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Hello all, I got a problem with not booting SSD. I have a first MacBook mid 2010 with the fellowing specs : MacBook 1MacBook Mid-2010 (7,1)Core 2 Duo 2,4 GHz8 Gb DDR3 Ram240 Gb SSDmacOS 10.13 High Sierra(Perfectly working) Recently i have purchased another one (exact same model) in better condition than mine: MacBook 2MacBook Mid-2010 (7,1)Core 2 Duo 2,4 GHz2 Gb DDR3 Ram256 Gb HDDOS X El Capitan(Perfectly working) So i decided to swap the rams and the SSD/HDD of both machine. And surpise : The SSD of the MacBook 1 isn’t detected by the EFI of the MacBook 2. Even when i plug it with USB adapter and press “option” key to choose boot disk.The SSD is detected by Disk Utility on the Macbook 2 (with macOS High Sierra install USB Key to access Disk Utiliy)If i plug the SSD with usb adapter in the MacBook 1 it works. What a strange thing… So i have installed another HDD in the MacBook 2 with high sierra and updated the EFI. The SSD is still not detected by EFI. I also tryed PRAM end SMC reset. Last thing : In the parameters of High Sierra on the MacBook 2 HDD i can set the startup disc to the SSD (when i plug it in USB or SATA) but it’s display “?” once it rebooted… Many thanks for your help ! Sorry for my bad english. (I have already posted the same thing on MacRumors forum but i think this forum is more technial) Update (02/22/2018) @benjamen50 : Yes, the MacBook1 can boot MacBook2’s HDD. @deval82 : Hum… I see… Maybe the EFI rom on the MacBook2 don’t recognise the EFI partition on the MacBook1’s SSD ? I am going to try to install macOS High Sierra on the MacBook2 with another SSD to see first if it works, if not i will try your complete procedure. Thanks you! Update (02/22/2018) So, i think i have found the problem, When i install macOS High Sierra on my MacBook2 with SSD in HFS, it can boot, if i do the same but SSD formated in APFS, it’s not detected. Now i need to know how to enable APFS on the MacBook2… I am sure it is possible because the MacBook1’s SSD is in APFS and work great on it. Do you know how to enable it ? Thanks you !
You have a very simple problem! The disk’s format and what the systems EFI can see! APFS Vs Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Basically your #2 systems EFI was not updated as you didn’t install High Sierra on it before switching the drives. Your #1 system with the SSD is now using the newer APFS format as the High Sierra installer automatically upgrades the older HPFS+ partition you had on your system. If you open up both drives within each in their default setup you can see under About This Mac > System Report > SATA/SATA Express - Content: Apple_APFS on the High Sierra SSD system and your HDD system with have Content: Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You can also see this under Disk Utility as well just under the drives name header in grey. Apple is now updating the EFI within the OS installer very often these day’s, so its more important to upgrade the systems OS. And be mindful when moving drives about.
Did you try to use the HDD from MacBook 2 to MacBook 1? It should work in theory. If all does not work you might just need to reinstall the OS on the Macbook 2 with the SSD in it.
