Install old hard drive into new MBP

[seanbperiod]

I just purchased a 2015 MBP non retina, an upgrade from my mid 2009 MBP. The old one comes has an SSD with El Capitan installed, which I'd like to use in the new one, but I got the crossed out circle after I installed and booted it up.

Can I just reinstall El Capitan with my old SSD in the new MBP, and keep all the data and it will boot up fine? or does something more complicated need to happen?

Thanks!

 

[Weaselboy]

If you are in the latest El Capitan version on the SSD, you should not need to reinstall the OS for this to work. You should be able to just pop in the SSD on the 2015 and have it boot right up. You have something else going on it sounds like.

If you have a El Capitan USB key installer, and it will recognize the SSD, you can just install over top of the existing install without loosing data... but I'll be surprised if you can see the SSD from the installer from your description here.

Are you positive you seated the drive cable properly?

 

[seanbperiod]

I'll double check..

I'm also wondering if it's because I force enabled TRIM? or that there's not recovery partition?

 

[Weaselboy]

I'll double check..

I'm also wondering if it's because I force enabled TRIM? or that there's not recovery partition?

You mean your did "sudo trimforce enable" on the SSD when it was in the old machine? That would not matter.

Not having a recovery partition would not matter either.

Another idea... try a NVRAM reset from this link.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

 

[treekram]

Do you have a 2012 model MBP that was purchased new? The last non-Retina model was the 2012 model that they are still manufacturing. Do you have El Capitan on the SSD from the 2009 MBP or something else? Apple computers will not run on an OS older than what they were originally designed for. Also, some have reported having cable problems when using an SSD (the cable works for the HDD). I have a 2012 MBP that I got new (refurb) in December and it had no cable issue but who knows - I would try other measures before going out and buying a cable, considering it's fairly new.

 

[seanbperiod]

2012 computer is on 10.11.2 and 2009 is on 10.11.3. I've tried resetting the nvram, smc and even tried verbose mode, the last legible message being something about SDXC before the grey screen with cross out circle appeared on top of the terminal screen, with additional messages being overlayed ontop, but impossible to read.

I was able to get to the bootloader and saw my SSD drive appear there and the recovery partition, but neither loaded.

I just created a USB install. I'm going to try to install that on the SSD in the 2012 and hopefully that will work

<crossing fingers>

 

[seanbperiod]

Update:

So unfortunately that didn't work.

The bootloader can see the hard drive when holding option key when starting up, but after loading the OSX Install, the drive is nowhere to be found..

However, I am able to run it from USB, which I'm doing now in the meantime..

Any solutions?

 

[Weaselboy]

However, I am able to run it from USB, which I'm doing now in the meantime..

That does point to a bad internal cable, but that would be very odd since you said this is a brand new machine just out of the box correct? I understand it is a "2012 model", but still sold new today by Apple.

 

[seanbperiod]

Not new, purchased used- however, the hard drive it came with works fine. Is it possible that the cable (broken or not) only works with certain hard drives?

 

[treekram]

The problem that some people have with the cable is that the HDD works fine, but an SSD doesn't. The problem doesn't seem to affect HDD's only SSD's. I don't recall people having that problem with the newer (those manufactured in the last year or so) 2012 MBP's but that doesn't mean it still doesn't happen in these computers. You should try booting from the USB, see if it works, try it in the computer and if it doesn't work, try the NVRAM and SMC reset once more and if all of that doesn't work, the cable is probably the next likely alternative. What brand/model SSD do you have?

 

[Weaselboy]

Not new, purchased used- however, the hard drive it came with works fine. Is it possible that the cable (broken or not) only works with certain hard drives?

Ah... that changes things. When you said 2015 I assumed you had just purchased the latest model (2012 model year) MacBook Pro and it was new.

Yeah very good chance it is the cable then. Like treekram mentioned, this is common when going from a HDD to an SSD. My theory is the failing cable still works with the lower data rates of the HDD, but when stressed by the higher data rates of the SSD it fails on its face.

I'd get a new cable.

 

[seanbperiod]

Alright, I'll scope out a new cable. Thanks for the help everyone!

Would it be possible to use the cable from the 2009? or are they different?

sidenote- I'm amazed by the improvement this is over the 2009. Even running off of USB 3, it feels so much faster. It will probably zip exponentially once I get the SSD installed internally and max out the ram.

 

[treekram]

The 2009 and 2012 models use different assemblies.

https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Parts/MacBook-Pro-13-Inch-Unibody-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF163-013-1

https://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Part...Unibody-Mid-2012-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF163-041-1

There are cheaper alternatives on Amazon - check the reviews. The links above include the Apple parts #'s. Make sure the one you buy matches.