How to transfer OS, files and application to new SSD?

[TheJing]

Guys I'm new to Mac and I have a Macbook Pro 13 i5.

I just bought an SSD and I was wondering how I am supposed to transfer everything from the old HDD to the new one.

I've read people have had problems with the Crucial m4... should I return it and get a SATA II instead?


Any help is appreciated!

 

[DustinT]

Well, if you have a Time Machine backup thats probably the easiest way. Just install the SSD, install your OS and restore from the Time Machine.

Or, you could use Superduper or CCC to clone the drives.

 

[TheJing]

Can I just put everything on an external Hard Drive and then transfer it back on the SSD?

 

[hafr]

Can I just put everything on an external Hard Drive and then transfer it back on the SSD?

Yes. Use Time Machine to create a backup on the external hard drive, then just restore the image onto your new SSD once installed.

 

[Tomb01]

Can I just put everything on an external Hard Drive and then transfer it back on the SSD?

Just put the SSD into an external enclosure if you have one (firewire would be better/faster than USB), then use Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper to copy everything to the drive. You should be able to test booting from it while it is still in the external enclosure (just hold the option key down while you power up the machine). Then just install it and you are good to go. That's how I move from drive to drive, and the old disk can be your backup drive, just do a regular copy/update of it with CCC or Super Duper, so if you do have an issue with your new SSD you will have a bootable drive to keep running with.