[SOLVED] Mbp 3 beeps will not startup

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kennman5000

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
2
0
1,520
Picked up a MacBook Pro 13" mid 2011 real cheap the other day. Problem is it doesn't turn on. I get the apple logo and 3 beeps. Google says it's a memory issue. So I boot into the Mac diagnostic tool, and I run the test about 5 times. No problems detected, it even detected the 2 2gb sticks installed. So I boot into recovery and no hdd is detected. So I open it up, obviously, and I find the hdd sata cable damaged, rubbed raw between the hdd and the case.
My question is, could this damaged cable, and the lack of a hdd be causing the beeps and not booting?

I already have a new cable on order from eBay, but it's going to be a few days, and my curiosity is killing me.
Thanks


Update:
I don't think their is an actual memory issue because the diagnostic tool came back perfect. I'm wondering if that bad hdd cable could cause a false reading during bootup
 
Solution
Ok, so thanks everyone for the great responses.
But I got that new sata cable in today, 2 minute install, booted right into recovery let me re install, and has been running like new ever since.
Once again all diagnostic tests are passing perfectly. So we have an answer, a bad sata cable can cause a false reading for bad memory.
Now we know, cause all I could find was "reseat the ram" BS.

Kennman5000

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
2
0
1,520
Ok, so thanks everyone for the great responses.
But I got that new sata cable in today, 2 minute install, booted right into recovery let me re install, and has been running like new ever since.
Once again all diagnostic tests are passing perfectly. So we have an answer, a bad sata cable can cause a false reading for bad memory.
Now we know, cause all I could find was "reseat the ram" BS.
 
Solution

BadAsAl

Distinguished
Good to know! That is a very common issue with MacBooks by the way. I have resurrected many of them this way! And to add to the brain banks, one of the first things I do when dealing with a non booting Mac is to remove the hard drive, put it into a USB enclosure, and boot from that. If it boots normally then you can be pretty certain it is the hard drive cable.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.