MacBook Pro does not boot past apple screen after replacing hard drive

Mac OS X was installed on the drive you took out, and the new drive should be factory-unformatted, so yes, you do.

What is a mystery to me is where are you are getting that Apple logo. It is not in any ROM, it is loaded off a drive.

If you were using Time Machine 10.7.4 or later, there is a Recovery_HD on the Time Machine Volume.

Hold down Alt/Option at Startup for a list of all potentially-Bootable Volumes.

The problem is that the OS is not in any where else of the MacBook Pro than in the HD / SSD. If you replace the Hard Drive, then you will need to Re-install OSX into that hard drive, it's pretty easy.

1) Power up your Macbook Pro, as fast as you can press and hold the Option key (ALT). You'll see that it opens the bootable-devices you have, you'll see a Recovery partition, click it.

(If the Hard Drive contains data do the following)

2) In the menu select Disk Utility.

3) In Disk Utility go ahead and select the Hard Drive that is inside the MBP.

4) Erase the content.

(If the Hard Drive contains no data continue with the following jumping the last 3 steps).

5) Select Re-install OSX.

6) Select the Hard Drive in which you want to install it.

Follow the steps of everything else (it should take approximately 1 hour to do the whole thing).

Hope this helps!

Later.

Snow Leopard was not downloadable, came in a dual-layer DVD. Apple will send you one for $20, but you have to ask for it explicitly.

As for the new drive, remember it has to be partitioned to GUID partition scheme and formatted as Apple Extended (Journaled). Else OS X will not boot. Unless explicitly labeled as a Mac drive, 99% of new drives come ready for Windoze in an MBR/NTFS partition/format.

On a early 2011 MBP you can't use the retail Snow Leopard 10.6.3 disc. That version does not have the proper drivers for your model year Mac. You need the Original system discs which can be ordered from Apple if you can't find the ones that came with your Mac. The only other thing you can try is the Online Internet Recovery System. Hold down the Command+Option+r keys at startup and hold them down until you see a globe on your screen. That might give you access to Lion or Mountain Lion if you upgraded to one of those versions. You will need your Apple ID and password if it does. But then that might not work either if your Mac came with Snow Leopard originally. But it is worth a shot.

Were you using Time Machine and running 10.7.4 or later?

Try upgrading thru the Software Update mechanism to 10.6.8, the latest and last Snow Leopard level. Maybe then will the Applications media will be installable.

Do you plan to leave it at this OS version, or are you going to the Mountain Lion?

Courcoul is on the right track. As I recall, tThere is an update to Installer.app in that sequence somewhere (maybe a follow on to 10.6.8?), which should make everything else easier.

Edit: I have verified this.

In the future, when this ever occurs, boot verbosely (cmd-V) so you can see the point at which the bootloader hangs in the on screen log.

You need to install the Installer update 1.0 for Snow Leopard.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1512

After raising the snowy cat to 10.6.8 level using the combo updater:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399