Chosen Solution
Bought a Toshiba MQ01ABD100 Media drive from iFixit for my mid-2009 MacBook Pro 13" (It is the exact same model that my local MacStore installed a couple years ago.) Using various how-to’s around the internet (since the iFixit how-to is for an older OS X), I successfully made a bootable USB drive and booted off it. Got so far as erasing the drive using Disk Utility, but when I hit ‘Erase" I get the following; “Erase process has failed…” Show Details reveals: “Wiping volume data to prevent future accidental probing failed. Operation failed…” Ran First Aid, everything copacetic. Tried again, same messages. So I guess my question is: now what?
Ah! You likely need a new HD SATA cable! This series tends to have a high failure. Here’s the IFIXIT guide you’ll need to follow: MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2009 Hard Drive Cable Replacement and this is the part you’ll want: MacBook Pro 13" Unibody (Mid 2012) Hard Drive Cable - Apple P/N 923-0104. And yes, you want the newer part!
