MacBook Pro Mid 2009 won't boot, detect USB and can't reinstall OS on new SSD

[MacInWin]

OK, I'll back out of here. I've never been able to boot any TM backup on anything but the machine for which the backup was made. I have been able to migrate data from a TM backup to a new machine as part of setup, but not boot from a different machine. Maybe it's the way I make backups.

Anyway, carry on...

[krs]

One thing I'm wondering about this issue.
The 2009 MacBook pro came originally with Leopard (10.5)
At that time Apple didn't offer a means to create a USB installer for that OS.
So has anyone ever tried using a USB installer with a 2009 MacBook pro.
Maybe that option is not supported by that hardware.
Just asking.....

[ferrarr]

Any 2009 Mac, came with either Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6). You used to be able to order a disc from Apple for Snow Leopard, but I am unable to locate it. It looks like Apple has stopped offering them for sale.

[krs]

OK, I'll back out of here. I've never been able to boot any TM backup on anything but the machine for which the backup was made.

Jake,
You may well be correct when it comes to TM backups.
I jumped the gun when I read that wondering what will happen once I upgrade everyone in the family to Mojave.
But my backups are via SD and CCC, so different backup strategy - I never liked Time Machine.
I'm sorry about my post regarding this.

[krs]

Any 2009 Mac, came with either Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6).

You're right - I edited my post where it said Lion so people reading this thread don't get confused.
But my question still stands - the OP was trying to boot from a USB installer on a 2009 MacBook pro.
I sthat expected to work on an old MBpro?

[ferrarr]

You're right - I edited my post where it said Lion so people reading this thread don't get confused.
But my question still stands - the OP was trying to boot from a USB installer on a 2009 MacBook pro.
I sthat expected to work on an old MBpro?

Yes, if the USB installer was properly made. It's hard to know if, the installer is good or if Transmac worked.

[chscag]

As Bob pointed out if the installer was done right. And as a matter of info, a USB installer will work on any Intel Mac machine, however, it does not work on a PPC Mac machine.

[Rod]

Okay, let me get this straight;
You have a Mac that is not yours that will not boot up from its internal HDD.
You have replaced the hard drive with a Crucial MX500 SSD which did not work until your formatted it. How did you format it and what did you format it as? Did you set it as GUID disk mapping?
You say you used TransMac to create what? A Disk Image or a DVD?
You mention an El Capitan disk but there are no commercial El Capitan DVD's. If you made that don't forget that an Operating System is not an installer.
Time Machine as stated will allow you to boot into Recovery but that only allows you to repair, erase, format and map the drive.
You cannot use Reinstall MacOS because the SSD has never had a macOS on it.
So to boil all that down, at the risk of repeating myself, you need an installer.
You can create one easily on another Mac but not a PC. You can buy one online from eBay or similar or just take it to an Apple repairer who will like many of us have a range of macOS installers on a thumb drive or EHD.

[phoenixx]

hi bro,

your MBP should support El Capitan as latest OSX for it, so get a clean copy of El Capitan (DMG or so) then get DiskmakerX (if you have other apple device to create boot usb key on OR Transmac on win machine) and with usb key in the MBP, holding option key, power it on and boot from usb, then run Disk Utility - format the SSD/HDD with GUID partition table to OSX Journaled, exit the utility and you should be able to install OSX to your HDD/SSD ... but let me know if you would need more details here ... I've done it so many times on so many apple devices that I can say that if device is HW OK, then it's impossible fail OSX install

[krs]

@phoenixx - have you actually used Transmac to create a USB installer using a disk image (.dmg) and did that work?

[phoenixx]

@phoenixx - have you actually used Transmac to create a USB installer using a disk image (.dmg) and did that work?

@krs - hi, sure, last time I did it like month ago on MBP 2006 with OSX Lion why are you asking?

[krs]

@krs - hi, sure, last time I did it like month ago on MBP 2006 with OSX Lion why are you asking?

Just to make sure that software actually works.
I have come across enough software that didn't what it was advertised to do.

I also believe Trevor, the OP, tried creating an installer using Transmac and the MacBook pro would not recognize it.
But the Mac recognizes a Transcend external so I would think the logic board is fine.

[phoenixx]

well first you need reliable and top quality usb - I used Kingston - then clean image of osx, the rest is about your possibilities - I was successful on mac or win machines ( DiskmakerX or Transmac ) making bootable install medium ... let me know in case you’d need some help ...

[krs]

Thanks, I'm fine.
I use Disk Creator on the Mac - DiskmakerX wants me to boot into my admin account which is just a few extra steps I rather not do unless absolutely necessary.

Trevor who started this thread doesn't have a Mac other than the one he wants to boot up on, I assume he will come back to look at his thread and he may need some pointers to use Transmac since it didn't work for him for some reason.