I got a new hard drive because my old one was messed up and couldn't re install it self. So i got an upgrade, but i need to install the mac os on it now. Do i need a recovery disk to use it, or can i use a old boot install flash drive?
MacBook
If you have an install disk, you can use that, but it will only install the version on the disk. If you don't and your computer shipped with Mac OS X 10.7 or newer, you can use Apple's Internet Recovery system, which is accessible by pressing the Option, Command, and R keys at startup.
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You can restart holding the Command and Option and R keys so you boot from Apple's servers over the internet, note yu must have a good internet connection, and then you can use the Apple server Utilities to format the new drive (Disk Utility) and Install Mac OS X to the new drive.
its a brand new 500gb hard drive with nothing on it, can i still use internet recovery?
You haven't said what vintage the MacBook is or what Mac OS X came installed, but you have nothing to lose by doing a restart holding the Command and Option and R keys to see if you boot.
it's a early 2009 macbook (not pro), the flash drive has 10.8 mac osx installer on it. that can be booted on start i beilve
If you have a bootable ML installer, that will be much faster than internet recovery...the boot takes long and the download is, well, trying 🙂
See if you can boot the flash drive and if so, that is the most time-economical approach.
i dont have it at the moment, it's at a friends house, but it origanlly had 10.6 with the standard hard drive. but if i dont find it, what are the alternitives to using the usb and buying it off amazon or apple.com
OK, I am getting a little confused now...the computer is at a friends or the flash drive?
If the flash drive with 10.8 installer, and you cannot get it back, then the alternaives are to try an internet recovery or buy Snow Leopard from the Apple on-line store for $20, install that, software update to 10.6.8 (what comes ins 10.6.3) and then download Mountain Lion or Mavericks. I would not buy any ML installer flash drive off the internet since Apple has never offered that and the installer would then be suspect.
A 2009 should accept the retail version of Snow Leopard if it will not accept the internet recovery.
The Apple on-line store Snow Leopard is: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Do i need a recovery disk to install mac 10.8?
