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

rubencito

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 25, 2009
49
0
I would like some help here from the pros. I dropped my macbook and it was having problems starting up and it actually died. I was able to get to disk utility and tried to do a back up with no luck. I decided to install a new hard drive and now the macbook starts but all I get is a black screen.
I have the install disk and tried to boot up with option C but no luck. What should I do to this hard drive before installing. Should I format the drive before installing and what should I formatted to? Journaled? Any help or guides would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
I would like some help here from the pros. I dropped my macbook and it was having problems starting up and it actually died. I was able to get to disk utility and tried to do a back up with no luck. I decided to install a new hard drive and now the macbook starts but all I get is a black screen.
I have the install disk and tried to boot up with option C but no luck. What should I do to this hard drive before installing. Should I format the drive before installing and what should I formatted to? Journaled? Any help or guides would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

In Disk Utility, you should select your new hard drive, hit the erase tab, and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as the format. This is done with the install disk.
 
In Disk Utility, you should select your new hard drive, hit the erase tab, and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as the format. This is done with the install disk.

How about partitions, how many should I do and what is the purpose. Also can I do this from a windows machine or mac only
Thanks
 
How about partitions, how many should I do and what is the purpose. Also can I do this from a windows machine or mac only
Thanks

You would do this from your install DVD. Clicking Erase creates one partition (usually called Macintosh HD) just like how it was from the factory.
 
Got my drive formatted. Installed in macbook. Now it starts it shows me the network to hook up to and it freezes.
Also enclosed my old drive in an enclosure and it reads on my Mac but suggested I do a back up of all my files ASAP. I connected the drive enclosure to the macbook and started holding the option key. Now I get the picture of a recovery drive and a macintosh drive. But it also freezes.
Any ideas
 
Got my drive formatted. Installed in macbook. Now it starts it shows me the network to hook up to and it freezes.

Also enclosed my old drive in an enclosure and it reads on my Mac but suggested I do a back up of all my files ASAP. I connected the drive enclosure to the macbook and started holding the option key. Now I get the picture of a recovery drive and a macintosh drive. But it also freezes.

Any ideas


Did you then install OS X to the new hard drive or only wipe it?
 
Not sure what to do next

Did you then install OS X to the new hard drive or only wipe it?

This is what I have done. Installed new drive on enclosure format drive as instructed. Installed new drive in MacBook and put DVDs in drive. Turn on with OPTION key held down. MacBook starts and searches for wifi. Select wifi and then it freezes.
Also tried with old drive connected via use. It detects both drives, one is a recovery drive but then it freezes.
Not sure what to do next.
Can I install OS X to the new drive before I install on MacBook
What do you mean by "wipe"?
 
Last edited:
This is what I have done. Installed new drive on enclosure format drive as instructed. Installed new drive in MacBook and put DVDs in drive. Turn on with OPTION key held down. MacBook starts and searches for wifi. Select wifi and then it freezes.

Also tried with old drive connected via use. It detects both drives, one is a recovery drive but then it freezes.

Not sure what to do next.

Can I install OS X to the new drive before I install on MacBook

What do you mean by "wipe"?


Is this a 2009 or 2010 model?
 
No luck. It still freezes

Don't know what is going on but the processes in all that I have read and tried start properly, however after 10 seconds or so it freezes.
 
Don't know what is going on but the processes in all that I have read and tried start properly, however after 10 seconds or so it freezes.

If it randomly freezes... Maybe you damaged something else when you dropped it? Or maybe you damaged the hard drive cable while installing?
 
If it randomly freezes... Maybe you damaged something else when you dropped it? Or maybe you damaged the hard drive cable while installing?

Update. It is going thru Internet recovery it finished and it came to the disk utility tab. I chose instal OS X and it started doing it. Shortly after a message to turn computer off and restart. Then I got the folder with the question mark.
Retrying everything now again
 
Update. It is going thru Internet recovery it finished and it came to the disk utility tab. I chose instal OS X and it started doing it. Shortly after a message to turn computer off and restart. Then I got the folder with the question mark.
Retrying everything now again

Yup, you damaged something else besides the hard drive or cable. it may not be repairable. Try Apple Hardware Test.
 
Update. It is going thru Internet recovery it finished and it came to the disk utility tab. I chose instal OS X and it started doing it. Shortly after a message to turn computer off and restart. Then I got the folder with the question mark.
Retrying everything now again

Depending on the drop, the RAM may have been knocked out of whack. Those slots do seem sturdy but occasionally the RAM needs to be reseated. I would remove the RAM and reinstall it again and check my results in Apple Hardware Test.
 
Depending on the drop, the RAM may have been knocked out of whack. Those slots do seem sturdy but occasionally the RAM needs to be reseated. I would remove the RAM and reinstall it again and check my results in Apple Hardware Test.

Managed to install OS X. However for some reason it would not accept my password. And I know it was the right password. Trying to reinstall OS X again as I could not access terminal to get it changed.
To note. Sometimes when I boot the computer the light on the right side blinks and sometimes it boots and sometimes just a black screen. And it keeps on shutting down and trying to start but just black screen.
Can my hdd cable be at fault here?
 
Managed to install OS X. However for some reason it would not accept my password. And I know it was the right password. Trying to reinstall OS X again as I could not access terminal to get it changed.

To note. Sometimes when I boot the computer the light on the right side blinks and sometimes it boots and sometimes just a black screen. And it keeps on shutting down and trying to start but just black screen.

Can my hdd cable be at fault here?


Was it by chance beeping?
 
Managed to install OS X. However for some reason it would not accept my password. And I know it was the right password. Trying to reinstall OS X again as I could not access terminal to get it changed.
To note. Sometimes when I boot the computer the light on the right side blinks and sometimes it boots and sometimes just a black screen. And it keeps on shutting down and trying to start but just black screen.
Can my hdd cable be at fault here?

Maybe keyboard is damaged.
Test all keys with the keyboard viewer.
 
Has it beeped or hung since? What type of a drop are we talking about? There is a big difference between falling in your bag two feet off a coffee table and being dropped off a counter onto a linoleum floor.

It keeps on hanging. No beeping. It was a drop from a counter
 
Where is it hanging? Does it get into OS X? Have you tried running Apple Hardware Test?

I can get into the OS X installation. It starts it goes for a few minutes til it says 20 minutes left and it hangs. I had a message that said the drive was locked
How do I run the hardware test?
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.