To fix? Or to sell? MacBook Pro

[Toothpick134]

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to get some advice regarding my MacBook Pro's situation. (I'm in the UK)

My MacBook Pro Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015 was water damaged some months ago. Long story short I got the '?' folder and after some stressful visits to various repair stores I was told the data is unrecoverable because the SSD is fried.

Here's the current working order of the MacBook Pro and what I tried:

Recovery Mode was tried, it connects to wifi I get all the options, Reinstall OS, Time Machine, I can go online in recovery mode and even Google works but whenever I try to reinstall OS there is no disk visible.

I tried disk utility but only see 'disk 0' which is 1.33GB unrepairable and 'OS X Base System' 1.33GB which I can also not do anything with.

Obviously the SSD is fried and data unrecoverable - I've accepted that. However here are my questions to you regarding my current options:

OPTION 1
Should I sell the MacBook Pro on eBay as faulty without an SSD? If so, for what price?

Or...

OPTION 2
Should I try and buy the correct SSD for my MacBooks version online and replace it? How risky would that be? I don't want to waste £100 or so on a new SSD only for the motherboard to fry it or to realise it still doesn't work because other components might be fried.

I just don't want to sell it if there's a chance of it being repaired.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[lclev]

The big question is what all was water damaged. That is very hard to determine but, given the SSD is attached to the logic board odds are in favor of it also suffering damage. The problem with water, or any liquid, is the damage from it may take months to show up. Corrosion takes time.

If it were mine, I would dive into it and do a thorough cleaning and based on what I found, try removing the SSD then use an external drive with OS on it to boot and check out the computer. But I am a tech and I would enjoy playing with it and learning stuff. I also realize I would get very little from it if I listed it on eBay or any other selling site. I would also realize it would probably be a lost cause but, I would have known that the minute the water damage occurred. This site will give you an idea of just what you would be getting into:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Pro_13"_Retina_Display_Early_2015

If you don't want to mess with it, then try listing it for parts only and that it has water damage. It can't hurt.

Lisa

 

[Toothpick134]

The big question is what all was water damaged. That is very hard to determine but, given the SSD is attached to the logic board odds are in favor of it also suffering damage. The problem with water, or any liquid, is the damage from it may take months to show up. Corrosion takes time.

If it were mine, I would dive into it and do a thorough cleaning and based on what I found, try removing the SSD then use an external drive with OS on it to boot and check out the computer. But I am a tech and I would enjoy playing with it and learning stuff. I also realize I would get very little from it if I listed it on eBay or any other selling site. I would also realize it would probably be a lost cause but, I would have known that the minute the water damage occurred. This site will give you an idea of just what you would be getting into:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Pro_13"_Retina_Display_Early_2015

If you don't want to mess with it, then try listing it for parts only and that it has water damage. It can't hurt.

Lisa

Thanks for your response Lisa. I would be in favour of taking it apart and giving it a thorough clean, I have experience with that so I'm confident I wouldn't further damage anything. I am intrigued however what you mean by using an external drive with an OS on it to boot it? How would I go about connecting and setting up that external drive? Is it a special one I have to get somewhere? That sounds like something I would definitely be willing to try. Thanks again!

 

[MacInWin]

Any external drive will do. You can even get an SSD in an enclosure to use to boot from. Connects to your MBP through the Thunderbolt port. You'd have to find a way to install macOS on it, but you said Recover mode worked, so that's possible. Then to boot from it hold down Option through the power on process until you get a screen showing all the bootable drives and select the external one. With TB interface and an SSD external, the speed would not be terrible. Of course, portability takes a hit, but it's still sort-of portable if you get a smaller external enclosure. The bigger issue would be power for the external drive as I would not want to rely on the power from the Mac to be sufficient for an external drive, even SSD. Others may have differing opinions on that, however.

 

[pigoo3]

OPTION 2
Should I try and buy the correct SSD for my MacBooks version online and replace it? How risky would that be? I don't want to waste £100 or so on a new SSD only for the motherboard to fry it or to realise it still doesn't work because other components might be fried.

I just don't want to sell it if there's a chance of it being repaired.

You could try replacing the SSD...but you also need to keep in mind that it may or may not be the SSD...it could alternatively be the circuitry on the logic board that communicates with the SSD that could be damaged. You won't know until the SSD itself is removed & tested...or a new SSD is installed and the computer tested.

The problem with liquid spills is...they can be unpredictable as to what gets damaged.

- Nick

 

[lclev]

I agree with both Nick and Jake. Excellent advice. Post back and tell us what you decide or find out. And if you have anymore questions - ask. ;D

Lisa

 

[Toothpick134]

You could try replacing the SSD...but you also need to keep in mind that it may or may not be the SSD...it could alternatively be the circuitry on the logic board that communicates with the SSD that could be damaged. You won't know until the SSD itself is removed & tested...or a new SSD is installed and the computer tested.

The problem with liquid spills is...they can be unpredictable as to what gets damaged.

- Nick

If I did try and replace and put in another SSD to test if it works is there a risk that the new SSD would somehow get damaged and my money wasted?

 

[Toothpick134]

Quick update, because I didn't have an external SSD drive handy I quickly created a bootable usb flash drive with el capitan on a small 8gb usb. It allowed me to install the OS and after a number of minutes of installing it seemed to ask me to install again this time allowing me to select a drive to install it on. The only one that showed up was the usb bootable drive which was too small to install onto. I also plugged in a 30 something GB usb and it let me install onto it but then the installation failed after a minute or so. I just have this 'feeling' that if I replaced the SSD with a new one it would install onto it and everything would work.. but then again my brain tells me it's risky to spend the money on a SSD haha (about £100 i think).

Will keep you guys posted how I get on.

 

[pigoo3]

If I did try and replace and put in another SSD to test if it works is there a risk that the new SSD would somehow get damaged and my money wasted?

Nah...should be ok. Get a new SSD...remove the old SSD...pop in the new SSD...see if it works. If it does...great. If not...return the SSD (make sure you purchase it from somewhere that allows returns).

FYI (in case you didn't know). Can't use just any off-the-shelf "blade" SSD from a local store. MacBook Pro's use a special SSD...so make sure it is compatible with your 2015 MBP.

One other thing. Not sure where the £100 price is coming from...and what size SSD you were thinking of purchasing. But here in the US with one of our highly recommended place's for "Mac Stuff"...the smallest internal SSD they sell for a 2015 MBP (240gig) costs $269 USD (£205). And from details shared from our other UK members...things are usually more expensive in the UK.

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro-retina-display/2013-2014-2015

Probably not a "show stopper"...just wanted you to be prepared for a possible higher price tag.

- Nick

 

[Toothpick134]

OK BIG UPDATE!

I found a 500GB External HHD and I booted OSX using a small usb drive and installed El Capitan on that External HHD and it worked! I now have a fully functioning MacBook Pro which uses the External HHD. I am so grateful to you guys for your help and advice. This must mean that the only thing that is damaged in this the SSD itself or a connector. I wonder how I could further find that out? Should my next steps be to buy an SSD online to replace and then sell as a fully working used MacBook Pro, or sell as is but obviously the value goes up by a lot.

 

[MacInWin]

I think that it's still risky to spend on a new SSD. The controller for the SSD could be damaged but is not being used in your external setup. And as has been said, liquid spills sometimes manifest themselves much later when the damage has time to progress.

 

[lclev]

Again I would be guessing because the only way to tell if the SSD is dead or the connector is shot is to replace the SSD. You also have no way of knowing if down the road parts start to fail due to water damage you can not see.

If it were me - I would think long and hard before I did it. I would check out the connections and really go over the logic board. The only place I would trust to purchase a replacement would be OWC and they are not cheap.

Lisa

 

[Toothpick134]

Again I would be guessing because the only way to tell if the SSD is dead or the connector is shot is to replace the SSD. You also have no way of knowing if down the road parts start to fail due to water damage you can not see.

If it were me - I would think long and hard before I did it. I would check out the connections and really go over the logic board. The only place I would trust to purchase a replacement would be OWC and they are not cheap.

Lisa

Yeah I think I agree.. I mean this MBP has been sitting in my room untouched for months and months now since I abandoned it. I have only decided to try repairing it now and got this far.. So I know theres always a risk of future damage but who knows... How much should I expect to get for it on eBay if I sold it without the SSD and showed that it works through an external hdd?

 

[lclev]

Check out these listings. It really depends....

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...&_nkw=Macbook+Pro+2015+13"+for+parts&_sacat=0

Lisa

 

[Toothpick134]

Check out these listings. It really depends....

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...&_nkw=Macbook+Pro+2015+13"+for+parts&_sacat=0

Lisa

Thanks Lisa, yeah I think I'm gonna try and list it as working but without SSD. See if anyone bids I guess theres too much risk involved and not enough gain to be made so it's not worth buying SSDs.

 

[pigoo3]

...yeah I think I'm gonna try and list it as working but without SSD. See if anyone bids...

AND...mention that liquid was spilled on it!

I guess theres too much risk involved and not enough gain to be made so it's not worth buying SSDs.

Where's the risk?? Unless you deem it too expensive...get a replacement SSD...install it...and see if things work. If so...great. If not...return the SSD.

- Nick

 

[Toothpick134]

AND...mention that liquid was spilled on it!



Where's the risk?? Unless you deem it too expensive...get a replacement SSD...install it...and see if things work. If so...great. If not...return the SSD.

- Nick

Yeah true... I'm just worried that if I buy an SSD I will somehow break it haha but I guess that shouldn't really happen..

 

[pigoo3]

Yeah true... I'm just worried that if I buy an SSD I will somehow break it haha but I guess that shouldn't really happen..

If you purchase a replacement SSD & install it...I think there's very little risk of anything happening to it. Sort of like installing a replacement hard drive or replacement RAM (in a computer that has these replaceable components). If you install these things into a non-working computer...they shouldn't get damaged either.

The fact that you got the computer working fine with an external HD is a very good sign. Ideally...the next stage of troubleshooting would be to install the MacBook Pro's SSD into an external enclosure...and test it the same way as the external HD you just tested (basically zero risks testing this way). Then you would know if the SSD itself is good or bad.

These external cases for the blade SSD from the MacBook Pro are not commonly available & are expensive. But would give you the ability of testing the internal SSD with zero risk:

- If the SSD works...you could then return the external SSD case if you wanted to.
- If the SSD does not work...then you know the SSD does not work...and return the SSD case.

If the SSD does not work externally...now you need to decide if purchasing a replacement SSD is what you want to do. Since the computer is working fine externally from an external HD...it's possible the computer will work fine with a replacement SSD.

If the SSD works externally...then you very likely have a logic board issue.

- Nick

 

[Toothpick134]

If you purchase a replacement SSD & install it...I think there's very little risk of anything happening to it. Sort of like installing a replacement hard drive or replacement RAM (in a computer that has these replaceable components). If you install these things into a non-working computer...they shouldn't get damaged either.

The fact that you got the computer working fine with an external HD is a very good sign. Ideally...the next stage of troubleshooting would be to install the MacBook Pro's SSD into an external enclosure...and test it the same way as the external HD you just tested (basically zero risks testing this way). Then you would know if the SSD itself is good or bad.

These external cases for the blade SSD from the MacBook Pro are not commonly available & are expensive. But would give you the ability of testing the internal SSD with zero risk:

- If the SSD works...you could then return the external SSD case if you wanted to.
- If the SSD does not work...then you know the SSD does not work...and return the SSD case.

If the SSD does not work externally...now you need to decide if purchasing a replacement SSD is what you want to do. Since the computer is working fine externally from an external HD...it's possible the computer will work fine with a replacement SSD.

If the SSD works externally...then you very likely have a logic board issue.

- Nick

Yeah you're right.. even if I sell it as is I'd still keep the SSD and troubleshoot it using one of the external cases you suggested. That's a great idea.

I found the right SSD for about £130 on eBay. Could make an offer and buy it for a little bit cheaper I guess but the big question is is it worth it..

Right now as is I think I could get between £300 and £400 for the MacBook Pro as is without the SSD.

Buying the SSD puts me £120 or so back, but it would probably mean I could sell it to like a retailer computer exchange shop for about £450.. Or on eBay for around £500-£550 as fully working.

I wonder if its worth all the risk and extra work for an extra £100-£200 gain?

I haven't actually mentioned yet but I did buy a replacement when it broke and it happened to be the exact same one, so I'm typing this from literally the exact same MacBook Pro with the exact same SSD sitting inside it.. But I am really scared of even thinking about the obvious here hahaha!

 

[pigoo3]

Buying the SSD puts me £120 or so back, but it would probably mean I could sell it to like a retailer computer exchange shop for about £450.. Or on eBay for around £500-£550 as fully working.

I wonder if its worth all the risk and extra work for an extra £100-£200 gain?

Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of doing this project. And if that's the case...we've kind of wasted our time talking about this. This is why I really dislike getting involved in liquid spill threads!

You've also made a VERY BIG assumption with your calculations. You're not necessarily going to get £450 for it (without the SSD)...because AFAIK you have not confirmed that the computer works fine with a replacement SSD.

And lastly. You probably don't realize it...but there are liquid exposure sensors inside the computer that change color when exposed to liquid. A knowledgable buyer will know this...and may find it out. Even a novice buyer may find this out if the computer does not operate as promised (when they take it to a repair shop to have it looked at)...and will want thier money back!

That's why you MUST include that this computer had liquid spilled on it...and when potential buyers see this...no way they will pay anything close to your estimates.

- Nick