You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

macbook pro 2017 - no startup disk

MacBook Pro 2017 (no touchbar) recently started showing the no startup disk error after falling asleep. I can start it in recovery mode (multiple ways), but after following different guides to erase and reinstall mac os nothing worked, so I ran the terminal, and the code said the drive was damaged.


I replaced the SSD with OWC Aura Pro NT - however, to show up, it still needs to have at least High Sierra OS installed *prior* to replacement. I can put back the old SSD, but when I try to install either HS or Ventura (depending on how it starts in recovery), no disk appears to install it on.


Is there still a way to install OS onto my Macbook so I can replace the drive? I do not have an external hard drive but do have a 2021 iMac.



MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Aug 17, 2023 11:17 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 17, 2023 11:07 PM

While booted to the macOS installer (Recovery Mode or from USB), launch Disk Utility and erase the whole physical SSD as GUID partition and APFS (top option). Within Disk Utility you may need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the physical drives appear on the left pane of Disk Utility.


If you still don't see the OWC SSD in Disk Utility, then try an SMC Reset and a PRAM Reset (hold the PRAM Reset for two chimes if possible). I like to do these two resets back to back in that order since I had one very old MBAir (one with the old hard drive) which required both resets back to back before it would see the OWC replacement SSD (only time this was ever needed...neither reset alone worked so I do both together these days just on general principal). However, with the USB-C Apple laptops, doing both resets back to back can be difficult so it may not always be possible.


If you still don't see the OWC SSD, then contact OWC technical support for assistance. They have great support and will replace the SSD if necessary.


While the SSD is usually the weakest link all things being equal, there is always a small chance the Logic Board may be bad. I do know the original Apple OEM SSDs in this particular model do have an extremely high rate of failure.


FYI, the only reason to install macOS (especially Monterey or Ventura) first is so that the laptop's firmware has been updated while the original Apple OEM SSD is installed internally. The Monterey installer will only update the system firmware while an Apple OEM SSD is installed internally. Not sure if the Ventura installer has the same issue. The destination for the install can be any internal or external drive since the installer will always use the internal drive to store the system firmware update. Once the laptop's firmware has the firmware update from Monterey or Ventura installer, then any reinstallation of that OS can be done even with a third party internal SSD installed since there is no longer a need to update the system firmware during later installs.


Also, for anyone else in a similar situation with the non-touchbar 2016 - 2017 MBPro....the SSD failure usually occurs at power on, or when waking from sleep since the SSD takes longer than normal to initialize & go ready. An Option Boot, or a reboot will usually bring the SSD back at least temporarily since these methods give the SSD more time to go ready. However, sooner or later the SSD will fail completely....sometimes after just a few failures.


Similar questions

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 17, 2023 11:07 PM in response to scp566

While booted to the macOS installer (Recovery Mode or from USB), launch Disk Utility and erase the whole physical SSD as GUID partition and APFS (top option). Within Disk Utility you may need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the physical drives appear on the left pane of Disk Utility.


If you still don't see the OWC SSD in Disk Utility, then try an SMC Reset and a PRAM Reset (hold the PRAM Reset for two chimes if possible). I like to do these two resets back to back in that order since I had one very old MBAir (one with the old hard drive) which required both resets back to back before it would see the OWC replacement SSD (only time this was ever needed...neither reset alone worked so I do both together these days just on general principal). However, with the USB-C Apple laptops, doing both resets back to back can be difficult so it may not always be possible.


If you still don't see the OWC SSD, then contact OWC technical support for assistance. They have great support and will replace the SSD if necessary.


While the SSD is usually the weakest link all things being equal, there is always a small chance the Logic Board may be bad. I do know the original Apple OEM SSDs in this particular model do have an extremely high rate of failure.


FYI, the only reason to install macOS (especially Monterey or Ventura) first is so that the laptop's firmware has been updated while the original Apple OEM SSD is installed internally. The Monterey installer will only update the system firmware while an Apple OEM SSD is installed internally. Not sure if the Ventura installer has the same issue. The destination for the install can be any internal or external drive since the installer will always use the internal drive to store the system firmware update. Once the laptop's firmware has the firmware update from Monterey or Ventura installer, then any reinstallation of that OS can be done even with a third party internal SSD installed since there is no longer a need to update the system firmware during later installs.


Also, for anyone else in a similar situation with the non-touchbar 2016 - 2017 MBPro....the SSD failure usually occurs at power on, or when waking from sleep since the SSD takes longer than normal to initialize & go ready. An Option Boot, or a reboot will usually bring the SSD back at least temporarily since these methods give the SSD more time to go ready. However, sooner or later the SSD will fail completely....sometimes after just a few failures.


Aug 17, 2023 11:30 AM in response to scp566

You will need to make a bootable drive for the MacBook. You can do this using an USB thumb drive and your 2021 iMac.


First download the latest supported os for your MacBook via this link.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support


Then, follow the steps provided in this article to make a bootable drive (I suggest calling the drive MyVolume as you can then copy and paste the commands needed to make the bootable installer.)


Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support


After the bootable drive is created, insert it in your MacBook, after that power it on. After you press the power on button hold the option (ALT) key in order to open up the boot loader. Select your USB Drive, which is called install macOS "version you want to install" now.

It will load into the macOS utilities menu. Here you can choose to install macOS on a computer with empty drive


Best of luck, I hope this will work out for you

Aug 27, 2023 6:45 PM in response to HWTech

Thank you, HW! I tried to follow these steps - reset both the SMC and PRAM and still did not see the OWD SSD. I also tried to use the bootable drive to install MacOS on the new SSD but it didn't work. OWD did send a replacement but the same thing is happening, so I'm assuming it's probably not that.


The disk is not visible in disk utility, and when I try installing OS on the new SSD w/ the bootable drive it freezes showing only the bar for selecting a wireless network, but no disks. Do you think I need to install an earlier MacOS with the original SSD in and try the replacement again?


The Logic Board was replaced earlier this month, along with the battery...


Any other suggestions are very much appreciated!


Aug 28, 2023 8:15 PM in response to scp566

scp566 wrote:

OWD did send a replacement but the same thing is happening, so I'm assuming it's probably not that.

Unlikely to be the SSD.


The disk is not visible in disk utility, and when I try installing OS on the new SSD w/ the bootable drive it freezes showing only the bar for selecting a wireless network, but no disks.

What was the last version of macOS actually installed on this laptop?


What was the highest version of macOS ever installed on this laptop?


I'm trying to figure out why you would be presented with selecting a WiFi network if you are booting from a macOS USB installer. The only reason I can think of is whether macOS 12.x Monterey may be requiring it for some reason....I have not tried reinstalling macOS using a USB installer in a while for a Mac which may have had Monterey installed previously....I seem to recall Monterey may have required authentication to boot from USB which may be necessary even on a T1 Mac.


Are you saying if you select a WiFi network, that you cannot finish booting into anything (not sure if you will be presented with some sort of macOS authentication screen, or you will boot to into Recovery Mode, or it you will boot to some other type of tool menu or interface maybe regarding booting from USB. But it should finish doding something as long as you have a good WiFi & network.


Do you think I need to install an earlier MacOS with the original SSD in and try the replacement again?

May be interesting to test the installer with the original SSD, but if you do so and it fails, then you lose your only SSD which can still boot this laptop.


The Logic Board was replaced earlier this month, along with the battery...

Any other suggestions are very much appreciated!

Was this an official Apple repair? If so, then you have a 90 day part warranty (or possibly repair warranty depending if the laptop was mailed to an Apple mail-in repair depot for the actual repair...an Apple Store or AASP may do this...hard to say if they did). If there is a 90 day repair warranty, then Apple will even replace the bad SSD (if they can confirm it is bad...make sure to tell them it fails at power on and waking from sleep so they can reproduce the failure). The downside is if it is only a 90 day part warranty and they decide the SSD is bad, then they will want you to pay for the replacement and may not look any further into a possible Logic Board issue (Apple is all or nothing when it comes to repairs).


An Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) may be more likely to consider testing the laptop with an OWC SSD since they may be familiar with OWC themselves (hard to say...Apple definitely won't do anything


If the only issue with this laptop is with reinstalling macOS, then you will need to try reinstalling macOS on the original Apple OEM SSD to confirm it has the same issue because you will need to have some reproducible issue with all original Apple parts installed. If you have the same issue as the OWC SSD, then Apple should take notice, but remember what I mentioned about the two types of 90 day warranty repairs that may be involved and the limitation of the part only version.

Aug 29, 2023 8:29 AM in response to HWTech

Thank you!! Here are some answers...


The last and latest version of OS installed is Ventura - when I got it back from being repaired it had Monterey but I updated it to Ventura shortly before the startup disk started to fail. When I start in recovery (using either the original SSD or the OWD replacement) using option-command-R it shows Ventura as reinstall option but if I use only command-R it is the High Sierra version. I don't have a T1 chip to my knowledge...


I tried reinstalling the earliest version that would download on my iMac to create the bootable drive (Big Sur) and the same issue happened. However, I was able to download Ventura again, but unlike before, it saw the original SSD, and I installed it in recovery mode. Before re-installing Ventura on the original SSD I did see if I could start in recovery w/ command-R and select High Sierra instead but it couldn't connect to installer.


The bootable issue:

Drive is pluged in, I hit start then the option key - and the screen only shows the wifi bar but no globe. If I try to select a network its very very slow with a delay between. If I let it sit for a few minutes it eventually shows internet recovery as a button.


I had the same issue with the bootable drive when I did it the first time on the original SSD - only showing wifi w/ a spinning wheel and found an article that said to reset the PRAM, then on second chime insert the bootable drive and hit the option key. This eventually worked, but not consistently. I tried the same technique with the new OWD drive, but it hasn't worked.


Previous repairs: done by iFixOmaha - not an AASP but they do have a limited warranty on repairs - I've reached out to see if they would be able to look at it again and use the OWC part but it's a small shop that mostly moved away from computer repairs so I haven't heard back yet.







macbook pro 2017 - no startup disk

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.