before i install my new hard drive...

[mdwsta4]

i purchased the WD 320gb hard drive for my mbp. before i install it, i wanted to make sure of one thing. rather than reinstall everything via discs, i planned on using my latest time machine backup from my external hard drive.

once i finish the install and boot up my computer for the first time, will it prompt me to insert a disc? or copy from another machine? or what?

new to this so i want to make sure i do it right.

thanks!

 

[Michael CM1]

i purchased the WD 320gb hard drive for my mbp. before i install it, i wanted to make sure of one thing. rather than reinstall everything via discs, i planned on using my latest time machine backup from my external hard drive.

once i finish the install and boot up my computer for the first time, will it prompt me to insert a disc? or copy from another machine? or what?

new to this so i want to make sure i do it right.

thanks!

Don't do that, don't do that.

Someone will point you to some disk-cloning software whose name escapes me at the moment. Use that to clone your smaller disk to the new one, then you're good to go.

 

[anirban]

Don't do that, don't do that.

Someone will point you to some disk-cloning software whose name escapes me at the moment. Use that to clone your smaller disk to the new one, then you're good to go.

SuperDuper. Make sure you have a firewire external HDD.

 

[mdwsta4]

so i can't simply plug in my external HD (yes, it is firewire) and be good to go? when i replaced my ibook with the mbp it asked me if i had another machine or something and i copied all the information from it.
that won't work in this case then, huh?

so you're saying i need to download 'super duper', put it on my external hard drive, and when the machine boots up for the first time, then i can plug it in?

 

[Eddyisgreat]

FYI you don't need a firewire drive.

Intel based MB(P)(A?) will boot from USB externals and can also access them via Disk Utility with Leopard installation medium.

 

[CWallace]

The problem with Time Machine is it does incremental backups, so each backup only has a record of any items that have changed since the previous. So you'd have to do plenty of looking and comparing to recover your data.

My 320GB HDD arrives tomorrow and I will be using CCC to make a copy of my current 200GB drive to my external FW unit and then send it all back to the new one once installed.

 

[alphaod]

so i can't simply plug in my external HD (yes, it is firewire) and be good to go? when i replaced my ibook with the mbp it asked me if i had another machine or something and i copied all the information from it.
that won't work in this case then, huh?

Yes you can do this without using SuperDuper, but you won't have your old computer back exactly.

 

[anirban]

so i can't simply plug in my external HD (yes, it is firewire) and be good to go? when i replaced my ibook with the mbp it asked me if i had another machine or something and i copied all the information from it.
that won't work in this case then, huh?

Nope, I think you need to have the OS in the hard disk for it to ask you whether you have another machine and if you want to copy it. Just the blank HDD won't be able to recover data from Time Machine backup.

Otherwise, what I did when I replaced the HDD was use SuperDuper, make a bootable backup on my external drive. Then swap the HDD with a totally new one. Then plug in the external HDD (with SuperDuper image in it) and let it take care of rest.

 

[mdwsta4]

okay... so i downloaded this app:
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

now i run this and save everything on my external drive. problem is, it wants me to delete EVERYTHING from my external hard drive. i have about 30gb worth of RAW photos that i can't fit on my laptop's hard drive (the whole purpose for the external drive). so now what?

i did not realize it was going to be this complicated. ARGH! what if i still have my leopard disc and insert that during the first start up? will that prompt me to connect an external source and can it copy my time machine back up then?

 

[Nermal]

Boot your system with your Leopard DVD, and when the installer appears choose Restore from Time Machine Backup (or something to that effect) from the Utilities menu. Connect your external drive and it'll copy everything back to your new internal drive.

 

[mdwsta4]

so there is an option for this? i just need to have my leopard install DVD inserted in the drive. will it require me to register it again or anything?

Boot your system with your Leopard DVD, and when the installer appears choose Restore from Time Machine Backup (or something to that effect) from the Utilities menu. Connect your external drive and it'll copy everything back to your new internal drive.

 

[alphaod]

Boot your system with your Leopard DVD, and when the installer appears choose Restore from Time Machine Backup (or something to that effect) from the Utilities menu. Connect your external drive and it'll copy everything back to your new internal drive.

In other words you don't need SuperDuper; just install your new drive, put your Leopard DVD in and restore from Time Machine backup.

so there is an option for this? i just need to have my leopard install DVD inserted in the drive. will it require me to register it again or anything?

No registrations; your computer will be same as it was from the last time you backed up using Time Machine, except you'll have more space now; also the Time Machine will continue from the last time as well, so you can still go back to previous backups.

 

[mdwsta4]

okay, that's what i was looking for. i would hate for all my preferences and whatnot to have to be redone, you know?
so back up everything in time machine, turn off computer, install new drive, turn on computer, insert leopard disc, restore from time machine when prompted. yeah?
sorry if i sound like a noob, but i've never done this before and want to make sure it goes as easily as possible.

In other words you don't need SuperDuper; just install your new drive, put your Leopard DVD in and restore from Time Machine backup.

No registrations; your computer will be same as it was from the last time you backed up using Time Machine, except you'll have more space now; also the Time Machine will continue from the last time as well, so you can still go back to previous backups.

 

[mwchris]

Ccc

Just my two cents, but I highly recommend Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). Simply clone your drive, using CCC, then install it in the computer and it should boot.

This way you have your original drive image, and the new one, so you can make sure it is all working before you reformat your OLD drive.

I would still recommend doing a backup before you use CCC just to be safe.

I used CCC when upgrading my drive in my laptop and it worked flawlessly!

Chris

 

[mdwsta4]

what do you mean 'before i reformat my old drive'? as in the drive that's currently in my laptop? i wasn't going to do anything with that. probably just put it in the box and leave it.

Just my two cents, but I highly recommend Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). Simply clone your drive, using CCC, then install it in the computer and it should boot.

This way you have your original drive image, and the new one, so you can make sure it is all working before you reformat your OLD drive.

I would still recommend doing a backup before you use CCC just to be safe.

I used CCC when upgrading my drive in my laptop and it worked flawlessly!

Chris

 

[Bobioden]

what do you mean 'before i reformat my old drive'? as in the drive that's currently in my laptop? i wasn't going to do anything with that. probably just put it in the box and leave it.

Well it has to be put in some kind of an enclosure in order to get your time machine or CCC back-up off it.

 

[Michael CM1]

SuperDuper. Make sure you have a firewire external HDD.

That's the one, although my external enclosure was USB 2.0 and it worked fine. The whole software aspect of it was nothing compared to, among other things, finding a G-D Torx T-6 screwdriver. On whatever form factor upgrade Apple does next, using bigger and all Philips head screws would be extremely nice.

 

[Nermal]

The whole software aspect of it was nothing compared to, among other things, finding a G-D Torx T-6 screwdriver.

I searched everywhere for one, decided I didn't have one, looked around town, couldn't find one, ordered one online, paid for it, then found one at home before my order arrived

 

[mdwsta4]

that's why i have an external hard drive. i didn't plan on using the old hard drive for anything.

Well it has to be put in some kind of an enclosure in order to get your time machine or CCC back-up off it.

 

[alphaod]

okay, that's what i was looking for. i would hate for all my preferences and whatnot to have to be redone, you know?
so back up everything in time machine, turn off computer, install new drive, turn on computer, insert leopard disc, restore from time machine when prompted. yeah?
sorry if i sound like a noob, but i've never done this before and want to make sure it goes as easily as possible.

Yes that's exactly how you do it.

It's actually better than Super Duper, because this essentially packs all your stuff, so nothing is fragmented; it may increase HDD rates a bit more.

 

[mdwsta4]

*PLEASE HELP!!!*

okay, i installed the new drive no problem. i turned on the computer, inserted the leopard disc, enter my language, then it states 'preparing installation'. but then it pops up with an error stating 'mac osx cannot be upgraded to v10.5 on your computer. mac osx 10.4 or later could not be found on your computer.'

huh? i put in the 10.5 disc? what does it mean? so i can't click continue with the installation.

if i go into disk utility, the computer sees the new drive, my external hard drive, and the mac osx upgrade disc. i cannot verify permissions or repair disc permissions on the new drive. nor can i do that on the external drive. i can verify the disc image at which point i get a 'first aid failed. disk utility stopped verifying permissions on mac osx upgrade dvd because the following error was encountered: the underlying task reported failure on exit'.

there is also a restore tabe in disk utility. but when i try to select my time machine back up from the external drive it doesn't seem to let me.
the partition map scheme on the new drive is 'unformatted'. should that be formatted? if so, how do i do that?

*argh!* i knew it wasn't going to just be easy.

 

[Nermal]

OK, first of all you didn't say that you had the upgrade version. I've never seen the upgrade so I don't know whether it has Time Machine support.

In the full release, you should be able to open Time Machine from the Utilities menu. Is there no option for that with the upgrade version?

 

[anirban]

Where did you get your Leopard disc from?

 

[mdwsta4]

i got the leopard disc a week or two after i got my mbp which came with tiger.

 

[mdwsta4]

i can't even get the fvcking leopard disc to eject!!! GD this is pissing the ***** out fo me.