# Problem installing new internal hard drive



## erikaf (Jun 23, 2011)

Help! I am trying to replace the failed hard drive in my mac book pro 13 inch.  
The original hard drive specs: 
Hitachi
Apple hdd firmware 2008
250 gb

Replacement:
Seagate momentus xt
500 gb

So I'm assured that the new hard drive is compatible with my mac (os x 10.6). Im confident that I installed the new drive correctly however when the install runs it doesn't recognize any hard drive, even under the utilities. I know that partitioning it is what I need to do but I plug see the optical drive with the install cd.  WHAT can I do? I'm at my wits end. Please someone give me some help.


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## Satcomer (Jun 24, 2011)

Did you install it right?  Here is a install video to help.

Plus did you format the drive (Using the OS X disk) after in stalling the drive. Most drives coming from stores are formatted for Windows.


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## DeltaMac (Jun 24, 2011)

If, as you say, the hard drive is not visible at all in Disk Utility - 
What do you see in your System Profiler/Serial-ATA tab? Does the Seagate drive show up there at all?
If your original drive did not appear, and the new replacement also does not show in the system, then very likely you have a logic board problem.


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## erikaf (Jun 24, 2011)

Satcomer-  I am very positive that I installed the drive correctly and I can't see or access the drive to format it. 

DeltaMac- I can get the original drive to at least recognize when in the computer. When I open System Profiler I only see NVidia MCP79 AHCI, which is my DVD drive.

I took the computer originally to the Mac store and their diagnostics pointed to the hard drive, is it possible that they were incorrect and it is the logic board?


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## DeltaMac (Jun 24, 2011)

No, if the logic board is the problem, then you would not see any drive that you put in.
Try a third hard drive ...
If a different hard drive is visible, then your first attempt (the Seagate) is a faulty drive.

The NVidia MCP79 AHCI that you see is NOT your DVD drive, but is simply the chipset/drive controller.
Do you see the DVD drive under the Disc Burning tab in your System Profiler?


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## erikaf (Jun 24, 2011)

This is my second attempt, the first was a Seagate 250, and it wouldn't register either. I do see the DVD drive under disc burning, it was also listed under serial-ata but as a sub of the chipset/drive controller device tree. 

Is there anything else I can try?   Could I reformat the drive some other way?


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## DeltaMac (Jun 24, 2011)

If you put your original drive back in - does that still show as a device (even though it may be bad)? Try that as a test before trying anything else.

If your MacBook won't see the device, then there's nothing you can do to try to format in your MacBook. You'll need to try one of the new drives in another Mac.

If the drive works in a different Mac, then you (still) have something wrong with your installation - such as a bad SATA cable, or maybe your logic board.
If nothing you try changes anything, then a trip to an Apple Service shop, or an Apple retail store is your next step. They would be able to quickly sort this out.


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## erikaf (Jun 24, 2011)

It does recognize the old drive in system profiler. But still neither of the seagate drives. I don't have access to another mac to test them.  I find it hard to believe that it could be that both new drives are bad. I just want to exhaust every option before driving back to mac, its a good distance from me. Also, thank you for your advice and patience with my issue!


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## DeltaMac (Jun 24, 2011)

Yes, less likely that two different new hard drives are bad (but, still a (remote) possibility)

Another possibility - -
Any computer with SATA ports could be used for a test, even a PC.

You could even take to a local PC repair shop, just to verify at least one of your new drives.


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## erikaf (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you I will try verifying it in a PC. I guess I'm going to have to just head to the Apple store at some point though.


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## djackmac (Jun 24, 2011)

Try disabling the sudden motion sensor in terminal. Don't have the instructions on how to do it readily available at the moment, but google should bring it up for you. Also if you happen to have a usb sata dock you could boot the install dvd and check each drive on the machine to at least see the machine recognizes the drives and they are good.


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## Satcomer (Jun 25, 2011)

I am being to think maybe the drive has jumpers set wrong. Does the drive's manual have settings to change on the drive to change to cable select?


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## DeltaMac (Jun 26, 2011)

@satcomer - 
"cable select" does not apply to SATA drives, as there is no slave/master relationship as on older ATA drives.
There may be configuration jumpers, but usually no jumpers at all is the default


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