Swapping Hard Drive from Windows to Macbook Pro

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Swapping Hard Drive from Windows to Macbook Pro

My hard drive on my MacBook Pro died today and I want to swap it with the 2.5" SATA hard drive in the HP2000 laptop that I have. I figure I probably need to wipe the hard drive from the HP before i install it into the Mac. Am I right about this? if so, what are the steps I should take do that?

Once I have the hard drive in the MBP, what will be the easiest way to get Snow Leopard reinstalled? I have also been having issues with my optical drive not wanting to load discs correctly/discs getting stuck in the machine.

I have everything backed up to my Time Capsule and my brother also has a MBP. Are there any options where I could utilize his computer to install the OS onto mine?

I also have an external Hard Drive if that will help with anything.

I'm pretty tech-savvy and can normally do everything on my own, but I've never tried something like this before.

Thanks in Advance.

-matt

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 13, 2012 2:16 PM

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Answer 1

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 13, 2012 2:26 PM in response to brick295

You don't have to wipe it Before you put it in the MBP but you will afterwards. Just switch the drives and use the Snow Leopard installe DVD to repartition and format the drive for Mac, that is after you boot the computer from the install DVD.

Once it is Re-partitioned and formatted start the Snow Leopard install right from the same DVD.

If you have a time machine backup of your old hard drive you can use that also to restore to that other hard drive, restoring all your files and installed programs.

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Answer 2

Sep 13, 2012 2:41 PM in response to brick295

If your DVD drive is flaky, there is a utility called "remote install Mac OS X" in the Utilities folder (surprise!).

You may be able to use that to install SL. However I haven't used the utility, so I don't know if it will allow you to partition (GUID) and format (Mac OS Extended Journalled) the remote HD. Fire it up and follow the instructions to find out.

An alternative may be to use the spare external, which you can format from the other Mac and then install SL on that.

Connect it to the MBP and boot with the option key held down, then select the ext. from the boot manager.

You can now partition and format the internal from DU on the external, then clone the whole system to the internal using the Restore function in DU.

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Answer 3

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 13, 2012 2:50 PM in response to brick295

Didn't read the part about the bad Optical drive.

The easiest thing to do is get an External DVD drive that connects to a USB port. Any make or model will work, it does not have to be an Apple branded DVD drive.

Something like this works just fine on both my Mac and my PCs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135256&nm_mc=TEMC-RMA-A pprovel&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-

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Answer 4

brick295 Author

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Sep 13, 2012 3:30 PM in response to Shootist007

thanks guys, ill be working on this tonight, ill let you know how it works out. think i need to go get a Torx driver to remove my MBP hd first

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Answer 5

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 13, 2012 3:32 PM in response to brick295

Yeah you''l need a T6 torx drive or bit. That is to remove the mounting screws from the side of the drive.

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Answer 6

brick295 Author

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Sep 13, 2012 6:34 PM in response to noondaywitch

Got the 320gb drive out of the HP and into the MBP, waiting on the disk image to finish copying from the OSX install DVD to my external hard drive now.

When I turn on the MacBook with the windows hard drive in it I just get the gray screen. Is this to be expected or should I be seeing something else?

Thanks.

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Answer 7

brick295 Author

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Sep 13, 2012 11:35 PM in response to Shootist007

Bad news. Made a bootable image of install disk on external hard drive via my brother's MBP, but holding option on boot does nothing with the external drive connected. Tried the same on his computer and it shows up as bootable drive.

Any ideas on what went wrong? Thinking I'm going to have to go to Apple authorized repair shop now. That's what I wanted to avoid above all else. Recently moved from area with an apple store to area without one within several hour drive.

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Answer 8

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 14, 2012 12:37 AM in response to brick295

Is the DVD you used to make the image from your Mac or from your bothers Mac. Reason I ask it if your brother Mac is not the same model, made in the same year, that DVD will not work on your Mac. They are model specific.

You will more then likely need a DVD drive at some point for something so why not just buy an inexpensive external DVD drive and try booting your Mac from the Original install DVD that came with YOUR Mac.

Mac's can be funny and you may need to Wipe Windows and the NTFS formatting off that drive first and format it Mac extended before it is installed in your Mac. You shouldn't have to but we are talking Apple Mac here and anything is possible.

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Answer 9

brick295 Author

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Sep 14, 2012 12:59 AM in response to Shootist007

It's the disc from my computer. My 10.6 disc must have a scratch in it that we cant spot w/ the naked eye. It kept saying error reading disc. This disc is the original that came w/ my machine 10.4/5 (not sure which, it's a late 2009 MBP).

Going to try target disk mode over FireWire in the AM. Wish us luck.

Also, tried putting my 10.6 disc into my machine tonight after the external hd didn't work.. Sure enough it got stuck and now won't eject even w/ holding in eject or trackpad while restarting.

What a disaster!!

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