Install a new hard drive in a Mac
Status: Archived
Publication date: 2019-12-08
Last edited by: Garyf
Last updated: 2024 - 09 - 2
The problem
I had a problem where I had a MacBook pro that simply wouldn't boot. This is an old machine witha 2.5 inch hard drive. Newer Macs do not have the same configuration.
The resolution
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Device: MacBook Pro
Operating system: Operating system not identified
Software: No software identified
Guidance for MacBook Pro,
This is for High Sierra, I can’t guarantee that it will work for you. By doing this all your files will be deleted. If you can try and take a back up first.
I took the hard drive that was in the Mac out, I had just literally bought a new external hard drive that I am going to be using for back up purposes. The original hard drive in the Mac was a 500GB drive. The hard drive I am going to use for this check is a WD 2TB hard drive.
First of all, the hard drive I had came with an NTFS partition. We need to make this so it is accessible on the Mac. Two ways of doing this, all depends on what macOS you are using.
Normally, the ideal way of dealing with this is to use installation media, you can download a copy on the App Store, but if you don’t have that, don’t worry, I am going to use Internet recovery, hold down Command, alt/option and R when booting, when you hear the chime release.
For some reason, I couldn’t do this on the Mac that isn’t working, so I had to plug it into my personal machine. Open disk utility and select the drive.
Click on erase. Give the drive a name, the format is Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and scheme is GUID partition map.
Click on erase.
I still couldn’t get the thing to install. I was getting the error:
you may not install to this volume because the computer is missing a firmware partition
This is what it looked like:
So I went back to the macOS utilities and decided to try and install it using the time machine.
Select the time machine:
Then the backup:
Click on continue and select the target drive, in this case Paddy:
The restore process will start.
After 6 hours, I tried to boot, nothing.
I put the original drive back in, initially it wouldn’t boot. So I thought I would try something different. I held down the alt/option button down and selected the Macintosh HD, this time I got this:
I selected United Kingdom as the location.
Then the keyboard layout:
Select my network and stick the password in.
I now get:
For now, I’m not going to transfer any information.
Sign in with your Apple ID:
You’ll be logged in, for now, I’m not going to enable two factor authentication. Click continue:
I decided not to upgrade to two factor authentication.
Agree to the terms and conditions.
You will be presented with a pop up box to agree to the terms and conditions.
Now we need create an account, this case admin:
The account will be created and iCloud will be set up.
Next you will be asked if you want to enable Keychain access:
I don’t want to set up the keychain yet.
When you get to express set up, continue:
I don’t want the files on the Mac in the iCloud, continue.
You will then be asked if you want to encrypt the Mac:
I don’t want to set encryption up yet, continue. The Mac will now set up.
Eventually it will reboot. But it won’t boot, still. So I forced reboot holding the alt/option button down and select the hard drive.
It still gets stuck on the Apple screen and shuts down.
