13" MBP New HDD Issue

[Jono.c]

Hey guys

Put a new hdd in my MacBook Pro after the last one chucked it.

Disk is a Western Digital Blue.


Went to ghost all my data back on and it's playing up.. So went to install windows on the drive first to see if it makes a difference having a partition on it.


The disk doesn't show up when trying to install the OS. You can't format and it says about drivers or something for the HDD..

Well WD doesn't make any software for the disk, And i've never had an issue with a HDD install on a windows computer..


So i'm wondering if there's stuff i have to do as it's a MAC?

Any ideas/ Tips greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Weaselboy]

Really nothing special to do on a Mac. Just install the drive, format it to Mac OS Extended with Disk Util then either install the OS or clone the OS over from a backup.

Can you boot from an external drive and see if you can access the new internal in Disk Utility?

 

[lagisibuk]

enter to disk utility and format with OS journaled.
and then install clean OS

 

[Jono.c]

Excuse my noobness but

How do you access disk util on a blank fresh hdd?

 

[Weaselboy]

Excuse my noobness but

How do you access disk util on a blank fresh hdd?

A couple of ways to go. If you have a newer (2010+) Macbook you should be able to do a command-r boot to recovery. That will load a recovery screen over the Internet (you will need wifi access) and from that screen you will see Disk Utility. Or, if you have a Time Machine backup made with Lion 10.7.2 or better, you can option key boot to the TM disk and get a recovery screen also.

 

[Jono.c]

A couple of ways to go. If you have a newer (2010+) Macbook you should be able to do a command-r boot to recovery. That will load a recovery screen over the Internet (you will need wifi access) and from that screen you will see Disk Utility. Or, if you have a Time Machine backup made with Lion 10.7.2 or better, you can option key boot to the TM disk and get a recovery screen also.

I managed to use the disk that came with my Mac, The hdd didn't show up there.. So after some google and forums it suggested the hdd cable. I just changed that but they sent me the wrong one and it's a few mm too short.. So i'll have to order a new one and then try again..

Does that sound like the problem? Because the hard-drive itself works fine in my desktop windows computer..

 

[Weaselboy]

I managed to use the disk that came with my Mac, The hdd didn't show up there.. So after some google and forums it suggested the hdd cable. I just changed that but they sent me the wrong one and it's a few mm too short.. So i'll have to order a new one and then try again..

Does that sound like the problem? Because the hard-drive itself works fine in my desktop windows computer..

That is very possible. A bad drive cable seem to be a fairly common Macbook problem.