installing OSX Yosemite onto fresh HDD

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Level 1

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installing OSX Yosemite onto fresh HDD

Hi My Mom's hard drive crashed and so I bought her a new one and installed it. Now i cant figure out how to get OSX Yosemite back onto the new hard drive. I boot up the Macbook pro and I dont know where to go from here. all of the Youtube videos seem to be outdated. the one I watched had a solution but i can't get the osx Yosemite boot program to work on the flash drive using terminal. any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), may be effecting my apple tv

Posted on Nov 13, 2015 6:03 PM

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Answer 1

mario49

Community Specialist

Nov 15, 2015 6:12 AM in response to Bench423

Hello Bench423,

After reviewing your post, It sounds like you replaced the drive in the Mac and you want to install OS X on it. I would recommend you read this article, it may be able to help troubleshoot the issue.

OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a nice day.

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Answer 2

Bench423 Author

Level 1

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Nov 16, 2015 4:03 PM in response to mario49

When I boot up the macbook pro and hold command r it goes right into internet recovery mode. After it downloads something the screen goes to an apple symbol, then blank, then to a blank white screen where it stays until after about 25 minutes it turns off. Then I have to start over again.

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Answer 3

mario49

Community Specialist

Nov 17, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Bench423

Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://expresslane.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action

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Answer 4

Dark3lf

Level 1

4 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:35 AM in response to Bench423

Hi,

If you have another Mac, you can create a bootable flash drive Create a bootable installer for OS X - Apple Support

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:37 AM in response to Bench423

What is the EXACT model/year MBP that you have?

Ciao.

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Answer 6

Bench423 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:41 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

The model is a Mid 2011 15 inch Macbook Pro.

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Answer 7

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:55 AM in response to Bench423

There is no 'mid 2011' MBP. It has to be 'early' or 'late' 2011.

On the back of the MBP is the serial number. Enter it here and post back the information:

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/

Ciao.

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Answer 8

Bench423 Author

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Nov 17, 2015 12:16 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Sorry it's early 2011.

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Answer 9

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Nov 17, 2015 12:31 PM in response to Bench423

An early 2011 MBP came with Snow Leopard install disks.

Insert the disk and after the language selection, the display should have a menu bar on top,

Click on Utilities and select Disk utility from the drop down menu.

Run Disk Utility>Erase and format the new disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Exit Disk Utility and completer the installation of Snow Leopard.

Then install the Snow Leopard combo update:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399?locale=en_US

That meets the requirements for Yosemite installation.

Open the App store account and Yosemite should be in it.

Install Yosemite over snow Leopard.

Ciao.

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Answer 10

Bench423 Author

Level 1

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Nov 17, 2015 1:29 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

I inserted the disk and I get the Apple Symbol with the spinning wheel below it. It then goes to a light blue screen for about 5 minutes or so then it turns off completely. I have tried to rebbot and get passed that screen 3 times now but it wont. could there be something else wrong other than the hard drive?

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Answer 11

Bench423 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:42 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

I also have gotten it to boot up to the OS X utilities start up using a USB Drive. I go to disk utility and erase the disk I name it Macintosh HD with the format OS X Extended (journaled). It does that just fine. I go back and click on reinstall OS X. I click Continue, a drop down comes up and say your computer's eligibility will be verified with apple. I click continue. then pretty immediately it pops up with "An error occurred while preparing the installation. try running this application again. I click ok and it brings me back to Disk Utility. This is frustrating.

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Answer 12

Dark3lf

Level 1

4 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:56 PM in response to Bench423

Try reset NVRAM before install

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

Also check your system date&time, if you see that date&time incorrect, open terminal, write date {month}{day}{hour}{minute}{year} (example date 111723562015), hit enter, try reinstall OS again

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Answer 13

Bench423 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2015 2:21 PM in response to Dark3lf

I tried doing that and it is still giving me the same issue. I get to the start up screen where i can choose disk utility or to reinstall OS X and it still says that an error occurred and to relaunch it

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Answer 14

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Nov 17, 2015 3:11 PM in response to Bench423

The Snow Leopard disk that you were using, is it the one that came with the MBP? Is it gray or white in color?

The USB drive that you were using, what OSX do you have installed on it?

Ciao.

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Answer 15

Bench423 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 24, 2015 4:14 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

The OS DVD is grey and when I try to boot it up it goes to a blue screen then turns off. I have tried to put osx Yosemite onto a flash drive but for some reason I cant get any of the command codes in terminal to write onto the flash drive correctly.

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