Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

got new internal hard drive for my macbook, problems installing os 10.4

K

kathleen bailey

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 16, 2009
5
0
houston
Bear with me please - but I need advice. After a trip to the Genius bar today and finding out that I needed a new hard drive - I went to Best Buy and got a Sata 2.5 500 GB hard drive. I came home and carefully installed it ( static care) and then tried to install ( using the original discs ) my OS. It seemed to be doing okay but then when it came to choosing a destination - nothing, the screen just sat there. No messages - nothing, just that same screen asking me to choose a destination - there is nothing to choose. I have gone online and researched and am not sure, but am I supposed to format this and partition it ? And is this something over my head or if I carefully follow instructions - can I do this? Should I make another trip to the Genius Bar - ugh.
This is what I have been reading:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html

thank you for time and attention - I am really frustrated - bad enough losing some programs and some things I didn't want to lose but now ? I am lost.
 
The link in this message works, skimming it, it seems to be for external drives and it doesn't seem to mention what I'll tell you here: You need to boot from the OS X CD/DVD and then go to the Utility menu and select Disk Utility, from there you should be able to select your new hard drive and format it and install the OS. Is that how you were trying to do it?
 
There's nothing wrong with your computer or HDD. All you have to do is format the new HDD to Mac OS X Journaled (Extended) if you haven't yet and only then can you select your HDD to install 10.4 at the Select Destination screen.

You can get to format your HDD from the Utilities menu at the top of the screen and then selecting Disk Utility.
 
I appreciate your info -
first when I get to #3 under installing the software "Open Disk Utility and select the new drive in the list to the left.
Note: If you are formatting the primary drive, use the Disk Utility program on the Install disc." - okay this is the only drive I have on the disc except the 4.7 drive representing the Install disc - so, logically this must be the primary disc - I don't have an external disc - also, the only way I can access the disk utility is from the install disc. - and so on
then, I get to #6 "Name the volume “Macintosh HD.” - when I try to click on the Name box - it does not let me click in the name box - no cursor and even tried typing anyway no name - so do I leave it nameless or am I doing something wrong.
 
kathleen bailey said:
I appreciate your info -
first when I get to #3 under installing the software "Open Disk Utility and select the new drive in the list to the left.
Note: If you are formatting the primary drive, use the Disk Utility program on the Install disc." - okay this is the only drive I have on the disc except the 4.7 drive representing the Install disc - so, logically this must be the primary disc - I don't have an external disc - also, the only way I can access the disk utility is from the install disc. - and so on
then, I get to #6 "Name the volume “Macintosh HD.” - when I try to click on the Name box - it does not let me click in the name box - no cursor and even tried typing anyway no name - so do I leave it nameless or am I doing something wrong.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you have the HD selected and not the optical disc? You should be able to click in the box and type the name.
 
I figured it out - boy- what an idiot I am - I feel sure I have the right drive selected -
it says :
465.8 GB ST9500420AS... and below that
4.7 GB MATSHITADVD-.... and below that - indented is
Mac OS X Install Disc 1



what I did not do - since the instructions did not instruct me to do so was select something under Volume Scheme - I left it at Current - so do i choose 1 partition? I think it will then let me name it

tks again for your help
 
kathleen bailey said:
I figured it out - boy- what an idiot I am - I feel sure I have the right drive selected -
it says :
465.8 GB ST9500420AS... and below that
4.7 GB MATSHITADVD-.... and below that - indented is
Mac OS X Install Disc 1



what I did not do - since the instructions did not instruct me to do so was select something under Volume Scheme - I left it at Current - so do i choose 1 partition? I think it will then let me name it

tks again for your help
Click to expand...

You should select 465.8 GB ST9500420AS... that's the HD. It's simplest to choose 1 partition (that will use the whole thing), unless you want or need more than 1 partition I would recommend just having one partition.
 
kathleen bailey said:
it is now installing
thank you again - bet it is cooler there - hot here in Houston
have a good evening
Click to expand...

I knew you could do it! Happy Dance !!!! :)

34 degrees right now, supposed to get down to 26-30 degrees overnight, no snow yet though. G'night.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back