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Installing SSD in BRAND new MBP

M

mybuild

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2011
12
0
:D
Hi all,

I am an old win guy going to mac for the first time. I have used windows for like 10 years+ so i guess it might get hard!

I ordered my first MBP yesterday, it will take some time to get here, but as soon as it gets here i want to install a SSD in my new MBP, i don't even want to boot it without the SSD! Is this even possible? How does installation of OSX go?

I also want to install Win7 on the MBP on the same SSD, I'm thinking 70 gig's for OSX and 50 for Win7. Do i need to leave 50gigs unassigned or something?

As you might guess, i don't even know what i am talking about, so i hope someone can shed some light on my ignorance!

Thanks in advance!

ps. I'm getting real excited about the new MBP! Can't wait until i can hold it!
:D
 
everything you want to do is possible.
when you get the ssd in there just put the cd in to install and hold down C while booting it, then it will take you through the installation.
to partition the drive and install windows you will have to use something called bootcamp found in /applications/utilities/ once you have installed OS X
 
mulo said:
everything you want to do is possible.
when you get the ssd in there just put the cd in to install and hold down C while booting it, then it will take you through the installation.
to partition the drive and install windows you will have to use something called bootcamp found in /applications/utilities/ once you have installed OS X
Click to expand...

Do this and you will be fine!

Welcome to mac
 
make sure you have a phillips #00 screw driver and a torx t6 to remove and replace the drive.

and essentially all you need to do is swap the SSD out, put the OS X install discs in and reinstall the OS from there and youre pretty set.
Once in OS X launch BootCamp and partition your SSD to fit whatever size Win partition you want, follow the easy instructions from there and shouldnt have an issue.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, i'm sure they will all get me on the good track!
That screwdriver seems hard to get by in the netherlands.

Is it possible for me to go to a APR and ask them if they want to put it in the MBP, at a cost ofcourse!

Mybuild

*edit*

And does anybody here know of a good dock for the HDD that will come from my MBP?
I want to put that in place of the SuperDrive!
 
Last edited:
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I would check out OWC's Data Doubler kit which comes with the tools you'd need. Thats what I plan on using for my HDD when I get my new MacBook Pro. OWC has installation videos as well; however, I've heard there are cheaper ones on the market.
 
I just installed a 120gb SSD from MacSales for the applications and a 1TB drive for my home drive. Installed the 1tb drive in place of the Cd-rom, which is now external. MacSales sells the entire kit, including the mounting bracket for the 1tb drive and external case for the Cd. Took about one-half hour. The MacSales videos are great.

You can Google "Move hard drive on a Mac with Snow Leopard" to learn how to move the home drive. It is easy if you know how. Otherwise, you will not be happy.

I don't know if this is more than you wanted to know, but I don't think that storing lots of data on an SSD is a good expenditure at this time. You can get by with at 60gb SSD for this, but I always try to buy more than I need for the future.

There are less expensive SSD's available, but MacSales uses a processor that allows the SSD to function for a long time (technical explanation can be found elsewhere). Their reviews in comparison with other SSD's are excellent.

This is the second MBP I have done this with. These machines fly!
 
I know you say you don't want to even boot from the original drive before you put in the SSD.... I know many suggest at least making sure everything works ok first, then make the switch. Your computer won't care, but if there's an issue, you can at least make sure you know it worked before the new drive was installed.

(I'm an ignoramus on all this, too... but I remember reading a few nuggets.)
 
terzinator said:
I know you say you don't want to even boot from the original drive before you put in the SSD.... I know many suggest at least making sure everything works ok first, then make the switch. Your computer won't care, but if there's an issue, you can at least make sure you know it worked before the new drive was installed.

(I'm an ignoramus on all this, too... but I remember reading a few nuggets.)
Click to expand...

I think this is good advice. I would boot and at least setup your user account to make sure everything works before installing the SSD.
 
I did the same thing so my mb so it'd definitely possible. Remember to have the right tools
 
adjuster said:
I just installed a 120gb SSD from MacSales for the applications and a 1TB drive for my home drive. Installed the 1tb drive in place of the Cd-rom, which is now external. MacSales sells the entire kit, including the mounting bracket for the 1tb drive and external case for the Cd. Took about one-half hour. The MacSales videos are great.

You can Google "Move hard drive on a Mac with Snow Leopard" to learn how to move the home drive. It is easy if you know how. Otherwise, you will not be happy.

I don't know if this is more than you wanted to know, but I don't think that storing lots of data on an SSD is a good expenditure at this time. You can get by with at 60gb SSD for this, but I always try to buy more than I need for the future.

There are less expensive SSD's available, but MacSales uses a processor that allows the SSD to function for a long time (technical explanation can be found elsewhere). Their reviews in comparison with other SSD's are excellent.

This is the second MBP I have done this with. These machines fly!
Click to expand...

All good advice. One thing, though - depending on the model of hard drive ie if it doesn't have a G-sensor), you may want to mount the SSD in the DVD bay and the hard drive in the HDD bay. You then keep the Sudden Motion Sensor and also stand less chance of covering the breather hole on the HDD. Just my $0.02
 
terzinator said:
I know you say you don't want to even boot from the original drive before you put in the SSD.... I know many suggest at least making sure everything works ok first, then make the switch. Your computer won't care, but if there's an issue, you can at least make sure you know it worked before the new drive was installed.

(I'm an ignoramus on all this, too... but I remember reading a few nuggets.)
Click to expand...

Definitely! Once it arrives DO power it on, make sure the MacBook works out of the box. Once you know it works, then proceed to tear it apart!
 
I am on a similar boat, but I'm planning on getting the SSD pre-installed (BTO).
However I will need more hard drive space later on, so swapping the DVD drive with a hard drive would be a good idea. Is there any good installation video for that and what mount/bay should I get?
 
Hey guys!

Thanks for all the advice! and i will definitely power up the MBP once i get it! After reading your comments, it makes a lot of sense, i must be stupid for not wanting to check every single aspect, before changing anything.

Now, as someone already stated, is it smarter to put the SSD in the optibay spot? If i do that, can i still install windows on the SSD trough bootcamp? I thought i have read somewhere that i needed the optibay to be IN the MBP, else it would not recognize the win7 disk?

I am not planning to buy a sata600 SSD, so speed doesn't matter, since the Optibay is sata300 as well. Im leaning towards a vertex II 180gig.

Thanks again all!
 
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Don't put the SSD in the DVD caddy as the connection to the disk drive is only 3gb/s where as the main drive is connected to sata 6gb/s . As for it not having a SMS (sudden motion sensor) I have many computer without it and it's nor really a problem as long as you don't plan on dancing with your computer. As for what drive to get if the 2011s weren't released I would say OWC however, the OWC drive is only 3gb/s so you might want to look around abit, probably Crucial or OCZ. Another thing I may point out is there isn't that many threads here relating to a broken hard drive because it was put in the caddy (this might point something out?). Another thing that may benefit you is if you want to partition the SSD for Windows and Mac, then store your data on the other partition you can format it to mac's HFS+ then get MacDrive for windows so you can acces that drive.
 
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Also finally OWC data doublers are the way to go!
 
Hi Macsavvytech,

I'm not keen on the data doublers! I think they are expensive. For the same price, i could get a vertex 3 SSD, and they don't sell that as of yet, so i cannot see the price they will be asking.

So it doesn't matter that i put the disk in the disk drive. We got that sorted now. But that still keeps the question: Do i go intel 510 or vertex III once they are out.

Crucial does not seem an option, because there seem to be ALOT of problems with that disk and macbook's early 2011!

Thanks for your advice!
 
I did what you plan to an extent. I put my SSD in before I even powered up the MacBook Pro. However, I went with a smaller SSD so I opted to just stick to OSX.
 
Just as an add-on to OP's question I'm also in Europe but in UK. I got a 17", 2.3, 750 gig 5400, matt-screen, MBP 'off the peg' from the Apple store in Cambridge.

The HD slows stuff up, miss the SDD speed of my MacAir & always intended to upgrade. I will be doing some video-editing & compiling for my websites (as an amateur!).

I'm more interested in a 'safe' than fast 256 SSD & wondered if it's best to wait for SATA III's or go for a 'safe' older one that will work OK. Have read loads of stuff on here about potential problems with almost all of them tho' the method suggested by Weaselboy seems good.

PS mybuild I got my screwdrivers from Amazon & intend to put in 8gig of Crucial ram-first time ever I will be taking the back off!!!
 
rogerram said:
Just as an add-on to OP's question I'm also in Europe but in UK. I got a 17", 2.3, 750 gig 5400, matt-screen, MBP 'off the peg' from the Apple store in Cambridge.

The HD slows stuff up, miss the SDD speed of my MacAir & always intended to upgrade. I will be doing some video-editing & compiling for my websites (as an amateur!).

I'm more interested in a 'safe' than fast 256 SSD & wondered if it's best to wait for SATA III's or go for a 'safe' older one that will work OK. Have read loads of stuff on here about potential problems with almost all of them tho' the method suggested by Weaselboy seems good.

PS mybuild I got my screwdrivers from Amazon & intend to put in 8gig of Crucial ram-first time ever I will be taking the back off!!!
Click to expand...

For the 10 people that complain, there are hundreds to thousands who don't.

Since you're looking for a good-sized SSD, I'd recommend waiting for a SATA III drive like ither the Intel SSD 510 or the OCZ Vertex 3. Reviews are already out there, but it's better to have independent confirmation with retail units (the Vertex 3 isn't publicly available yet). As for the major differences between the two drives I've mentioned, only the OCZ drive does garbage collection independent of the OS (TRIM support in OS X is only for first party drives at the moment).
 
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