I bought a 2012 MacBook Pro a few months ago, and it worked normally until I tried updating it to macOS Tahoe to fix a display glitch and a camera that wouldn't turn on. After the update, both the built-in keyboard and trackpad stopped responding, and I can't get past the login screen. I also tried USB keyboards and mice. The mouse works on the startup disk-selection screen, but stops responding as soon as the login screen appears. None of the recovery options seem to work either. Is there any way to recover the Mac or reinstall a compatible operating system?
4 Answers
OpenCore Legacy Patcher can extend the life of some older Macs, but it doesn’t make every new macOS release compatible. It supports versions only up to Sequoia for this kind of hardware, not Tahoe. Try booting from a properly created installer for Catalina or Sequoia and rebuild the installation rather than continuing with the Tahoe update.
The hardware itself may not be completely dead, since the external mouse works before login. That points more toward an incompatible or damaged operating-system installation than a failed keyboard and trackpad. Avoid repeatedly installing unsupported releases and focus on restoring a compatible version from a USB installer or a backup.
A 2012 MacBook Pro isn’t officially compatible with Tahoe. Macs from that era generally top out around Catalina without unofficial patching. If the laptop was running a newer version, it was probably using OpenCore Legacy Patcher, and a major update may have broken the patched system. You’ll likely need to erase the current installation and reinstall a supported macOS version or a version known to work with the patcher.
If Internet Recovery is failing because of expired certificates, setting the system date to a date close to when the Mac was released can sometimes allow the installer to verify correctly. You may need to use another Mac to create a USB installer. Keep in mind that even after reinstalling, a 2012 machine may have trouble with modern websites and software.
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