[SOLVED] Been given a Blank Macbook pro 2012

[chucky9]

Hi, yesterday i was given a macbook pro from 2012 by a friend. My intention is to give it to my father who is not tech savy at all but has been wanting a bigger laptop for about a year now.

I turned it on this morning only to be presented with a folder icon with a question mark on it, i asked my friend what that was about and then said they had put a new ssd in it due to the old one have lots of sesitive info on.

Any ideas of what i can do, can i install windows on it with a usb? The macbook is a 2012 A1212.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Lutfij]

You might want to see if this helps you out.

 

[Wolfshadw]

It looks like that system can run MacOS X Lion. See if your friend can create an OS Install USB (guessing he got a newer Mac). If not, this would be your first step... finding someone that can create a MacOS Install USB.

Found this video on how to do it:

-Wolf sends

 

[Spaceghaze]

Hold shift-option-⌘-R at startup.. You should then get to start-up macOS recovery over internet. It will ask you to connect to a wifi network and will install whatever macOS version it came with when it was new.

 

[chucky9]

Thank you for all the answers,

It looks like that system can run MacOS X Lion. See if your friend can create an OS Install USB (guessing he got a newer Mac). If not, this would be your first step... finding someone that can create a MacOS Install USB.

No, he did not get a new mac, i have tried creating a mac os x lion usb but the laptop doesn't even detect the usb, i have tried putting the ssd into my main pc and installing the os that way but i still get the folder with the question mark on it.

Hold shift-option-⌘-R at startup.. You should then get to start-up macOS recovery over internet. It will ask you to connect to a wifi network and will install whatever macOS version it came with when it was new.

I have seen this route in the various guides, the issue is i don't have this utility page, if i could get to that utility page then im sure i could install lion os that way but i only get the folder with the question mark on nothing else.

 

[Spaceghaze]

Thank you for all the answers,


No, he did not get a new mac, i have tried creating a mac os x lion usb but the laptop doesn't even detect the usb, i have tried putting the ssd into my main pc and installing the os that way but i still get the folder with the question mark on it.



I have seen this route in the various guides, the issue is i don't have this utility page, if i could get to that utility page then im sure i could install lion os that way but i only get the folder with the question mark on nothing else.

Soo, nothing happens when you press the designated keys?

 

[CloudyFaygo]

I have seen this route in the various guides, the issue is i don't have this utility page, if i could get to that utility page then im sure i could install lion os that way but i only get the folder with the question mark on nothing else.

Make sure you have an internet connection (Ethernet +adapter) or login to a local trusted Wireless Network near you once prompted. Any Apple computers that are past the year 2011 (late) should have the compatibility to do "Internet Recovery Mode".

⌘-R at startup.

 

[chucky9]

Soo, nothing happens when you press the designated keys?

No nothing happens, i have still not been able to solve this issue, i have tried a few times to install different versions of iOS on the ssd by connecting it to my pc but again it just displays the question mark.

https://imgur.com/G7wYF

View: https://i.stack.imgur.com/G7wYF.jpg


If i could just get the utility software installed then im sure i could install the ios via that.

 

[Spaceghaze]

No nothing happens, i have still not been able to solve this issue, i have tried a few times to install different versions of iOS on the ssd by connecting it to my pc but again it just displays the question mark.

https://imgur.com/G7wYF

View: https://i.stack.imgur.com/G7wYF.jpg


If i could just get the utility software installed then im sure i could install the ios via that.

Weird, because it should be there. Make sure you are pressing ⌘-R before you push the power button. You might have to hold the keys for a while as well.

When making the USB, did you do this?

 

[chucky9]

Weird, because it should be there. Make sure you are pressing ⌘-R before you push the power button. You might have to hold the keys for a while as well.

When making the USB, did you do this?

Thank you, i will give that a try apologises for the mega slow reply, covid has the family in a interesting place.