My MacBook Pro late 2013 suddenly displayed a question mark folder out of nowhere. Here's my solution to this issue

As the title suggests, my MacBook Pro late 2013 suddenly displayed a question mark folder out of nowhere. I suspected that the SSD was broken.

To address this issue, I purchased an Adata SX8200 PRO NVME 512GB, an adapter for the SSD to fit into the MacBook SSD slot, and a set of precision screws to open up the MacBook. P5 (1.2mm) screws are needed for the back, and T5 for the SSD screw. You can find tutorials on YouTube for reference.

Changing the hardware is a relatively simple process, but ensure that the adapter fits firmly into the MacBook. It requires a bit of force to push it in. Installing the SSD is fairly straightforward; refer to YouTube videos for guidance.

My specific problem arose when attempting to upgrade to a firmware higher than Sierra. Only High Sierra and above can detect the new SSD. I'm not sure why I couldn't initially boot into CMD + OPTION + R, but eventually, my MacBook managed to boot into CMD+OPTION +R. The first screen shows "internet recovery," and afterward, the Big Sur OS will pop up for installation. Of course, you'll need to reformat the SSD via Disk Utility. So, please note that only High Sierra and above will recognize the new SSD. Initially, I thought my SSD adapter was faulty because it only cost $1, but it turned out to be fine. The issue was with the OS not detecting the SSD.

Please take note that if you boot into CMD+R, it will only allow you to install a very old version of the OS. In my case, it was Mavericks. So, make sure to boot into CMD+OPTION+R, and you will see your new SSD, enabling you to install the newest compatible OS for your MacBook.

After formatting the SSD, the process is straightforward, and you can install your latest OS.