Intel 535 SSD cannot be read/write on MBP 2012-mid

The problem is this. After Disk Utility (macOS Sierra and macOS High Sierra USB installers) does its thing with the internal Intel 535 Series SSD, that disk then becomes inaccessible. This will demonstrate in two ways.

1. During install of any Apple OS, you will be asked to select a disk, but in the selection box, there are no disks.
2. If using Apple Installer Utilities, when you select second option to install macOS (10.12.6 or 10.13) from USB, then the installer will report that it cannot continue because the USB installer is "damaged".

Incidentally, we are replacing default Hitachi HDD 381 GB. When our new disk is Intel Series 535 SSD 240 GB with macOS 10.12.6 Sierra pre-installed, system boots to login (works fine). However, with 10.13 High Sierra installed on replacement Intel SSD, no disk is found. The only conclusion can be that 2011 MacBook Pro support for the Intel SSD is poor at best.

Pre-installed Sierra on Intel SSD does boot up. However, lots of troubles could develop during reboot and system update scenarios. More success is reported using Samsung EVO 850 (250 GB, 500GB, 1TB, 6TB), Crucial BX or Crucial MX (250GB, 500GB, 1TB) and OWC (many drive sizes). Samsung EVO is a surprise! Crucial-OWC market and AASP (Apple Authorized Service Providers) both indicate to me that Apple is restricting drive firmware access to its operating systems on 2011 MacBook Pro.

RE: SATA Cables:

Brue computing posted an interesting Video on Youtube. The proposition was that the SATA cable problems in certain MacBooks was caused by abrasion against the machined inside of the aluminum case. Their solution? RED TAPE!

(The drive has been removed for photographic clarity)

One strip applied to the case, and one strip applied to the underside of the cable.

You should use RED tape because it is associated with higher speeds, and will therefore keep the high speed bits from spilling out of the cable and accumulating inside the case.

OGELTHORPE insists that I have a fiduciary responsibility to tell you that--^

Many Users prefer to simply replace the cable than get involved with all this "red tape".

TRIM (Apple) may also be a factor. After closing Disk Utility, open Terminal and enable (or disable) TRIM.

How to Enable TRIM on Third Party SSDs in Mac OS X with trimforce

sudo trimforce enable

sudo trimforce disable

TRIM reference seems circumspect, to me. AppleCare has booked me onto a Genius Bar appointment at a local Apple retail store. AASP is also an option well suited to older Apple equipment.

😁 mind your hair doesn't stand up, playing with tape.

Best way to upgrade MacBook Pro 2011 to High Sierra for us was a simple High Sierra extended journaled install of Sierra (not encrypted) on the Intel disk. Then physically install the new Intel SSD, replacing the encrypted Apple HDD. Bootup automatically converts Sierra to High Sierra, and encrypts the disk!

With the original release of High Sierra 10.13.0, High Sierra does convert an existing SSD to an APFS drive, encrypted or not is your choice.

It does not convert a Rotating drive to APFS at this writing. We expect that ability in a later realease.

Yes Grant, but the odd thing is (presumably because the new disk is SSD), Mitsubishi 10.12.6 encrypted HFS+ HDD removed, MBP automatically boots freshly inserted Intel 10.12.6 not encrypted HFS+ SSD, converting that SSD during first boot from Sierra to High Sierra APFS (Encrypted)! First boot took less than five minutes. Probably should note here that Intel 10.12.6 SSD was prepared using APFS encrypted Mac Pro on an external boot disk (OWC or RocketStor top-load drive bays both work fine).

AppleCare advised us that "some time soon", Apple will release a version of High Sierra that converts HDD HFS+ to APFS. Right now, that conversion can be forced, but 10.13.0 HDD High Sierra also chops up our Mitsubishi into 21 unique partitions. Oops, that runs slow! "Wait for the upcoming High Sierra update," we were told.

Frankly, we'll stick with the MBP APFS SSD, thanks. It's at least 10-20 times as fast as the replaced healthy HDD, depending on task. Facebook is now supersonic! Our MBP profile: Intel 256 GB SSD (installed by me), 16 GB DRAM (installed by AASP, 6 months ago).

Errata: no such thing as '256', we used Intel SSD 240 GB 530 Series. Disk colors are creative. Not as catchy as the amazing ease-of-upgade.

Did you ever end up figuring this out? I have a MacBook Pro 2011 and I bought the same hard drive and I am having the same issue.

Ddi you try erasing the entire device with the ERASE function?

If it is set up from the factory as Windows New Technology File System (NTFS), that is read-only on a Mac.

No I didn't try that, how do I do that?

In the left box, select the drive by PHYSICAL name (leftmost name in the indented list). This should be something like the model number, never an ordinary name like a Volume-name.

Choose ERASE in the bar across the right pane.

Enter the name of the Volume to be created, and choose OS X Extended (journaled) Volume, GUID partition map.

click the Erase button -- done in under a minute.

I don't know which left box you're referring to. If I boot the laptop by holding "Control + r" or "option" it directs me to connect my Internet and select a language. It then gives me options to do a "time machine back-up", which doesn't work, or I can try to reinstall OS X. When I select OS X it asks me to select a disk but there's nothing to select.

How do I erase like you mentioned? Sorry if I'm not getting it right away, this has been incredibly frustrating.

-Drew

You need to choose Disk Utility. My comments above are all about the Disk Utility window.

Command-R should offer you Utilities right away, and from those you choose Disk Utility. If you proceed down the path to Install, you will have to start over.

You're awesome!! Thank you so much!!!

I have it downloading now.

-Drew