Fresh ML install on SSD that's already in optical bay?

[Barb3]

Hi,

I've been searching all over internet but haven't found an exact direct answer to this...

I want to install a SSD in the optical bay of an iMac Early 2009 24" and do a fresh Mountain Lion install on it (and probably use the original HDD just for storage).

I saw tutorials that say you can install ML from an USB on the HDD or SSD when mounted in the original HDD bay, but tutorials about installing the SSD in the optical bay explain how you have to connect the SSD externally to install the OS BEFORE you install the SSD in the optical bay.




My question is: can I do a fresh Mountain Lion install (from a USB device) on the SSD AFTER I install it in the optical bay? Will my iMac recognize it and give me this option if I install the SSD as it is?

I simply want to avoid buying an external enclosure for the SSD only to install the OS.



Thanks in advance for help and answers!

 

[satcomer]

Are you running Mountain lion you bought from the Mac Store?

If so download it again and stop it from running. Then while you still have it on your machine go download the free software Lion Disk Maker (make sure you have at least and 8 Gig flash drive to out put the image onto).

Secondly get either Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper and clone your hard drive onto an external.

Then move the largest file on your Mac to the old hard drive (the iTunes Library) according to the blog post How to move an iTunes library to an external drive.

Also you could Create your own Fusion Drive.

 

[Barb3]

Hi satcomer, I just wanted to say thanks for help, I've been too busy to take care of it for now but glad to know it can be done and how, will get to it as soon as I find some time...