SSD Sandisk Doesn't show up

[Alyss_]

Hello - I hope someone can help me.
I have mac mini late 2014, with Mojave installed - 10.14.6.

I'm gonna list what happened:

• I got a Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD 500gb and I tried to install it.
• I went to Disk Utility, erased it, renamed it ( set it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), GUID etc etc) then turned off the mac.
• I turned it back on pressing ALT/Option to pick the SSD and install the OS on it, it kept reading it as "Windows" and not loading(??).
• I restarted in normal mode, went back to Disk Utility did everything again and everything seemed okay with the SSD.
• I turned off the mac, unplugged the SSD and plugged it back in, turned it on again, pressed ALT key, now it doesn't even show up anymore.

I see it in Disc Utility, in Finder and also when I go to infos. But it doesn't show up as bootable at startup.

I really need to install this for work, and I need to install the OS on it...

Thanks

 

[Stephen.R]

It won't be bootable until you've installed macOS on it.

You need to hold Cmd-R to boot from recovery mode, then your new drive should be available as an available target to install macOS to.
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Or, if you have/make a bootable USB key, you can plug it in, and boot up from it, by holding down Option, and it should install (to your SSD) quicker (unless your USB key is very slow and your internet very fast).

 

[Alyss_]

It won't be bootable until you've installed macOS on it.

You need to hold Cmd-R to boot from recovery mode, then your new drive should be available as an available target to install macOS to.
[automerge]1587214149[/automerge]
Or, if you have/make a bootable USB key, you can plug it in, and boot up from it, by holding down Option, and it should install (to your SSD) quicker (unless your USB key is very slow and your internet very fast).

Yes sorry I probably didn't explain it well but I thought the process was:

1. erase SSD
2. turn off computer
3. turn it back on while pressing Option
4. the SSD appears
5. I click on it and I should see the window asking me what I wanna do, and there I click Install OS

You're telling me I have to enter Recovery Move while i'm starting the computer back on right?
That way I'll get to click on the SSD and I will get the window to Install the OS?

( English is not my first language sorry if something is confusing )

 

[Stephen.R]

Yes - you need to boot into an installer.

The easiest, but possibly slower method is to boot into recovery mode, by holding Cmd-R while it boots.

The usually faster, but more involved method is to create your own bootable installer (most people use a flash drive) from an already-downloaded macOS installer. You would boot to this by holding Option at boot.



It'll look the same once you're booted to either of those: a 'wizard' type process that ask if you want to install the OS, and then present options for where to install it.

 

[Fishrrman]

Do this EXACTLY as presented:
(print this out and check off each line as you go along)

1. Power off the Mac -- all the way off

2. Connect the SSD to the Mac

3. Press the power on button and IMMEDIATELY hold down
command-OPTION-R
(does the alt key substitute for option?)

4. This should boot you to INTERNET recovery (NOT to "the recovery partition"). You will see the spinning globe. If you are connected via wifi, you will need your wifi password.

5. Internet recovery takes a while to load. BE PATIENT.

6. When you get to the utilities menu open disk utiity

7. Go to the "view" menu and choose "SHOW ALL DEVICES"

8. You should now see the SSD on the left. Click on it and ERASE it to "APFS" with "GUID partition map"

9. When done, quit disk utility.

10. Now open the OS installer and begin "clicking through". When it asks you WHERE you want to install, click the SSD to select it.

11. Let the installer go to work. The Mac may reboot one or more times, the screen may go dark once or twice, and you'll see the progress bar one or more times. BE PATIENT.

12. When done, you should see the initial setup screen (choose your language). At this point start clicking through. You will have to decide if you're going to create a completely new account, or migrate data from your existing account (on the internal drive?).

13. If you're going to migrate from the internal drive, "aim" setup assistant at it and give it some time to "digest" everything. BE PATIENT.

14. I suggest you just let everything migrate over. Let setup assistant do its thing.

15. When done, you should see your login screen, just as before...

 

[Stephen.R]

4. This should boot you to INTERNET recovery (NOT to "the recovery partition"). You will see the spinning globe. If you are connected via wifi, you will need your wifi password.

Op: you need to decide if you want Mojave or Catalina installed on your new SSD.

If you want Mojave, use the Cmd-R shortcut I mentioned.

If you want Catalina, use the Cmd-Option-R shortcut Fishrrman mentioned.

 

[Boyd01]

This all sounds complicated. You must have upgraded your 2014 Mini to Mojave, since it's unlikely that it was pre-installed. Look in the Applications folder and there should be an app named "Install macOS Mojave.app". Just run that installer. It will ask you to choose a disk. Then it should just be a matter of waiting for the install to finish.

You can then hold the option key while booting to choose the external disk, and use the startup disk System Preferences pane to select the external as the default startup drive.

 

[Alyss_]

Thank you everyone I'm reading through your answers - I'll let you know which solution is gonna work out and get back to you! 😆

@Boyd01 I actually only had the high sierra installer e not the mojave one but I managed to DL it using MacOS Mojave Patcher

 

[Alyss_]

This all sounds complicated. You must have upgraded your 2014 Mini to Mojave, since it's unlikely that it was pre-installed. Look in the Applications folder and there should be an app named "Install macOS Mojave.app". Just run that installer. It will ask you to choose a disk. Then it should just be a matter of waiting for the install to finish.

You can then hold the option key while booting to choose the external disk, and use the startup disk System Preferences pane to select the external as the default startup drive.

THIS WORKED. Why no one told I COULD DO THIS not even on the Apple Support forum oh my god I was going insane and it took me only 10min I'm gonna cry. thank you ahaha

 

[Boyd01]

Great! So glad that it worked.

 

[Nino Sayompoo]

I got the same problem. I was so desperate because I bought it with out researching. And you guys give me hope AND IT WORKED! Thank you So mush from Thailand!