Installing SSD on Early 2011 MBP Bad Cable

My Problem

I installed an SSD on my MBP Early 2011 model 15" using the excellent instructions on iFixit. It ran for a half hour then the MBP froze. The SSD was no longer recognized.

I reinstalled the old HDD and connected the SSD via USB and the SSD was there with no issues.

After research I found that the OEM SATA Cable was not quite up to spec. I ordered a new one from iFixit. iFixit was the only source I could find that was trustworthy.

My Fix

I installed the new cable according to the excellent instructions from iFixit and the problem was solved. No drama, worked first time and my MBP is now far, far better than new.

My Advice

If you have a MBP 2011 model an SSD and 16mb RAM can add dramatic improvement for 2-3 hundred dollars.

If the SSD acts up immediately or even a little later the Cable is most likely the culprit. Don't give up until you've replaced the cable.