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Macbook Pro i7 17 2.2Ghz i7 2011 - any issues over buying used/discontinued

Well just that


Also any problems with installing and running 10.6.8 on it, other forums ambivalent. If "no" can you nevertheless transfer info from external HD back-up made on a 10.6.8 system

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), MBP 5,3 2.66 GH

Posted on Apr 13, 2013 8:57 AM

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11 replies

Apr 13, 2013 9:04 AM in response to abderite

if it's an early 2011 Macbook Pro - then the default OS it came with was Snow Leopard.


if however, it's now running Lion or Mountain Lion - then a recovery partition was created for either Lion or Mountain Lion.


the seller should include the original install disc when you buy it.


if you have a retail Snow Leopard DVD - then it should install with no issues.

Apr 22, 2013 8:57 AM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

I went ahead and got a june 2009 model 17'2.8GH . The previous owner had upgraded to 10.8 and then appeared to have done a bad erase of her data. We changed password OK. Then I found no apps or utilities worked, just red in menu. No way of using 10.8 restore without her password on app store, but I didn't want it anyway


But the OS10.6 Install disc would'nt work, just alternated Apple/no entry sign/question mark.


It worked fine off the Super-duper bootable back-up from my old 2008 MBP 15. So I erased the whole HD, including restore partition using disk utility. Then using Super-duper, I copied the whole back to the internal HD & it booted up from the internal HD fine.


After running faultlessly for about 4 hours, it froze (in DxO optics) & would not re-start from internal HD. After various attempts, the situation remained that it runs from external HD, but not internal. The hardware test short and full (1hr 17mins) showed no faults. Meanwhile the internal HD gradually first reverted to 'untitled' then totally disappeared from disk uitiliy, choose start-up disc icons & super-duper copy option.


Looks like the internal drive was on the blink/brink and I have pushed it over. But before I order a new one (WD blue 500 5400rpm in mind)....is there anything else tat could cause this behaviour?

Apr 22, 2013 9:06 AM in response to abderite

before you go ahead and order your Western Digital Blue hard drive - i suggest you order something else - Western Digital Blue and Green editions have issues with some Macbook Pros - why take a chance?


purchase Seagate, Western Digital Black, Hitachi or Samsung.


cloning your old Macbook Pro's hard drive to work with the 2009 will give you issues - going the other way works but going from older to a newer model will always give you issues.


purchase a retail version of Snow Leopard so you can do a clean install.


or purchase mountian lion from your app store if you want to do a clean install now.


good luck

Apr 22, 2013 9:21 AM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

"purchase a retail version of Snow Leopard so you can do a clean install"


I have one from when I took the 2008 15" from 10.5 to 10.6....but if the Install disk supplied with the 17" won't work, is the Snow Leopard going to do any better? I was slightly wondering whether Migration Assistant could be used, but looks unpromising.


If the Snow Leopard disk works, is it still inadvisable to do wholesale transfers from the Super-duper back up, or do I have to crawl back to 10.6.8 and re-install all progs too?


Thanks for advice on HD

Apr 22, 2013 9:26 AM in response to abderite

abderite wrote:


is the Snow Leopard going to do any better? I was slightly wondering whether Migration Assistant could be used, but looks unpromising.


If the Snow Leopard disk works, is it still inadvisable to do wholesale transfers from the Super-duper back up, or do I have to crawl back to 10.6.8 and re-install all progs too?


Thanks for advice on HD

The only thing you can do is try - I have a retail version of Snow Leopard 10.6.3 and it worked on all the Macbooks I own (7) and have not had any issues when I install them.


Because you have a powerful enough Macbook Pro - purchase Mountian Lion and install it. Before you buy your new hard drive - try it with Mountain Lion first - much cheaper route than spending more $$ on a hard drive that you might not need - unless you need a larger one.


It could also mean that the hard drive is defective - anything is possible.

Apr 22, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

I shut down, disconnected the external drive, put in the Snow Leopard disc and restarted, assuming it was the only viable start up. It has happily restarted on the internal HD!!!!!!


I think I may see if I can swap it for a PC


BTW preferably I want to stay with 10.6.8 as I still occasionally use 32 bit progs I don't like the mountain lion's face, either the photo or about the only thing it did, ie the rotating cube switch between windows.


GRRRRRR (thats a tigger on the war path)

Apr 23, 2013 12:42 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

I re-installed Snow Leopard from the disk I bought to upgrade previous box from 10.5....then Software update to 10.6.8, then opening a 32bit prog it rustled up Rosetta. Seems to working fine, to the extent I shoved the RAM I had ordered right in. So its now a 8GB


I can't understand why the old SL disc worked and the one supplied with this computer didn't. These animals must leave a scent around like real ones

Apr 23, 2013 2:10 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

Bimmer 7 Series wrote:


the one that came with the computer you bought might not be the right one. seller probably just grabbed whatever disc he saw.



No, in the original box, marked for 17" and doubt if ever used.


There was just one clue somewhere along the line and that was the 17" host harddrive being called 'Athene - 2', my old 15" drive being Athene. The ambiguity between the derived name and new one I had given it may have caused problems of identity and it disappearing sometimes.


Thanks for your help and guidance any way

May 6, 2013 12:59 PM in response to abderite

This hard-drive is driving me crazy!!


When I was just about to bin it, it suddenly came good; now after running fine for 2 weeks it went on strike again last night.


Neither dedicated install disk nor Snow Leopard one will do an install. Sometimes disk utility shows it, mostly doesn't. In fact mostly its disappeared altogether, except just once its icon re-appeared and opened with complete folders, passed disk repair & hardware test etc....only I got over-excited and hurled a folder of 100 odd 16mb .nef files to copy & that was a step too far and it has disappeared again!!!!


Does anyone know if it is possible for a hard-drive to work intermittently or have any other ideas?


I am now ordered a new one, but there is a little unbacked-up data I could do with rescuing

Macbook Pro i7 17 2.2Ghz i7 2011 - any issues over buying used/discontinued

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