How do I install snow leopard on to a new blank hard drive?

If you still have the original internal HDD with the OSX and your data on it, install it into an enclosure, connect it to your MBP and boot the MBP holding down the OPTION key. It should display the external and the internal HDDs. Select the external HDD.

When the MBP boots, select Disk Utility and opt for Disk Utility>Restore. In the 'Source' field drag the external HDD and in the 'Destination' field drag the internal HDD (from the left hand column). Click on Restore. All of the data on the externall HDD data will be copied to the new internal drive, including the OSX. Then you will have an operable Mac.

Ciao.

bobbyd2095 wrote:

Thanks, but is an external hard drive the same thing as an enclosure?

Not really. It is a case in which you may install a bare drive. (this is an example of one, not a recommendation):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817349001

And what is MBP?

MBP = Macbook Pro. Sorry, since I have MBPs, I get into that habit. The instructions are relevant to Macbooks as well.

The advantage of cloning is that it copies all of your data from the original HDD to the new one in one step. In order to do that, you have to place the the new drive or the original internal drive in an enclosure to make the clone.

If you cannot do that, then you will have to format and install an OSX on the new Seagate SSHD that you have placed on your Macbook. Since you indicate that you have Snow Leopard, you will have to use that disk for the installation.

Place the SL disk in the optical drive and start the Macbook holding down the C key.

When you get to the point where the display shows a menu bar, select UTILITIES.

From the drop down menu, select DISK UTILITY.

Select DISK UTILITY>ERASE and format the new drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Then continue with the installation of the OSX.

Once the OSX has been installed, you still have to transfer your user data to the new internal drive. You still will need an enclosure to do this.

Yes, you can use an external drive (one purchased with a HDD already in an enclosure) but you have to copy the data from the Macbook to the external drive with the original HDD still in the Macbook. Then you can insert the new SSHD in the Macbook, install the OSX, and then transfer your user data from the external drive

The other option is to install your original HDD into the Macbook and then clone it to the external drive. Install the new SSHD in the Macbook and then clone from the external drive to the Macbook SSHD. This is a two stem process eliminating a new enclosure.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Ciao.

bobbyd2095 wrote:

Alright, since I have already copied my whole system and all of my data onto my external I'm gonna try to just install snow leopard onto the new hard drive using the disc and then try from there.

Did you copy the Snow Leopard OSX on that external drive?

If you did, test by attaching the external drive to the Macbook via USB.

Start the USB holding the OPTION key.

Does the display show the external HDD and the internal HDD icons?

If it does, click on the external HDD icon and see if it boots the Macbook.

This may be option B if option A fails. I will be writing a second response.

Ciao.

Is your Snow Leopard installation disk white in color or gray?

How far did you get:

Did you get this display? ( After turning on the Macbook and inserting the Snow Leopard Disk)

Did you click on the 'Install Mac OSX'/

Did you get this display?

If you did, click on the 'UTILITIES' button in the lower left hand corner.

You then should get this display:

Click on the RESTART button in the lower right hand corner.

You then should get a menu where you can select DISK UTILITY. Select it and format the internal SSHD to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in Disk Utility>Erase.

Then proceed with the installation.

In testing on my test MBP, it hung up after the restart, but I have different equipment than you have so I hope you will not experience the same issue. If you do, let me know and we will try other options.

Ciao.

Exactly how did you transfer the data from the old hard drive to the new hard drive?

Important questions:

1. Before you took out the old hard drive from your MBP, was the MBP functioning normally? Would the MBP boot or start up?

2. Have you deleted any thing off of the old hard drive?

If the answer to the first question is YES and the second is NO, Install the old hard drive in the enclosure and connect it to the MBP. Start the MBP holding the OPTION key. The display should show icons for the the external and internal hard drives. Select the external hard drive. This should start the MBP.

Let me know the results.

Ciao.

bobbyd2095 wrote:

I also tried putting the old hard drive in the enclosure and I got it to run but it's running off of the old one and not the new hard drive that is currently installed in the macbook.

That is what I wanted to know. You have a boot drive in your possession. That is a good sign.

So I downloaded a copy of snow leopard of the internet and tried installing it on to the new one but it said it could not be installed on the new hard drive

Don't try to load Snow Leopard off the Internet. Those are illegal copies and you run a real risk of installing malware.

bobbyd2095 wrote:

I have the gray disc for snow leopard by the way.

If you have a 2006 MBP, that disc is useless. It is good only for 2010 MBPs.

Boot your MBP with the old drive in the enclosure.

Open Disk Utility.

You should be able to detect the new internal HDD.

Click on it and select Disk Utility>Erase.

Format it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

When finished, open Disk Utility>Restore.

Select the external drive as the Source and the internal drive as the Destination.

Click on the Restore button. This will take some time depending upon the amount of data you have.

When finished, your MBP should boot.

Ciao.