How do I set up my SSD?

[Hydrocity]

Im planning on getting the Intel 320series SSDs, but I am kind of a noob, so I need your help.

Members from here have told me to put the SSD in the HD bay and my old HD in the Optibay. This is fine, but how do I set up the SSD? Do I use the CD that came with my MBP and download the OS on it? If I do, do I do this with my old hard drive in the MBP? Wouldnt my MBP just start up with the HD in?

Second, how do I make my SSD my boot drive? (im guessing I go to settings and choose what startup disk I want to use. Is this right?)

Third, how do I move my apps and everything else except personal data (music, videos, documents) to the SSD?

Anything else I should know?

 

[Hydrocity]

Anybody?

 

[AJThomas]

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I would like to know the answer to this question as well. I have seen several posts today alone on this subject, but have failed to find anything completly answered.

 

[ViviUO]

http://www.bombich.com/

 

[daneoni]

Boot from the CD, format your SSD and install OS X, then use migration assistant to move you're stuff (or the stuff you want on the SSD) over from your existing HDD/backup and you're done.

Or you can just clone your HDD to your SSD as suggested above.

 

[karansaraf]

What is the Optibay?

Does it allow you to have an SSD and extra HDD as well?

Apologies, I've never had an MBP before but am planning on getting one soon and doing this.

 

[daneoni]

Optibay is a kit that allows you to convert the optical drive slot into an HDD bay...so you can use it's SATA port for a HDD.

 

[Hydrocity]

Boot from the CD, format your SSD and install OS X, then use migration assistant to move you're stuff (or the stuff you want on the SSD) over from your existing HDD/backup and you're done.

Or you can just clone your HDD to your SSD as suggested above.

Thanks. When you say format your SSD, what does it mean. Will it be as easy as pressing a "Format" button, or will I have to know some specifics.

 

[dusk007]

The 320m is a SATA 2 drive it wouldn't do any good to put it into the HD bay.
The HDD looses its Sudden motion protection if you put it in to the optibay.

The easiest thing and what I did is. Download Carbon Copy Cloner.
Install the SSD in the optibay. Create an HFS partition on the SSD. copy all the stuff with CCC. Force eject the old Macintosh HD partition in finder. Erase the old partition. You are set to go.
It gets only complicated once you want to install Windows Bootcamp on the SSD. Because that only works with the optical drive inside and the SSD in the HDbay. Maybe some Windows cloning tool would work too. I wanted to install new but it was quite a pain.

In the end delete all the old partitions or erase them on the HDD. In order for it to not mess up anything during boottime. Or you end up with so many bootable partitions you get confused.

 

[daneoni]

Also to format just pick a number/size of partition, select GUID when presented with the option and select Mac OS Extended.

 

[Hydrocity]

Thanks! Ill be sure to look back on your replies when I actually start to set up the SSD