OS Install Won't Complete

[sp330i]

MacBook Pro 5.5 mid 2009 - Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz

Experienced a recent hard drive (SSD) crash. Physically replaced the existing SSD with a new one after the genius bar diagnosed a bad hard drive.

After I installed the new SSD, I ran all diagnostics from the Snow Leopard disc and everything checked out fine. Attempted to install OS. It appears to complete everything until the very end and then stops with an error that the OS cannot be installed.

I attempted later versions of the OS downloaded from Apple up through El Capitan, all with the same results. All tests indicate everything is functioning correctly, particularly the drive, but the OS won't complete the installation.

Took to genius bar. They experienced similar results and are telling me the logic board needs to be replaced.

Would love to hear from someone who experienced something similar and found an alternate solution to replacing the logic board.

 

[casperes1996]

Would love to hear from someone who experienced something similar and found an alternate solution to replacing the logic board.

I've had this exact problem, except I was the one diagnosing a bad hard drive at the time. After helming my friend replace the HDD, I could get OS X to install on the computer and was incredibly confused. Again and again hardware tests passed, but for whatever reason, I kept running them, and then! BAM! Error message. The problem never was the hard drive itself, but the SATA cable connecting the hard drive to the rest of the computer. It's not a constant problem, since it for the most part connect, but the connection isn't stable enough to finish the installation of the OS. After replacing the SATA cable, everything worked perfectly. By the sound of it, it's the same thing you're experiencing.

 

[keysofanxiety]

It sounds like it might be a faulty SATA cable (and/or the Logic Board).

However if you have a different Mac, you can try plug the SSD into that via a SATA>USB dock and install an OS directly to it. Then take out the SSD and put it back in the machine. At the least, that would definitely diagnose the issue; fingers crossed it would circumvent it entirely.

 

[beachmama]

MacBook Pro 5.5 mid 2009 - Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz

Experienced a recent hard drive (SSD) crash. Physically replaced the existing SSD with a new one after the genius bar diagnosed a bad hard drive.

After I installed the new SSD, I ran all diagnostics from the Snow Leopard disc and everything checked out fine. Attempted to install OS. It appears to complete everything until the very end and then stops with an error that the OS cannot be installed.

I attempted later versions of the OS downloaded from Apple up through El Capitan, all with the same results. All tests indicate everything is functioning correctly, particularly the drive, but the OS won't complete the installation.

Took to genius bar. They experienced similar results and are telling me the logic board needs to be replaced.

Would love to hear from someone who experienced something similar and found an alternate solution to replacing the logic board.

I've not replaced the SSD in the MacBookPro I've been given yet but have been reading and this is what I came up with ~ https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/wishlist.jsp#/BB99FC0EA1/darris-13--macbookpro-wish-list Hope it's helpful . . .

 

[sp330i]

Thanks for your suggestions. I can't believe I didn't think of the SATA cable issue. I have another MacBook I can use to test the cable or install the OS - Duh, why didn't I think of them!!! Much appreciated!