Early 2009 MBP Problems

[AUFan]

I purchased a refurbed MBP right after Apple's event in May for use as a school computer. I haven't used it over the summer and a couple weeks ago I installed a 500GB hard drive without any problem several weeks ago. I fired up the machine today in order to move data off my iMac onto the MBP using time machine and the migration assistant. Long story short, the migration assistant didn't like fact that both my user accounts were named the same thing and asked I rename one, so I did and it copied the data into a separate user directory. Unsatisfied with my lack of access--and the duplication of data--I went back into time machine and copy/pasted my entire user directory from the iMac time machine backup and replaced the user directory on my MBP.

As a result of this transition, my MBP is now named "user-name's-imac" (replace username with my account name) and my superdrive is refusing to read and mount any disks. I've tried Office 08 install disk, and both the leopard DVD's to no avail. The superdrive was working prior to this transfer, I reinstalled the OS just a couple weeks prior to today. I'm wondering (and hopefully someone can help me) if the copy/paste from the iMac backup to the MBP user directory messed up some hardware drivers for the superdrive? My trackpad was acting quirky prior to the transfer, I reset the SMC and that worked fine.

Basically, my question(s) boil down this: would installing a new hard drive and then reinstalling the OS bork all my hard drive drivers? Or, did the copy/paste from the iMac backup bork my superdrive. Or, did I magically obtain a dirty superdrive overnight and need to go purchase a lens cleaning CD to clean it? I'm at the point where I just want the drive to work long enough to restore the OS and then figure out a way I can just copy my data and apps over without having to repeat this fiasco. Any help would be appreciated.

For those wondering, I have reset the SMC twice and the PRAM as well.

 

[bschh]

id head up to an apple store. thats a tough situation.

 

[RevoDS]

I purchased a refurbed MBP right after Apple's event in May for use as a school computer. I haven't used it over the summer and a couple weeks ago I installed a 500GB hard drive without any problem several weeks ago. I fired up the machine today in order to move data off my iMac onto the MBP using time machine and the migration assistant. Long story short, the migration assistant didn't like fact that both my user accounts were named the same thing and asked I rename one, so I did and it copied the data into a separate user directory. Unsatisfied with my lack of access--and the duplication of data--I went back into time machine and copy/pasted my entire user directory from the iMac time machine backup and replaced the user directory on my MBP.

As a result of this transition, my MBP is now named "user-name's-imac" (replace username with my account name) and my superdrive is refusing to read and mount any disks. I've tried Office 08 install disk, and both the leopard DVD's to no avail. The superdrive was working prior to this transfer, I reinstalled the OS just a couple weeks prior to today. I'm wondering (and hopefully someone can help me) if the copy/paste from the iMac backup to the MBP user directory messed up some hardware drivers for the superdrive? My trackpad was acting quirky prior to the transfer, I reset the SMC and that worked fine.

Basically, my question(s) boil down this: would installing a new hard drive and then reinstalling the OS bork all my hard drive drivers? Or, did the copy/paste from the iMac backup bork my superdrive. Or, did I magically obtain a dirty superdrive overnight and need to go purchase a lens cleaning CD to clean it? I'm at the point where I just want the drive to work long enough to restore the OS and then figure out a way I can just copy my data and apps over without having to repeat this fiasco. Any help would be appreciated.

For those wondering, I have reset the SMC twice and the PRAM as well.

A backup from an older computer does indeed break hardware compatibility as the Leopard version shipped with your MacBook Pro is a custom one with specific drivers for your system. As such, it's unlikely that your SuperDrive is physically damaged, and everything should work fine once/if you reinstall OS X with the DVD Apple provided with it. The issues are definitely due to using your iMac backup.

Alternatively, since updates merge back the code into the "main" branch, those drivers may be provided with 10.5.8, so if your install isn't fully up to date, it's definitely worth a try before reinstalling.

 

[AUFan]

Thanks. That's what I was thinking and once I managed to reinstall the OS using targeted disk mode and when it came time to transfer the data I took a look and noticed that Apple does not transfer the library file (which I did). Since then, the superdrive seems to be working fine. Knock on wood.

Thanks once again.