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How to Install a New Hard Drive and Restore from Time Machine

A

acslater017

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 25, 2006
719
127
San Francisco Bay Area
Hi everyone. I'm sorry if this is a repeat - I did a few searches and didn't find what I was looking for, not without going through hundreds of threads.

I am planning on upgrading my MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 15" Core i5; Snow Leopard) hard drive with a new Western Digital 2.5" 750 GB 7200 RPM drive. I am simultaneously also installing new RAM (4 x 2 = 8 GB)

I want everything (OS, apps, files) to be restored like normal. I currently back up using a USB external hard drive (500 GB) that is partitioned between a Time Machine and a normal storage drive.

Can someone please confirm that this is the correct procedure?

1) Insert Snow Leopard DVD
2) Shut down (and wait a few minutes)
3) Replace RAM
4) Replace HDD
5) Connect Time Machine via USB
6) Turn on. MBP will boot from Snow Leopard DVD and take me to the Disk Utility/Restore screen (?)
7) Format/Partition the new 750 GB drive.
8) Select Time Machine partition to restore?
9) Let it go for a few hours

Am I mixing up the steps or missing anything? I know that there are other methods out there (e.g. cloning) but I think I prefer this way for simplicity's sake. I want to make sure that I'm doing it right. Thank you so much! :)
 
that works. you could also just install snow leopard and then after (during the start up) use the mirgration assisant.
 
Going the Restore route alleviates the need to update from the version of the OS on the OS disc, though, doesn't it?
 
Personally, I do the following usually, as I like a clean install as the base for my stuff.

1. Backup to Time machine.
2. Insert orignal disc or snow leopard DD
3. Shutdown computer (probably wait 30 seconds after it's off to open basically)
4. Install new HD and Ram
5. Boot computer to CD and install OSX (you may have to use disk manager utility to partition first)
6. When you are starting mac os the first time it will ask if you want to restore from time machine, connect external usb and click yes
7. Sit back and wait.
 
Last edited:
Hi everyone, thanks so much for your help.

Long story short (after about 5 near heart attacks), I discovered that my MBP cannot boot from the Snow Leopard CD! I dunno what's wrong with it. I tried it with both my new hard drive as well as my trusty old one that I've been using for a year and a half. For some reason, it never gets past the Apple logo.

Anyways, realizing that I could not boot from the OS X disc (and hence cannot restore from Time Machine), I downloaded Super Duper and copied everything over last night.

Here's where I'm not sure if I messed something up. I used the Disk Utility to restore from the SuperDuper onto the new blank hard drive. It boots, and everything is running great! As far as I can tell, there are no missing files.

However, a few issues:
1) It takes a LONG while to boot up. The Apple logo takes 1 minute and 10 seconds to even appear!! 2 minutes to desktop. What's going on? I thought my new 7200 rpm drive would make things faster :(

2) When I formatted the drive, I left it as the default "Untitled 1". Now, I no longer have anything called "Macintosh HD"! My applications are there, my media is there, so there's no problems yet. But will that cause me headaches down the road?!

3) There were many "permission errors" that were detected by my Disk Utility. I repaired them, but will that be a problem later?

Somebody please help! Did I do the SuperDuper process incorrectly? I still have my old hard drive, if that it useful. Thanks everyone for your assistance.
 
I am such a mac/computer newbie.. I am just a youtube-facebook type of a person. But needed harddrive space for my daughter's photos

This worked in a breeze.

1. back up HD
2. superduper clone it
3. Turn off your mac
4. Switch HD
5. Turn on your mac, enjoy

I did'nt have to do special tech stuff.

----------
acslater017 said:
Hi everyone, thanks so much for your help.

Long story short (after about 5 near heart attacks), I discovered that my MBP cannot boot from the Snow Leopard CD! I dunno what's wrong with it. I tried it with both my new hard drive as well as my trusty old one that I've been using for a year and a half. For some reason, it never gets past the Apple logo.

Anyways, realizing that I could not boot from the OS X disc (and hence cannot restore from Time Machine), I downloaded Super Duper and copied everything over last night.

Here's where I'm not sure if I messed something up. I used the Disk Utility to restore from the SuperDuper onto the new blank hard drive. It boots, and everything is running great! As far as I can tell, there are no missing files.

However, a few issues:
1) It takes a LONG while to boot up. The Apple logo takes 1 minute and 10 seconds to even appear!! 2 minutes to desktop. What's going on? I thought my new 7200 rpm drive would make things faster :(

2) When I formatted the drive, I left it as the default "Untitled 1". Now, I no longer have anything called "Macintosh HD"! My applications are there, my media is there, so there's no problems yet. But will that cause me headaches down the road?!

3) There were many "permission errors" that were detected by my Disk Utility. I repaired them, but will that be a problem later?

Somebody please help! Did I do the SuperDuper process incorrectly? I still have my old hard drive, if that it useful. Thanks everyone for your assistance.
Click to expand...


Supersuper cloning makes exact copy o your hard drive however it does not change the name of the hard drive you've clone into.

Just rename it.:)


Select the HD to be renamed
1. Right click the HD to be renamed.

2. Expand the Name section

3. Change the name.
 
nindorcoid22 said:
I did'nt have to do special tech stuff.
Click to expand...

And you didnt pay GeekSquad an outrageous $300 to do it. :claps hands:

No really, Im glad you took the initiative to NOT get ripped off by a scamming company that will just likely breach your privacy.
 
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