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I bought a new hard drive for my mac, formatted it to fat32, and tried to format to mac os x using mac os x Tiger version 10.4, didn't work, tried using mac os x snow leopard 10.6.3, but that didn't work either. How do I get this hard drive to format for the mac? My other hard drive died which is why I had to replace it.
 

chscag

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Why don't you explain to us exactly how you're trying to format that drive? It's really very easy to with Disk Utility.
 
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When I got the drive it was formatted as NTFS, and was told to format to FAT32. The mac acts like it doesn't read mac os x tiger cause I get a folder with a ? mark, and without a disc I get the same thing. Mac OS X snow leopard shows me the apple symbol, and stops their. Is there another way to access the disk utility?
 
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Yes using full retail install DVD's, which are black and not the silver grey model specific discs. And ignore the suggestion of formatting FAT32 - sounds like advice from a PC shop with no mac expertise whatsoever.

You are booting from disc by holding down'C' immediately after the chime?
 
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Yes my tiger disc is black, with an silger/gray x on it. Is the hard drive fine being fat32?

I have been holding c down after the chime.
 

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Let's start from the beginning. Did you first install the new hard drive in your machine? This is a drive to be used internally, right? If the new hard drive is installed correctly do this:

Boot the machine with your Snow Leopard DVD. Hold down the C key or the Option key as soon as you hear the chime. The machine should boot to the DVD. Once it does, select your language, then go to the top menu "Utilities" and select "Disk Utility".

Format the drive as Mac OS Extended Journaled. GUID scheme. (Erase it first if you have to.) At the same time name the drive "MacIntosh HD". You can not use FAT-32 or NTFS to install OS X.
 
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First thing I did was format it from ntfs to fat32. It is internally installed, WHen I put sno leopard in, hold c I get the apple logo, and the laptop freezes. I left it at that screen for 6 hours, came back, and still saw the apple logo, didn't get anywhere.
 

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What Mac model is this? Are you sure the DVD drive is working?

Is the Snow Leopard DVD clean? Are there any fingerprints or smudges?
 
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macbook pro about $2,000 forget the model number

intel core i5
8gb ddr3
500gb hard drive
17" lcd
geforce 330 mobile

Dvd drive was working a few days ago, and should still be working
 

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Let's do this:

1. Reset the NVRAM. Follow directions from here.

2. Next, reboot the machine with your Snow Leopard DVD but this time hold down the OPTION key as soon as you hear the chime. Hold it until you see the spinning circle. Then move the arrow to the DVD icon and press enter. From there on, follow the directions I gave you previously.
 
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Tried that, but after I press enter I get the apple logo, and it freezes.
 

chscag

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OK. Remove the hard drive from the machine and leave it out. Try booting the machine using my directions above. Make sure you fasten the cover in place on the machine first. Tell us what happens.
 
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chscag asked you to do this - did you?

Let's start from the beginning.
Format the drive as Mac OS Extended Journaled. GUID scheme. (Erase it first if you have to.) At the same time name the drive "MacIntosh HD". You can not use FAT-32 or NTFS to install OS X.
 
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The hard drive I bought was ntfs so I formatted it to fat32, and I can't get passed the apple on the screen with the disc in order to format it to mac os extended.
 

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The hard drive I bought was ntfs so I formatted it to fat32, and I can't get passed the apple on the screen with the disc in order to format it to mac os extended.

Did you check your OSX DVD for Scratches or Smudges or Fingerprints? If that is not the issue maybe there is an issue with the Optical drive. It's starting to look like that.
 
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no problems with the disc, and its brand new. Optical drive also fine cause it reads windows disc, and can install windows just fine.
 
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Ok, got it formatted to macs journaled extention or whatever it is. The mac won't see the hard drive. I tried holding down alt/option, but just saw the mac os x disc icon come up, and no hard drive icon.
 

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Have you loaded a version of OS X on the drive yet? Holding the alt/option key down during boot up will only show drives with a bootable OS on them.

If you have not loaded the OS yet insert the boot/OS DVD and let the install procedure run. The installer should "see" the drive and allow you to install the OS (assuming your Mac meets the minimum criteria for what you are installing).
 
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The mac won't read the hard drive which is the problem. I formatted it to macs extended journaled with another mac since it kept freezing at the apple screen, and it still freezes at the apple screen, and when I hold alt I just see the mac os x disc come up. No hard drive.
 
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