Steps after replacing an internal MacBook Pro hard drive?

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
What are the steps after replacing an internal MacBook Pro hard drive with a new one? I just received my new 13.3" unibody and want to replace the included 160GB hard drive with a Fujitsu 500GB HD that I just purchased. I have nothing to save, as it is a new laptop.



Do I:



1) Insert Mac OS Installation CD

2) Format? (With included Disk Utility? Mac OS Extended- Journaled?

3) Partition?

4) Reinstall OS

5) Etc.





I'm a bit confused. Hope someone can simplify the process, for me and others.



Thank you very much.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 1
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by redmarble View Post


    What are the steps after replacing an internal MacBook Pro hard drive with a new one? I just received my new 13.3" unibody and want to replace the included 160GB hard drive with a Fujitsu 500GB HD that I just purchased. I have nothing to save, as it is a new laptop.



    Do I:



    1) Insert Mac OS Installation CD

    2) Format? (With included Disk Utility? Mac OS Extended- Journaled?

    3) Partition?

    4) Reinstall OS

    5) Etc.





    I'm a bit confused. Hope someone can simplify the process, for me and others.



    Thank you very much.







    Well first you have to determine if the hard drive is 'user replaceable' according to Apple.



    If not and you proceed without a Authorized Apple Repair, yourself or someone else doing it, then it will most likely void your warranty/Apple Care. You most likely could break something, at the minimum disturb factory seals and markers, so Apple will know it was tampered with.





    So lets assume you already got the hard drive in the machine.







    Since you haven't done anything you care to keep on the original drive. You should 'Erase with Zero option in Disk Utility' it regardless in case you want to sell it later. Before changing drives in the machine. If not, oh well too late, just don't use the same passwords and account info as before.



    [Note: There are external powered cases that can hold, power and access the old internal if you need a backup hard drive. Hook up two cables, screw it together and your ready to rock. Check out NewEgg.com, be sure to match the interface on the drive!]



    Then with the new drive installed, I would 'Hold c' and boot from the OS X installation disk that came with your machine. A few screens later, a menu option at the top will give you Disk Utility which you chose to Erase with Zero option the new boot drive. This will check the drive for errors and map off any bad sectors before you begin installation. Many pro's and video buffs swear by this action as they have huge files and the risk of hitting a bad sector increases.



    You'll have to format the drive, which is OS X Extended-Journaled as you suspect.



    Once that is done install OS X on the drive, it's pretty easy.





    If you want to partition the drive for Bootcamp and Windows, Bootcamp will do that for you when you use it.



    I see no other benefit in partitioning the boot drive if your not going to cold boot (not use a Virtual machine product instead) into other operating systems. In fact partitioning could become a problem if one space loses room. Using a partition for back up on the same drive is suicide, one hard drive failure takes out both your main and your backup.









    Now if you have stuff setup on the old smaller boot drive, you can CLONE the entire OS X boot drive/partition onto a external drive using something like Carbon Copy Cloner, then repair permissions on both in Disk utility, 'hold option boot' from the clone (check it out first) and then replace the boot drive and later reverse clone while booted from the clone. (repair permissions after each clone)



    You still should Erase with Zero any new drive and any drive your planing on not using or selling.





    If you set up Filevault on the boot drive, you can't boot from the clone, it's encrypted image. So don't bother cloning, just set up from the OS X install disk and reinstall apps etc.



    The cloning method is rather effortless, reinstalling from disk is a pain.
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