2010 27" i7 SSD+HD inquiries..

[ThirteenXIII]

I had an inquiry before purchasing the 27" iMac with SSD + 2TB option.
(I sorta wish it was a 120GB~ SSD instead of 256 BUT still nonetheless impressed with this addition).

At any rate, i was curious how the whole setup works as far as what Apple states you can have your photos and Music on the secondary drive and your critical apps and OS on the SSD.

1) So would I have to manually point my iPhoto library and iTunes library to the 2TB secondary drive?

I'm just curious as i have one HD in my current rig and its all on the main OS drive.

2) What about time machine and cloning?
does Time Machine clone just the SSD or can you choose both the SSD & HD? (havent worked with a dual drive system in awhile)
What about SuperDuper?



Hope that made sense...thanks!

 

[dissolve]

As far as I know, it shouldn't be any different from any other dual drive setups. I imagine they'll put the basic install (OS, home, applications, etc.) on the SSD and leave the secondary blank.

1) You'll point iPhoto, iTunes, and any other media application to the respective location on the secondary drive. This is very, very easy.

2) Time Machine certainly backs up any drive you want it to. Mine is set to back up external drives I use for media and it works just as you expect. Not sure about SuperDuper, but I think you clone each individually. Someone else will have to confirm.

 

[Hellhammer]

Move your home folder to the HD so everything but OS X and apps will be in the HD.

 

[ThirteenXIII]

Sounds easy, i greatly appreciate the info!


So a follow up question would be;

1) Basically just click on the Users folder and put that on the HDD? if i wanted say a second account on my machine
(i generally have the Admin account, which doesnt get used with the exception of software installation and a standard user account)

2) With Time Machine i can just select each internal drive to back up to the same one correct?
SuperDuper...id probably have to clone each drive independently?


thanks!

 

[Hellhammer]

Sounds easy, i greatly appreciate the info!


So a follow up question would be;

1) Basically just click on the Users folder and put that on the HDD? if i wanted say a second account on my machine
(i generally have the Admin account, which doesnt get used with the exception of software installation and a standard user account)

2) With Time Machine i can just select each internal drive to back up to the same one correct?
SuperDuper...id probably have to clone each drive independently?


thanks!

1. You just have to move the other account's folder as well I think.

2. Both should be backed up, just check that they are not excluded in options

 

[lssmit02]

Hellhammer's advice works, I only write to suggest that that there is some concern that it can cause problems. It did for me. One example (which happened to me a few times): if the drive that has the system folder on it loses connection with the drive with the user folders, it recreates the user folders on the system drive, and resets all system pointers for the user to the new folders. Even when you've reestablished the connection to the second drive, the system will not look for your files on it. You then have to manually delete the newly created user folders on the system drive, and rename the old user folder (which has had a "-1" added to the end, as I recall), before the system recognizes your User folders. Nothing gets deleted, thankfully, but it freaked me out the first time it happened.

I followed the advice at Mac Performance Guide on setting up system and content drives.

 

[bolen]

Hellhammer's advice works, I only write to suggest that that there is some concern that it can cause problems. It did for me. One example (which happened to me a few times): if the drive that has the system folder on it loses connection with the drive with the user folders, it recreates the user folders on the system drive, and resets all system pointers for the user to the new folders. Even when you've reestablished the connection to the second drive, the system will not look for your files on it. You then have to manually delete the newly created user folders on the system drive, and rename the old user folder (which has had a "-1" added to the end, as I recall), before the system recognizes your User folders. Nothing gets deleted, thankfully, but it freaked me out the first time it happened.

I followed the advice at Mac Performance Guide on setting up system and content drives.

Good point. I see no point in moving around the home folder, the SSD is 256GB which should be more than enough. Just simply store large files on the HDD.

 

[AppleNewton]

Probably the best would to just put the iTunes library folder on the second HDD and the iPhoto library on the second HDD.

Instead of the actual home folder.
If you have a large iTunes library you need access to alot then thats my best suggestion.
Which is something I was trying to figure out myself in regards to the SSD/HDD combo.

 

[extreme.boredom]

I am planning on buying a dual drive iMac. My plan was to keep my main user folder on the SSD (I want preferences etc to be on the SSD so as not to effect general system/app performance), and symlink my Music and Pictures folder to locations on the HDD. That way all the User folder structure appears normal but I can store my larger files on the larger drive.