How Easy Is It To Change a HDD (MBP)

F

Frozo.

Guest

Original poster

• Feb 7, 2011

• #1

I'm looking at saving some money and I will be buying a HDD elsewhere as I can get better for cheaper.

I just want to know a few things;

1) How do you change the HDD over?

2) I know that it comes with the OSX disc but how do you boot from the disc?

Thanks

 

miles01110

macrumors Core

• Feb 7, 2011

• #2

Assuming you are talking about the new unibody Macbook Pros,

1) http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/search/macbook+pro

2) Hold Option or "C" on startup.

PS: You could have put both of these questions into Google and found the answer yourself. For example:

Keywords: switch hard drive macbook pro, boot from disc os x

 

F

Frozo.

Guest

Original poster

• Feb 7, 2011

• #3

miles01110 said:

Assuming you are talking about the new unibody Macbook Pros,

1) http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/search/macbook+pro

2) Hold Option or "C" on startup.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply 🙂

 

adnoh

macrumors 6502a

• Feb 7, 2011

• #4

Make sure you have all the right screwdrivers etc

 

CosmoPilot

macrumors 68000

• Feb 7, 2011

• #5

I upgraded mine to a 500GB HDD. Partitioned an 80GB slice for Windows 7 (Bootcamp). It was super easy. macsales.com (OWC) has some how to videos on how to do this.

I recommend the following steps.

1. Run a TM backup of existing HDD on an external harddrive
2. Put new HDD in MBP
3. Format/Partition new HDD using installation leopard OSX CD
4. Use migration assistant to setup your new HDD with the TM backup you created in step 1.
5. Keep old HDD for 2 or 3 weeks to ensure everything is working before erasing it.


Cosmo

 

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603

• Feb 7, 2011

• #6

The actual hard drive swap is dead easy. The more difficult part in my opinion is getting the macbook to be set up the same way you had it before the HDD swap. (Folders, custom icons, custom docks, permissions, saved passwords ect.) Although CCC and Super Duper have solved these problems.

 

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nospeed411

macrumors 6502a

• Feb 7, 2011

• #7

I stuck my new drive in a USB enclosure and make a complete backup with disk utility....google for instructions. Pulled bottom panel and replaced drive. Booted a little slow but all is well after first startup. Checked permissions and done.

The hardest part was the backup/clone. Took 3 hours over standard USB. If I would have had a firewire enclosure would have been twice as quick.