Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade

[O. Frabjous-Dey]

TigerDirect routinely gets TERRIBLE reviews from buyers. Pay a little more and buy from someone reputable.

When doing a fresh install, I like to back up my files by hand instead of letting OS X handle it: anything important in my Documents folder, my bookmarks, etc., get copied to an external hard drive, and then I just copy it back in after the installation is done. I don't want the flotsam and jetsam from my old install to migrate into the new one.

 

[automatickyle]

I have been searching for a clear way to do it, but have not found the exact answer. I just received my new 500GB Seagate Momentus to put into my Macbook Pro 15" 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo. I have put it in the OWC Mercury first to prepare the drive, but this is where I am running into some confusion. I know I need to format the drive but what exactly do I need to select in Disk Utility to do this? This drive will be replacing my current internal drive so I know that it needs to be Mac OS Extended Journal, but no more than this. Also, I am going to be doing a complete fresh install of the OS X 10.5 instead of cloning my current drive. What would be the best way to do this so I can get I can just pop it in the computer and be ready to go?

Also, I am saving all my music, pics, documents, etc over to an external right now so I can move them back once the new drive is in, but what other tips and things should I look for to move over as well such as applications, bookmarks, ical, etc.

Thanks again and I know these are probably very easy things to do, but I just want to make sure they are done correctly.

 

[acfusion29]

I have been searching for a clear way to do it, but have not found the exact answer. I just received my new 500GB Seagate Momentus to put into my Macbook Pro 15" 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo. I have put it in the OWC Mercury first to prepare the drive, but this is where I am running into some confusion. I know I need to format the drive but what exactly do I need to select in Disk Utility to do this? This drive will be replacing my current internal drive so I know that it needs to be Mac OS Extended Journal, but no more than this. Also, I am going to be doing a complete fresh install of the OS X 10.5 instead of cloning my current drive. What would be the best way to do this so I can get I can just pop it in the computer and be ready to go?

Also, I am saving all my music, pics, documents, etc over to an external right now so I can move them back once the new drive is in, but what other tips and things should I look for to move over as well such as applications, bookmarks, ical, etc.

Thanks again and I know these are probably very easy things to do, but I just want to make sure they are done correctly.

Put your new HDD in and put your Mac OS X cd into the computer and boot to the CD.

The Leopard installation will start and at the top you'll have your menu. Find disc utility and click on the harddrive and then in the options there somewhere will be an 'erase' button. Hit that and format it with the proper file system and then start the new installation.

p.s. why don't you do a time machine backup for your apps/music/photos etc. that way your system is exactly the same as before except with more space.

 

[Scallywag]

Replacing the hard drive in the NEW 2008 UNIBODY Macbook pro's will NOT void the warranty.

Replacing the hard drive in ANY PREVIOUS GENERATION MACBOOK PRO OR POWERBOOK G4 WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. It is NOT intended to be user-replaceable.

That said...I replaced the drive in a Powerbook G4 last year and it was very simple, though somewhat time consuming (and nerve wracking the first time.) But because of that little project, I realized that nearly every part in these computers can be swapped out with simple tools, and I've replaced all sorts of parts since, saving myself quite a bit of $$$.

 

[automatickyle]

Put your new HDD in and put your Mac OS X cd into the computer and boot to the CD.

The Leopard installation will start and at the top you'll have your menu. Find disc utility and click on the harddrive and then in the options there somewhere will be an 'erase' button. Hit that and format it with the proper file system and then start the new installation.

p.s. why don't you do a time machine backup for your apps/music/photos etc. that way your system is exactly the same as before except with more space.

So you're suggesting to just go ahead and put the new hard drive in the computer instead of first in the OWC Mercury casing?

I was thinking about the time machine backup, but I want to give this drive a fresh OS so it doesn't contain all the jumble that builds up overtime.

 

[automatickyle]

Replacing the hard drive in the NEW 2008 UNIBODY Macbook pro's will NOT void the warranty.

Replacing the hard drive in ANY PREVIOUS GENERATION MACBOOK PRO OR POWERBOOK G4 WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. It is NOT intended to be user-replaceable.

That said...I replaced the drive in a Powerbook G4 last year and it was very simple, though somewhat time consuming (and nerve wracking the first time.) But because of that little project, I realized that nearly every part in these computers can be swapped out with simple tools, and I've replaced all sorts of parts since, saving myself quite a bit of $$$.

Do you have links to this information because I have read everywhere on these forums that simply replacing does not void the warranty, but anything broken in the process is not covered under warranty.