Erasing HHD.

[Microwe]

I have just upgraded the HHD on my MBP mid 2009 and installed a larger drive. The original has now been installed in an external enclosure. I have been trying to erase everything on this drive in Disk Utility, but every time I try to partition/erase it I get a window pop up asking me if "Do you want MBP HHD to backup with Time Machine".

Can some knowledgeable please confirm how I can erase everything from this ex MBP drive so that I can use it to back up my new drive.

Michael.

 

[Urusai89]

If it's hooked up as an external HDD, you should be able to erase it in Disk Utility with no problem. When it asks if you want to use it with Time Machine, it's only because time machine recognizes it as a new drive. I usually just hit "do not use", and it never bothers me again.

 

[Microwe]

I usually just hit "do not use", and it never bothers me again.

Thanks for the input. Where do I find "Do not use" The only option I get is "Cancel or Back up using Time Machine"

 

[Urusai89]

When mine pops up, it gives me the option to use the disk as a backup source, or ignore. It seems you're getting a different popup.

Just to be clear: The new internal HDD you installed into your mac has OS X installed on it, you hooked up the old one externally, and wish to erase it so that you can use it for other stuff?

If so, maybe hold the option key when your mac boots, and make sure you're booting from the internal HDD. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to erase the other drive when booted from the internal HDD. Time machine shouldn't interfere. If it comes up again, simply turn time machine off from system preferences.

 

[Microwe]

Just to be clear: The new internal HDD you installed into your mac has OS X installed on it, you hooked up the old one externally, and wish to erase it so that you can use it for other stuff?

If so, maybe hold the option key when your mac boots, and make sure you're booting from the internal HDD. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to erase the other drive when booted from the internal HDD. Time machine shouldn't interfere. If it comes up again, simply turn time machine off from system preferences.

I confirm that The new internal HDD I installed into my Mac has OS X installed on it, I hooked up the old one externally, and wish to erase it so that I can use it for other stuff?

To hopefully make things less complicated, I connected the old drive now in an external enclosure to a different Mac to the one it was previously installed in. Time Machine is switched off on this Mac.

I have tried via Disk Utility to both reformat and erase the disk but always get the same message re using TM. When I get it and select "Cancel" rather than select TM I am then back to square one!!

I obviously missing something really basic here.

 

[Microwe]

Problem solved! I connected the external HD back to my MacBook Pro where the drive originated from and was able to delete the contents with no problem. Why it worked this time and not on a different Mac I have no idea!

Michael.

 

[Urusai89]

Was the drive encrypted or something (Filevault turned on, or some other program)? Maybe the other mac recognized it as an OS X installation and refused to delete it.

I had my old mac with a bootable backup of Tiger on an external. I hooked it to a different iMac running Leopard and it deleted the Tiger installation with no trouble at all.