How to format my Mac HD?

[BoDEAN]

My internal Imac HD failed. I bought an external, installed the OS on that. When I boot up now, the old hard drive still has stuff on it. Also, seems like the latest Snow leopard updates are being pulled from that HD...as after a clean install/set the external to boot drive....no snow leopard updates popped up.

How do I format the Internal HD? I went into disc utility, and would not let me format it.

[bobbba]

1. Is the old failed internal drive still there and accessible? if so, how is this possible if it's "failed"

2. Apple updates come from the appple's internet site and not a hard drive. if you need them, software update should download them.

3. Again, how is this possible if it's "failed"? if it's there and working rule 101, what error message do you get when you try to format it?

All very confusing...

[BoDEAN]

The hd is failing, sorry. Clicking sounds, took it to apple store, they said its failing.

Hence, I do not want to use it anymore, and thats why i bought an external

I formatted the HD from disc utility. Although I installed snow leopard to my external HD, which is installed, when I reboot with the SL disc out, I get a flashing ?. What could be wrong?

[bobbba]

Ok, are you planning on leaving the external drive as external? external usually means usb or firewire which will be signifcantly slower than having it internally connected.

My advice:

1. Get a usb to sata drive enclosure

2. fit a drive that matches(same physical size(2.5" or 3.5") and interface(SATA or IDE)) the internal drive into the enclosure

3. boot off the internal

4. Download and run the free carbon copy cloner tool and clone the internal to the new external

5. Shutdown and remove the new external from the enclosure

6. Open the Mac and replace the failing internal with the new external

7. Boot off your new internal drive

8. if you still want to use the original failing drive, stick it in the enclosure and format it

and that should be it. if the internal has actually been formatted, just remove the clicking drive, install the new drive and then boot off the DVD to install to the new internal drive.

[BoDEAN]

I just want to use the external that I bought.

The internal HD is failing. I do not want to use it at all anymore. I want everything installed/running on the external HD

I went into disk utility. I formatted the internal, and did NOT select GUID. Its formatted, nothing on it. I installed Snow Leopard on the external. Now when I boot, I get the ? box like its still looking at the internal drive. Ideas?

Update: If I hold down Cmd-Option-O-F on bootup, it boots up fine to the external HD's OS. Odd.

[giga Veteran]

The internal HD is failing. I do not want to use it at all anymore. I want everything installed/running on the external HD

Do you enjoy slow computing? Because that's how it's going to be running off of USB.

System Preferences -> Startup Disk.

[BoDEAN]

Its Firewire 800, Startup Disk shows the External WD drive.

[giga Veteran]

Select it and restart.

[BoDEAN]

Done, Same issue. ? mark

Now I cant even get into the OS

[giga Veteran]

If you hold option during boot, do you see the external and can it boot from it?

Try a pram zap http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

[BoDEAN]

If I hit option/alt key, I see the external, and it boots up fine. Why do I have to do this each time?

[giga Veteran]

When you're at the startup manager after holding the option key, hold down the control key before selecting to boot from the external. That key makes the partition the default to boot from.

[BoDEAN]

Its seems like, the drive isn't being detected unless I hit option, like its not powering up. If I switch to USB, I have 0 issue, the drive turns on when I start the computer. Odd

[BoDEAN]

Oh well, I'm at a lost. Tried.

[PNWDweller]

From the Snow Leopard installer, you should be able to select the startup disk from there.

I had my hard drive fail on my iMac and was booting by default on the Firewire drive as a default for a day or two until I could take it into the shop. It was slower than using the internal, but it did work. :)