Installing a new SSD

[Dave Felix]

I plan on installing my new SSD but I have a few questions. I'm running el captain, should I upgrade to the latest OS and make a time machine backup, install the new SSD and boot from time machine? Will the image (46GB) be a full copy of the OS and be able to copy to the new SSD? I have Microsoft Office that I'm trying to keep.

My other option was to download the installer, make a bootable flash drive and install a fresh OS and then copy whatever I had from Google Drive or something, but I'd lose Microsoft Office.

Let me know please!

 

[Weaselboy]

You can option key boot to a local Time Machine backup disk and it will get you a recovery screen where you can restore everything.

Thing is, that feature is broken in El Capitan. It works in Yosemite and and prior back to Lion and it works in Sierra. So what I would do is update to Sierra now then make your TM backup. Then once you install the SSD, you can option key boot to the TM disk and use Disk Utility to format the new drive then click restore. That will put the OS and all your apps and data back on the SSD.

The snag is going to be MS Office though. The TM restore will copy it back to the SSD, but MS Office will see that it is on new hardware and force you to reregister the software. There just is no way around this.

 

[Dave Felix]

I don't even remember how I got MS Office - so its probably going to be a lost. I thought of upgrading to the new OS, but I fear the current HDD will fail. I tried to restore my iPhone last month and it took forever and then failed. I believe its cause the hard drive doesn't have anything left lol so if I try upgrading it'll probably fail again.

Should I just do the bootable flash drive method since I'll lose MS office anyway? I'm sure I can find it online free or just get another copy. Its from 2011.

 

[Weaselboy]

Should I just do the bootable flash drive method since I'll lose MS office anyway?

Yeah.... if your drive is acting all janky that may be the better way to go.

 

[Dave Felix]

I'm going to try and update the OS to Sierra then make the TM backup and install new SSD. The hardware is technically the same, its just the hard drive. Its not like the mac serial number changed, so MS should notice its the same system just different media. Its worth a shot, I don't have anything to lose.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'm going to try and update the OS to Sierra then make the TM backup and install new SSD. The hardware is technically the same, its just the hard drive. Its not like the mac serial number changed, so MS should notice its the same system just different media. Its worth a shot, I don't have anything to lose.

No. A legitimate copy of Office 2011 looks at the hard drive info and will ask for the license information again. I've seen it time and time again.

However, I have seen that what I presume to be "cracked" versions of Office 2011 do not have this issue.

 

[Dave Felix]

well I must have a cracked version of Office 2011. It seems to still be working after I put the TM backup on my new ssd.