Incorporating 2nd Internal Hard Drive in Mac Pro

[kristeva]

Hi all

I just purchased and installed an SSD internal HD into my Mac Pro 4.1 to compliment/sit alongside my original HD. I want to use it solely for Adobe photoshop (scratch disk, read and write, cache) and perhaps a few other applications, and leave the original HD as is for main boot up, etc. Just wondering if someone can give me a few pointers as to what I need to do.

Obviously I'll need to format the drive in Mac OS Extended, and then load my OS (I've got that on a USB stick), but how do I arrange my original HD as the boot, etc? And what's the best way to migrate my chosen applications to the new drive?

Apologies if this is a really stupid question. Any help much appreciated

 

[monokakata]

I read your post as implying that the new SSD will not be your boot drive. If that's the case, then you only need to install the new drive, format it, and go. Because you're using it as a data drive, you don't need to do a thing beyond prepping it.

The system will remember which drive is your boot drive.

 

[kristeva]

I read your post as implying that the new SSD will not be your boot drive. If that's the case, then you only need to install the new drive, format it, and go. Because you're using it as a data drive, you don't need to do a thing beyond prepping it.

The system will remember which drive is your boot drive.

Cool, thanks Mono, so I don't need to load OS or anything, I just format the drive and then drag the applications I want to use over to the new drive?

 

[monokakata]

Yes. Depending on how fast you want Photoshop to open, you don't have to move it either. You would go to Photoshop Preferences and choose the SSD as your scratch disk. You could also move your photo files over there, if you wanted to.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you are wanting more speed, then you would use the SSD for the boot drive, including Photoshop installed on that SSD.
Using the SSD as a scratch disk, or as file storage will help, but not nearly as much as having booting system and apps on the fastest drive (the SSD)

 

[kristeva]

Yes. Depending on how fast you want Photoshop to open, you don't have to move it either. You would go to Photoshop Preferences and choose the SSD as your scratch disk. You could also move your photo files over there, if you wanted to.

Thanks. I think Photoshop preferences allows me to specify scratch disk location only. I'll drag all my photoshop files to the new HD but if I want the photoshop application (or any application) to boot from the new HD also I'll need to drag the icons/folders over form the applications folder, is this correct?
[doublepost=1492456014][/doublepost]

If you are wanting more speed, then you would use the SSD for the boot drive, including Photoshop installed on that SSD.
Using the SSD as a scratch disk, or as file storage will help, but not nearly as much as having booting system and apps on the fastest drive (the SSD)

Thanks Delta, how would I implement that?

 

[DeltaMac]

Install macOS on second disk (the new SSD)
Restore apps to SSD. If SSD is large enough, migrate everything.
Set SSD as boot disk (in your Startup Disk pref pane)

 

[monokakata]

What DeltaMac says is not in any way wrong, but you do need to be sure that you really want to operate out of that SSD rather than just use it to speed up Photoshop.

 

[kristeva]

Install macOS on second disk (the new SSD)
Restore apps to SSD. If SSD is large enough, migrate everything.
Set SSD as boot disk (in your Startup Disk pref pane)

Ok thanks. I'm thinking of purchasing another SSD now to replace my main HD so all the OS, apps will be on it, etc. So I guess I can use either Time Machine or the Migration facility (or cloning disc?) to transfer the files, after installing a fresh OS of course? Then I can set start up preferences and I'm free to wipe my old HD, although would it hurt to keep the OS on that drive, I could use it for other stuff, etc?
[doublepost=1492587470][/doublepost]

What DeltaMac says is not in any way wrong, but you do need to be sure that you really want to operate out of that SSD rather than just use it to speed up Photoshop.

Thanks Mono, are you referring to reliability issues with SSD's.

 

[monokakata]

Thanks Mono, are you referring to reliability issues with SSD's.

No, not at all. I was only suggesting that you be certain in your own mind that you want to do a major reconfiguration of your Mac Pro. It's not a dangerous thing but in my experience it can be tedious. But if you're up for it, by all means go ahead. DeltaMac gave you the outline of what to do.

Before my 5,1 Mac Pro died, I had it configured with a 2x 1 TB PCI SSD for boot and hot storage, and kept most of my data on the spinning drives. It worked very well.

If you do it, then leaving the OS on the spinning drive would be a good idea. That way, you can always boot from it if you need to.