Mac won’t start- best strategy to proceed?

[dobermanuk]

Hi all,
My mid 14 MacBook Pro won’t start. I am getting the message ‘…restarted because of a problem…)
Tried all the usual resets and safe mode. Disk Utility can’t repair it. Time Machine doesn’t like that drive either.

I used a usb to boot up and I can see the internal drive and files.

The Mac did an overnight Time Machine backup (I hope it finished) and I found it dead the next day.

Can I use the internal files I see to make another backup in case the Time Machine didn’t complete its job?

What’s the best approach at this stage?

Thanks in advance…
-)

 

[kitKAC]

You could boot into Recovery and reinstall macOS over the top of the existing install, you won't lose any files that way and hopefully, it'll fix whatever the problem is that's stopping it from booting correctly.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"I used a usb to boot up and I can see the internal drive and files."

If you did this, then it WILL boot.
It just won't boot from the internal SSD.

Have you tried booting to INTERNET recovery?
This is NOT THE SAME as "the recovery partition".

Command-OPTION-R
at boot.

You'll need your wifi password, and the utilities take a while to load, so be patient "as the globe spins".

When done, you should see the Internet utilities on screen.

Can you try this?

IF you can get booted to internet recovery, then try this:
1. open disk utility
2. check to see if there's a "view" menu. If there IS, choose "show all devices" (very important step).
3. look at the list "on the left". Do you see the physical SSD inside? It should be "at the top" of the list.
4. If it's there, try first aid on it. And on every other entry "below it".

Try these steps.
Come back here with the results.

 

[dobermanuk]

Thanks for the replies…
I tried the internet recovery and I could see the hard drive yes. But the first aid failed in all entries under the ssd drive, except the SD card and the macOS Base System.

 

[dobermanuk]

You could boot into Recovery and reinstall macOS over the top of the existing install, you won't lose any files that way and hopefully, it'll fix whatever the problem is that's stopping it from booting correctly.

I tried that and it fails right at the start!

 

[kitKAC]

Try running First Aid on the macOS volume, if you're still getting partition map errors - you'll have to start again. If you've got enough disk space, you can try adding another Volume and install Monterey on to that. Then you can use that install to access the corrupt old one to get another backup of your data, you won't be able to use Time Machine for that - you'll have to use CCC or SuperDuper! to create a backup on an external drive.

Also.... depending on disk space, you could use the new Monterey install to migrate your data over from the corrupt one...

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Important questions:
Is that the factory-installed Apple SSD in there?
Or... somewhere along the line, did you "change it out"?

If so, do you still have the original drive?

 

[dobermanuk]

I changed it months ago yes (January), but it was working ok until last night. I do have the original drive yes. The original drive wouldn't update to the new OS, it seemed like it was playing up, so I had to get the 1tb Samsung in there and it worked beautifully.

edit: Running First Aid after booting with the external USB OS, says that the internal SSD has a problem with the partition map. It suggests I run the First Aid from Recovery mode, which I already know it won't work. Sounds to me I am better off erasing it and make a fresh installation?

 

[StoneJack]

format and reisntall.
Also possibly SSD failure, especially if it is of a cheap kind.
Some like Samsung have some problems on Macs (due to trim problems).

 

[dobermanuk]

I can’t even erase the ssd!
That has to be a faulty drive I suppose yes? It can’t be the sintech adapter because I can still read the files?

 

[dobermanuk]

format and reisntall.
Also possibly SSD failure, especially if it is of a cheap kind.
Some like Samsung have some problems on Macs (due to trim problems).

I used the Samsung 970 Evo Plus. Is there a better option instead?

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd suggest that you put the "factory-original" drive back in, and see if you can get it going that way...

 

[StoneJack]

I'd suggest that you put the "factory-original" drive back in, and see if you can get it going that way...

yes that's correct approach. If it works fine with factory drive, change SSD. WD has better compatibility as I found

 

[dobermanuk]

The original drive works, and even on a USB enclosure the Samsung SSD randomly disappears. I will get a WD thanks!
The SN750 SE was half price on amazon, so fingers crossed!
Thank you all for your time, I really appreciate it.