Mac os help

[piercetorres]

So rn i have a mid 2010 macbook pro im fixing for "fun"  but all i see is a white screen 

 

I did end up plugging the drive into a windows pc and found a windows.old files and other windows junk

 

Is there anyway to Install mac os to it again (i dont have access to the original drive from apple, and i dont have access to a different imac/macbook)

 

If i find a way to fix this i will update the post as to not waste your time

[GuyNamedBrad]

You can try holding command + r to access the internet recovery options (if available) if not you may need a second mac to build an macOS installer / usb.

[Electronics Wizardy]

That system is too old for internet recovery. You need to install osx from a usb installer, you can make one from anouther mac or get a dvd drive.

[piercetorres]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

you can make one from an other mac or get a dvd drive.

Thats the problem i dont have access to an other mac, i have seen tools to do this on windows but i cant figure them out

 

4 minutes ago, bradmonster said:

You can try holding command + r to access the internet recovery options (if available) if not you may need a second mac to build an macOS installer / usb.

I will try to do this just in case it does work but no guarantee

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

13 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

That system is too old for internet recovery. You need to install osx from a usb installer, you can make one from anouther mac or get a dvd drive.

Looks like that machine is actually one of the oldest devices to support that feature. That being said it does require the machine to have a EFI Firmware update to be applied. But who knows maybe it has been already.

 

Reference: 

EFI update for MacBook Pro 15 and 17 Inch: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1492?locale=en_CA

Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202313

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

Just now, piercetorres said:

Thats the problem i dont have access to an other mac, i have seen tools to do this on windows but i cant figure them out

 

I will try to do this just in case it does work but no guarantee

Here's some additional documentation for ya.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mchlp1599/mac

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, piercetorres said:

Thats the problem i dont have access to an other mac, i have seen tools to do this on windows but i cant figure them out

 

I will try to do this just in case it does work but no guarantee

it should be able to boot from a linux or windows usb aswell for testing. HOld option for a boot menu.

[piercetorres]

1 minute ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Here's some additional documentation for ya.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mchlp1599/mac

Thanks i will check it out 

 

But i did try it and it was a no go

Im hoping apple made a way to flash the firmware after the fact

[piercetorres]

7 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

it should be able to boot from a linux or windows usb aswell for testing. HOld option for a boot menu.

Tried holding option having tried holding it while a windows usb is in it but i do have a cent os key to try

 

Also this is what i mean by white screen it does still play the start up noise

I haven't tried hooking it up to a display but i will try to

Edited October 5, 2020 by piercetorres
Including more information

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

8 minutes ago, piercetorres said:

Tried holding option having tried holding it while a windows usb is in it but i do have a cent os key to try

You can just install Windows without a license key. Select the option I don't have a product key when it asks in the installer.

 

9 minutes ago, piercetorres said:

Also this is what i mean by white screen it does still play the start up noise

 

I haven't tried hooking it up to a display but i will try to

I would try resetting the SMC since it should at least show something like the Prohibitory Sign or a Question mark since macOS isn't installed. I believe for your machine, you have to remove the battery and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds. 

 

Resource: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201295

[piercetorres]

46 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

You can just install Windows without a license key. Select the option I don't have a product key when it asks in the installer.

I put in a cent os installation usb cause i had one lying around and nothing showed up

 

46 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

 

I would try resetting the SMC since it should at least show something like the Prohibitory Sign or a Question mark since macOS isn't installed. 

Tried to reset it using the removable battery method and nothing happened it still only shows white

 

Could one of apples other chips being stopping it from running properly

[Prodigy_Smit]

Take out the hard-drive and try to boot. That should give a no disk error, that would tell us if its a firmware error. Then we can go about fixing it depending on the result.

[Ashleyyyy]

first try internet recovery. hold down option(alt), command and r at boot. if you see a spinning globe then internet recovery works. 

 

if not you'll need another Mac to make a bootable installer to get macOS working on it. you could ask around to see if anyone in your circle has one you could use for it. 

[piercetorres]

8 hours ago, Smit Devrukhkar said:

Take out the hard-drive and try to boot. That should give a no disk error, that would tell us if its a firmware error. Then we can go about fixing it depending on the result.

Took out the drive and nothing changed, so im guessing its a firmware error

 

[piercetorres]

Update: i tried resetting the smc (i think thats what its called), i tried entering recovery mode, tried the linux boot mode thing, the point is i tried almost everything i could find on the internet and nothing is working, i feel like its a lack of mac os on my device, but i cant know for sure. i will try and meet up with a buddy and see if i can make a mac os usb key or what ever its called. 

 

If it somehow works i will update

And thank you all for your help

[Prodigy_Smit]

12 hours ago, piercetorres said:

Took out the drive and nothing changed, so im guessing its a firmware error

 

Plug the hard-drive back in.

Do this vv

Parameter Random-Access Memory (PRAM) and Non-volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) store configuration information about your Mac. To reset the PRAM/NVRAM, follow these instructions:

 

1. Restart the Mac, then press and hold down the Command + Option + P + R keys when you hear the start-up chime.
2. Continue to hold down the keys mentioned in the previous step until you hear the second start-up chime, then release the keys.
3. Wait 5 mins and shut down the mac.

 

After doing this. Shut down the mac and do this.

 

 

1. Restart the Mac, and then press and hold down the Command R keys when you hear the start-up chime.
2. Release the keys when you see the Apple logo.
3. When the Mac has finished starting up, choose Reinstall OS X from the OS X Utilities menu, then click Continue.
4. Follow the instructions that appear until you finish the process.

If the second thing does not work then you would need a USB installer.