Total MacBook newbie wants to reinstall a macbook.

[staubgame]

So someone I know asked me to fix their computer, a macbook pro Model Nr A1286.

Sadly, I know little more. 

 

So I googled and it came up with a most likely faulty hdd (always got stuck at 10% loading bar).

So I threw in a used SSD I had lying around to try a  new installation via internet recovery, but that also fails.

The globe spins, something loads, and before the laguage selection comes up, white screen and the MBP gets hot (fans spin up after a minute or two)

 

Before I stumble around I decided to ask.

 

Any help or ideas?

[TheGlenlivet]

6 minutes ago, staubgame said:

So someone I know asked me to fix their computer, a macbook pro Model Nr A1286.

Sadly, I know little more. 

 

So I googled and it came up with a most likely faulty hdd (always got stuck at 10% loading bar).

So I threw in a used SSD I had lying around to try a  new installation via internet recovery, but that also fails.

The globe spins, something loads, and before the laguage selection comes up, white screen and the MBP gets hot (fans spin up after a minute or two)

 

Before I stumble around I decided to ask.

 

Any help or ideas?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

You can get the OS from the mac store and reinstall.  It's free from Apple.

[staubgame]

Ah okay, apparently this thing is just above too old to get internet recovery... Sad times.

 

Is there any way to download the OS without signing in to itunes?

[FoxPro]

A1286 is the model number for a unibody 15" MacBook Pro, like the chassis, the hardware inside ranges from 2008 to 2012. You can use the EveryMac Lookup tool, https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/ and see more specifically the year of the 'book itself.

2 hours ago, staubgame said:

Is there any way to download the OS without signing in to itunes?

I might have a installer for El Capitan already downloaded that you can use. El Cap will work on all models 2008 and newer, in this case till '12 for A1286.

 

I recently helped someone else with a similar issue (with ID'ing the laptop and getting them a copy of the installer), however they were able to use Internet Recovery to at least get into OS X to make a bootable USB drive.

 

I'd like to see if we can figure out the issue with Internet Recovery first, it'll make this a hundred times easier. Else I can maybe get a DD/RAW image of the flash drive and you can just flash it yourself, no working Mac required (theoretically).

[staubgame]

8 minutes ago, FoxPro said:

(...)

Hey FoxPro, 

 

that would be amazing. As described the internet recovery start up and the loading bar fills, once it is full the screen goes white and stops.

(I saw a guide with screenshots in which there then was a language selection)

Everymac results in this model:

MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.2 15" Early 2011

2.2 GHz Core i7 (I7-2720QM)

Intro. February 24, 2011   Disc. October 24, 2011 Order MC723LL/A Model A1286 (EMC 2353-1*) Family Early 2011 15" ID MacBookPro8,2 RAM 4 GB VRAM 1 GB* Storage 750 GB HDD Optical 8X DL "SuperDrive" Complete MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.2 15" Early 2011 Specs

However, the HDD was already replaced by an SSD, which now seems to be broken (an HDD tool says "Attention" in some SMART areas and a few errors in a test.

I fixed an iMac once with Internet Recovery, if that would work...

[FoxPro]

10 minutes ago, staubgame said:

MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.2 15" Early 2011

2.2 GHz Core i7 (I7-2720QM)

Intro. February 24, 2011   Disc. October 24, 2011 Order MC723LL/A Model A1286 (EMC 2353-1*) Family Early 2011 15" ID MacBookPro8,2 RAM 4 GB VRAM 1 GB* Storage 750 GB HDD Optical 8X DL "SuperDrive" Complete MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.2 15" Early 2011 Specs

 

Well first of all, congratulations you can run the latest version of macOS on that laptop, but in that case I'd have to redownload the 10.13 installer as all I had was 10.11. You can upgrade, but you'd need an Apple ID. (Or me to download it and send you over the .app myself)

 

Not getting to the language selection means it's not completing the boot process. I don't know if it's possible with Internet Recovery, but see if you can boot in either verbose (CMD + V) or Safe Mode (CMD + X). Verbose will show us what the system itself is doing, and let us know where it crashes, and safe mode is like on windows, only basic drivers for core function, for troubleshooting.

 

When in doubt you can make the aforementioned 10.11 USB and use that to get something running on there, and a working Disk Utility to double check the SSD for issues. But if that doesn't work we have a different issue entirely, if no OS will boot on it.

[staubgame]

I did a dumb here. Sorry.

[staubgame]

3 minutes ago, FoxPro said:

Well first of all, congratulations you can run the latest version of macOS on that laptop, but in that case I'd have to redownload the 10.13 installer as all I had was 10.11. You can upgrade, but you'd need an Apple ID. (Or me to download it and send you over the .app myself)

 

Not getting to the language selection means it's not completing the boot process. I don't know if it's possible with Internet Recovery, but see if you can boot in either verbose (CMD + V) or Safe Mode (CMD + X). Verbose will show us what the system itself is doing, and let us know where it crashes, and safe mode is like on windows, only basic drivers for core function, for troubleshooting.

 

When in doubt you can make the aforementioned 10.11 USB and use that to get something running on there, and a working Disk Utility to double check the SSD for issues. But if that doesn't work we have a different issue entirely, if no OS will boot on it.

Currently I'm using an SSD I had lying around from another system. I assumed the installed one was faulty. 

CMD+V doesn't do anything, just that after some time the foler with ? flashes (so, no OS if i recall)

 

When I got the macbook, I was told that there was a really loud noise comming from it and the user was unable to switch it off. Thus, maybe a different problem alltogether might actually be the case. It not booting up correctly kinda agrees with that.

I can easily switch back to the previous SSD but if possible the Data on that should be saved since there is most likely only some backed up in iCloud. 

It's an older lady.

 

I did get her AppleID however, so maybe that can help`?

[FoxPro]

11 minutes ago, staubgame said:

Currently I'm using an SSD I had lying around from another system. I assumed the installed one was faulty. 

CMD+V doesn't do anything, just that after some time the foler with ? flashes (so, no OS if i recall)

 

When I got the macbook, I was told that there was a really loud noise comming from it and the user was unable to switch it off. Thus, maybe a different problem alltogether might actually be the case. It not booting up correctly kinda agrees with that.

I can easily switch back to the previous SSD but if possible the Data on that should be saved since there is most likely only some backed up in iCloud. 

It's an older lady.

 

I did get her AppleID however, so maybe that can help`?

Did you ever try to boot it up with the original drive? Or did you instantly switch it out for the new SSD?

 

I didn't think CMD+V would work with Internet Recovery, it Should Just Work(tm). You're correct though the flashing folder icon is no bootable partition. And after a double check, just holding shift would do a safe mode boot, CMD+V for verbose, and CMD+S for single user mode.

 

I think maybe its a GPU issue(?) If I recall correctly MBP's of that era had some design flaws that causes GPUs to break in them. Safe Mode won't load up any of the graphics drivers (as far as I know) so again, it'll be like Windows's safe mode. 

 

So, you still have the original disk, so put that back in and try getting it to boot somehow. You said you just now set them up with an Apple ID, which means if they did not have one prior, there is no iCloud for anything to go. If you can, you can take an image backup of that disk (either though another mac or something that will backup the drive at a low level, like Clonezilla) to be 110% safe.

[staubgame]

15 hours ago, FoxPro said:

 

I have, it did nothing but I have not tried the internet recovery, since I was hoping to rescue the data.

I figured it erases and re-installs the OS, similar to windows?

 

I pop in the original drive (which was already replaced by her son by an SSD but working) and I'lll try save mode. I'll post an update

[staubgame]

15 hours ago, FoxPro said:

 

Update: Safe mode did nothing, apple logo showed, loading bar stopped at roughly 25% and nothing.
Verbose showed the text and stoped at this:

(Sorry for the crappy screen shot  )

 

[staubgame]

16 hours ago, FoxPro said:

 

Another update. I've read while googleing around that safemode also starts by holding the shift key.

In that case the loading bar moves to around 33% (but pixel by pixel) after which the screen turns white and nothing, again.

 

Also, call me crazy but it sounds like there's a HDD in there (I sometimes here it's head clicking... o.o)

There's an Samsung SSD in there and holding the option key on boot shows up 1 drive.

 

 

[FoxPro]

Hmm, this is quite the issue, but I'm not about to give up.

 

The

** GPU Hardware VM is disabled (multispace: disabled, page table updates with DMA: disabled)

line brings some concern but when looking it up, there's not much of anything on that. What I did find was someone saying they don't get that on 10.9 Mavericks but in 10.10 Yosemite on it happens, and their model is the same as yours, linked here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7574721

 

Maybe see if you can get into single user mode (CMD+S), I don't know what we could even do if it boots in there, yet... If it does boot into single user mode that's at least SOME form of progress.

 

Also worth noting that my 2012 MacBook Pro 15" had issues booting the 10.13 installer directly, I had to boot with Internet Recovery, install 10.7, download Yosemite, make a USB with that, and then reboot, wipe the drive, install Yosemite, then download the 10.13 installer and upgrade. Worked fine ever since. My issue was that anything later than 10.10 would start to install, then when it got close to finishing, it'd force reboot.

 

6 hours ago, staubgame said:

I have, it did nothing but I have not tried the internet recovery, since I was hoping to rescue the data.

I figured it erases and re-installs the OS, similar to windows?

 

I pop in the original drive (which was already replaced by her son by an SSD but working) and I'lll try save mode. I'll post an update

Internet Recovery is just an image of the 10.7 installer with some extra utilities, you can repair the disk or run other utilities, it won't erase the OS unless you tell it to.

 

But! You can't even get into Internet Recovery (the macbook nor the os is too old for it though, 10.7 can even access the app store to download apps) which we've established from the start, and you can't boot IR with safe or verbose mode...

 

5 hours ago, staubgame said:

Another update. I've read while googleing around that safemode also starts by holding the shift key.

In that case the loading bar moves to around 33% (but pixel by pixel) after which the screen turns white and nothing, again.

 

Also, call me crazy but it sounds like there's a HDD in there (I sometimes here it's head clicking... o.o)

There's an Samsung SSD in there and holding the option key on boot shows up 1 drive.

 

 

The clicking may be from the optical drive, unless that was replaced with a hard drive, and that is clicking. It wouldn't show up in the boot menu if there's no bootable partition on it. Actually, if there is an optical drive, see about booting a Linux or Windows DVD, not to install of course, just to see if its exclusive to OS X or for anything. If not, do a USB boot. I'd recommend a Linux with a live CD/DVD/USB, so if it IS the GPU, we'd see issues with it, else it's something to do with OS X.

[staubgame]

If it's the CD drive, then it would make the most HDD like clicking a cd drive ever made

 

The Linux USB is a good idea. I ahve one lying aroung but that one does not show up in the startup manager.  

Might have to do a new one tomorrow, However, the son of the owner said that she should sent him the macbook, and he'll check wether he can fix it (he has several macs) or if he'll buy a new one for her. So, I'll try the linux first thing in the morning and if that does not fix it, I no longer have to. So... well. I'll see in the morning (my time is GMT+1, germany. so it's 1 in the morning now... ) 

[FoxPro]

6 minutes ago, staubgame said:

If it's the CD drive, then it would make the most HDD like clicking a cd drive ever made

 

The Linux USB is a good idea. I ahve one lying aroung but that one does not show up in the startup manager.  

Might have to do a new one tomorrow, However, the son of the owner said that she should sent him the macbook, and he'll check wether he can fix it (he has several macs) or if he'll buy a new one for her. So, I'll try the linux first thing in the morning and if that does not fix it, I no longer have to. So... well. I'll see in the morning (my time is GMT+1, germany. so it's 1 in the morning now... ) 

The Linux USB HAS to be in the GUID Partition Table (GPT), not MBR. Macs are strictly UEFI only. That could explain why the Linux USB didn't work. If not then, a quick google should lend some light onto it.

 

Well, if we can't figure it out the issue before you have to send it off, you can at least describe all that you tried so they don't have to spend time redoing what you already did. The Linux boot, if successful should let us know that the issue is exclusive to macOS/OS X, but that year IS the run with a bad GPU (though maybe it lasted this long if it was never stressed too much).

[wasab]

I got a question. Why didn’t you take it to an Apple store and let those people in the blue shirts do it for you?

[DrMacintosh]

Ok, what you need is access to another Mac. 

 

Either from a friend or somewhere, and you need to make a macOS Bootable USB. 

 

Since you installed a new drive you have to install macOS from an external source and the bootable USB is the only way to do this. Internet recovery won't work because the drive is not formatted and doesn't have a recovery partition. 

 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372 

alternatively you can VM macOS on a PC and get into the App Store and do the same 

https://pureinfotech.com/make-bootable-usb-mac-os-x-windows/ 

 

On a side note I have had a similar issue on my 2016 MacBook Pro. What happened was I was messing with Bootcamp and some errors occurred resulting in my eventually making the SSD become "not mounted" so I had to make a bootable USB with my old 2011 iMac to get a separate instance of Disk Utility to remount the drive. 

[FoxPro]

7 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Either from a friend or somewhere, and you need to make a macOS Bootable USB. Internet recovery won't work because the drive is not formatted and doesn't have a recovery partition.

Internet Recovery can work without a recovery partition, that’s how I did it on my 2012 MBP. I used the IR version of 10.7 (10.13 wouldn’t install directly, it would format the drive (as APFS) and then fail about 3/4 ways in. So I reformatted to HFS, installed 10.7, made a 10.11 USB, reformatted to 10.11, and then updated to 10.13. 

 

And im pretty sure since the OP hasn’t said anything the past few days, that they’ve given the MBP to the original owner’s son to fix.

[DrMacintosh]

3 hours ago, FoxPro said:

Internet Recovery can work without a recovery partition, that’s how I did it on my 2012 MBP.

I don’t think Internet recovery has the proper tools to install macOS on a new drive which probably isn’t even mounted. 

[FoxPro]

@DrMacintosh Internet Recovery is just an image of the 10.7 installer (in my case), with a few extra features to do stuff like browse the Apple support pages. But it’s basically just a specialized image of the installer disc, as far as what I’ve experienced with it. 

[staubgame]

Hey, sorry for being quite for a few Days.

 

As mentioned earlier, the son   of the owner wanted to do it himself so I had to take it back to her. 

Thus no solution but done here.

 

Thanks a lot for your help anyhow.