I have a 2017 Intel MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar that no longer has a usable operating system. Internet Recovery and booting from a USB installer initially failed, so I tried using a newer M1 MacBook Pro with different cables and ports to place the older Mac into DFU mode. I can hear the startup chime, but the Mac never appears in Finder or Apple Configurator. I'm now wondering whether DFU mode is supported on this model and what recovery options remain. Internet Recovery using Option-Command-R eventually let me select the internal drive, but it reported that the disk has SMART errors that cannot be repaired and should be replaced.
2 Answers
The boot symptoms can happen when the Mac can’t find a usable operating system. Try Internet Recovery with Option-Command-R, which attempts to install the newest macOS version supported by the Mac instead of restoring the version that was previously installed. If the installer detects SMART errors and says the disk can’t be repaired, though, the internal drive is likely failing and should be replaced before reinstalling macOS.
A 2017 MacBook Pro doesn’t have the T2 chip, so it can’t be placed into DFU mode. DFU restoration is only available on T2-equipped Intel models, generally from 2018 onward, and it’s mainly for repairing or restoring firmware—not reinstalling macOS. On supported models, there’s also a specific DFU port, so changing ports wouldn’t help here.
That explains why nothing appeared. I was hoping a firmware restore would make the Mac boot from USB, but it looks like this model doesn’t support that process.
That recovery shortcut got me further, but the installer reports that the disk has unrepairable SMART errors and needs to be replaced. The storage problem seems to be the main issue now.