Macbook Pro (Late 2011) 15" - Hard Drive Replacement Problem

Hi there guys,
My standard 750GB Hitachi Hard Drive failed on me last week and after speaking to AppleCare who told me that my laptop was out of warranty, I decided to try and fix the problem myself as I have a few friends that have had the same issue in the past and have switched the hard drives themselves.
I bought a 1TB Western Digital WD10JPVX which comes with SATA-III, which I was led to believe my computer could handle after reading the numerous threads on here confirming so.
I've fitted the new hard drive and sure enough the SATA connector attached fine, now the problem arises when I turn on my computer. On startup (with the OS X install disc inside the drive), the normal boot up chime sounds along with the Apple logo on screen, however, nothing else happens.
I've tried the following:
1. Holding down the Option Key to go into Startup Manager - After selecting the OS disc (with no hard drive listed alongside) nothing happens.
2. Pressed the C button to boot from DVD - Again, no response.
3. Tried to boot without the disc - Folder logo with a question mark in the middle flashes on screen, which I would imagine means no hard drive installed.
If anyone else has had similar problems then I would love to hear from you.
Thanks
Matt Bayley

I own both the early and late 2011 15" MacBook Pro.
BOTH these Macs can RUN 10.6.8. Neither can Boot from the "Full Retail" 10.6 DVD, because it contains at best 10.6.3
MacBook Pro
Date introduced
Original Mac OS X included
(see Tips 1 and 3)
Later Mac OS X included
(see Tip 1)
Mac OS X Build(s)
(see Tip 2)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
Oct 2011
10.7.2
10.7.3
11C74, 11C2002, 11D2001
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011)
Oct 2011
10.7.2
10.7.3
11C74, 11C2002, 11D2001
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
Feb 2011
10.6.6
10.6.7,10.7, 10.7.2
10J3210, 10J3331a, 10J4139, 11A511a, 11C74
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
Feb 2011
10.6.6
10.6.7,10.7, 10.7.2
10J3210, 10J3331a, 10J4139, 11A511a, 11C74
The table show that your Mac shipped with 10.7.2  but i have affirmed (from other sources) that it is mainly a "speed bump" of the early 2011 version, and could run 10.6.7 if there were such an Installer DVD.
Release Discs for a different model Mac will NOT work, because they only have the Drivers for that model. So forgetabout your iMac discs.
I had to start with a "full retail" 10.6.3, Install on another appropriate Mac, update to 10.6.8, then clone to the MacBook Pro. Works fine, but what a torturous path.
Were you running 10.6.8 or 10.7 or other when it stopped working?

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