macbook pro 2012 does not accept SSD drive

[cristia29]

Hello, my name is Cristian. I have a MacBook Pro from 2012 and I have a problem. I bought a 512GB SSD from the Goldenfir brand to put it in my Mac because it's running very slowly. I proceeded to install the disk manually following a tutorial on YouTube. I formatted it with Disk Utility and I got to the step where you install the Mac OS Catalina system through a bootable USB. The installation was proceeding, but after a while, it showed an error and restarted, going back to Utilities. I followed the steps again and it always gave an error. I decided to do the recovery over the Internet and when the OS X system installation finished, it showed 2 symbols: the first was a circle with a diagonal and the other was a folder with a question mark. I put the HDD back in and it didn't give any errors, so I decided to clone the disk to the SSD since I was trying to install MAC OS to start from scratch. When I finished cloning it, I installed the SSD and everything started normally. While I was testing everything to make sure it was working fine, it started freezing for a few seconds but I didn't give it much thought. I decided to turn it off and go to sleep. The next day, when I turned it back on, it showed the two symbols again. I formatted the disk again and tried the installation again, with Catalina, High Sierra, and the Internet recovery method, but they all gave errors. I tried changing to APFS, Mac OS Plus, and it still gives an error. I tried putting the HDD back in to see if I damaged the Hard Drive Flex and it starts normally. Does anyone have a solution to this? I'm waiting responses and recommendations. Thank you.

 

[iMacDragon]

At a quick google, never having heard of the brand, it sounds like it may just be a really bad SSD.

 

[justashooter]

Well, I wouldn't have bought a Goldenfir SSD considering the reviews I have read and how inexpensive reputable brands such as Crucial and Samsung have become. But, it is possible that your SATA cable is bad, even though it works with the hard drive attached. The faster data that SSDs transmit can overwhelm a worn SATA cable. The SATA cable in that series is known to rub on the inside of the case. I know, I have 2 of the 13 inch 2012 MBPs and had to replace the SATA cable on one after I upgraded to a SSD and have replaced them on 3 friends MBPs that I upgraded during the covid lockdown in 2020. A test is to put the Goldenfir SSD in an inexpensive USB 3 enclosure, and boot the MBP from that external enclosure. If it runs OK, then replace the SATA cable and reinstall the SSD in the computer. It is only about $14 and easy to replace. I am using that 2012 MBP to make this post. You will find others on this forum that had this same problem.

 

[Fishrrman]

Hmmm... justashooter has the answer, I think.

It's probably not the SSD.

It's the RIBBON CABLE that connects the SSD to the motherboard.

These are a "weak spot" on 2012 Unibody MacBook Pros -- the cable either gets frayed externally or cracked "internally".

This results in "interrupted communication" between the drive and the motherboard.
To the user, it "looks like" the drive may be bad, but again -- it's just poor communications between the drive and the motherboard.

The solution is VERY easy and cheap -- replace the ribbon cable.

You can get the part number at ifixit.com.
Either get the cable from them, or elsewhere on the net.

I predict that if you replace the cable, "the problem" may just... disappear.