SSD do not start

[mutungo]

Hello guys!!!

I have a problem on my macbook Pro middle 2012. It seems to be more a mystery that a problem
I already have an SSD instead of HDD, and now bought another SSD to put in place the optical DVD drive. Moreover I had already put the old HDD in place of the optical drive and work and work until today.
The former SSD was installed quietly and works perfectly in place for the HDD. The new SSD was a labor to install. After many attempts managed to install everything with El Capitan. The problem (mystery) is now: both the new SSD as the old work only in place for the original HDD. If you put them in place of the optical drive (with caddy) do not work. The strange thing is that the HDD works in place of the optical drive to the caddy.
I've given some research these days and I think that the problem can be either flat cable optical drive or what is connected to the caddy. But how can the HDD work? It can be problem of the cable may not be getting enough power to send SSDs.
Another thing: the new SSD when booted in place of the original HHD works, however, at boot time, when it comes to Apple, it dims the screen a bit and it becomes clear brown medium. The LED rest also does not light. Unlike the old SSD that connects normally without these events in the boot.

It's bad because it can not work with the second SSD ...

If anyone gets any answers, please, give me a light.

Thank you, from now on !!

Big hug.

Gustavo.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which brand/model are the SSD drives?
-Which brand model is the drive caddy for the optical bay?

I remember reading that you can perform this upgrade, but you can only startup from the SSD in the old hard drive space, not the optical drive space with the caddy. The second SSD can only be used as a storage drive.

C

 

[mutungo]

Hello, Cory!! thanks for the welcome!!

Use the secondary SSD on USB external could be a good idea, really. I use the secondary SSD only at home.
I want o know the mistery how the SSDs don't work in the optical drive. Is a question of honnor... heheheheh

Thanks for the help!!!

Big hug!!

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

My guess would be that there is something in the firmware that prevents that SATA connection from being used as a startup device. It may have changed when Apple switched to electronic distribution of their OS installers, since they are no longer available on physical media.

It should still work as a data drive however.

C

 

[mutungo]

Hmmmmm I understand. Do You know there is anyway to update the firmware to fix that problem, or buy a USB - SATA cable to use the SSD as a storage drive?

 

[honestone]

Do you have to have the SSD drive inside the machine? The reason I ask is that you can purchase an inexpensive and slim external USB 3.0 case, install the SSD drive inside it, connect it to your machine, and that drive would be both bootable and useful as a storage device. I actually "kind" of did that with the slow, 1 TB 5400 rpm HDD I had inside my late 2012 Mac Mini. I installed a fast Samsung 840 Pro 256 gig SSD inside the machine, and installed the 1 TB drive inside a nice, slim external case. That external drive comes in handy when we travel, and I have it partitioned into 2 partitions: one for a SuperDuper! backup for either of my Macs, and the other partition for storing various files (primarily movies and TV series/shows (like Fargo, House of Cards, etc.)). In fact, my wife and I are leaving on Tuesday for a road trip down to Pleasanton, CA (SE of San Francisco), and along with my 13" MacBook Air, I will be taking that drive with us. I already have a very recent SuperDuper! backup (from yesterday) of the stuff on my MacBook Air.

Just a suggestion, as I am actually planning on purchasing a 512 gig SSD in the "near" future, along with a slim USB 3.0 External case. I will subsequently partition it into 3 partitions, with 2 of the partitions (each partition about 160 gig or so) being dedicated for a SuperDuper! backup for each of my Macs.

 

[mutungo]

Hello!!!
So when you gave the idea of using the secondary SSD with an external case , was the most appropriate solution. Do not use this second SSD. The first larval use in presentations of the bands that I have. Use the Mainstage 3 and therefore have to have a macbook pro fast and has a reasonable storage space . Audio takes up too much space. Now with the SSD of 240GB was the extent .
Do you think the case with USB 3.0 is much faster than a 2.0 ? I'm not finding 3.0 in Brazil. I will try a few more days to see if meeting .

Thank you again for the tips !!

Big hug.

 

[honestone]

The primary reason I suggested using an external case was that you previously mentioned the need to boot from it. If you want to "copy/clone" your current system from your internal SSD, you'll need to use a backup/cloning program like either SuperDuper! (that's the one I use) or Carbon Copy Cloner. Either of those programs makes a bootable backup. Time Machine does not make that kind of backup.

If you just want to run software that is on that external SSD, without booting from it, I suspect that is possible, but I myself have never done that, preferring to run all my software/programs from my internal, primary boot drive.

Yes, USB 3.0 would be faster. In actuality, I wish I could find a nice, slim external case that has a Firewire 800 interface. That would even be faster. But, to this point, that is not the case, as such external cases are somewhat expensive. And ones with a Thunderbolt interface are even more expensive!

The external case I previously purchased is made by Orico, and has a USB 2.0 interface. But, here is one that has a USB 3.0 port:

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Tool-free-External-Enclosure-SSD-Black/dp/B00B0RD2RA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0VN-0003-000H1

Installing an SSD drive inside of it is a breeze!

 

[mutungo]

In my case, secundary SSD will not a backup of the first SSD. I just have backup both in the original HDD. Good to know about SuperDuper! If I'll want to do backup, I'll use.
In fact, I am use secondary to unburden the first SSD. This is running now.
I think use Thunderbolt and firewire too but is to expensive. The USB 3.0 is better.
The problem buy out from Brasil is time shipping. Is found some cases 3.0. I'll buy

Thanks for the tips!!

 

[honestone]

Regarding SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner, there is a "somewhat" significant difference between the two of them. Carbon Copy Cloner also backs up the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas SuperDuper! does not. For me, though, that is not an issue, as 1) there are a couple of ways of re-creating the Recovery HD partition, and 2) I have TechTool Pro, which is superior to Disk Utility regarding disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs (I also use the excellent freeware program Onyx for some disk-related tasks).

 

[mutungo]

Cool !!!
I'll download these apps. It will bem usefull sometime.
Thanks for the Tips, again

 

[honestone]

You actually have to purchase them. If you absolutely need the Recovery HD partition to be backed up, then purchase Carbon Copy Cloner. As I mentioned, though, that is not an issue for me, and thus SuperDuper! (about $12 less expensive that Carbon Copy Cloner) is perfect for me.

Also, if you ever need to do a restore from such a backup, one way would be to boot your machine from the backup, use Disk Utility on the backup to Erase and Format your internal drive. Next, perform a clean, "virgin" installation of whatever OS you are using. (For that, you'll need the file "Install OS X El Capitan", and it si always a wise idea to have a couple of copies of it around). That will create the Recovery HD partition for you. Finally, you would then use Migration Assistant to "migrate/copy" all the needed "stuff" from the backup to your internal drive. Then, boot your machine from the internal drive.

By the way, that is the process I go through whenever a new Mac OS comes out (of course I first insure that the 5 critical applications I use are compatible with the new OS before I embark on doing all that). I also do it once in a while when I want to restore from my backup. But, most of the time (within the same OS), I will just do the recovery directly from my SuperDuper! backup, and then create the Recovery HD partition on my own.

 

[mutungo]

Nice! I'll buy the apps about these days. The backup of SSDs ate secure in the HDD and some very important files are in the cloud too. ehehehhehe
El Capitan are in the pendrive for the some "surprise" . Secondary SSD there is no have important files. All HDD and SSDs runs El Capitan.
OS Sierra is coming. First will install on secondary SSD to see are good. After will install on secondary SSD.

Thanks!!

 

[honestone]

Again, you only need one of them. As for preparing for OS 10.12, Sierra, here are the steps I will be taking (I will be doing this for both of my Macs):

1. First, the 5 critical applications I have (1Password, Onyx, TechTool Pro, SuperDuper!, and Office 2011) must all be "ready"(ie, compatible) for OS 10.12. (There are some other important apps I have that typically are compatible (Quicken 2007, VLC Media Player, and Transmission). I suspect they are "generic enough").

2. Download, via the App Store, OS 10.12. The resulting file, "Install OS X Sierra", will be in my Applications folder.

3. Make at least one copy of that "Install OS X Sierra" file in another place on my SSD.

4. Make one final backup, via SuperDuper!, of my OS 10.11.6 "system" (I actually do it once a week to two external drives, and for both of my machines).

5. Boot from that SuperDuper! backup.

6. Launch Disk Utility, and Erase and Format the internal SSD on my Mac.

7. Launch the file "Install OS X Sierra", and install OS 10.12 onto the internal SSD on the Mac.

8. Use Migration Assistant to "migrate/copy" all the needed "stuff" from the SuperDuper! backup to that internal SSD.

9. Re-boot my Mac.

 

[mutungo]

Nice!! I'll do that. I want to wait the official version don't have any problem. Beta version is not a complete version, I think.
Soon the Sierra coming to us ehehheheh
Thanks!!!

 

[honestone]

Yes, it is best to wait for the first official version of Sierra, OS 10.12. However, be aware of the possibility that some of the third party applications that you use might not be upgraded right away, when OS 10.12 is released. That happened to me last year, as at least 3 of the important apps I use had not been upgraded by the time OS 10.11, El Capitan, was released. Interestingly, the first update for OS 10.11 was released in beta in early August, almost 2 months before OS 10.11 was officially released! What I ended doing was 1) waiting for my critical apps to be upgraded for El Capitan compatibility (that happened by the first week of October), and 2) waited until OS 10.11.1 was released by the end of October. It was then that I upgraded toOS 10.11.1, never having used OS 10.11.

 

[mutungo]

Yes... I don't want anything need driver to run. My external audio interface is a Scarlett 2i2 and runs without driver. The apps all original mac.
I hope Sierra come to be more thin and fast. El Capitan is good OS. Let's waiting to see hehehehehehe

Big Hug!!