2010 macbook pro will not startup

I attempted the resets- no second chime and reboot. so I am guessing reset did not work

i attempted safe boot again anyway, even though I said it did not work in original post, still does not work

I opened the computer first time ever and took out drive, mounted it in external, put new drive internal (no operating system) no change, and, as pointed out in original post, pushing any key combinations after chime has no effect, so I can not select external to start from.

Since it starts from that drive neither as an external nor as an internal it seems the sata cable is not the culprit.

I will restate: started up fine, updated el capitan, got asked for my password every time I moved a file, it was suggested that I had permission issues and I followed directions to set permissions to read and write. Upon restart gray screen only, etc. Seems very unlikely at that exact instant a cable inside wore out.

How can I get time machine to restore to either the new hard drive I just put in or the old one that I can put back in if the computer will not allow me to select a drive to start from?

yes I started up holding down option key, no an icon did not appear, I did not click on them because none appeared. As I said, holding down any key combination at startup does nothing, no menu to select a volume from, no change in the gray screen, no second chime.

I put a new hard drive in that bay because one thread suggested a new disc would prompt you to select restore from time machine as an option. It did not. Same issue with startup disc internal, with startup disc external, with empty disk internal and external with the startup disc in it not connected to the computer.

To restate, I cannot get any response to any key combination, including holding down c key. There is no menu to select from, I cannot select disk utility, I can not run First Aid.

I have already replaced the disc with a new one, (remember you said there was no reason to do that)

I can not format a disc with snow leopard on the computer I am now using, (G5) because snow leopard is not supported and leopard (what the G5 is running) is not supported on the macbook

After. I was directed to do it by selecting folder, get info, and changing sharing and permissions to read and write, apply to enclosed items

nearly a four hour drive...

I have a time machine backup of entire system, No I cannot get into recovery mode. I can not mount dvd that came with computer.

yes, none of the key commands work.I see no volume, not startup not recovery, not the install dvd, not the original drive in an external, not the original drive internal , not a brand new drive internal