SWAP Hard Drive. Mac & PC

Hello people I have got a Laptop PC with 320GB hard drive installed and I want to swap it with my current 120GB hard drive on my Macbook... So for the 320GB hard drive i’ll have to format that to Mac OS Extended? Then with the 120GB i’ll have to format it to NTFS? Then obviously installl the operating systems on each?

There's no such thing as a windows or Mac hard drive! Just hard drives that have one or the other installed on them. As long as the drives both have the same specifications just wipe them clean, format them properly and install new OS on each.
Yes, in order for the Mac drive to be bootable you MUST select GUID.

Similar Messages

Can I swap hard drives between 2007 and 2011 iMacs?

I have a 2007 iMac that I want to replace with a refurbished 2011 model. I had upgraded my 2007 iMac with a 1.5T hard drive and the 2011 model only comes with a 1T hard drive. And you can't do any upgrade at the Apple store on refurb units. SoI am just wanting to swap hard drives. The 2007 has 10.7 and it appears that the 2011 model has the same. (says elegible for 10.8 upgrade on Apple Store site.) I have replaced the hard drive myself, so I am familiar with the process.
Thanks.

The drives themselves are compatible, yes. However, the OS might not be. In any case, if you have a Time Machine backup (or some other backup) of the older iMac, it's best to wipe the drive and reinstall the OS once installed in the new Mac. Then you can just transfer your data, apps, and settings from the backup.
One important thing to note, though: the 2011 iMacs have temperature sensors built in on the hard drive, so if you use a drive other than one supplied by Apple specifically for that system, the fans will run at full speed all the time. Probably the easiest workaround: use something like smcFanControl to regulate the speed of the fans. Hope this helps!

Swapping hard drives between PXI-8115 and PXI-8105 won't boot up

I have a test system running Windows XP on PXI-8105. I've upgraded the entire test system for another project and need to upgrade my existing systems; the upgrade runs on Windows 7 and PXI-8115. I have new hard drives with Windows 7 and the new test software which were loaded/configured/tested on a PXI-8115, but I need to retrofit the PXI-8105 with them. This doesn't work. Windows begins to boot but fails and tries over and over again. In an effort to take the PXI-8105 off-line to troubleshoot, I replaced it with one of the PXI-8115 and the old (WinXP) drive. This didn't boot up, either.
Here's a summary of my situation:
An old system has PXI-8105 running WinXP
A new system has PXI -8115 running Win7
A hard drive (with Win7) from the PXI-8115 won't boot on the PXI-8105
A hard drive (with WinXP) from the PXI-8105 won't boot on the PXI-8115
What is different between the two PXI controllers that keeps me from swapping hard drives?
Jim
You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are. ~ Alice
Solved!
Go to Solution.

A couple thoughts:
1. Windows 7 probably works fine on a PXI-8105. Although NI never officially supported or shipped that configuration, I suspect that the default Windows 7 installation contains enough of the driver support needed to boot up.
2. In general, Windows is not very tolerant of swapping hard drives between completely different systems, especially with Windows XP and prior. Consider whether just installing fresh and copying over what you need is faster than trying to do this, but if you must, I would suspect that Windows 7 would be more tolerant of the swap.
3. As a debugging step, try pressing 'F8' during the boot process to launch the Windows boot menu and try safe mode or some of the other options. More information here.
4. If all else fails, Google is your friend here as there's nothing particularly specific about this being an NI product that you need to know when attempting this operation. Any information you find online about swapping hard drives between PCs should be relevant to your situation. Searching for 'swap hard drive to new computer windows 7' gave some useful hits on the first page. Beyond that, you can also look into using the 'sysprep' utility to try and clean the system and prepare for swapping to a new PC.

Swapping hard drives .... how does lightroom handle this ?

My photography is done on a separate computer to my online machine and the photo system never goes online ( so virus-proof ).
I use " Laser " brand hard drive racks which allow me to swap hard drives on each machine, and also to swap them between the two computers.
So I have several HDD's with different photo projects on each drive and some backups on HDD's as well.
Lightroom is a database system rather than a browser, so how will it be able to handle swapping HDD's in and out like this ? What happens if lightroom points to a file which is on another HDD not currently installed in the machine ? Will it be able to show all the thumbnails and tell me which HDD holds them ( as I believe programs like Imatch can )? Will lightroom be confused by this. Or will it set up its database on each HDD so each disc is a self-contained library with its own lightroom index ?
I know I can't be the only one with more photos than fit onto just one HDD. Can anyone please tell me how lightroom's library system deals with this situation ?

Thankyou very much for the responses so far ....
I see a potential problem because my HDD's are not permanently connected in the computer. Each HDD as it is swapped in and out is assigned the same identifier, say " drive D " or suchlike by windows. So my drive D might be any one of several HDDs .... with very different content to the previous drive D I had in the machine. If Lightroom stores its library for each of my drive D's on drive D itself, then I suspect there will not be problem because each HDD will be its own self-contained libary and Lightroom which resides on drive C will be able to operate on each one in turn. I will then have a series of HDD's dedicated to specific tasks, and can use Lightroom on all of them.
Windows works this way, where it resides on my drive C and performs operations on each drive D. It has no problem in " picking up " each new drive D at startup. I do not attempt to hot-swap.
But I do not know if this is how Lightroom operates. If Lightroom stores any of this information on drive C will it be able to differentiate between the different drive D's it is confronted with ?
Geoff's reply suggests that Lightroom might store some or all of its database/library with itself on drive C. Even this might work if the missing files are shown in red. I would just need to select the right HDD to put into the machine for the project I want to work on. Hopefully this will work like the external drive situation Andrew has described. I am using sticky labels to identify each HDD with the projects it holds at the moment ....
Sounds encouraging .... Thanks for the help.

Swapped hard drive boot problem

Swapped hard drives between 6530b and 6535b, neither boots. What did I miss? (Toshiba MK3255GSX and Hitachi HTS543223L9A300)

Disk Utility - Erase (drive, not volume) and make sure it is now GPT/GUID and not old Apple Partition Table format.
Even though it is data only, there can and are some problems (the older it was last formatted the more so perhaps).
Just pull the data off if needed. Handy to have a FW drive case for SATA laying around.
Migrating OS and apps from G5 to Intel is full of potential pitfalls.
Depending on the drive age, size, performance, I'd probably go for a WD Caviar 640GB $75 to transfer files onto, and then wipe the Maxtor and use it for an emergency backup drive off which you can run Disk Warrior and such.

Swapping Hard Drive problem

Hello, I have a 2008 model Macbook pro. I recently pulled the hard drive from a windows pc and replaced that drive with a SSD. The windows drive was not reformatted, I figured I could do it through Disk Utility. However, the drive does not show up. I'm assuming it's currently formatted as ntfs or fat32.
The existing drive is bootable, but the machine is put back together and it's a pain to take apart. Wondering if I can boot into something like terminal and choose to reformat the drive.
The only drive that shows up is my bootable flash drive. I do have the ability to hook up the old drive through a USB to SATA adapter, and possibly boot that way. If I can get it to boot from that external drive, is there a way to format the newly installed drive without having to rip the whole thing a part?
I had a hard time with the * shaped screws getting them in and out, so I'm trying to avoid having to remove the drive again....
Any tips would be appreciated!

More info: I think there is something wrong on the motherboard side all of a sudden. Now when I put the original drive in it doesn't boot up anymore. I wonder if while removing the old drive, I damaged the Hard Drive Connector? I just ordered a replacement on ebay (only 9 bucks). What is odd is I'm pretty careful about removing things, since I have replaced many laptop components over the years, so I don't think I did anything damaging when swapping hard drives.
The laptop did work fine, but since it is a 5400 RPM drive, I wanted speed, so I wanted to just put a 7200 RPM or SSD. What I ended up doing this morning was to hook up the SSD externally and choose to install Mavericks to that drive through my bootable USB. Than, once I booted successfully, I re-took the laptop apart, and put the SSD drive into the laptop. I didn't put the rail screws on this, I was just testing if it booted, so I just set it in the area it will reside. I booted and it wouldn't boot up at all, never saw Apple logo, just showed a blinking folder with quesiton mark on the screen.
If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd appreciate it, but now the internal drive connections don't seem to work, but I can boot externally for now. I figured I'd order the Hard Drive connector kit from ebay and see if that fixed it, since that is a 9 dollar part....
Thanks.

How to swap hard drives?

I currently have a mid-2007 white Macbook with Tiger OS. I'm thinking of purchasing a 13" Macbook Pro, but would like to swap hard drives since my current one is 320gb 7200rpm.
What's the best way to do this? Can I just swap the drives out, and then reformat them with the installation discs? I don't mind reformatting the hard drives because I have all of my data backed up to an external already.

Yes, you can swap, reinstall the OS from the DVDs that come with the new MBP, then use Migration Assistant to transfer the data form your external backup.

Can I swap hard drives?

Hi.
I have a T400 with T9400 chipset. All (3) USB's have broken over the years and I recently purchased a used T400 on ebay with T9600 chipset to replace the older computer.
My question is can I simply swap hard drive from old computer to the new one and have everything work? The current computer is 64-bit Windows 7 and newer one is 32-bit...
Thanks for help!

>>> The current computer is 64-bit Windows 7 and newer one is 32-bit...
That statement is irrelevant. Either computer can run either Windows 7 version, no problem -- 4GB RAM addressability being the main limitation of the 32-bit version.
I would give it a try. Unless there are significant device differences (which I doubt), Windows 7 system loaded from the "old" HDD will work fine on the "new" ThinkPad.
In any event, I would rather use this opportunity to do a clean installation of Windows 7 64-bit, for which you have a COA key.

How to use a iomega prestige portable hard drive (mac edition) to resolve a start up space problem i.e. have 1.07gb need 4.85gb to upgrade tp itunes 7

How to use an iomega prestige portable hard drive (mac edition) to resolve a startup space problem. I need 4.85gb to up grade to itunes 7. I have 1.07gb free

com.apple.NVDAResman appears to be the culprit, indicating a problem with the graphics card. Run the Apple Hardware Test program, extended tests.
See
What is a kernel panic,
Technical Note TN2063: Understanding and Debugging Kernel Panics,
Mac OS X Kernel Panic FAQ,
Resolving Kernel Panics, and
Tutorial: Avoiding and eliminating Kernel panics for more details.

Swap Hard Drives Between Mac Pro's

I have a MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" 2.53 15" (Unibody - Late 2008) that has been upgraded from the standard 320 GB SATA hard drive, to a Seagate 750 GB SATA 16 MB cache 7200 rpm hard drive.
I have recently upgraded to a MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 15" (SD - Mid 2009) that has the standard 320 GB SATA hard drive.
Both are running Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8.
I will be selling my older (2.53GHz) Mac Pro but would like to keep my larger hard drive.
Question
Can I simply swap the hard drive out of my older (2.53GHz) Mac Pro and install it into the newer (2.66GHz) Mac Pro, without having to reinstall the Mac OS X software?
I no longer have any of my OS X install disks.
Will the 750 GB hard drive still perform the same in the newer Mac Pro, given that they are running the same OS?
Thanks in advance!

From what I understand the USB/PCIe interfaces are (somewhat) device specific. But it depends on the particular vendor in question.
According to barefeats.com, regarding USB devices:
"...Our only concern was that it {the CalDigit adapter} only worked with CalDigit USB 3.0 enclosures like the AV Drive. They since updated the driver to "unlock it." In fact, all the USB 3.0 results posted above for non-Cadigit enclosures were done with the CalDigit PCIe USB 3.0 host adapter...."
So, for example, the Lacie PCIe adapters are "specific". Only works with their stuff. Originally the CalDigit PCIe adapter was the same: limited to use with their devices only. But they've altered that so that it is more generic. In fact, it was used to test the other USB 3.0 devices in the barefeats tests.
So the CalDigit card, at least, is a more flexible choice.

MacBook Pro: Swapping Hard Drives Between Two Identical Macs?

I have two Macbook Pro notebooks. They are both the June 11th 2012 models both with cd/dvd drives. They both have Mavericks installed on both.
I want to give my 15 inch to my son who has the 13 inch. They 13 will be mine and the 15 his.
Can i just swap his 750HD from the 13 and put it into the 15? Can i also remove my 250 Samsung pro SSD from my 15 and put it in his 13?
What are some ways i can go about this that are easy?
Thanks in advance,
PS: Like i said they both run mavericks and they are the same generation MBP from June 2012 release from Apple. Except one is a 2.5 i5 13 inch and the other is a 15 inch 2.3 Quad i7.
We pretty much just want to trade laptops and swap the hard drives easy.
Thanks again.

nn007400,
are each of your laptops associated with your respective Apple IDs? If so, then that might be a fly in the ointment when it comes to updating apps purchased through the Mac App Store, if the tie-in involves your MacBook Pros’ serial numbers as well as your Apple IDs. (I don’t know whether that’s the case or not.)
The disks can certainly be exchanged physically between the two portables — you could try it for a while, and if you encounter a problem, you can exchange them back and consider alternative (but unfortunately less convenient) approaches.

Problems swapping hard drive on mac book pro

Is there a way to safely loosen the screws on the bracket holding the hard drive in place on a mac book pro 17 inch? I've got one loose, but the other one simply won't budge and the head is starting to strip. the amount of downward force I'm having to exert to try to get it to move seems excessive to the point of dangerous to me. i'm using a Philips 00 screwdriver which is the correct tool, I believe, but I just cannot shift it. given that Apple say this is a user replaceable part, there must be an easy wy to do it, but all I can see me doing is more damage and being stuck with a captive screw that no one can move. Any tips gratefully received.

A 00 Phillips head screw driver is the correct size. Is your driver the type where the tip of the handle allows it to be stationary while you turn the driver? Apply a tiny bit of penetrating oil (Croil, if you can get it) and let sit after a few taps with a hammer on the screw driver set in the fastener. Make certain that the screw driver is perpendicular and apply pressure. Use a small Vise Grip on the handle if necessary. And remember, Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey.
Ciao.
A thought that may entail some risk if not done judiciously: use a soldering iron with a thin tip and heat up the fastener after applying the penetrating oil.

Swapping hard drive of Random Sudden Shutdown MacBook

So they've said they're going to give me a new MacBook since I've brought it in 3 times for RSS. My question is they've offered to swap my current hard drive into the new computer they're giving me. Do I have anything to worry about that the problem might somehow be connected to the hard drive? It's a pain to swap all my data and settings and what not, but I'm worried that I'll bring the problem with me to my new computer.
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks

There should not be any problem, but if you didn't want to go that route, you could transfer data via FireWire target disk mode or use the Migration Assistant.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
-Bmer
Mac Owners Support Group
Join Us @ MacOSG.com
ITMS: MacOSG Podcast
 An Apple User Group 

Swapping hard drives clamshell to G3 dual usb

Long story short... I bought an iBook G3 from someone and it's shorted the hard drive. I have an iBook clamshell that has a perfectly working hard drive. I would like to swap them out and use the dual usb iBook. Are there any known incompatibility issues in terms of software? (OS switching, different ports, etc)
Or, hypothetically, should it work?

Try starting up from a system software CD or DVD, and repair your disk using Disk Utility:
Insert the Mac OS X Install or Restore disc.
Restart the computer, then hold the C key during startup.
From the Apple menu, choose Disk Utility. Do this in the first screen of the Installer. Don't click Continue. If you click Continue in a Mac OS X Installer version earlier than 10.2, you must restart from CD again.
Click the First Aid tab.
Click Repair Disk.
After repairing the disk, try to start from the Mac OS X hard disk.
If you are able to start up in OS X, then go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and repair permissions on the hard drive.

Swapping hard drives in 2007 MacBooks

I have a mid 2007 macbook that has quit working. The problem appears to be in the power supply and won't turn on. I also have a late 2007 macbook. Both are running the same OS. I want to take the hard drive out of the non working macbook and install it in the working macbook, backup the information from the hard drive on the non working Mac through time machine, and reverse the drives back and load the information from the non working mac hard drive on to the working mac hard drive. Is this possible?

Thanks for the help. We (my son and I) tried swapping the drives just to see what would happen. It worked. We had nothing to lose since we were going to erase the working computer and give it to my wife (owner of the dead computer). I bought the new macbook pro for my birthday and gave my working 2007 macbook to my wife. The drives swapped out easily and the mac booted it right up, no problems. We performed a time machine backup on it, and it recognized that the old time machine was performed on a different computer and therefore made a new backup. After the time machine backup, we switched drives and reformatted the disk in my working mac to give it a fresh start. We restored the time machine and it runs just like my wife's old, dead, computer. I did order the external hard drive enclosure for my son. Thanks again.

SWAP Hard Drive. Mac & PC

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for