#How to reformat macbook pro 2009 how to#
This post (although it’s really about installing the Developer Preview from last September, not the Consumer Preview) provided a few key hints, including how to get the Boot Camp install to run on Win 8 using Comptability Mode. This is a bit of a trick since the Boot Camp install that came with my MacBook doesn’t know anything about Windows 7, let alone Windows 8 – so if you just run it from the Mac installation disks, it refuses to run saying you need “Windows XP SP 2 or Vista.” Hmm... I guess someone could have used a “>” rather than “=” in their if statement checking for version, eh? Then I remembered that I needed to install Boot Camp drivers to make Windows recognize the various MacBook hardware. Windows 8 install proceeded fine, the MacBook rebooted – and I was running!Įxcept that right clicks didn’t work. The install went ahead and prompted for a product key (I found it in the FAQ on the download site – it’s apparently needed only if you’re installing from an ISO image as I am if you use the executable install to upgrade an existing Windows 7 install, you don’t need a key). After a bit, the WIndows 8 install DVD showed up as an option and booting to it, I could use the advanced install to choose the partition (the one with Windows 7 on it) and reformat the partition, erasing Windows 7.
#How to reformat macbook pro 2009 mac osx#
After poking around a bit, I found that holding down the Option key on the Mac keyboard while the Mac is booting gives you an option screen – I remembered this is how I booted between Windows and Mac OSX so makes sense. I downloaded the Windows 8 ISO image from the site, burned it to a DVD (using Active ISO Burner), booted up my Mac – and realized I didn’t know how on a MacBook to get it to boot from CD (on a Windows machine, you press F10 usually – I know, that’s intuitive). I decided rather than update that, I would just wipe it and install Windows 8 clean. I had previously set up this machine to dual-boot between Windows 7 and Mac OS using Boot Camp, so there already was a disk partition on the MacBook for Windows. I had an old MacBook Pro laptop hanging around my office (I upgraded to a Sony Vaio recently) so when the Windows 8 Consumer Preview came out, I decided to use it to run Win8.