Old Mac Laptop

[Bworde15]

I just got an old Mac laptop but they wanted to keep the hard drive. To get this up and running again can I just buy a new laptop hard drive and a bootable usb? Will that work or do I need to do something else.

[The Sloth]

which macbook? 

[Bworde15]

Just now, nerdslayer1 said:

which macbook? 

I’m not sure but it is the all white ones from a long time ago.

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Bworde15 said:

I’m not sure but it is the all white ones from a long time ago.

May be an IDE drive then. Is it a MacBook with a Core 2 Duo or an iBook with a PPC G4/G5? Find the model number on the bottom and Google it. 

[Bworde15]

4 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

which macbook? 

2009

Edited July 21, 2017 by Bworde15
I found the year

[Bworde15]

1 minute ago, Zando Bob said:

May be an IDE drive then. Is it a MacBook with a Core 2 Duo or an iBook with a PPC G4/G5? Find the model number on the bottom and Google it. 

It is sata it is from 2009

[Bworde15]

2 minutes ago, Bworde15 said:

2009

The model number is A1342

[Bworde15]

3 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

May be an IDE drive then. Is it a MacBook with a Core 2 Duo or an iBook with a PPC G4/G5? Find the model number on the bottom and Google it. 

The model number is A1342

[Zando_]

Just now, Bworde15 said:

The model number is A1342

Nice! It can probs run El Capitan or Sierra with a RAM update (how much does it have?), so you'll need another Mac to make a bootable USB. It's a Core 2 Duo MacBook (Always wanted the nice white ones, though the black ones are killer as well). 

[themctipers]

Yes. But don't forget to make a bootable USB from disk utility. 

[The Sloth]

3 minutes ago, Bworde15 said:

2009

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.4-white-13-polycarbonate-unibody-mid-2010-specs.html

 

yes, an SSD upgrade should work

 

12 minutes ago, Bworde15 said:

I just buy a new laptop hard drive and a bootable

you can go into recovery mode, to get your OS

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/02/25/how-to-start-up-your-mac-in-internet-recovery-mode/

[Bworde15]

3 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Nice! It can probs run El Capitan or Sierra with a RAM update (how much does it have?), so you'll need another Mac to make a bootable USB. It's a Core 2 Duo MacBook (Always wanted the nice white ones, though the black ones are killer as well). 

It has 2gb. Do you know how much it can support?

[Zando_]

4 minutes ago, Bworde15 said:

The model number is A1342

Just checked, and it should support El Capitan (and by extension, Sierra). It can take up to 8/16GB of RAM (even though Apple says it only supports 4GB). I'd upgrade the RAM to 8GB (get a kit from OWC or Crucial) if you decide to keep and use it. With a new battery, it should be a decent FaceBook/ Coffee shop machine. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Bworde15 said:

It has 2gb. Do you know how much it can support?

2GB is the minimum req for Sierra. And see my post above. 

[Bworde15]

Just now, Zando Bob said:

Just checked, and it should support El Capitan (and by extension, Sierra). It can take up to 8/16GB of RAM (even though Apple says it only supports 4GB). I'd upgrade the RAM to 8GB (get a kit from OWC or Crucial) if you decide to keep and use it. With a new battery, it should be a decent FaceBook/ Coffee shop machine. 

Ok thanks! I have been wanting to get a laptop anyways!

[Bworde15]

2 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.4-white-13-polycarbonate-unibody-mid-2010-specs.html

 

yes, an SSD upgrade should work

 

you can go into recovery mode, to get your OS

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/02/25/how-to-start-up-your-mac-in-internet-recovery-mode/

Even if I get a new hard drivw with nothing on it?

[Zando_]

Just now, Bworde15 said:

Ok thanks! I have been wanting to get a laptop anyways!

Yup. Old Macs are pretty tough. I had a coworker who used his black '08 or '06 MacBook for work, he upgraded to a MacBook Air since his couldn't update the the latest macOS and he needed some software or something. And I had a bashed up PowerBook G4, that stopped working after I took it apart 5+ times and ended up with some "extra" parts. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Bworde15 said:

Even if I get a new hard drivw with nothing on it?

There won't be a recovery mode if the drive is blank. You'll need a friend with a Mac to make you a bootable drive: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-a-bootable-macos-sierra-usb-flash-drive-1786853248. I always use the Terminal way. 

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, Zando Bob said:

There won't be a recovery mode if the drive is blank. You'll need a friend with a Mac to make you a bootable drive: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-a-bootable-macos-sierra-usb-flash-drive-1786853248. I always use the Terminal way. 

nope, you can http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/14/reinstall-os-x-mac-internet-recovery/

[Zando_]

Just now, nerdslayer1 said:

nope, you can http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/14/reinstall-os-x-mac-internet-recovery/

Oooooo... cool! 

[Bworde15]

9 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

nope, you can http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/14/reinstall-os-x-mac-internet-recovery/

So how do I make it so I can get to the internet recovery if I have a blank drive?

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Bworde15 said:

So how do I make it so I can get to the internet recovery if I have a blank drive?

The article says it will automatically do it if there isn't a drive with a recovery partition. I'd install the drive, make sure it's shut off, then plug it in to power and an ethernet connection (It'll be faster than the wifi, most likely, and more stable). Then turn it on and hold option until it gets the the recovery/boot screen, and select online recovery. 

[Bworde15]

2 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

The article says it will automatically do it if there isn't a drive with a recovery partition. I'd install the drive, make sure it's shut off, then plug it in to power and an ethernet connection (It'll be faster than the wifi, most likely, and more stable). Then turn it on and hold option until it gets the the recovery/boot screen, and select online recovery. 

So this will work even with a blank drive?

[The Sloth]

2 minutes ago, Bworde15 said:

So this will work even with a blank drive?

read the article 

[Bworde15]

5 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

read the article 

I did