Macbook unable to format new hard drive

All of the MacBook and Pros come with one partition. The usual reason for partitioning is to put more than one Operating System on the hard drive. I have both Snow Leopard and Windows on mine. Although I used Boot Camp to create the partition. When you partition a drive into 2 partitions it's like having two seperate drives. Both will show up on your desktop. I had a G4 desktop that I partitioned as two drives. One with 10.5 and one with 10.4 to run Classic programs.

Hello JMPC

I tried all 3 options you stated to fix my newly installed HD. I booted from Leopard but my Time Machine HD has Snow Leopard.

"Alt" - HD icon appeared then it tells me to RESTART again.

"D" - Tells me to RESTART again.

"Option + Command + P + R - also tells me to RESTART again.

Can you put my name on top when you are responding so I known the answer is for my problem?

Thank you JMPC

Hello VictorNYC:

Ok!

So, here's the drill:

If I'm not wrong you have 10.5 on you're Mac and 10.6 on you're external HDD [which you converted into a Time Machine], right?

I still think it's a compatibility issue. Now, my suggestions goes has followed:

1) Boot you're Mac without the Time Machine.

1.1.) Once you access the Desktop, insert you're Snow Leopard DVD;

1.2.) When the Installation DVD starts, it will open a Window. Click on the install icon! INSTALL SNOW LEOPARD! This is the equivalent to an upgrade! It should take about 15 - 20 minutes (more or less);

1.3.) After installing Snow Leopard, you're Mac will restart.

1.4.) Once you're Mac boots again, update it, to make sure you'll have the 10.6.8 update installed! (The final update!)

1.5.) Now connect you're Time Machine!

1.6.) Insert the Snow Leopard DVD once again and wait until it's window to open; Click on the installation icon once again;

1.7. Instead of installing it again, simply click on the button "Utilities" (bottom left of that window!);

1.8.) Choose to restore a backup from Time Machine and follow the on-screen instructions (that will end with a restart of you're Mac).

1.9.) After the restart don't click on any key! Just follow any instruction the computer may give you: this part is by far the easiest.

IF, this doesn't work:

2) You could boot from you're Mac without the Time Machine.

2.1. Once you enter the Desktop, connect you're Time Machine;

2.2. If possible, perform the installation and then, access it contents!

2.3. Copy any data you'd like an paste it on the correspondent folders (eg.: copy you're photos folder a paste it on the same location where it once was!);

IF, this doesn't work:

3) Connect you're Time Machine to another Mac and try to perform a copy of all it data to the Mac where you connected you're Time Machine.

NOTE: To avoid over-righting any data that the Mac as, create a partition using "Disk Utility". The restore you're data to that partition!

To tell you the truth (and I hate to admit this), I'm actually running out of options. I'm pretty sure you did everything ok (erasing you're HDD and installing the OS X)… if the compatibility issue prevails you should contact any technical assistance. Usually they can restore Time Machine backups into external HDD (or into the HDD of you're Mac if you allow it). It not the "free" king of help, I know!…

Let me know if my suggestions solved you're problem.

If you need my help, please, don't hesitate to contact me.

Good morning JMPC

thanks for the reply

I don't have a snow leopard cd/DVD. I only have leopard. My time machine hd has snow leopard. I dont think your first solution would work.

VivtorNYC,

Hello once again!

Well, if you don't have a Snow Leopard Install DVD, then it's going to be a huge problem fixing any compatibilty problemas you may be facing (or might face eventually - remember that 10.7 is the new OS X!).

You can't find use the Snow Leopard DVD (which you'll be the best solution) hen try the second option! Make sure you connect you're Time Machine to a Mac with Snow Leopard!!!!

Have you checked this link, just in case?

http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/E8.html

Maybe you'll find some light there!

Without any other choise, you should probably contact any technical assistance.

If you'd like to try again, you couls always fromat you HDD once again BUT make sure you activate the "GUID partition" just in case.

BTW, can you boot you're Mac normally? If you can, than the installation went smooth so you don't need to erase the disc once again. Then you shoul definitly do the second suggestion I gave.

I'm going to lunch now. Please keep me updated to any questions you may have and I'll answer them as soon as I finish eating. 🙂

DBizBender,

Hello! I'm very happy to have learned that you found a solution for your problem.

Has for your daughter iMac: I hope you find a solution too! If you have any question about it, feel free to reply to this message (this way, I'll receivet by e-mail!).

Here's a sugestion about the iMac:

1. Check your activity monitor to see how much RAM you are using. 2 GB is great for Safari, but not so good if you have more applications open at the same time.

2. You can reset you're PRAM. Simply boot your iMac. Hold "Command+Option+P+R" at the same time! Let go the keyboard keys after you hear the OS X chime three times!

3. Reset Nonvolatile Firmware: Boot the iMac and hold "Command+Ption+O+F" at the same time! Wait for the commamnd prompt. Type "reset-nvram" and hit enter!

4. Try cleaning you're iMac Caches. If you don't have a software doing that for you (I use "Clean my Mac"), just delete everything you find onf the folder: Library>Caches and in Users/ - your name - Library/Caches.

When you finish, reboot the iMac.

There a few more things you can try, but for now, good luck and, once again, feel free to contact me in case of any question.

Best regards!

I have a problem like the original post. I have a MBP and the original hd is full. I changed it with a WD 500 GB HD. I placed the new hd in the laptop and the old hd I hooked it up using a USB to Sata cable. My mac booted from the old drive (the usb drive now). After my mac has booted I went to disk utility and was able to erase the new drive and format it using the guid partition. When I check the hd everything is fine.

Now that it is formatted I turn off the laptop, remove the old drive from the usb and restart my laptop with the os discs. It will not see the hd. Then I go to disk utility and it sees the drive as a 4 TB hard drive. What is wrong?? Why will it recognize the hd as a 500 gb with my old hd hooked up through the usb but it will not when it is unhooked????

Hello.

Well, many years ago, I had the same problem.

Though the circunstances are diferent, is it possible that you formated the new hard drive to PC Guid?

Basically, you should acess the hard drive with disk utility and preform a new erase!

But make sure you choose a mac compatible GUID!

You probably should choose "Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)!!! Then erase it!

Then after all this, install the Mac OS X you which to use.

If this fails, you should probably check if the HDD you bought is compatible with Macbook Pro (sometimes an HDD comes pre-erased to be used specifically with a Mac or a Windows!

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more help.

I did choose extended journaled. I also picked the GUID partition. It will not work if the new hard drive is installed by itself. If I have the old hard drive hooked up via the usb cable then it will format the new drive and recognize it as a 500 GB. but when I take the new drive off then the mac starts up from the startup disc and does not recognize the drive as 500 but as a 4 TB. How do you check to see if the HDD is compatible with macbook pro. I did talk with people from Western Digital and they said that it is.

Hi!

Check this link: http://www.ehow.com/how_6120791_unlock-western-digital-hard-drive.html

is it possible that your HDD is locked? Just in case.

Report back.

Hi again.

You could also check this thread just in case...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2195553?threadID=2195553

See if it helps.

i dont see any jumpers on mine, it has a place for the cables to hook up to from to mac to the drive. i did erase with zeroes and it will stop in the middle of it with an input/output error. it will do it if i have my original drive hooked up by the USB wire. still can not get it to copy my os on the drive. sometimes it says that it failed the volume check tool.

Hello.

Sorry for the late answer. Hopefully it will be helpfull.

First, check this link:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1209139?start=0&tstart=0

It talks about taht error and a great solution.

Hope this helps.

Hi. I was wondering if you had any advice on my situation. I've followed your steps, but when I get to selecting a partition, the screen does not allow me to select anything. I see that there is an options selection, but its greyed out, and will not alow me to select it. I'm sort of at a dead end.

Thanks. I appreciate your advice so far.