts out. That could destroy the interface chip. That would be bad.
That cable is here at the bottom of the page:
It's $35 or so so don't take any chances.
I can't thank you enough! I'll be replacing the cable tomorrow. You're awesome
Good thanks for the compliment, the star and the checkmark.
Let us know how it comes out.
Such a strange problem with ssd upgrade
