how will i restore this MBP with time machine

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Level 1

4 points

how will i restore this MBP with time machine

Hi all, I wonder if someone can help me with this question about time machine.

I have a 2007 MBP whos graphics card failed - i've just had it fixed.

However, many months passed between this failure and getting it fixed, and as its so old i realised it wasnt worth fixing, rather, better off buying a new one - so I bought a glossy 13 inch model but this made me feel sick within 10 mins, so i got a 15 inch matte screen made, not so bad, but it made me sick after an hour - so im basically sensitive to LED backlighting! therefore, i'm fixing the old one, and hoping i can get another year or so out of it and praying a new technology screen comes out that i can take!

the reason im writing all this is because the old mbp only had 150gb capacity. I have 200gb of music etc that i kept on external hard drives, however because i got a 500gb new laptop, the music etc was moved onto this new laptop, so when i did time machine back up, i have 300 or so gb total. (before sending this new laptop back to apple)

therefore, i guess i cant do time machine when i get this 2007 mbp back from being fixed(as the time machine back up is much bigger than the capacity of my 2007 mbp) . Can i remove all the music etc from my time machine back up, (making sure that the back up is less than 150 gb) then do the time machine back up, and put the music onto an external hard drive again? ive noticed in the past it doesnt seem to like it when you delete things from the time machine back up file

Please let me know if you need any more info, or somethings not clear here - many thanks for your help in advance

macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Apr 3, 2012 3:02 PM

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Answer 1

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dj_rag Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 4, 2012 12:53 AM in response to dj_rag

I think I probably complicated this post and could hae put it more simply - does time machine just act as a replica of your hard drive, that you can remove and add files to? If so I'll have no problem taking things out to get the back up down below the 150gb capacity?

Thx again

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Answer 2

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 4, 2012 2:58 AM in response to dj_rag

May I suggest what may be a simpler and in the long run a better approach to your problem: install in your old MBP a larger HDD, perhaps a 750 Gb. That would provide you with more than adequate space for your music collection as well as other data.

Ciao.

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Answer 3

Apr 4, 2012 4:23 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

I agree with this. Just get a bigger hard drive - you probably should replace the old one anyway since after 4-5 years they can start to become unreliable.

I can't speak for time machine. This is why i make nice, simple backups using rsync (or copy!)

Grant

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Answer 4

dj_rag Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 4, 2012 8:30 AM in response to dj_rag

hey all, thx for your suggestions...

of course it was the first thing i considered, to ask the same shop how much it would be to increase the hard drive at the same time but total cost would have been 600 odd euros so i dismissed it at the time, seeing as i'd always managed ok DJing with my tunes on an external drive.

however, i didnt think about the need to replace it over time, so thx for that suggestion...is increasing the HD of a 2007 mbp something i can do(much cheaper than in a shop) or do you need serious computer expertise or soldering etc? sorry, new to all this!

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Answer 5

Apr 4, 2012 8:35 AM in response to dj_rag

A new 500 GB 2.5" hard drive can be had for < $100.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/Hitachi/SATA/5400RPM

I dont know that unit specifically, but they are easy to replace assuming you can get the machine open.

I did it on my ancient powerbook G4 12" that was supposedly unreplaceable. I just took a lot of pictures and went very slowly. I thinkl i had to buy a new screwdriver, #00 torx.

Grant

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Answer 6

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 4, 2012 10:42 AM in response to dj_rag

Grant Lenahan has pointed you in the right direction. That same website has videos showing the total installation process for installing a HDD. It is not rocket science.

If I am not mistaken you have a pre-unibody MBP. It is a bit trickier to do that compared to the new ones, but if you are organized and exercise patience, you can do it. I know, I have a 2006 MBP and I have done it several times. The first time I did it, I was very apprehensive.

The most important thing to remember is that when the keyboard is being removed, there is a ribbon cable that must be detached, so don't just pull it off when the keyboard is loosened from the bottom case. Also when you plug the new HDD into the cable, make sure it is seated correctly, otherwise you may have to open the MBP again (it happened to me once). OWC will send a illustrated booklet with the HDD on how to do it.

I would not get the tool kit from OWC. You will need a 00 Phillips driver and a #6 Tork driver plus a thin piece of stiff plastic (like a credit card). Get good ones, it does make a difference.

Ciao.

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