OSX question re: Installing new internal HD to my MacBook Pro

What did you use to make your back-up? I know that Time Machine was supported in Snow Leopard and that is the scheme I would recommend. Your problem is not having any boot media. I believe that you can still buy Snow Leopard on disc format through the Apple Store. Yes, it will cost you but it will be money well spent.

I would buy the Snow Leopard disc.

While awaiting it's arrival, back-up using Time Machine onto an external disk.

Once you have the SL disc in hand, replace your hard drive.

Boot from the SL disc and format your new drive.

Using the SL disc, restore your Time Machine back-up.

Reboot and you'll be in business.

Good luck,

Clinton

As Clinton states or if you don't want to buy SL disc and want to download it instead (i'm assuming from App Store) here's what you do:

Install your new hard drive on the external enclosure you have.

Connect the new drive to your MB.

Launch Disk Utility

Erase/format the new drive using MAC OS Extended Journaled.

Close Disk Utility.

Launch Carbon Copy (download it for free if you don't have it)

Clone your old drive to your new drive.

Close carbon copy.

Turn off your MB.

Install your new drive.

Turn on your MB and you're up and running.

You indicate that you are already using Snow Leopard (10.6). What prevents you from running a software update to go to 10.6.8? That is an issue that is independent of installing a HDD in your MBP. You should be able to do it now.

As for installing a HDD, there is no reason why you can not do it your self. Since you have a pre-unibody MBP you will need a 00 Phillips and a #6 Torx drivers plus a thin stiff piece of plastic. Go to the OWC web site and view the video for your MBP on installing a HDD. I have done this a number of time.

If you use the following instructions, you have no need for outside software and the process is failrly simple:

INSTALLING A NEW HDD IN A MBP

1. Make certain that you have backed up all of your important data.

2. You will need a HDD enclosure. One with a USB connection will do. A 9 pin Firewire is better.

3. Install your new drive in the enclosure and connect it to your MBP.

4. Open DISK UTILITY>ERASE. From the left hand column drag the new drive into the 'Name' field. Make sure that the format is 'Mac OS Extended (Journaled)'. Click on the 'Erase' button.

5. Click on the 'Restore' button (on top). Drag the old drive into the 'Source' field and the new drive into the 'Destination' field. Click on the 'Restore' button on the bottom right hand corner.

Depending upon the amount of data you are transferring, this may take a couple hours or more. A Firewire will speed up the transfer. This will result in both drives having identical information on them.

6. After the data transfer has completed, you may swap the drives. Start the MBP and you have finished the installation. The initial boot may take a bit longer than you are accustomed to, but that is normal.

7. When you are satisfied that the new hard drive if functioning properly, you can erase the old drive and use it for any needs that you may have.

Ciao.

If you do not have the original system disc then you will need the Retail 10.6.3 Snow Leopard disc which you can buy from Apple at there web store (Note NOT the Mac Apple Store).

But then you will not have access to the iLife programs tjhat originally came with your system and no way to get them other then buying them again. And even then you can't get all of them as Apple no longer sells iDVD or iWeb.

Best thing to do is contact Apple and order replacement system disc and then also get, if you don't already have, the Snow Leopard 10.6.3 retail DVD.

You can also buy Snow Leopard through Amazon - if you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll get free shipping. This link also helps out MacInTouch!

Clinton

10.6.3 is the Snow Leopard version that is on the retail install disk and it also can be found on the original install disk. 10.6.8 is the latest update of Snow Leopard and I would suggest updating it because there are some security improvements, among other things. In this case, space should not be a consideration and the differences at best will be minimal.

Your MBP can run Lion but personally I see no need to do so. Lion has a number of features that add to the HDD size and some what lesser performance of the MBP. I am not certain that MS office 2004 is compatible with Lion. It is with Snow Leopard (I have it on mine).

I do all my backups via Time Machine and redundant ones using clones or drag and drop. I do not use iCloud so I cannot comment on that.

IPhones should not be considered backup devices. Use external HDDs for that purpose. It is best to have two sets of backups for a secure data environment.

Ciao.

Gab wrote:

Thanks! It seems like you prefer 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 Is there a reason to use that one? Does it take much less space?

I don't prefer 10.6.3. to 10.6.8, not sure where you got that impression. They are the Same Major Version of OS X, only 10.6.8 is a point release update to Snow Leopard, they are both OS X Snow Leopard. if you DO NOT have your original system discs then the only version of OS X available is the Retail 10.6.3 disc that you buy from Apple.

you have only a few more days to get you info from MobileMe and it is gone forever...

HOW? I advise log in and they will tell you I think...