Hey Smart Guys/Dumb Guy needs help replacing HD!!

[oldnslow]

Hi Everyone,

I am going to replace the ram and hd in a macbook, and i am sure i can physically replace those items, but where i have no knowledge is in making a 'backup or clone" of the existing hd. I have looked at some information on the net about this, but get a little confused at it all, which is why i am asking for help!! I have talked with OWC and they say when i buy a hd from them that i also need to get a DIY kit and that would help in the process. I have an external hd that i use with my imac, so in my thinking, could i just somehow copy the hd from the macbook to the external hd and then copy it to the new hd, if so how is this done, or can someone tell me how to do this or point me in the right direction.

David

 

[davidwarren]

Hi Everyone,

I am going to replace the ram and hd in a macbook, and i am sure i can physically replace those items, but where i have no knowledge is in making a 'backup or clone" of the existing hd. I have looked at some information on the net about this, but get a little confused at it all, which is why i am asking for help!! I have talked with OWC and they say when i buy a hd from them that i also need to get a DIY kit and that would help in the process. I have an external hd that i use with my imac, so in my thinking, could i just somehow copy the hd from the macbook to the external hd and then copy it to the new hd, if so how is this done, or can someone tell me how to do this or point me in the right direction.

David

Use your external to make a tm backup, install new HD. Run osx disc and select restore from tm backup.

 

[KeriJane]

Hi David.

A couple of questions for you:

1- Do you intend to save your stuff that is on the computer?

2- Do you have the install disks that came with it or a newer version such as Snow Leopard?

3- What kind of MacBook?

4- What version of OSX?

As the first reply indicated, IF you are running Leopard or Snow Leopard you could make a Time Machine backup using the old drive, install the new drive, run the OSX Install disk and then restore from within Time Machine.

If you don't care about the accumulated files, programs and whatever, just install the new drive and install OSX from either an original disk or an upgrade one such as Leopard or Snow Leopard. There's no Serial Number or activation for the OS or any driver disks so it's pretty easy.
You could then mount the old drive in an external enclosure and copy your files after putting OSX on the new drive.

Of course you can always clone the drive. There are tools available for this to make it easier. I did it once from within Leopard but I forgot the details. Just search the Forum, that should be easy to find. The best way to clone a disk is with a boot disk running a cloning program, not from within the OS on the disk. Maybe one could do it from an OSX Install disk with an external enclosure?

Good Luck!
Keri

PS. Don't erase the old drive. Keep it as a backup.

 

[Leocadia]

Regarding the 'toolkit', all I used to replace my harddrive was a tiny screwdriver and a tiny hex. Possibly some hairpins and a kitchen knife also... I wasn't worried about the state it ended up in though... There are tutorials on the net with detailed pictures and instructions that'll tell you exactly what you need, maybe you can avoid paying a tenner for a piece of bent plastic.