MacOS High Sierra cannot be installed on this computer.

[Miscellaneous]

Thanks ? @yeinerfonseca

Do you know if the HDD installed in the MBP is the original Apple OEM HDD?

Just wondering if it’s something similar to what @vertical smile experienced?!?

If it is the original HDD I would honestly not know why the firmware wasn’t updated also?!?

In that case I would try to boot into Recovery/Internet Recovery and try to reinstall macOS High Sierra over the top of itself which MIGHT install the correct firmware!?!

Obviously that would take a while so maybe do that as a last resort and hang on for a while until someone may be able to suggest an easier troubleshooting method.

I hope you can find a solution soon, I bet you just wanna get on with installing the new SSD! ?

 

[yeinerfonseca]

Thanks ? @yeinerfonseca

Do you know if the HDD installed in the MBP is the original Apple OEM HDD?

Just wondering if it’s something similar to what @vertical smile experienced?!?

If it is the original HDD I would honestly not know why the firmware wasn’t updated also?!?

In that case I would try to boot into Recovery/Internet Recovery and try to reinstall macOS High Sierra over the top of itself which MIGHT install the correct firmware!?!

Obviously that would take a while so maybe do that as a last resort and hang on for a while until someone may be able to suggest an easier troubleshooting method.

I hope you can find a solution soon, I bet you just wanna get on with installing the new SSD! ?

Yeah, the HDD it has is the original from Apple. But I can't even install on top on this one since I get the same error alert.
Thank you for your time in trying to help me. Really appreciate it!

 

[Juicy Box]

You have an Early 2011 MBP and I have a Late 2011 MBP, but I looked up the Firmware for yours, and a website I found recommended the same one:

• MacBookPro8,1, MacBookPro8,3 87.0.0.0.0

Do you have a USB/SATA adapter?

 

[Miscellaneous]

No problem ? @yeinerfonseca

You’re welcome, to be honest I don’t really know what more to suggest.

I hope someone can help you get this sorted out! You may also have some luck through Apple Support online chat?!?

Thanks!

 

[yeinerfonseca]

You have an Early 2011 MBP and I have a Late 2011 MBP, but I looked up the Firmware for yours, and a website I found recommended the same one:



Do you have a USB/SATA adapter?

Unfortunately I don't have one. Maybe I could try to create the bootable memory by using a different method but anyway it is weird.

 

[Juicy Box]

Unfortunately I don't have one. Maybe I could try to create the bootable memory by using a different method but anyway it is weird.

I am not sure where you are located, but if you are in that states, you can get one for really cheap on Amazon and have it delivered quickly.

I have a bunch, but my favorite for 2.5" drives is this one:

SABRENT USB 3.0 to SSD / 2.5 Inch SATA I/II/III Hard Drive Adapter (EC-SSHD)

Product Description:Take advantage of the lightening speed of USB 3.0 to quickly transfer files up to 5 Gbps! Connect any 2.5'' Serial ATA (SATA) / SSD or SATA II Hard Drive to your computer through an available USB 3.0 port on your desktop or laptop. Reverse compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, this...

www.amazon.com

It has a long cable, which is why I like it.

 

[Miscellaneous]

Hey @yeinerfonseca

I just had an idea which might work, I mean it would probably get you to having an SSD with macOS High Sierra installed. To be quite honest it would take a while but you could leave your MBP unattended for most of it.

With your current HDD installed you could download an older version of macOS/OS X such as 10.10 Yosemite or later for example and create a relevant USB bootable installer.

Then install the new SSD into your MBP and use the USB installer following the relevant instructions to install and set up the older version of macOS onto the SSD.

From there you should be able to upgrade to macOS High Sierra from either the bootable installer you created or by downloading it again from the Mac App Store link provided on the Apple website.

Just a method I thought that could work!?! There's probably a much easier/efficient way but just thought I would mention it in case.

Best Of Luck!

 

[Juicy Box]

There are definitely some options for the OP, although if the OP had the USB/SATA cable, that would make things a lot easier.

Actually, the OP could just clone the High Sierra OS that is on the HDD to the SSD. That would probably be the quickest way of getting HS on the SSD, although it doesn't fix the issue.

I think there could be something wrong with the installer, too.

To the OP: have you tried doing internet recovery mode?

 

[yeinerfonseca]

There are definitely some options for the OP, although if the OP had the USB/SATA cable, that would make things a lot easier.

Actually, the OP could just clone the High Sierra OS that is on the HDD to the SSD. That would probably be the quickest way of getting HS on the SSD, although it doesn't fix the issue.

I think there could be something wrong with the installer, too.

To the OP: have you tried doing internet recovery mode?

Sorry but I don't get what you mean by OP. Anyways, I haven't tried the internet recovery mode. I wanted to try with the files I had downloaded from the AppStore.

 

[yeinerfonseca]

Hey @yeinerfonseca

I just had an idea which might work, I mean it would probably get you to having an SSD with macOS High Sierra installed. To be quite honest it would take a while but you could leave your MBP unattended for most of it.

With your current HDD installed you could download an older version of macOS/OS X such as 10.10 Yosemite or later for example and create a relevant USB bootable installer.

Then install the new SSD into your MBP and use the USB installer following the relevant instructions to install and set up the older version of macOS onto the SSD.

From there you should be able to upgrade to macOS High Sierra from either the bootable installer you created or by downloading it again from the Mac App Store link provided on the Apple website.

Just a method I thought that could work!?! There's probably a much easier/efficient way but just thought I would mention it in case.

Best Of Luck!

I am going to give it a try! Thank you.

 

[Miscellaneous]

@yeinerfonseca

As suggested by @vertical smile I would give internet recovery a try also as you may have a chance to reinstall macOS High Sierra over the top of itself from there and possibly update the firmware in the process!

Please let us know how it goes! ??

 

[KeesMacPro]

Sorry but I don't get what you mean by OP.

OP= original poster= person who started the thread.

The Firmware updater can be very picky about the hardware.
I'd install the OEM HDD and the OEM RAM modules (if possible) just to be 100% sure.
The OEM HDD has to be mounted internally for the Firmware updater to work.

After that i'd install El Capitan on the OEM HDD.
Erase and format the OEM HDD to Mac OS extended , and make a createinstallmedia of El Capitan.
Once El Capitan is installed on the OEM internal HDD, you could download HS and upgrade to HS internally, no USB and no recovery needed.
Just by running the installer as application ,booted from El Capitan on the OEM HDD.
After a succeeded update to HS you can remove the HDD and RAM and install 3rd party SSD and RAM.

the process I followed was making a bootable flashdrive and do it through the recovery as well.

A clean install and recovery are 2 completely different procedures.
If you want to do a clean install, once you booted the installer and get to the installer menu , first erase and format the target drive (to Mac OS extended) in DiskUtility and then choose install , not recovery.

 

[yeinerfonseca]

I want to thank everybody who left a comment and tried to help me, especially @Miscellaneous y @vertical smile.
I did Internet recovery (I had no idea it existed) and was able to install High Sierra on my SSD with format APFS. I just downloaded the updates from the AppStore and applied them, and guess what? The Boot ROM version changed to 87.0.0.0.0.
Thank you very much! ?

 

[Miscellaneous]

That's great news @yeinerfonseca

I'm glad you managed to get it installed along with the latest firmware version!

Cheers!