I want to install a new hard drive on my 2008 MacBook but do not have the instillation discs that came with my computer. Can I use instillation discs from a 2009 or 2010 MacBook?

I want to install a new hard drive on my 2008 MacBook but do not have the instillation discs that came with my computer. Can I use instillation discs from a 2009 or 2010 MacBook? The hard drive I am planning to install is a WD Scorpio Black 500GB SATA 2.5'' internal hard drive.

Sometimes they do work - i've done it before. I have a late 2008 Macbook Uni and used the install dvd of my 2009 Macbook White and it worked.
Why not just clone your hard drive? It'll save you a lot of time doing a clone rather than doing a clean install.
Unless you're having issues with your old set up or your old hard drive is dead.
You can download Carbon Copy Cloner - install your new hard drive in a external usb enclosure (around $10) and clone fromt here then test it before you install it in your Macbook.
Once you've done the swap, you can install your old hard drive in the USB enclosure and use it as a backup drive.
Good luck

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I want to sell my MBP. How do I completely erase my 2007, 17-inch Macbook Pro that is currently running Snow Leopard. I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE BOX ANYMORE.

I want to sell off my old MacBook Pro and do not want any of my old stuff on it for the next person to fool around with. I'd like a clean-slate for the next guy/gal. It's a 17-inch that I purchased back in '07. It is currently running Snow Leopard after I installed it myself about two years ago. I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE LAPTOP IN THE BOX.

raeusebio32 wrote:
I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE LAPTOP IN THE BOX.
No problem, stick in your 10.6.3 Snow Leopard retail disk you used to upgrade from 10.4/10.5 with
If you don't have this disk anymore, you can order one online at Apple.com for $29, they don't sell it in the physical stores.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A
Reboot holding the c or option key down to boot from the disk, select Disk Utility from under the Utilities menu on the second screen (first is language selection)
Now select your boot drive on the left with the drive makers name and disk size and click Erase > Security Option > Zero All Data and click Erase
It will take some time to complete as it's making sure all your personal data if not easily recoverable off the drive using software.
Now quit and you will be back in the installer window, install 10.6 and it will reboot to the "Welcome Video" you can choose to press the power button down and do a hard shutdown, the computer will boot again to this video for the next owner.
If you need even more security in your data deletion efforts I suggest you read this
How do I securely delete data from the machine?

How do I revert to Snow Leopard from Mountain Lion? I do not have the setup disk that came with my MacBook but I do have the Snow Leopard software.

I upgraded to Mountain Lion and very much regret this move. I cannot use Parallels or Bootcamp for Windows XP which I need for some of my 'older' accessories. How do I revert from Mountain Lion back to Snow Leopard? I have the Snow Leopard software but I do not have the original setup software disk that came with the MacBook (leant to a friend and never seen again).

If you do revert to Snow Leopard, be aware of this "feature" I used with my 2009 MacBook Pro:
When it had the original OS (Leopard, I believe) I set up Bootcamp with Windows XP. I also installed Parallels and use the Bootcamp partition for Windows XP within Parallels.
I then upgraded to Snow Leopard and all was fine.
I then upgraded to Lion and still my Bootcamp partition works for Windows XP and also for Parallels.
I have not upgraded to Mountain Lion so I cannot speak to whether or not the Bootcamp paritition of Windows XP will continue to work. If you do and it works, LET US KNOW!

HT3275 Since Installing a new hard drive on my 2008 macbook and reconnecting to to time capsule through time machine, I can only get backups since the install.

Since Installing a new hard drive on my 2008 macbook and reconnecting to to time capsule through time machine, I can only get backups since the install.
I receive a message saying identity of backup dis has changed and offers me the choice of either Don't back up or Use this disc.

Time Machine treats any new drive like a new computer. It starts a completely new Time Machine backup. So you now have two backups - a new one and all your old ones.
Visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with managing your Time Machine backups.

I have just installed a new hard drive in my imac intel 20" (2006) and now the hard drive does not show up in the 'select destinations' folder of the install program.

I have just installed a new hard drive in my imac intel 20" (2006) and upgraded the memory and now the hard drive does not show up in the 'select destinations' folder of the install program. I can see the hard drive in the disk utilities window however it wont let me do anything.
It is a seagate 1TB SATA II drive however it is displaying it as a 7.3 TB.
If anyone has any suggestions I would be happy to hear them.
I have tried to erase and partition and get the same error message each time, 'Input/Output error'.
I have tried starting the thing with the install disk which is Mac OS X (Tiger?) which came with the computer. No good.
Anyone?

Thats correct. I can see it in the list however when I attempt to erase it or partition it it's like it's not being found or recognised and it throws up the input/output error message. I am pretty sure that the sensor it attached correctly and it is a SATA drive. I can see all the infor regarding the drive when disk utility is open and it all looks good but I cant access it or do anything with it. It's taunting me!
The install disk is in the drive and the install program runs right up to the point where you have to select the location for the install and there is just nothing in the box where you have to select the hard drive icon.
I have my suspiscions about the drive but any help would be appreciated.

I just had to get a new hard drive for my mac book pro and I have the old one saved onto a hard drive, how do I get all my saved info back onto the new hard drive?

My hard drive on my mac book pro went so I had to get a new one. I had everything saved onto my external hard drive and I don't know how to resynch it to the new hard drive so my computer will have everything on it that it used to. does anyone know how to do this?

Are you recovering Lion or later Time Machine backup with a Lion or later machine?
If you are, then use this article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
Other Time Machine restore options are here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Note, if recovering from a PowerPC Mac (iMac G5, PowerMac, Mac Mini G4, iBook, Powerbook), this tip is important:
http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295
Otherwise use the recommended restore option with whatever backup software you used initially.

HT1338 I would like to perform a clean install on my macbook pro. I do not have the original disks that came the mac, however I know it was purchased in 2008.

Upgrading MacBook Pro to new machine want to unistall. No disc.

Strictly speaking you are supposed to supply the old discs with a computer since they are part of the computer package (for Macs at least).
Call Apple Customer Support 1-800-767-2775 (telephone numbers for other countries - http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57). Provide the serial number and specifications of the Mac. They may be able to provide a replacement set of discs for a fee. These discs will be for whatever OS was installed on the computer originally.
As far as your files are concerned, you can use another Mac or any retail version discs that will work in the old Mac to wipe the drive. To be more specific it would help to know what computers and which discs you actually own.
If you install an operating system (OS) on a Mac you also need to provide the discs (i'm talking about pre-OSX 10.7).
I have seen Macs sold without the original OS discs. If you do that then you at least need to provide the disc for the one on the computer. I guess you could try to sell the computer without an OS but that might be hard. If I was buying your computer I would want to see it boot, and I also might not want the hassle of getting an OS disc for it befre I could use it in any way. You'd have to come down a bit to make it sell.
Given all the above, I would still go with Snow Leopard. The retail disc itself will be as cheap as the original. The only things it might miss vs. the original will be bundled software (most of which will be outdated, though somebody might prefer older version to none) and perhaps the hardware test utility. Having a slightly newer OS might make the computer more attractive.

I recently installed a new hard drive and don't know how to install the software.

I recently installed a new hard drive and now when I turn it on, it just shows a blinking file with a question mark on it. What do I do now? How do I install the software if I can't get on the internet from my MacBook? Can the apple store do it for me?

Which operating system version did you have?
We also need to know which exact model Mac (almost always include this information when you post - saying MaBookPro is almost as bad as saying "Ford car" in terms of the variety of submodels) because some newer models can boot from the Internet.
OS X: About OS X Recovery - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 - "OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks include OS X Recovery. This feature includes all of the tools you need to reinstall OS X, repair your disk, and even restore from a Time Machine backup without the need for optical discs."

MacBook Pro 2010: Flashing folder w/? on not responding to startup keys & I'm trying to install a new hard drive, can anyone help?

MacBook Pro 2010: Flashing folder w/? on not responding to startup keys & I'm trying to install a new hard drive, can anyone help?

Thanks. It started up com that disk but when I went to install it had an error message (didn't get to write out what it said). So I attempted to restore from time machine but it said there was no space, even though it's a new (replacement under warranty) HGST 1TB HD, so I did what I think was right and tried to partition the disk but it now says 'Partition faild...POSIX report...cannot allocate memory'. im not sure what to do, and I'm trying to remember how the previous hd was installed and formatted for use but that was over a year ago now. Should have erased the hd first or something?

I recently installed a new hard drive in a MacBook 2007 and then 10.6.3. I'd like to be able to Sync iCal to the calendars I have created on other devices (new iCloud account and an ME account). I can't upgrade to 10.7 or 10.8 because the MacBook is 32bit

I recently installed a new hard drive in a MacBook 2007 and then 10.6.3. I'd like to be able to Sync iCal to the calendars I have created on other devices (new iCloud account and an ME account). I can't upgrade to 10.7 or 10.8 because the MacBook is 32 bit. Just looking for a workaround as this is not a primary device.

You should update to the latest version of Snow Leopard, 10.6.8 - you can download it here; however it's still not compatible with iCloud and though you can connect to access your email you cannot access any other of iCloud's facilities.
However some people have been able to set up calendar syncing by using the method detailed here - this is an unsupported hack and may not be reliable, and may stop working at some future point. I've not tried it: use at your own discretion.
To access the email:
Entering iCloud email settings manually in Snow Leopard or Leopard
Are you sure you can't upgrade to Lion? It requires an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which you may well have, though it also needs 2GB RAM so you might need to add additional RAM (might not be worth it for what you want). The published specs don't mention 32 or 64 bit. You can buy Lion by ringing the Apple Store at the number at bottom left of this page.

I had to install a new hard drive because my old hard drives boot files became corrupted, and i want to get all of my music files off the old hard drive and regain all my play counts/ratings/playlists

Greetings everyone
as the title says, ive had to install a new hard drive and i want to transfer my old itunes library onto the new drive, maintaining all playlists/play counts/ratings etc, album artwork if possible. The old hard drive is installed as a slave drive and is completely acessible, but due to the boot files being corrupted i cannot use it as the main drive and therefore operate my old itunes. Also, my ipod no longer contains my music library as itunes synced without my permission and wiped it.
The only thing i have tried is copying all of my old music files from the old drive by selecting 'add folder to library' and then the old drive, then replacing the new itunes library.itl file with the one from my old itunes. This restores all my playlists and playcounts but when i try to play any of the songs it says that the files could not be found, and i dont fancy locating 8500 music files individually!
Thankyou for taking the time to read my post, any help will be greatly appreciated.

Ah, my reply was based on the assumption that you had a default installation of iTunes.
i.e you had all your music in the iTunes media folder inside your iTunes folder.
If your iTunes folder is so small compared to the amount of music you have, you must have a different arrangement.
This complicates you situation considerably.
iTunes can cope with moving around as long as all the music is in the iTunes media folder, not not if it isn't.
Your first step should be to get iTunes working on the old drive. This will involve editing the xml library file so that the drive letter is correct and then rebuilding the library from the xml file.
Then you will need to consolidate your library which moves everything into the iTunes media fodler. After that you will be able to use my first suggestion.
Step 1
Find the iTunes folder on the old drive and copy the two library files somewhere else so you can find them again. That's iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml.
Now open the copy of iTunes Library.xml with WordPad.
Look for lines starting:
Location
These contain the paths to tracks.
You will need to use a find/replace to change the drive letter so that it is correct.
Make sure that you include enough in the "find" so that you only change the right thing.
Maybe /c:/ and replace with /d:/ or whatever.
After that, tell iTunes to use the library on the old drive with a shift key start.
Hold down the shift key and start iTunes, keep holding the shift key until you are prompted to choose a library. Navigate to the iTunes folder on the old drive and choose iTunes Library.itl.
Then use the method in the following article to rebuild your library;
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451
Unfortunately the date added will be today for all tracks.
If iTunes works correctly after this, consolidate your library
File>>Library>>Organize>>consolidate
This copies all tracks into to iTunes media folder and could create a problem if you do not have disk space so don't do it if you are unsure about free disk space.
Check that iTunes works OK and then use the first method.
Message was edited by: polydorus

HT201250 My macbook pro crashed and I had to install a new hard drive. I restored from Time Machine backup all the files from my old hard drive onto my new one.

Does it really back up the whole new drive or does it only back up what's been added? It seemed like it was doing the whole thing when I tried it. I stopped it. Don't want to use up all the space on my external. Is there something else I need to do or did I mess up by not doing the migrating thing? thanks!

If you installed a new hard drive, it has nothing on it and yes TimeMachine is going to take forever to restore everything back.
I guess you'll have to erase and start over again now.
Too bad, you should have made bootable clones in addition to TimeMachine, they can restore in a hour or two depending upon content, they are also option key bootable.
TimeMachine has to go through and calculate all the files it needs to bring forward, the files are strewn all over the drive. The read heads are moving all over the platters all the time from fast sectors to slow ones, not matching what's occuring on the internal drive.
With a clone the files are defragmented and optimized, the drive reads one file, moves the heads a tiny bit and reads the next all the while transferring exactly to the internal drive, they are more in step with one another, thus it's much faster restoring from a clone than TM.
Most commonly used backup methods

Installing a new hard drive and want to re-install Photoshop

I need to install a new hard drive and want to re-install Photoshop. Since I will installing a new OS, when I deactivate Photoshop from the old hard drive, should I permanently deactivate or suspend activation?

Help > Deactivate

I see that i have a problem after installing my new hard drive on my macbook pro mid 2009 version. I put a new hard drive, with all of my information from my old drive installed on it, into the computer. but now have the blinking question mark folder

i see that i have a problem after installing my new hard drive on my macbook pro mid 2009 version. I put a new hard drive, with all of my information from my old drive installed on it, into the computer. but now have the blinking question mark folder. I see that it means that it isn't reading the new hard drive.
did i miss a step between transferring all of my information from my old hard drive to the new hard drive and installing the new hard drive into the computer. I believe that i installed properly. it was quite easy.
thanks for your help

It means there is no bootable system on the drive. If you still have access to the old drive, then I suggest you boot from it then clone it to the new internal drive. Use OPTION boot to boot from the Recovery HD on the old drive:
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
     1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue
         button.
     2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
     3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
     4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it
         to the Destination entry field.
     5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
         the Source entry field.
     6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Source means the external old drive. Destination means the new internal drive.

I just had to install a new hard drive, windows 7,itunes and outlooks 2010 on laptop and want to import contacts, calendars and photos. it seems sync wants to wipe out my phone with whats on the computer unidirectionally. whats the fix?

Hi guys newbie here. My HP laptop crashed and i had to install a new hard drive, windows 7, outlook, itunes, etc. i need to get my contacts, calendars and photos off the phone and into Outlook and My Pictures. Syncing seems unidirectional PC -> iphone and i think wants to wipe out the iphone 4s with whats on the laptop - which is nothing. Need help to do this right...

-Me again - it also won't upload the few new pictures I have on the computer onto the iPad without deleting all the photos that are already there....

I want to install a new hard drive on my 2008 MacBook but do not have the instillation discs that came with my computer. Can I use instillation discs from a 2009 or 2010 MacBook?

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