HELP:Reseting my Macbook pro 2010 running snow leopard

**Balti43** · 01-02-2013, 05:07 PM

Hi, Im trying to factory reset one of my macbook pros because it's been acting very strange, i.e. kicking me off wifi, hiding open applications and it just feels like it needs a fresh start. So i went on youtube for the tutorials and its asking me to shut it down. 2nd step is to hold down the power button along with the option key and 2 hard drives are supposed to pop up 1.the recovery HD and 2. the regular macintosh HD problem is I'm only getting the regular macintosh HD and the one i need is the recovery one. my 2011 macbook pulls up both but im having nonstop trouble with the 2010. any tips on how to either reset it a different way or recover the recovering HD? please and thanks!

**Karenkcoulter** · 01-02-2013, 05:18 PM

Only Lion and over have the Recovery partition. Assuming you have the original DVD with Snow Leopard you can boot from that and restore your machine.

A 2010 MacBook should be able to be updated to ML. If you are up to date in Snow Leopard, you should have the Mac AppStore and you can download and install ML from there. If you've purchased it before, you don't have to pay again assuming you are using the same Apple ID.

**Balti43** · 01-02-2013, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Karenkcoulter

Only Lion and over have the Recovery partition. Assuming you have the original DVD with Snow Leopard you can boot from that and restore your machine.

A 2010 MacBook should be able to be updated to ML. If you are up to date in Snow Leopard, you should have the Mac AppStore and you can download and install ML from there. If you've purchased it before, you don't have to pay again assuming you are using the same Apple ID.

if its still running Snow Leopard can i update straight to Mt lion? or will i have to purchase lion as well?

**Karenkcoulter** · 01-02-2013, 05:26 PM

Not sure on that. I think you can update directly from SL to ML though. Apple doesn't even offer L downloads anymore.

**Fausty82** · 01-02-2013, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by Balti43

Hi, Im trying to factory reset one of my macbook pros because it's been acting very strange, i.e. kicking me off wifi, hiding open applications and it just feels like it needs a fresh start. So i went on youtube for the tutorials and its asking me to shut it down. 2nd step is to hold down the power button along with the option key and 2 hard drives are supposed to pop up 1.the recovery HD and 2. the regular macintosh HD problem is I'm only getting the regular macintosh HD and the one i need is the recovery one. my 2011 macbook pulls up both but im having nonstop trouble with the 2010. any tips on how to either reset it a different way or recover the recovering HD? please and thanks!

Powering on with the Option button it Apple's way of giving you a choice of boot devices. Since you are only seeing one, then you only have one partition on your MacBook Pro. If you have physical media (DVD), insert that into the drive before you boot up, and hold the Option key while powering up. You should see an option for booting from the DVD.

**Balti43** · 01-02-2013, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Karenkcoulter

Only Lion and over have the Recovery partition. Assuming you have the original DVD with Snow Leopard you can boot from that and restore your machine.

A 2010 MacBook should be able to be updated to ML. If you are up to date in Snow Leopard, you should have the Mac AppStore and you can download and install ML from there. If you've purchased it before, you don't have to pay again assuming you are using the same Apple ID.

Originally Posted by Karenkcoulter

Not sure on that. I think you can update directly from SL to ML though. Apple doesn't even offer L downloads anymore.

Yeah i noticed that just now. Thank you will try to DL tomorrow and hopefully i can fix my issue then. Thanks for the great help.

**Fausty82** · 01-02-2013, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Karenkcoulter

Not sure on that. I think you can update directly from SL to ML though. Apple doesn't even offer L downloads anymore.

Yeah, that was one of the "gotchas" early on - the fear that you would have to purchase 2 upgrades to get to Mountain Lion. The issue is you need to be able to get the the Mac App Store which wasn’t launched until Jan, 2011... and was available with OS X 10.6.6 - a "point" release of OS X Mountain Lion.

I’m thinking that the OP will need to restore to Snow Leopard, and upgrade that to at least 10.6.8 via Software Update prior to trying to get to Mountain Lion, as 10.6.8 is required to upgrade to Mountain Lion.

**Karenkcoulter** · 01-02-2013, 11:36 PM

Depends on which version of SL he's on and how badly it's acting up.

If he's on the most recent SL, then he has the Mac AppStore so he should be able to download and install ML.

If not on the most recent SL, then it will depend on how much the system is acting up. Hopefully it can at least run updates and if so can update to the most recent version of SL.

Falling that though, resorting to the SL DVD would be the last option.