MacBook Pro wont boot? Help?

Hello:

This is my first post/thread on the network. I'm a hardware/software reseller and from time to time I get calls on the Mac, and this time I got one not sure about so I figured best to share it with someone on here who could positively answer my question? (Crossing my fingers and toes).

A customer called with a iMac notebook a 17' screen who is having trouble with it booting it... he bought a new hard drive and an external enclosure and called me to help him!

He wants to extract the data he has on the iMac and restore his operating system back onto it. I assume in the most logical method is pull out his existing drive out of the iMac and hook it up to the PC to extract his data. Then, use his new hdd and copy the files to it. This way his data is safe?

If that is doable would someone tell me?

Secondary, he is concerned about his iMac not working with the existing drive... he mentioned about a daemon tool which he spoke to me about, and asked if there is one to download online to use?

Now, I have no real knowledge of Mac OS or operating the systems - merely because I'm a PC guy... so, logic dictates that normally one would take out the OS for the system, insert the disc into the optical drive and format and install the OS back onto the drive... but he swards that the daemon tool is the only method to make this work and format out the drive so that he can install the original OS.

Please advise if this is correct or not?

Thanks in advance!

-buyit-newbie

You are correct.

Replace the drive. Start the machine, insert and boot from the original OS disc by holding down the "C" key (some machines will want the option / alt key instead).

When you get to where the menu bar is shown at the top of the screen - head for Utilities - Disk Utility - format the drive as HFS extended journaled and in the advanced menu select the GUID partition type. Once formatted proceed with the install.

Once installed, connect the old drive up as an external to attempt to transfer the data - assuming the drive is not too far gone.

Of course, all of this depends on whether your customer's diagnosis that it's a problem with the drive is correct to begin with.

(FYI: The Intel notebooks would be called MacBook or MacBook Pro. The 17" is a MacBook Pro. The iMac is Apple's branded name for their all-in-one computers.)

bobtomay said:

You are correct.

Replace the drive. Start the machine, insert and boot from the original OS disc by holding down the "C" key (some machines will want the option / alt key instead).

When you get to where the menu bar is shown at the top of the screen - head for Utilities - Disk Utility - format the drive as HFS extended journaled and in the advanced menu select the GUID partition type. Once formatted proceed with the install.

Once installed, connect the old drive up as an external to attempt to transfer the data - assuming the drive is not too far gone.

Of course, all of this depends on whether your customer's diagnosis that it's a problem with the drive is correct to begin with.

Click to expand...

Thanks bobtomay:

I will surely take your advice to heart and consider the steps to make it work.

Will tell you how to plays out once I reach my client!

Thanks, again!

buyit-newbie

Here's the Apple article on installing with a little better step by step.

Scroll down to page 4, "Restoring your computer to factory settings".

Step 6 is where you'll want to make sure your customer has not changed any settings in the advanced menu to select the GUID partition type.