15" MacBook Pro S.M.A.R.T Failing

[y2duggan]

Hello all,

I just bought and downloaded OSX Mountain Lion for my 15" MBP which I bought brand new in the summer of 2010.

I went to install it and was unable to as I got an error message saying the disk had errors and was unable to be installed on. I ran disk utility and it says that the SMART status of the disk is failing, it has errors and it cannot be repaired.

I don't really know a great deal about Apple hardware so here are my questions:

1. I'm assuming I'll need a new drive! (Unless this is some sort of sneaky Apple bluff which infact can be repaired?) I'm ideally looking for a 500GB hard drive as I don't really have a lot of data on my MBP. Can anyone point out a good, reasonably priced one? Will any old hard drive fit or is it a specific kind I require?

2. Can you get SSDs for these MacBook Pros, with it being a 2010 edition, I'm not sure?

3. When I do get a new hard drive, how will I got about installing OX Mountain Lion? It's currently just downloaded onto my MacBook through the App store. Will I need to create a sort of USB boot drive before I install the new HDD? Has anyone done this before?

Replacing the HDD actually looks quite straightforward from the videos I have seen so plan on doing this myself.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[pnyc]

1. Yes you need a new drive. If all you want is a new 500GB HD I'd get this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136856
Any compatible drive will work, you don't need a special "apple" drive.

2. Yes you can get an SSD, and again any compatible one will work, you don't need a special apple SSD.

3. I'd recommend you do this: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/how-to-create-a-bootable-backup-mountain-lion-install-disk/

If you really, really, really don't want to make a boot disk you can install whatever version of OSX you have on the new HD and then re-download(Free) ML from the App Store and upgrade over the older version. I don't recommend you do this but it's possible.

 

[y2duggan]

1. Yes you need a new drive. If all you want is a new 500GB HD I'd get this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136856
Any compatible drive will work, you don't need a special "apple" drive.

2. Yes you can get an SSD, and again any compatible one will work, you don't need a special apple SSD.

3. I'd recommend you do this: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/how-to-create-a-bootable-backup-mountain-lion-install-disk/

If you really, really, really don't want to make a boot disk you can install whatever version of OSX you have on the new HD and then re-download(Free) ML from the App Store and upgrade over the older version. I don't recommend you do this but it's possible.

Hey pnyc, thanks for the reply. That's cleared up just about everything I wanted! I will get onto ordering one and let you know how I get on. Thanks again for the help.