Can I take the hard drive from a late 2008 MacBook Pro and put it in an Early 2011 MacBook Pro?

I just got a new 15" MBP and I want to give my older one to my son. The "older" one is an Early 2011.  My son has the Late 2008 model. My brother will take the 2008 MBP once I've moved all my son's stuff to the 2011.  Here's the question. My son has a 750GB hard drive on the 2008. He has partitions on it for Boot Camp and for his games. The 2011 only has a 500GB hard drive. Rather than erasing the 2011, restoring it from Time Capsule, then setting up Boot Camp and the other partitions all over again, or even using Winclone or something like that, can I just swap the hard drives? It would certainly faster and easier. I just wonder if there is a technical reason why I shouldn't do that. 

You could always give it a shot - the only problem that you might run into is that the the early 2011 might not boot when the hard drive is swapped from the 2008 hard drive. Some versions of OS X are simply not compatible between different models.
But it's worth a try...
Clinton

Similar Messages

  • How can I remove the hard drive from an iMac g4 before recycling it?

    How can I remove the hard drive from an iMac g4 before recycling it?

    There are take-apart guides online.  For example
    http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/imac_g4/imacg4_takeapart.html
    However, you can also consider securely erasing the hard drive instead.  You can do this using a Mac OS X installation disc with a version that your iMac G4 can boot from the optical drive.  If this is a viable option, please post back (include Mac OS X version on installation disc).

  • Can I take a hard drive from a different laptop and replace it in my MacBook pro 2007

    My MacBook pro (2007) has  failing hard drive. Can I remove the hard drive from a different laptop ie. Toshiba, or HP and replace it with the failing hard drive?

    yes you can....but any files/data on the other drive will be gone.  also make sure that the drive you install is a SATA drive which is in your Macbook...
    make sure you have your original install disk if you plan on doing a clean install.

  • Do I need startup discs to upgrade hardware on MacBook Pro or can I restore the hard drive from from a Time Machine backup?

    do I need startup discs to upgrade hardware on MacBook Pro or can I restore the hard drive from from a Time Machine backup?

    Ok, well go and grab a small 2.5" hard drive enclosure so you can put the new drive in & temporarily use it like an external hard drive.
    Download Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper and make a bootable clone of your current HDD on the new HDD.
    Once that's done you can test the clone by booting from it. To do this hold Optioni while booting to select the external (new) drive. If everything looks ok, you can go ahead and swap over the HDD's.
    So much easier.

  • Can I swap the hard drive from MacBook Pro 17 (2009) to MacBook Pro 15 (2006)?

    My MacBook Pro 17 (2009) died. Pushing the power button gets no response. I had had problems with it for some time turning it on, it usually taking many many tries. Plus when I'd try to do a restart after updating software, instead of doing so it'd shut off super quick with a *pop* sound. There was never any of the typical hard drive going bad sounds I've read about and seen in videos. Since it has refused to turn on I've gone through every suggestion I can find to get it to turn back on. Unhook the battery and try starting from just the power cord; the shorting the power pads move; some thing undoing the battery, counting to 10, and then the next steps now escape my memory, but doing more counting to 10 inbetween; unplugging the battery and leaving it sit for 2 days with no power cord plugged in either, then hook it to a power cord and turn it back on; and so many more.
    Also the symptoms just before this fiasco were as follows: I had a CD in the internal drive and was browsing through the images on it via the handy previewer using the space bar. Then I decided to quite, tried ejecting the CD by dragging the icon to the trash, and nothing. I tried again. The same. Then I pushed on the eject key, with the ejct icon popping up on the screen momentarily, but still nothing. Then it appreared as though some things worked and other things were not working. In my frustration I went to the Apple menu and clicked restart with a wince knowing it was going to take forever to turn back on. It did the usual quickly off with a *pop* and made super short lame attempts to turn back on when using the power button. Of course the CD kept trying to spin for a split second and then the little indicator light on the front would go out, then no noise at all.
    Since I do not believe it is the hard drive (of course I could be wrong not being a Mac nerd at all), I was wondering if I can switch the hard drive to my Macbook Pro 15 (2006)?
    I tried this, but it would not read the hard drive. Just a blank grey screen. If it is possible to do this swap, what are the exact steps to do? Please answer like I'm completely illiterate on this, because I really am. I'm super scared of losing everything on the dead MacBook's hard drive. Yeah yeah, I know: then why have I not been backing things up? I had the week prior. Believe me I WILL be doing it daily from now on if I get this mess straightened out!
    Here are the specs for each MacBook Pro:
    Name: MacBook Pro 17 (info gained from the serial on the bottom and then looked up online)
    Model: A1297
    Model Code: mbp_17_early_09
    CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
    CPU Speed: 2.8GHz
    RAM Type: DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM 1066MHz
    RAM Slots: 2
    Max RAM by Slot: 2 x 4GB
    Maximum RAM: 8GB
    RAM Pairing: Modules may be installed individually
    Hard Drive Connection: SATA 300
    Hard Drive Platter Size: 2.5"
    Device Connectivity: USB 2.0, FireWire 800
    Video Output (base graphics option): Mini DisplayPort
    Expansion Slots: ExpressCard/34
    Max Operating System Version: 10.6.8 (I believe that is what was last on the computer)
    Name:    MacBook Pro 15" (retrieved from the System Profiler on this Mac)
      Model Identifier:    MacBookPro2,2
      Processor Name:    Intel Core 2 Duo
      Processor Speed:    2.33 GHz
      Number Of Processors:    1
      Total Number Of Cores:    2
      L2 Cache:    4 MB
      Memory:    3 GB
      Bus Speed:    667 MHz
      Boot ROM Version:    MBP22.00A5.B07
      SMC Version (system):    1.12f5

    OGELTHORPE really sorry to keep bugging you, but it's obvious you know what you are talking about and I'm stuck on thin ice here getting this fixed, because there are no authorized Apple reps here. I would rather shoot myself for messing up, then to trust someone who "says" they can fix my Mac down here.
    I checked out a company owned by ebay that is the same down here, called MercadoLibre. There are quite a few adapters listed there. I'd like to give you links for some and was wondering if you minded taking a look to tell me if any seem to fit the bill. Some have specs in English, others don't. (Google translater is my friend!)
    #1.  http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-415826915-adaptador-usb-a-ide-y-sata-con -cables-y-fuente-envio-gratis-_JM
    #2. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416270876-usb-20-to-ide-sata-25-35-hard- drive-_JM#D[S:HOME,L:HISTORY,V:1]
    #3.  http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416384859-adaptador-usb-20-a-sataide-_JM
    #4.  http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-415596152-adaptador-usb-20-para-sata-e-i de-manhattan-_JM
    #5.  http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416061182-adaptador-de-usb-a-sata-o-ide- 3525-con-fuente-externa-_JM
    #6. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416061069-convertidor-usb-20-a-sata-hdd- 25-soporta-hasta-1tb-_JM
    These are all cost effective enough that I don't care the price - cheap, expensive - whichever will work the BEST!
    I've also looked for the 7200 rpm HDD, and although I found some, I'll be danged if they are not 3.0, instead of the 2.5 that I have. Grrrr! I was willing to spend the $90 for 1tb... or being the non-techie that I am, can this 3.0 go into my 2006 MBP??
    Just so you can see what all is listed right now:
    http://listado.mercadolibre.com.uy/7200-rpm-hdd-2.5-macbook-pro
    Another newbie question: How do I check what the amount if RAM is presently installed in it? (I might be a greenhorn, but I take pride in not being a dumbie and I learn when taught)
    Right now, I'm willing to spend almost anything. I want a few files that are on the HDD at the moment that I was stupid and did not backup on my external. One file I worked on all day due to the dimensions I had to design it at and each effect took a long time to render. I really don't want to do that one again!.. I'm also willing to spend anything that won't cost me the price of a new iMac. Figure that should be the next one I buy that is affordable, but won't be overworked like the MBP was.
    Once again, thanks much for all of your help!

  • Can I plug the hard drive from my Time Capsule into my PC?

    My laptop's hard drive recently died and the chance of being able to recover any data from it is pretty slim. To make matters worse, i've been meaning to buy a new Time Capsule for a while as mine is no longer functioning correctly (won't let me connect even with a solid green light).
    I'm hoping that's the fault of the rest of the Time Capsule, and not the hard drive and its contents. So, would it be possible to plug the Time Capsule's hard drive into my Windows PC and somehow recover the data from there?
    Thanks!

    The only files you can recover are ones you put there.. so the only way and the only person who knows the answer is you.. where did you put the files?
    Did you put them in a new folder under the share, data.. then that is where they will be.
    If you put them inside the sparsebundle.. you are dead. But if you created a new directory inside the sparsebundle you might still get access to it.. there is only one way to find out.. have a go.. !!
    BTW if you did this, that is why you have issues.. putting files inside a sparsebundle will destroy it. Not a great idea. But it is allowed.
    Who can know these things.. YOU.. and YOU ALONE.
    You might find it cheaper in your case to repair the TC..
    If it is Gen 1 or 2, type "Time Capsule Power Supply" into ebay.. without the ""
    There are some there to help you fix it.
    Or a repairer could help.
    https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s
    It is much easier to get your files back from a working TC.

  • Can I transfer the hard drive from my Macbook into a new Macbook Pro?

    I have been planning on purchasing a Macbook Pro for quite sometime now, however I find that the storage space on the base models is quite small. I currently have a 500gb hard drive on my Macbook, and I was wondering if there's any way I could transfer this hard drive into a new Macbook Pro.

    If you are considering to purchase Mac Book Pro is not Retina, you can get 1TB HDD as option with +$50.

  • Should I take the hard drive out of my 2008 Intel 24" iMac

    I have a 24" 2008 iMac with a 500Gig harddrive running the latest OS and it is really running slow (pinwheeling etc.) I've maxed out the RAM and I'm not sure if I can get it to run any better.  I've cleaned up the drive using repair disk permssions etc.    I am considering taking out the drive and putting this in an inclosure to take data off of it and replacing the drive and doing a clean install to sell it.  I'd then try to connect the drive to my Airport and use my MBP as my primary computer.  Anythoughts or suggestions on how I can go about doing this?  Are there easier or better options?
    Thanks.

    That's far too many apps running simultaneously with only 4 GBs of RAM.
    Intel version of OS X, especially, OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion are serious computer resource hogs.
    OS X, by itself, can use between and up to  2-4 GBs of RAM to run smoothly, quickly and efficiently.
    Tthis doesn't leave a lot of extra RAM and in your situation NO extra RAM for running additonal applications.
    It's apparent you need more RAM.
    Your model iMac can take 6 GBs of RAM.
    You can substitute one 2 GB RAM module with a 4 GB RAM module for a total of 6 GBs of RAM.
    You still need to cut back on how many apps you run simultaneously, but you'll have more leeway with the extra 2 GBs of RAM installed.
    Correct and reliable Mac RAM can be purchased from online Mac RAM sources Crucial memory or OWC (macsales.com).
    Here's a link to OWC's 4 GB RAM module for your model iMac.
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/6400DDR2S4GB/
    Good Luck!

  • Can I take the 1066MHz RAM from my late 2009 iMac and out in my new iMac which has 1333MHz RAM?

    Hi my old IMAC "blew up" and is too expensive to repair so I biught a ew one last week.  I want to know if I can transfer the additional RAM to my new iMac.

    The 1066MHz RAM is not compatable.  Have a look at the Crucial website for compatable RAM upgrades.

  • Can I put the hard drive from my unrepairable iMac into another equivalent iMac?

    THE LOGIC BOARD IN MY OLDER IMAC IS KAPUT.   CAN I SIMPLY PUT THE HARD DRIVE FROM MY FAILED IMAC INTO A WORKING EQUIVALENT IMAC?   ( I SEE PEOPLE SELLING THE SAME IMAC ON CRAIG'S LIST FOR $150.)

    Hi.
    Yes, you can install the drive from the old iMac into another same-model iMac and it should have no problem booting.
    Optionally, I would suggest you search online for a FireWire external drive enclosure. Take the drive out of your old iMac and install it into the FireWire drive enclosure. Now you can use your old drive as an external, bootable hd on your replacement iMac, or on any other Mac that you might purchase in the future.
    Of course, you could swap the drive from your failed iMac into the one you buy on Craig's List... then put the drive you take from that into the external drive enclosure.
    I suggest a FireWire enclosure because the older iMacs, the PPC models, can boot from an external FireWire drive, but I believe not from a USB drive.

  • Where can I buy a larger hard drive for my late 2008, 15" macbook pro?  From reviewing questions and answers on the support community it would appear that having Apple remove the old and install the new hard drive is recommended.  But how/where?

    Where can I buy a larger hard drive for my late 2008, 15" macbook pro?  From reviewing questions and answers on the support community it would appear that having Apple remove the old and install the new hard drive is recommended.  But how/where?

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    You can install the new hard disk yourself if you want to. You just need a 2'5" SATA II hard drive, which is compatible with your MacBook Pro. You can buy one at OWC > http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/ You can filter hard drives by computer, so press a "Click to view all...", choose your computer in the sidebar and it will give you the compatible hard drives.
    There are different brands for the MacBook Pro. The most recommended are HGST and Seagate, which have good reputation. A 7200 rpm hard drive will give you extra performance

  • How can I erase (or remove) the hard drive from a dead Time Capsule?

    How can I erase (or remove) the hard drive from a dead Time Capsule?

    I found this having had the same problem...
    http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=553818
    Having removed the hard drive I'm finding I can't reformat it. I manage to mount the HD but Disk Utility crashes when trying to format (HD attached to Mac via Newer Tech. SATA cables to USB) and causes what I think is a kernal panic on my Mac which hard crashes. I see 3 partitions when attempting to mount one of which is AFP. Anyone got any ideas about how to do this? I've dug around but the only progress I've made is to note others have had to work around ACL's when replacing the logic board of the TC. Not sure if this even relates to the problem. However the tool for doing this seems to have been removed from SL. (Forum references to this procedure all relate to 10.5).

  • Can i take a a hard drive from a windows computer, enclosure it and use it on my mac as a dual boot?

    I would like to take a hard drive from my old Windows computer which already has Windows 7 installed an use it on my mac as a dual boot. How would i go around doing this so i could keep all the files i already within this hard drive? I have the hard in an enclosure so i just need to know how i could use on my iMac, If anyone could take the time to get back to this i would appreciate it, Thanks!

    Windows won't boot from an external drive. Don't waste your time.

  • My old computer has broken and I had not backed up my Itunes. I now have the hard drive from my old computer but cannot transfer the music. How can I transfer the music from my old hard drive to the new laptop?

    My old computer has broken and I had not backed up my Itunes. I now have the hard drive from my old computer (windows 7) but cannot transfer the music. How can I transfer the music from my old hard drive to the new laptop (windows 8)?

    Copy the entire iTunes folder from \Users\<User>\Music on the old drive into your music folder on the new computer.
    Or see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
    tt2

  • I am having some issues getting OS X to mount the hard drive from my old laptop (Windows 7). Is there anything I can do to mount this?

    I am having some issues getting OS X to mount the hard drive from my old laptop (Windows 7). Is there anything I can do to mount this?
    It is not showing on the Desktop or the left colomn of Finder (Set to do both in Finder Prefernces) and is not showing up under the Disk application under Utilities (Sorry can't remember the name off the top of my head!)

    cjz0r wrote:
     ...I'm starting to think it is most likely NTFS, am I looking at needing an Application to read the NTFS partitions on the drive?
    You should be able to read NTFS formatted drives, just not write to them. For that matter, USB Flash drives generally come formatted NTFS for use with PC's and they have to be able to mount on a Mac in order to reformat them for Mac use. The Windows utilities supplied on those Flash drives will be deleted when the drive is reformatted for Mac use so I routinely copy them to the Mac desktop first before reformatting.
    You might look into something like this http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/ if the enclosure is an issue. It looks weird but it works.

Maybe you are looking for