HDD -> SSD/HDD transition, how?

[JGoings]

I have a Macbook Pro 2012 2.3 GHz, and am looking to put my newly-acquired Crucial m4 in place of the HDD, while installing an Optibay (alternatives?) with said HDD. More RAM as well, but that's unrelated and simple.

However, I don't know how to make an SSD the primary drive, install an Optibay (not for beginners?), or use a second drive for Home storage etc. I'm new to this whole concept, and just have the SSD for now. Unsure where to go from here. Please help!

I do have a 1TB external if that helps, though it does (and will) house my Time Machine.

 

[yusukeaoki]

SSD in main bay and HDD in optibay is what you want.

Leave your HDD in still.

First connect your SSD into a external enclosure and format it via disk utility to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

Then go into Mountain Lion recovery mode by pressing alt key on start up (when you here the doonnnggg sound during boot.)

Go into the recovery mode and install OS to your SSD.

Then you have your SSD ready.
Transfer apps, music, mail, cache, etc from your HDD to SSD.

Then replace your HDD with SSD.

After you finish the process, take out your ODD or optical disk drive and replace it with your optibay CONTAINING you HDD inside.

You are complete at this point.

 

[bobcan]

Pretty Much Does IT!!

Yup.. that pretty much does it..

And I don't think any of that is 'above the abilities' of a careful person.. That being said, iFixit has some pretty helpful Videos and Tips!!

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Pro_15"_Unibody_Late_2011

** Just go back a section if your MBP is not of this ERA **

 

[enraha]

Will moving the HDD to the optibay increase noise levels and chances of damaging the HDD significantly?

 

[derbothaus]

Will moving the HDD to the optibay increase noise levels and chances of damaging the HDD significantly?

Yes on noise levels. Damage not so much. Don't drop it while booted.

 

[VmanJeff]

Will moving the HDD to the optibay increase noise levels and chances of damaging the HDD significantly?

When I did this same thing on my MacBookPro 17" I used an external SATA to USB enclosure to format the SSD as in the first post with Disk Utility and then used Carbon Copy Cloner (was free then but now is a pay-for app unless you have an older version, mine is ver. 3.4.5 and was free and still works for cloning back-ups) to clone my HDD. This way I did not have to copy all my "other" files after a restore as the 'clone' was exactly the same as the drive I took out. This is easier in my humble opinion unless you have a need for a clean install. Even all my programs worked as before, no reinstalling or re-activating!

After cloning the drive I swapped the drives as the first poster suggested putting the SSD in the HDD bay and taking the HDD out. I then tested and ran the system for a day or two until satisfied all was well.

Installing an optibay is pretty straightforward but I can suggest this.... Be very careful of the small connectors inside your Mac and make sure you work slowly and with care as the parts appear fragile and the screws are little!! I would highly suggest you get the screwdriver kit from Other World Computers so you have the right tools for the job. (there is another company in CA. that offers a similar kit for a cheaper price and is the one I used...I do not have their name handy..they seemed to be a little less in manufacturing quality and the screwdriver set was not all proper to take apart my Mac but I have been building computers since the 8088 days so I have tools here that helped.) There are install videos available on the Other World Computing website and on Youtube (and no, I do not work for OWC).
Once your Optibay is installed and you turn on your Mac it should just boot up to the SSD since it is in the main bay. By holding down the "Option" key when you turn on the computer you will get a boot option menu and you can select the SSD or the HDD to boot from! If you want to keep a backup of your OS use Carbon Copy Cloner to make a "clone" to the HDD every once in a while (I also use Timemachine but like having 2 backups). This way you can restore files, troubleshoot, etc. with the HDD backup!

I was concerned with more heat from the Optibay HDD install but have no problems and have been running for about 9 months now trouble free! And noise is not an issue either.

BTW - Do not put the SSD in the Optibay as to my understanding the DVD drive is a SATA I bay and the normal HDD bay is a SATA II bay....you would waste speed potential by using a SATA II SSD in the DVD bay.

Good luck!!

 

[gngan]

Did the same thing as you a week ago (with M4 too).

1) I use drag everything that i wanted to buy in SSD into an external HDD.
2) Then formated M4 to Mac Extended (Journaled).
3) After that, i used carbon clone to clone the whole OS to SSD.
4) Used ifixit.com to install the SSD and HDD.
5) Turn on the machine and make sure everything is working. (Remember to point the SSD as the default boot drive)
6) Format the HDD in optical bay.
7) Drag everything from external HDD to optical bay HDD.

Note: I tried putting the itunes library into HDD but the library is messed up. So i drag it to SSD and it's working now.

I haven't notice any noise from the HDD in optical bay and it's still working. It's so quite.