How to fresh install ML on mid-2009 mac?

[ideal.dreams]

I'm looking to upgrade from my Mid-2009 17" MacBook Pro to the 15" 256GB SSD rMBP model. Before sell my current one, what is the best way to wipe all data on it and fresh install ML?

I definitely want to do a zero pass on the HDD, but my HDD is going bad...would this be too intensive for it?

 

[frankblundt]

Depends a good deal on what you mean by going bad. Most times bad drives means bad bits of a drive, so a low level format may actually help by isolating and marking off the dead bits. Unless there are lots of bits that are almost dead and one more write is going to kill them.. but then, they probably need to be killed anyway.
If the drive is so close to total death that a zero pass kills it it would be better to find that out before selling it on to someone else.

 

[ideal.dreams]

Depends a good deal on what you mean by going bad. Most times bad drives means bad bits of a drive, so a low level format may actually help by isolating and marking off the dead bits. Unless there are lots of bits that are almost dead and one more write is going to kill them.. but then, they probably need to be killed anyway.
If the drive is so close to total death that a zero pass kills it it would be better to find that out before selling it on to someone else.

It's starting to make noise which I assume is the actuator arm going bad. I'm not sure how long I have before it dies, but I'm trying to get it off my hands before it does.

Can anyone tell me how I would fresh install Mountain Lion as well?

 

[Weaselboy]

Can anyone tell me how I would fresh install Mountain Lion as well?

Download ML form the App Store and use it to make yourself a USB key installer. Pop you USB key in and option key boot then select the USB key. At the install screen select Disk Utility and then click he drive name (like Samsung 128GB or whatever) and format the drive in Mac OS Extended. While in that erase screen you can select the security write options you want.

After the reformat proceed with the install of ML. Done.

If you have a drive on the way out, just be aware installing the OS creates a lot of write activity and could just push the drive over the cliff.

 

[DoctorCrap]

Get the installer and run it on your OS.
You machine's specifications should match the required system requirements for a guarantee on doing this right.

 

[ideal.dreams]

Purchase it on the Mac App Store or of course torrent, crack or get it from a friend.
You machine's specifications should match the required system requirements for a guarantee on doing this right.

I already purchased Mountain Lion and have been running it on my MacBook Pro since its release date. Discussion of pirating on this forum is not allowed, I'd take a closer look at the rules. Support the developers...big or not...

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

Since you've already purchased ML, you have two options:

1) Re-download it from the App store and make yourself a USB key (I'd go with this option). Lion DiskMaker will do everything for you.

2) Boot into recovery mode and initiate the reinstall from there. A new copy of the OS will be downloaded during this process.

I recommend the first option because it's good to have a bootable version of the OS on portable media (DVD/USB) for troubleshooting, in case something ever happens to your recovery partition and/or your entire HDD fails.

 

[ideal.dreams]

Since you've already purchased ML, you have two options:

1) Re-download it from the App store and make yourself a USB key (I'd go with this option). Lion DiskMaker will do everything for you.

2) Boot into recovery mode and initiate the reinstall from there. A new copy of the OS will be downloaded during this process.

I recommend the first option because it's good to have a bootable version of the OS on portable media (DVD/USB) for troubleshooting, in case something ever happens to your recovery partition and/or your entire HDD fails.

With the first option will I still be able to run a zero-pass on the hard drive? I don't want anything to have any chance of being recovered.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

You should be able to zero out the disk from Disk Utility, which is one of the four utilities included in the installation media.