Replacing "apple hardware test" with "apple diagnostics"

According to this article, holding down the "D" key while my MacBookPro11,3 boots should bring up "Apple Diagnostics". However, "Apple Hardware Test" comes up instead. When I try to run in, it fails, saying my hardware is not supported.

How do I replace the "Apple Hardware Test" firmware program with the "Apple Diagnostics" firmware program?

Some more background: This is a new macbook pro, and I copied the hard drive from my old one using disk utility. After the transfer, the laptop worked fine, but would not boot into recovery mode-- holding down option at startup and selecting the recovery drive yielded a grey screen with a white, cross-out circle in the middle. Re-downloading and re-installing Mavericks fixed this problem. I can now boot into recovery mode, but I still have the problem described above.

Please do not answer this question if you don't understand the difference between "Apple Hardware Test" and "Apple Diagnostics." Linking me to Apple support and pointing out that "Apple Diagnostics" replaced "Apple Hardware Test" in mid-2013 (as the 2 current answers have done) does not answer my question.


The original AHT file is somewhat hidden.

The AHT is stuffed into an AHTxx.dmg file and found on the Recovery HD volume that is also hidden.

First you have to make the hidden partitions visible

To enable the see all partitions in Disk Utility (the Debug Menu)

defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 1

In Disk utility now there will be a tab called Debug.

Use it to show hidden partition.

You will now see the Hidden partition called Recovery and EFI.

Mount the Recovery to see the files in finder and find the AHTxx.dmg

Delete it since it does not work anyway and it is a left over.

Now you can Disable the see all partitions in Disk utility (remove the Debug from the Tabs)

defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 0

To Show all hidden files

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE && killall Finder

When done replace the TRUE with FALSE to hide hidden files.

Try the Diagnostic mode.

Since you do not have one anymore, the Internet version should come up automagicaly.


So you didn't write this much in your original post but I am going out on a limb and gonna say that the AHT that boots doesn't work on your Retina MBP.

The only way to get the file back is reinstall the OS via internet recovery but if the /System/Library/CoreServices/.diagnostics folder is there then I would wager a small bet that internet recovery won't put Apple Diagnostics on the drive.

You can test this by deleting the current folder on your MacBook Pro and then trying internet recovery. OR (I'd first recommend this) you could start your computer into Internet Recovery and reinstall the OS on an external drive. Once the install is done just copy over the aforementioned .diagnostics folder and then move it onto your MacBook Pro's internal drive.

All the best and much fun ahead! (Please give internet recovery 1-2 hours depending on your internet connection and ethernet is highly encouraged)