Installing SSD and RAM(soon)

[erla]

I am getting a MacBook Pro 15-inch soon, and I am buying the cheapest of them because I want to install 8 GB of RAM and a SSD my self. Both from OWC.

But when I recieve my Mac, RAM and SSD, how should i do it? I have watched a lot of Youtube-videos of people explaining how to install RAM and SSD, so i feel pretty comfortable on doing the operation-part. But what about when I am done installing the RAM and the SSD?

Someone in an other forum told me that i had to burn a CD with OS X Snow Leopard on so I can save the OS on the SSD, but I don't know how to do this?

(Sorry about my english, I'm from Norway)

 

[simsaladimbamba]

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

To create a Clean Install (formerly known as Erase & Install) of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (the 29 USD Upgrade DVD is a fully working retail version of Mac OS X and does not need a prior installation of Mac OS X on the Mac), follow one of the following guides:
Short version: Clean Install of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Long version: Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard: How to Erase and Install​

 

[erla]

Thanks for a fast reply!

Need som help on the erase and install guide(the long version). On point 2 it says that I have to insert the Mac OS X Install DVD into the optical drive. I don't have it? Please help!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks for a fast reply!

Need som help on the erase and install guide(the long version). On point 2 it says that I have to insert the Mac OS X Install DVD into the optical drive. I don't have it? Please help!

Sorry, have completely flown over the Lion part.
Your new Mac comes with a Lion Recovery partition. You can put the old HDD into an external enclosure for 2.5" S-ATA HDDs and either boot from the Recovery partition and install OS X onto the SSD or you could even clone the existing OS X version on the HDD onto the SSD via CarbonCopyCloner.

OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery
Make An OS X Lion Boot Disc

When all is running, have a look here (including the Battery FAQ and Malware FAQ):

Helpful Information for Any Mac User by GGJstudios​

 

[erla]

So my Mac will have OS X Lion?

Sorry if I am misunderstanding something, my english is kinda crappy..

EDIT:

I don't want to use more money than I'm going to use on the Mac, so an external enclosure will not be an option. But do you know if it is easy to clone the OS from the HDD that is already in the Mac when i get it, and onto the new SSD? And how?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So my Mac will have OS X Lion?

Yes, unless it was in storage for the last three months.

I don't want to use more money than I'm going to use on the Mac, so an external enclosure will not be an option. But do you know if it is easy to clone the OS from the HDD that is already in the Mac when i get it, and onto the new SSD? And how?

Such external enclosure is necessary if you want to clone or access the HDD later for backup or storage purposes, but such enclosure can cost as low as 10€, maybe try Elkjøp?

 

[erla]

So I have to buy an external enclosure to get the OS X Lion onto the SSD?

And those external enclosures that costs around 10€, is it any quality in them?

 

[heisenberg123]

Thanks for a fast reply!

Need som help on the erase and install guide(the long version). On point 2 it says that I have to insert the Mac OS X Install DVD into the optical drive. I don't have it? Please help!

you can make an install dvd for lion if you want to start from scratch on the new SSD

http://www.mactrast.com/2011/09/how-to-create-a-bootable-dvd-disc-for-os-x-lion/

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So I have to buy an external enclosure to get the OS X Lion onto the SSD?

In the case of Lion, yes. Btw, having such enclosure is not that bad, you can use it as backup, either for Time Machine or other means of backup, CarbonCopyCloner for example allows you to create bootable backups.

And those external enclosures that costs around 10€, is it any quality in them?

I have two of those cheap ones and they are okay. USB doesn't require an expensive chipset like Firewire does, that's the reason for the low price.

Just to be more clear - though the above tip is also very valid and good:

You get your new MBP with the HDD inside and the OS X on the HDD and the Lion Recovery partition on that HDD to.
The SSD will be empty and unformatted.
In order to even format the SSD, you need to boot into OS X, be it from the HDD in the MBP or the HDD put into the enclosure.
In order to install OS X onto the SSD, you need to access the recovery partition on the HDD in the MBP or the HDD put into the enclosure.
In order to just clone the OS to the SSD, you need to boot into OS X either from the HDD in the MBP or the HDD put into the enclosure.

PS: Even if you go the DVD route as mentioned by iisforiphone, you will have an unusable HDD lying around, if you don't get an enclosure for it, and 10€ shouldn't be that much compared to an SSD + MBP.

 

[erla]

you can make an install dvd for lion if you want to start from scratch on the new SSD

http://www.mactrast.com/2011/09/how-to-create-a-bootable-dvd-disc-for-os-x-lion/

Thanks! But what if the Mac accidently comes with Snow Leopard?

simsaladimbamba:

Found something on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2UzOFrJLI

Step 1: Plug in the HDD with OS X on.
Step 2: Plug in the SSD
Step 3: Press the 'copy' button twice to copy the OS that is installed on the HDD and onto the empty SSD.

Is this right? It seemed pretty easy, but iisforiphone's option is cheaper..

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks! But what if the Mac accidently comes with Snow Leopard?

Then:

To create a Clean Install (formerly known as Erase & Install) of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (the 29 USD Upgrade DVD is a fully working retail version of Mac OS X and does not need a prior installation of Mac OS X on the Mac), follow one of the following guides:
Short version: Clean Install of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Long version: Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard: How to Erase and Install​

simsaladimbamba:

Found something on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2UzOFrJLI

Step 1: Plug in the HDD with OS X on.
Step 2: Plug in the SSD
Step 3: Press the 'copy' button twice to copy the OS that is installed on the HDD and onto the empty SSD.
Is this right? It seemed pretty easy,

No need for you unless you HDDs all the time. An enclosure has the advantage of being truly portable. And CarbonCopyCloner can do that for you too (cloning one HDD/SSD to another HDD/SSD).

but iisforiphone's option is cheaper..

It is cheaper than 10€ of course, and as it is your money and your data, you can choose to ignore backing data up.

 

[heisenberg123]

Thanks! But what if the Mac accidently comes with Snow Leopard?

simsaladimbamba:

Found something on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2UzOFrJLI

Step 1: Plug in the HDD with OS X on.
Step 2: Plug in the SSD
Step 3: Press the 'copy' button twice to copy the OS that is installed on the HDD and onto the empty SSD.

Is this right? It seemed pretty easy, but iisforiphone's option is cheaper..

yes my method is for Lion, snow leopard came with a dvd, but if your planning on updating to Lion than this is the perfect time to make the DVD because you make it from the Installer file you download from the App Store, if Lion was alredy installed you would have to download it a second time just to make the DVD since the installer file self deletes once you install lion

 

[simsaladimbamba]

yes my method is for Lion, snow leopard came with a dvd, but if your planning on updating to Lion than this is the perfect time to make the DVD because you make it from the Installer file you download from the App Store, if Lion was alredy installed you would have to download it a second time just to make the DVD since the installer file self deletes once you install lion

Don't Lion equipped computers come with a recovery partition?
OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery

PS: It is always good, to have some kind of installation medium handy, a DVD being the simplest one. I have my Mac OS X installer on an external HDD, just so the installation procedure is faster.

 

[heisenberg123]

Don't Lion equipped computers come with a recovery partition?
OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery

PS: It is always good, to have some kind of installation medium handy, a DVD being the simplest one. I have my Mac OS X installer on an external HDD, just so the installation procedure is faster.

yup you could boot off that partition to install Lion on the SSD but that method would make you download lion off the internet, the dvd of course lets you install right off the dvd

 

[erla]

yes my method is for Lion, snow leopard came with a dvd, but if your planning on updating to Lion than this is the perfect time to make the DVD because you make it from the Installer file you download from the App Store, if Lion was alredy installed you would have to download it a second time just to make the DVD since the installer file self deletes once you install lion

If it comes with SL:
1. I recieve my Mac, start the computer and install SL on the HDD.
2. Then I buy Lion from the App Store while following your link.
3. When the disc is ready, I turn off the Mac.
4. Install SSD and RAM.
5. Start the Mac while holding 'alt'
6. Boot from the disc with Lion and follow the instructions.
Easy as that?

simsaladimbamba:

But if it comes with SL, i would have no disc to do the erase and install?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

If it comes with SL:
1. I recieve my Mac, start the computer and install SL on the HDD.
2. Then I buy Lion from the App Store while following your link.
3. When the disc is ready, I turn off the Mac.
4. Install SSD and RAM.
5. Start the Mac while holding 'alt'
6. Boot from the disc with Lion and follow the instructions.
Easy as that?

If you Mac comes with SL, you can skip step 1, as SL will be already installed.

simsaladimbamba:

But if it comes with SL, i would have no disc to do the erase and install?

See above, btw, Macs coming with SL, come with two grey Restore DVDs, DVD 1 for OS X, DVD 2 for iLife.

But you seem to make it more complicated than it needs to be, as with an external enclosure you would save time, as you don't need to download Lion, burn Lion and install Lion onto the SSD, you would just put the SSD into an enclosure, format it correctly (link in my first post), use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the HDD to the SSD, swap the HDD with the SSD and boot of the SSD upon next restart. As the HDD will not have filled up yet, due to not being used that ling by you, the whole process should take not longer than 30 minutes, but downloading Lion (4GB) will take long, the burning will take a while, and the installation will take a while. All in all, a download/burn/reinstall process will take longer than a simple cloning, during which you can even use the Mac.

Anyway, as that is cheaper than 10€, the download/burn/reinstall process will work too of course.

 

[erla]

But you seem to make it more complicated than it needs to be, as with an external enclosure you would save time, as you don't need to download Lion, burn Lion and install Lion onto the SSD, you would just put the SSD into an enclosure, format it correctly (link in my first post), use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the HDD to the SSD, swap the HDD with the SSD and boot of the SSD upon next restart. As the HDD will not have filled up yet, due to not being used that ling by you, the whole process should take not longer than 30 minutes, but downloading Lion (4GB) will take long, the burning will take a while, and the installation will take a while. All in all, a download/burn/reinstall process will take longer than a simple cloning, during which you can even use the Mac.

Thanks, what you just wrote made it a lot clearer for me.

Damn, this SSD thing makes me have to order a load of things, from many different websites!

SSD, RAM, External enclosure, the Mac itself, and maybe an external harddrive.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks, what you just wrote made it a lot clearer for me.

Damn, this SSD thing makes me have to order a load of things, from many different websites!

SSD, RAM, External enclosure, the Mac itself, and maybe an external harddrive.

Why an external HDD (Hard Disk Drive)?

 

[erla]

Because the SSD im going to buy is only 120 GB.

I'll only use the external HDD to save files from school on, and it won't be plugged into the Mac at all times; just when i need a place to save my files. Or else, the 120 GB on the SSD will be gone much faster. Wan't to have it for as long as possible you know.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Because the SSD im going to buy is only 120 GB.

I'll only use the external HDD to save files from school on, and it won't be plugged into the Mac at all times; just when i need a place to save my files. Or else, the 120 GB on the SSD will be gone much faster. Wan't to have it for as long as possible you know.

Thus you will hove two external HDDs. That's good, you can use the HDD from the MBP in the enclosure for backups.

Just so you know, a good backup strategy involves two backups, meaning the original file, the backed up file, and the backed up file of the backed up file.

If you only have small documents or papers, that need to be backed up, have a look at DropBox.

 

[erla]

So I can take the original HDD that came with the Mac, insert it in the external enclosure, and use it as an external harddrive?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So I can take the original HDD that came with the Mac, insert it in the external enclosure, and use it as an external harddrive?

Yes, that's why I was talking about the enclosure in the first place, as internal HDDs are the same as external HDDs, some just differ in size (2.5" for laptops and small external HDDs, 3.5" for desktops and big external HDDs).

 

[erla]

So I don't have to use my money on an external HDD, because I can use the old HDD as an external HDD? Great, saved some money there!

Can you recommend an external enclosure for me? And maybe a guide on how to use the old HDD from the MBP as an external HDD?