re installing OS on new HDD

[oneofusjustin]

ok so i bought my mac book pro used. It came with the creative suite, with like garage band and that stuff. The problem is the hard drive is going out after a fist slam. I have a new hard drive on the way but this is my first mac so i have no idea what to do. Id like to be able to keep my software but how does that work? are their liek serial keys i can pull out of a registry like on windows?... what about the operating system itself? where can i find a disc for that, and how do i register it, or whatever the apple equivalent is?

help guide this pc fanboy through this strange new experience.

 

[Printer Bandit]

is it possible to plug in an external drive and do a time machine backup?

when the new HD arrives, just restore from the backup and the OS and all apps should be there.

 

[TheStu]

Or, put the new drive in an enclosure, and then clone the old drive to it using Super Duper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

 

[oneofusjustin]

only problem is my current HDD doesnt have the integrity to do copies, thats why its being replaced

 

[ViRGE]

Maybe this will be of some use?

Restoring iLife applications after Internet Restore of OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion

If your computer came with OS X Lion or later and you erase your hard disk and install OS X, you can download iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand from the Mac App Store.

After installation, start (up) from OS X.
Double-click the App Store icon in the dock.
Enter your Apple ID and password.
Click Purchases.
If you haven't previously accepted your bundled iLife applications within the Mac App Store, you should see your iLife applications appear in the Accept portion of the screen. Click Accept.
You may be asked for your Apple ID and password once again. Your iLife applications now move to the Purchased section. These applications are part of the software that came with your Lion based computer. Your account will not be charged for them. Click Install to complete installation of your applications.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

 

[jkroeder]

This partly depends on what version MBP you're using. I'm going to assume it's at least a post-2010 version and it should be internet recovery capable.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

With Internet Recovery, you'll be able to take the old hard drive out and use Internet Recovery to download and install OSX to the blank hard drive without the need for an install disc.

The issue here is since you bought the MBP used, the version of OSX, and thus the iLife suite you currently have is probably not associated to your own Apple ID. You will probably need to buy your own copy of Mountain Lion to reinstall OSX. You might even want to wait until Mavericks is released then if that's the case.