motrek

Q: Can't create a new boot drive with my data

Hi guys, here's the problem: when I try to create a new boot drive with my data, I can't boot from that drive.

 

The boot progress bar takes forever and then I see a white circle with a line through it. (The "prohibited" / "Ghostbusters" sign.)

 

In verbose mode, it hangs on "pci pause: SDXC" for a while, then it clears the screen and shows the circle+line with "still waiting on root device" at the bottom left.

 

I can't boot to single-user mode; it just does the same thing as verbose mode. Same with safe mode. So I have limited options for debugging. I've done an SMC reset, no change. Is there anything else I should be trying?

 

Some extra information:

 

- I'm trying to boot off of a new SSD that I bought, currently in an external USB 3.0 enclosure. I know nothing is wrong with the enclosure since I've booted off of it many times in the past. I know nothing is wrong with the drive because I tried to do the same process with a different drive and it doesn't work in the same way.

 

- I've cloned my current boot drive to the new drive using SuperDuper!, Carbon Copy Cloner, and I've also done a clean install of El Capitan using recovery mode. The clean install worked fine until I migrated my old data.

 

- Therefore there must be something in my data that's hosing this whole process. I have no idea what that might be or how to track it down.

 

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Apr 4, 2016 10:55 AM

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Q: Can't create a new boot drive with my data

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  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 5, 2016 1:44 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 5, 2016 1:44 PM in response to theratter

    Yes, I reformatted the drive and reinstalled OS X via the internet (recovery mode). Results are as described in my previous post, from 1:32 AM.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 5, 2016 2:59 PM in response to motrek
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 5, 2016 2:59 PM in response to motrek

    What exact Mac model do you have? To find the model identifier open System Information in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right. What is the exact make and model of the new drive?

  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 6, 2016 2:40 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 6, 2016 2:40 PM in response to theratter

    I have a late 2012 Mac Mini.

     

    The external enclosure is a MediaSonic ProBox USB 3.0 model that houses one 2.5" SATA drive.

     

    I have booted off of this enclosure many times in the past. I used it as my boot volume for at least a year.

     

    The make and model of the drive is irrelevant IMO because I've tried two different drives in the enclosure and both failed in exactly the same way. One was the new SSD that I just bought, and the other is the hard drive that came with my Mac Mini. I've successfully booted off of the same exact hard drive in the same exact enclosure in the past.

     

    So it seems Apple has broken something in OS X, considering this exact thing has worked for me in the past and no longer works now.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 7, 2016 12:08 PM in response to motrek
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 7, 2016 12:08 PM in response to motrek

    I've used any number of drives in USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt enclosures on every version of El Capitan. Not one has been a problem. The drive model is relevant if it is a Samsung or Western Digital drive some of which are not completely compatible. I've used a Samsung 850 Pro on my 2015 MacBook, and it would not boot it, yet it worked fine on a 2009 MBP and a 2010 iMac, but not a 2015 iMac. Just worth considering, but that's up to you.

  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 7, 2016 1:54 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 7, 2016 1:54 PM in response to theratter

    The SSD I bought is a PNY CS2211, 480GB.

     

    The hard drive I've tried is the one that came with my Mac Mini. It's in the enclosure right now so it's inconvenient to give you the make and model of that one.

     

    But I have booted off of it in the past, in the same enclosure. It used to work and now it doesn't.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 7, 2016 2:03 PM in response to motrek
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 7, 2016 2:03 PM in response to motrek

    If you open Disk Utility on the machine then it should provide information similar to that you just cited for your PNY SSD.

  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 7, 2016 2:14 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 7, 2016 2:14 PM in response to theratter

    APPLE HD D HTS541010A Media

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 7, 2016 3:12 PM in response to motrek
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 7, 2016 3:12 PM in response to motrek

    Hmm. That would be an HGST/Seagate drive. An HDD, not an SSD. Does that sound correct? Now, that drive works and you cloned it to your new SSD, but the SSD does not boot the computer. Let me suggest you give this a try. I am assuming this SSD is installed in another computer. It is not used as an external drive.

     

    Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the Command-Option-R keys until a globe appears. The Utility Menu will appear in from 5-20 minutes. Be patient.

     

    1. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on Continue button.
    2. When Disk Utility loads select the drive (out-dented entry) from the side list.
    3. Click on the Partition tab in Disk Utility's main window. A panel will drop down.
    4. Set the partition scheme to GUID.
    5. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
    6. Click on the Apply button, then wait for the Done button to activate.
    7. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
    8. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

     

    Now, this will attempt to start the computer from Apple's server and load a Recovery HD. When you get to the last step it will take you to the process for installing a fresh copy of OS X El Capitan 10.11.4. You will have to select the disk on which you want OS X installed, so be sure you choose the SSD you just formatted per the above. The whole process should take around 25 minutes to complete the installation and about 30 minutes to download the software if you have a reasonably fast Internet service.

     

    Once the installation has finished it will restart the computer from the new SSD. If you still have the same problem, then get another SSD. Return what you have and exchange it for an OCZ SSD. Or get your money back and buy a new SSD from OWC. Stick to one of their 6G models.

  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 7, 2016 3:43 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 7, 2016 3:43 PM in response to theratter

    I don't know how to say this more clearly. From a previous post:

     

    "The make and model of the drive is irrelevant IMO because I've tried two different drives in the enclosure and both failed in exactly the same way."

     

    So yes, as I've been saying, I've tried installing OS X on this hard drive and my new SSD and it fails in the same way. I've tried copying my data to this hard drive and my new SSD in three different ways and it always fails in the same way.

     

    Again, from my previous posts, I have done clean installs of OS X on these drives using recovery mode (as you describe) and it fails in the same way.

     

    Sorry if I sound frustrated but you're making me literally repeat myself here.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 7, 2016 3:50 PM in response to motrek
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 7, 2016 3:50 PM in response to motrek

    I've nothing more to add.

  • by motrek,

    motrek motrek Apr 7, 2016 4:08 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 7, 2016 4:08 PM in response to theratter

    This thread jogged my memory. I have an old set of cables/adapters that allows me to plug bare drives into the wall and access them via USB.

     

    Sort of like a drive enclosure but instead of an enclosure, it's a rat's nest of cables.

     

    I connected my new SSD to my Mac Mini using this stuff and it booted first try no problem.

     

    Something in OS X must have changed to break compatibility with my external drive enclosure.

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