Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch Early 2011

Model: A1278

  • Model name: MacBook Pro
  • Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,1
  • CPU: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7, dual-core
  • memory: 4 GB (2 x 2GB)
  • Boot ROM version: MBP81.0047.B27
  • SMC Version (system): 1.68f99
  • Display: 1280 x 800
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
  • Hard drive: 500 GB - HGST HTS25050A7E630
  • Optical drive: OptiArc DVD RW AD-5970H
  • network - wired: Ethernet - AppleBCM5701Ethernet
  • network - wireless: AirPort Extreme, Broadcom BCM43xx
  • usb: 2 ports - note: only the port closest to front supports the full 500 mA
  • Bluetooth: 2.1
  • SD card slot
  • operating system: OS X 10.11.6 was: 10.7.5

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Links

LowEndMac - 13" MacBook Pro (Early 2011), iFixit - MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Early 2011 Repair, Apple - Check Coverage, Apple support - Mac startup key combinations, How to reinstall macOS, EveryMac - Ultimate Mac Lookup, Apple MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.7 13" Early 2011 Specs, FUSE for macOS,

local links

Czur Shine Ultra,

History

2022-10-08: OS X - check to see if this machine supports Metal: Option (alt) key, then Apple menu, select system Information. Select Graphics/Displays in sidebar. Unfortunately nothing about "Metal Family" in the information shown on the right. Oh well, this machine is old.

2021-08-25: I re-created this page on my self-hosted web server.

2020-07-08: update Samsung Smart Switch to version 4.3.1.20062_1 (restart included).

2020-05-26: sshfs (from the command line) works, but the resulting disk is sloooww.

2020-01-05: Macfusion - doesn't work, mount and immediately unmounts, the log shows that it can't open /dev/tty when it wants to ask for a password (which is already entered in Macfusion). So I just used sshfs from Terminal (less convenient but it works). Backup copying now.

2020-01-05: OS X - Smart Switch - running a backup now.

2019-10-28: OS X - installed FUSE for macOS 3.10.3, selected to NOT install the MacFuse compatibility layer. Installed sshfs 2.5.0. Installed Macfusion 2.0.4 by moving the program to the Applications folder. Configure Macfusion for the installed sshfs:

cd /Applications/Macfusion.app/Contents/PlugIns/sshfs.mfplugin/Contents/Resources
mv sshfs-static sshfs-static.orig
ln -s /usr/local/bin/sshfs sshfs-static

from Terminal.

2019-10-27: OS X - Smart Switch - running a backup now.

2019-10-27: Samsung Smart Switch Version 4.3.1.19093_1 is installed - it warns you that android File Transfer won't work until you uninstall it.

2019-10-27: OS X - upgrade - I downloaded OS X El Capitan and installed it on the OSX_2 volume. Now it says OS X El Capitan 10.11.6.

2019-10-27: OS X - upgrade - looks like 10.11 El Capitan is the only one available, per HT206886.

2019-10-27: powered on this old machine to see which OS it runs. Mac OS X 10.7.5 it says. OS X

10.7 Lion
10.9 Mavericks
10.10 Yosemite
10.11 El Capitan

macOS

10.12 Sierra
10.13 High Sierra
10.14 Mojave
10.15 Catalina

according to LowEndMac, macOS 10.14 Mojave or later is not supported.

2018-06-26: replacing the hard drive cable - First I put Kapton tape on the bottom underneath where the hard drive cable should go, the I removed the old cable (two screws and pieces of doublesided tape that held the (thinner) sensor cable to the bottom and to the front piece where the sensors are attached. The sensor connector on the sensor cable lifts up on the left side, then you can remove (or insert) the cable from the sensors. Next I installed the new cable, bending it where it should bend, and taping the sensor cable to the front piece and (later) to the bottom. Installed the hard drive with OSX on it and tested - yes, the machine boots up. Success!

2018-06-25: the package with the hard drive cable arrived - straight into my mailbox.

2018-06-13: hard drive cable - I found one cheap on eBay, so I bought it. Price was NOK 70.46 + shipping NOK 20.92, a total of NOK 91.38. I'll have to isolate it (kapton tape?) from the case inside when installing it.

2018-06-13: connected the hard drive via an usb-to-SATA adapter and did Internet Recovery (Command-R on bootup) to install OSX Lion (10.7.5) on the usb-connected drive. That worked.

2018-06-13: hard drive - tried with a SATA drive and a SATA SSD, none of them are detected by Disk Utility. Bad SATA cable?

2018-06-13: removed the bottom (Lower Case) and discovered that there wasn't a hard drive in the machine.

2018-06-12: I got this from a friend, who got it from e-waste at work. It only shows the question mark when powered up.