Are loading times using a USB hard drive slower

You may want to try the method described here under 'Reset Mac Password – without a CD'. This method resets the OS so that it thinks that it's the first time it's been run. This will kick off the Create New User Account wizard when the OS is rebooted, which allows you to create a new account with Administrator rights. You can then use this account to reset the password of the original account.

Extract from above article:

Stage 1) Boot into Single User Mode and remove a setup file

• Restart the Mac holding down the Command+S keys, this will take you into Single User Mode and it’s Terminal interface

• You’ll need to check the filesystem first: fsck -fy

• Next, you must mount the root drive as writeable so that changes will save: mount -uw /

• Now, type the following command exactly, followed by the enter key: rm /var/db/.applesetupdone

• After removing the applesetupdone file, you need to reboot, type ‘reboot’ and hit enter.

Stage 2) Create a New User Account upon System Boot

You aren’t finished, but the hard part is now over – no more command lines, you’ll now be in the familiar Mac OS X GUI to finish the password reset process. In this step we just create a new user account as if you just got a new Mac:

• Upon reboot, you will be presented with the traditional “Welcome Wizard” startup screen just like when you first get a Mac
• Follow the welcome wizard and create a new user account – making the account name different from the account whose password you want to recover
• Continue on and boot into Mac OS X with this newly created user account, this new user account is an Administrator and has administrative access

Stage 3) Reset the Forgot Password via System Preferences

You are almost done, now you just need to reset the forgotten user account password using the Accounts control panel:

• Once you are booted into Mac OS X, click on the Apple logo and then navigate down to “System Preferences”
• Click on the “Accounts” icon in System Preferences
• Click on the Lock icon in the lower left corner of the “Accounts” preference window and enter the newly created user credentials, this enables you to change other user accounts and reset other users passwords
• On the left side user panel, select the user account containing the forgotten password
• With the user of the forgotten password account selected, click on the “Reset Password” button
• Enter a new password for that user, be sure to include a meaningful hint so you don’t forget it again!
• Close System Preferences and reboot the Mac
• You can now login to the previously inaccessible user account using the newly reset password! All user files and settings are maintained as before the password was forgotten

There is a huge list of things which can be wrong here:

1. It sounds like you don't have the original install DVDs that came with the MBP (MacBook Pro). If you have an external DVD drive available to you then I would suggest running the Apple Hardware Test version 3A171 that came on the original install discs with that model.

2. • You managed to clone the version of Snow Leopard DVD that you have to a USB drive. I assume you didn't use the faulty DVD drive to do this?

   • Also you need a retail version of Snow Leopard (barring the original install discs), if you have the packaging, then you could see if it has the green dot that says 10.6.3 on the front of the box. You cannot use the original release of the retail Snow Leopard install DVD as your computer probably does not support even a minor version of the OS older than it shipped with (which was 10.6.3). If you're not sure, when you boot up from the install USB check on the "About This Mac..." menu item under the apple, or put in the machine you used to clone the drive and navigate to it and look at the read me files.

   • Also, note that a DVD that came with another computer, unless it's the same model as yours, will not work to install. So, if you took the install DVD from even the first release cycle of a Mid 2010 Mac Mini that had 10.6.3 on it, it still will not install on your machine.

3. Just this week I opened up a machine and it a) had a bad Hard Disk Drive, b) had a dirty/faulty Optical Disc Drive (aka Superdrive, dvd/cd drive, etc.) and that was possibly ejecting discs from a stuck trackpad clicker c) would not boot up from a USB Installer of OS X Lion until I removed the faulty Hard Disk Drive!

   So, you should use the "Disk Utility" Program under the "Utilities…" menu in the installer to run the "Verify Disk" action on the internal Hard Disk of the MacBook Pro (aka MBP). Because, it just might be that the Hard Disk you are trying to reinstall on is bad!

4. You might also have a bad, corrupted USB drive, I would use whatever other machine is at your disposal and run verify disk on the USB drive as well. If none of the other things seem to work then I would even erase and Reformat the USB drive as HFS+, then clone the Snow Leopard install DVD back onto it.

   Also, I have had a scratched Install DVD that of course wouldn't work, this can translate to files not coming over to your USB drive properly.

5. If this is a backup copy of the Snow Leopard DVD there is a much greater chance of something going wrong with DVD. If memory serves correct, you actually need a DVD-R DL, known as a "Dual Layer" disc to make a backup copy of Snow Leopard. It can't be a DVD+R DL (notice the "+" symbol") known as a "Double Layer" disc. I wouldn't burn it at higher than 4x, and use a known good burner, maybe run a laser lens cleaner on it first if possible.

Note: If you're still having trouble after checking these things out, please let us know what tools you have at your disposal to continue working on this, for example, another computer, an external disc drive, a bare drive dock, tools/ability/confidence to open up the machine and work inside, etc.)