Installed new SSD, but stuck on the Apple screen (even with old HDD)

[stikygum]

I'm not sure what is going on with my Macbook Pro. A little background first. I just bought a used 2011 MBP model 8,3. It was working under Snow Leopard with the previous owners admin name and password. So I decided to do a clean install on the old HDD with Snow Leopard. Once I did that and restarted, the Apple screen would just stay on the screen and never boot up. This is with the stock hard drive. It was previously working before I tried wiping it clean.

So I felt like I was wasting my time with that drive and decided to put my SSD in my MBP since I will be using this instead. So I inserted the Snow Leopard disc (I bought it off of craigslist, but it says retail version and looks like it). I tried to restart the MBP holding 'option' on startup and also on a different time tried holding 'C' on startup and neither worked.

After this, since I have a 2nd MBP, I decided to use my 2nd MBP in firewire Target Disk mode. I then put the Snow Leopard disc in this 2nd MBP and installed Snow Leopard on 1st MBP via firewire (target disc mode). Once installed, my 2nd MBP showed that Snow Leopard installed on the 1st MBP hard drive (SSD). So I thought that looked good. I turned off the 2nd MBP and then turned off the 1st MBP. But when I restarted the 1st MBP, the Apple screen won't go away and just stays. I don't know what is going on. Anyone have any idea?

 

[Nightarchaon]

Reset the PRAM thingy, (im sure someone will tell you the right key press, its like Command, Option , R and P or something) worked a treat on my 2008 MBP when it did this when i installed a new SSD

 

[r0k]

I'm not sure what is going on with my Macbook Pro. A little background first. I just bought a used 2011 MBP model 8,3. It was working under Snow Leopard with the previous owners admin name and password. So I decided to do a clean install on the old HDD with Snow Leopard. Once I did that and restarted, the Apple screen would just stay on the screen and never boot up. This is with the stock hard drive. It was previously working before I tried wiping it clean.

So I felt like I was wasting my time with that drive and decided to put my SSD in my MBP since I will be using this instead. So I inserted the Snow Leopard disc (I bought it off of craigslist, but it says retail version and looks like it). I tried to restart the MBP holding 'option' on startup and also on a different time tried holding 'C' on startup and neither worked.

After this, since I have a 2nd MBP, I decided to use my 2nd MBP in firewire Target Disk mode. I then put the Snow Leopard disc in this 2nd MBP and installed Snow Leopard on 1st MBP via firewire (target disc mode). Once installed, my 2nd MBP showed that Snow Leopard installed on the 1st MBP hard drive (SSD). So I thought that looked good. I turned off the 2nd MBP and then turned off the 1st MBP. But when I restarted the 1st MBP, the Apple screen won't go away and just stays. I don't know what is going on. Anyone have any idea?

Whenever I wipe a Mac, I use the original disk to put things back again. Of course nowadays with Lion and ML, I always remember to make myself a "restore USB stick" before wiping. Or I use Carbon Copy Cloner to make myself a tested, known-working bootable disk before I ever open the machine to make a swap.

So one thing to check is whether the disk you are using will work with the machine you are restoring. A 2011 MBP should have come with Lion, right? Perhaps if it was "early" 2011, it came with SL. If you find your disk isn't working, you can get one from Apple at a modest cost.

 

[stikygum]

I did try the Pram (NVram) reset), though I can't remember if I did that before or after I installed the SSD. I'll try again when I get back home.

My Macbook is an early 2011, so Snow Leopard came with it I believe...not 100% sure though. That's a good suggestion. I plan to start using either Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner for backups, once I get out of this. It is weird though, a 2009 MBP that I have has no problems with the Snow Leopard disc.

Any other things to try to get the MBP to recognize the SSD?

 

[madmin]

I did try the Pram (NVram) reset), though I can't remember if I did that before or after I installed the SSD. I'll try again when I get back home.

My Macbook is an early 2011, so Snow Leopard came with it I believe...not 100% sure though. That's a good suggestion. I plan to start using either Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner for backups, once I get out of this. It is weird though, a 2009 MBP that I have has no problems with the Snow Leopard disc.

Any other things to try to get the MBP to recognize the SSD?

I think you should re-try the PRAM reset. It sounds like there's a firmware password and that will normally disable it. If it doesn't accept boot options or a new boot disk, that's usually the reason.

I have an early 2011 MBP and it did originally come with Snow Leopard 10.6.3 although I would install Mountain Lion now if I was you. When installing you should make sure it's not running off the battery and best have an ethernet cable connecting it to your router during the install.

 

[shootist]

Boot from the Snow Leopard install DVD and Re-Partition the drive as One partition. then do the install of Snow Leopard.

More then likely when you wiped the drive the first time, Using the Erase utility you did not remove the Recovery HD partition. You must do that before you install Snow Leopard.

 

[madmin]

Boot from the Snow Leopard install DVD and Re-Partition the drive as One partition. then do the install of Snow Leopard.

More then likely when you wiped the drive the first time, Using the Erase utility you did not remove the Recovery HD partition. You must do that before you install Snow Leopard.

I think you'll find that the recovery partition was introduced in Lion 10.7

 

[stikygum]

I don't remember if it allowed me to erase it or not. At any rate, I found out that the early 2011 Macbooks need OS 10.6.7, not 10.6.3. I took it to the Apple store and that's what they told me. They said the 2011 Macbooks were released sometime after Snow Leopard and they came with version 10.6.7. And he loaded the OS up and it worked.

Interesting about the recovery hard drive partition. I didn't know about it, but I'll have to look into that, for future reference.

I appreciate the suggestions, that helped me deduce what was wrong and realize I didn't have what it took to fix it. I was told I can call Apple Support to and just pay shipping to get the 10.6.7 disc. It will be good to have if I need to install this OS again.

 

[madmin]

I don't remember if it allowed me to erase it or not. At any rate, I found out that the early 2011 Macbooks need OS 10.6.7, not 10.6.3. I took it to the Apple store and that's what they told me. They said the 2011 Macbooks were released sometime after Snow Leopard and they came with version 10.6.7. And he loaded the OS up and it worked.

Interesting about the recovery hard drive partition. I didn't know about it, but I'll have to look into that, for future reference.

I appreciate the suggestions, that helped me deduce what was wrong and realize I didn't have what it took to fix it. I was told I can call Apple Support to and just pay shipping to get the 10.6.7 disc. It will be good to have if I need to install this OS again.

Ooops, it was my mini that came with 10.6.3 - sorry bout that

 

[seveej]

I don't remember if it allowed me to erase it or not. At any rate, I found out that the early 2011 Macbooks need OS 10.6.7, not 10.6.3. I took it to the Apple store and that's what they told me. They said the 2011 Macbooks were released sometime after Snow Leopard and they came with version 10.6.7. And he loaded the OS up and it worked.

This is (to the best of my knowledge) correct. MBP 8.1-8.3 needs 10.6.7/8, but last time I checked, that version could not be bought from Apple (then 10.6.3 retail was the newest). Has this changed? I'd love to get 10.6. on my MBP 8.2.

Pekka

 

[stikygum]

Ooops, it was my mini that came with 10.6.3 - sorry bout that

No problem, it's part of the process of getting down to the nitty gritty of what's going on.

The only way I know where to order the 10.6.7 disc is through apple support over the phone. You just can't buy them in the apple store.

 

[Weaselboy]

No problem, it's part of the process of getting down to the nitty gritty of what's going on.

The only way I know where to order the 10.6.7 disc is through apple support over the phone. You just can't buy them in the apple store.

So you have it up and running now with 10.6.7? If you run Software Update you can access the App Store and just get Mountain Lion for $20. I would just do that instead of ordering a 10.6 DVD and make yourself a USB key installer for future use.

 

[stikygum]

Yeah, I have 10.6.7 up and running. Is it possible put this OS onto a USB drive? How do you do that?

As for Mountain Lion (ML), I'm going to stay on Snow Leopard for a little longer, because I have some music programs I researched and found out there are some issues with them on ML. So I will probably stay on SL until the other companies can get that sorted out.

 

[Weaselboy]

Yeah, I have 10.6.7 up and running. Is it possible put this OS onto a USB drive? How do you do that?

There isn't any way to get the Snow Leopard installer from a running system onto an installer CD, short of just copying the entire OS over... but that us not really an installer like you see for Lion or Mountain Lion.

You could use Carbon Copy Cloner to Clone everything to a large USB key as a backup.