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.

Similar Messages

  • I want to upgrade to Mavericks. Will I need to reinstall all of my apps and copy my files back to the hard drive?  I have not installed an OS on a Mac before and I'm wondering whether it is as involved as on a PC.

    I want to upgrade to Mavericks. Will I need to reinstall all of my apps and copy my files back to the hard drive?  I have not installed an OS on a Mac before and I'm wondering whether it is as involved as on a PC.

    Short answer: You do NOT have to reinstall all your apps and copy your files back.
    Longer answer: Upgrading the OS does not touch any user files. Upgrading the OS should not interfere with any applications which are compatible with Mavericks.  In my experience non-Apple apps are generally left unchanged by the upgrade.  It is possible that some apps may need to be upgraded. One good resource for checking application compatibility is RoaringApps.
    Finally, it is always wise to backup everything, just in case.

  • Upgrading hardware in MacBook Pro 13" (Mid 2012)

    Hello,
    I'd like to upgrade my MacBook Pro 13" (Mid 2012). I've decided to replace my HDD with SSD, obviously, and add some RAM memory. I would appreciate if you let me know what do you think about the following hardware:
    Crucial 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz CL11
    SSD Crucial MX100 256GB SATA3 2.5" 550/330 MB/s 7mm
    Do you have any experiance with this particular hardware and do you think it's OK for my Mac, which btw I use mostly for my work: Mail, iWork, LibreOffice, Safari, iTunes, VLC etc.
    Thanks in advance for your answers!

    You can upgrade RAM(till 16GB) as well as HDD.
    MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory - Apple Support
    https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+RAM+Replacemen t/10374
    https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Rep lacement/10378

  • Can I purchase Mountain Lion and make a flash drive bootable? I do not want to install it on my Macbook Pro. I have Snow Leopard on my Macbook Pro now, and due to my hard drive needing repair I need to boot off of another source, like my flash drive.

    Can I purchase Mountain Lion and make a flash drive bootable? I do not want to install it on my Macbook Pro. I have Snow Leopard on my Macbook Pro now, and due to my hard drive needing repair, I need to boot off of another source, like my flash drive. I am in Paris and my Snow Leopard DVD is in Texas.

    Mac OS X has a built-in disk diagnostic and repair program called fsck or file system consistency check. Here’s how to verify and repair your startup disk with fsck.  As soon as you hear the startup tone, press and hold Command-S on the keyboard. Keep holding down those keys until you see a black screen with white lettering. This is called “booting into Single User Mode.”  As the Mac boots in this mode, the screen reports each step of the process. The line should end in root#.  Right after the root# prompt, enter the following: /sbin/fsck -fy
    If repairing the disk in single user mode fails, it means one of two things. Either your hard drive itself is failing (a hardware failure), or the directory damage on your hard drive is beyond the capability of the built-in repair procedures in OS X.

  • I have the G Drive 1 TB (GEN4 1TB) external drive purchased in 2010. I need to connect to my new MacBook Pro. I'm using the external drive for media storage of my video editing projects. Will a 800fw to thunderbolt adapter cable work?

    I have the G Drive 1 TB (GEN4 1TB) external drive purchased in 2010. I need to connect to my new MacBook Pro. I'm using the external drive for media storage of my video editing projects. Will a 800fw to thunderbolt adapter cable work? I understand that using a USB port connection is not fast enough for video editing. I read somewhere the G Drives don't connect well to MacBook Pro.
    thanks
    larry

    I doubt this can be relocated or moved so you might want to just repost in the macbook pro area.
      MacBook Pro
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os?view=discussions
    Can you afford a new Thunderbolt case and cable? any case with FW800 is going to be slow 72MB/sec and less, and any new 1TB drive is capable of 75MB/s minimum up to 125MB/sec.
    Thunderbolt storage can of course when setup properly reach 100's of MB higher using multiple drives.
    Use what you have for a system backup or for secondary backup storage.
    you might be able to take the drive - most cases allow you to open and swap drives - and use this:
    G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mini High-Speed Portable Hard Drive                                   
    or this:
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB137VC/A/g-technology-4tb-g-raid-professional -high-performance-dual-drive-hard-drive?fnode=5f

  • I own PSE 10 installed on my MacBook Pro.  Can I use the disc to install it on new iMac?

    Have PSE 10 installed on my MacBook Pro.  Can I use the discs to install it on my new iMac?  also considering PSE 11 and Lightroom 4. Comments?

    Yes you can install it on your new Macintosh.  If it does not have an optical drive then you can copy the contents of the installation media to a USB drive and then install the software from there.

  • I just ordered a macbook air today and need to know if the 128gb SSD is enough space. I presently have a macbook pro and am using only 30gb hard drive space so, the apple rep said 128 is enough as I do not load much pictures or gaming etc. Also is i5 ok.

    I just ordered a macbook air today and need to know if the 128gb SSD is enough space. I presently have a macbook pro and am using only 30gb hard drive space so, the apple rep said 128 is enough as I do not load much pictures or gaming etc. Also is i5 ok.

    Id choose the I5 yes, depends on what your usage is going to be,
    ....your question about "128 gig being enough" begs the question for IDEALIZED USE of your macbook AIr
    In the case of a Macbook Air with ‘limited’ storage on the SSD, this distinction becomes more important in that in an ever rapidly increasing file-size world, you keep vital large media files, pics, video, PDF collections, music off your SSD and archived on external storage, for sake of the necessary room for your system to have free space to operate, store future applications and general workspace.  You should never be put in the position of considering “deleting things” on your macbook SSD in order to ‘make space’.
    *Generally, unless you NEED the data at least once every few weeks or once a month,...it really does'nt NEED to be on the SSD of your Macbook Air.
    Professionals who create and import very large amounts of data have almost no change in the available space on their computers internal HD because they are constantly archiving data to arrays of external or networked HD.
    Or in the case of the consumer this means you keep folders for large imported or created data and you ritually offload and archive this data for safekeeping, not only to safeguard the data in case your macbook has a HD crash, or gets stolen, but importantly in keeping the ‘breathing room’ open for your computer to operate, expand, create files, add applications, for your APPS to create temp files, and for general operation.
    Ive got more APPS than any human should have on my 128gig AIR,..(50 or so),....and 10gig of working data, important files etc etc.
    Still have 82gig available....... the entire point is that someone shouldnt consider the Air a "storage device" for tons of pics, music, vids, etc.
    *Never consider any computer a data storage device at any time under any circumstance, rather a data creation, sending, and manipulation device. Anyone who thinks data is safe on any computer, even copied upon multiple partitions is making a mistake that will, without fail, strike.
    For needs of packing around a LOT of "big data" with your Air in its case..., get a nice 1TB HD for $70, or even a 2TB drive not much bigger.
    Perfect 2TB HD, very slim, the "little giant"   made by Toshiba (have several of these) $119
    http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Connect-Portable-HDTC720XK3C1/dp/B00CGUMS48 /ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379182740&sr=1-4&keywords=2tb+toshiba
    *This one is the BEST  external HD available that money can buy:
    $75
    HGST Touro Mobile 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
    http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Touro-Mobile-External-HTOLMX3NA10001ABB/dp/B0062FZ2WS /ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379185002&sr=1-1&keywords=hitachi+extern a l+hard+drive

  • Disc utility can't see the hard drive

    Hard drive dies in my mac book. I know it was actually dead 'cuz it wasn't spinning. Took it to the apple store he stuck in a new one for me. I said I could format it myself no sweat. Took it home, booted of up with the install disc. Open up disc utility- no hard drive. I know that this one hasn't eaten it yet, 'cuz I can hear it spinning. Any ideas?

    Yeah, that's what I figgered. Already made the appt, but I can't make it back 'till Wednesday. Just hoping for one of those miracle "hold down Z37 when you boot" kinda answers in the mean time. Or else a, "you're totally doing it wrong, you shouldn't even be using Disc Utility!" dress downs before Wednesday rolls around.
    Just so you know, the genius was only too happy to get me outta the terribly crowded store without "finishing the job."

  • I need to erase my hard drive. But the disks are grey when I go to Disk Utility. How can I erase the hard drive?

    I need to erase my hard drive. But the drives are grey when I go to Disk Utility.

    Restart the computer with the Command and R keys held down and use the Disk Utility from there. If you're going to sell or give away the computer, press Option as well.
    (107083)

  • My Macbook Pro has just had a new hard drive put in it but i still need to install snow leopard without a disk?

    My Macbook pro has just had a new 500gb hard drive in it and osx snow leopard had not been put on it because i never got a disk when i bought it. It still comes up with the grey screen with the flashing folder which i think would be normal because there is nothing on the hard drive. How do i install OSX Snow Leopard back on it the cheapest way possible?
    Thanks

    You might be in a bind. While is is normal for new Macs that shipped with Lion to omit a system installation DVD, yours was running Snow Leopard. Apple included a system installation CD or DVD for every computer that shipped with every computer through Snow Leopard. Lion was installed on every machine built starting about August 2011, ending the DVD era.
    Apparently your computer had been sitting in someone's inventory for a while, but that's no excuse for them to have removed the DVD from its box.
    Try booting Lion Internet Recovery. Read this:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
    I suspect Lion Recovery may not work since "your computer's eligibility for Lion will be verified with Apple" and you appear not to have purchased it.
    Please let me know what happens when you attempt to boot Lion Recovery.

  • Ok so my MacBook Pro has begun saying the startup disc is full after importing photos, so I deleted done and the message went away. now my computer won't go passed the login page it gets stuck after I login and goes to a grey screen. Can anyone help?

    Startup disc full

    Step 1   
    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
    a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later. 
    b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
    c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.

  • Time machine backup blocked; disc image sparse bundle needs ejecting

    Team, I cannot backup to 2Tb time machine; error message as above. How do I 'eject' this disc image and what exactly is it?
    Thanks
    Nick B

    OK, we fixed this for now with the simple, but common Mac way of
    throwing something in the trash.
    In this case it seems to be a temporary network connection to the remote Time Machine partition. When Time Machine balks, the icon for the temporary mount gets stuck on the Desktop. We threw it in the trash (unmounting it) and then Time Machine can resume.
    Apple networking is annoying, but then on the other, it's easy. We lose printing in a similar way.
    Anyway, although we seem to be OK, I'd like to understand this a bit better. I can see in the "/Volumes" folder (in Terminal) three Time Machine mounts, not one as I would have expected, and they all appear to point to the same place:
    drwx------   9 root                   wheel  264   Jun 22 10:23 TM-2
    drwx------   9 root                   wheel  264  Jun 22 10:23 TM-1
    drwx------   9 MYUSERNAME  staff   264 Jun 22 10:23 TM
    On the remote machine, the disc TM appears only once.
    If you look at the listing of all three, they are identical. What gives?
    Is this a consequence of the fact that we are putting the time machine backups on a remote machine (that is not a Mac OS server). We have to mount the remote disc before Time Machine will run, but from that point it works perfectly -- or as perfectly as any mac networking thing seems to work.

  • MacBook Pro won't get past the apple screen on startup

    The laptop won't startup. I get to the Apple logo and a spinning gear. I've tried starting it 3 times with the same result.

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.   
    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
         a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
    b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use either of the techniques in Steps 1b and 1c to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
    Step 3
    Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 4
    If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
    Step 5
    If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
    Step 6
    Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
    Step 7
    If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
    Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
    Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
    When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 10. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
    If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
    If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
    Step 8
    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
    This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
    Step 9
    Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
    Step 10
    Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 11
    This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
    Step 12
    If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

  • Buying Opinion - Upgrade Powerbook vs MacBook Pro

    I'm thinking I may try to upgrade my laptop as my main objective is to get CS4 right now but I have a friend who is selling his MacBook Pro for $900. What's your opinion as you would know better what Macs can handle? My main problem is speed especially with CS programs and I do need a new battery. I have a PowerPC G5 Dual with a large glossy screen for my most intense work that I can do from home. But I like to have a laptop that I can take on the road for working on projects. It's mostly for Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign. So no animation or gaming purposes.
    I have:
    Machine Name: PowerBook G4 17"
    Machine Model: PowerBook5,9
    CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.5)
    Number Of CPUs: 1
    CPU Speed: 1.67 GHz
    L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
    Memory: 512 MB
    Bus Speed: 167 MHz
    Boot ROM Version: 4.9.5f3
    His computer:
    2.16 ghz Core 2 Duo Processor
    3 GB RAM (Newly upgraded)
    320 GB 7200rpm HDD (Newly upgraded)
    Dual Layer Superdrive (DVD and CD recorder)
    15.4" 1440x900 Widescreen Glossy Display
    128MB ATI x1600 Video
    DVI-VGA adapter Cable
    Apple Wireless Remote
    Brand new battery
    It includes OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard, iLife 09, and iWork 09, all part of the "Mac Box Set," so this is all legal software.
    The original box, discs and documentation are all included.
    The condition of the system is excellent with one minor exception - there seems to be a very slight bend in the casing underneath the expresscard slot. One of my photos shows it.
    Do you think it's doable with what I have (and what could I do?) or should I go with the newer MacBook and save myself the headache? What's the main difference with the computers?
    Thanks everyone!
    Tiffany

    Re: Buying Opinion - Upgrade Powerbook vs MacBook Pro
    You can get a brand new MacBook for $999 so don't bother with the used one. For the price difference, save up and buy new MacBook Pro for $1199. Faster than Macbook. Shop around. Everyone is discounting. You might get free ram upgrades (unless you're getting free ram, buy separately and install yourself), free shipping. Try Epercom, CDW and Small Dog in addition to Apple. If you go to Apple store don't be shy about asking for a 10% business discount. I asked and got one for my imac last summer.
    He's offering it at $900...does that seem like a fair price for what I'd get?

  • Time Machine Backups after recent upgrade to Mountain Lion

    Basically to keep a long story short - i need to take my computer in for repair tomorrow. I recently did an upgrade to Mountain Lion a day or two ago. I haven't done a Time Machine backup until today (a couple days after i upgraded to Mountain Lion) because i wanted to make sure that my previous TM backup (Snow Leopard 10.6.8) was the most up to date and best update that i could revert back to if i had any issues with Mountain Lion, or any application compatibility, etc etc.
    I don't have any broken applications and it seems like Mountain Lion is running better than Snow Leopard. However, as i said - i'm taking my computer in for repair tomorrow, i would like to know that i have the most up to date Time Machine backup with the new Mountain Lion so that when i restore it back from my Time Machine backup after i get it back from repair, i won't have any issues with the migration, which could potentially lead me into more technicalities.
    I have a 500GB Harddrive, with about 70GB left of free space....I did the initial backup prior to upgrading to Mountain Lion, and it upgraded 400+GB of info, now, since Mountain Lion - the first backup with Mountain Lion initially said 46GB - then it went down to 14GB by the time it was all said and done....so what exactly did it back up?
    Did it back up all the necessary files to keep Mountain Lion running smoothly when i restore it back to the way it was after i get it back? Did it not back everything up that it needs to? Is it safe to erase my internal drive and do a clean installation so i can take it in, and not worry about not being able to migrate things back over or applications not working correctly?
    When i get it back, i presume it will come with Mountain Lion back on it and i can just boot up into the Recovery Disk and restore it from a Time Machine backup that way, correct?
    Thanks for the help.
    - Jason

    I received the same error and experienced the same issue that you have described but after performing a Time Capsule soft reset and then toggling the TM Off and then back On I was able issue a backup now and see my previous backups.
    Here is the link to where I posted my fix; https://discussions.apple.com/message/19069543#19069543. Someone else had success using a different method. The only comment / complaint that I have since the ML OS X upgrade is that TM now takes at least 20 to 30 seconds before I can click/select a backup.
    I hope this helps.

Maybe you are looking for