Installing SSD in Early 2011 15" Macbook Pro

[greatestrobo]

Hey guys,

I've been reading this forum, watched a bunch of youtube videos and did a few searches on google for installing a SSD drive into a 15" Macbook Pro.

I ordered a new 15" Macbook Pro and when it comes I plan on replacing the stock 500GB 5400 rpm HDD with a Crucial M4 256GB SSD. So far, I'm fairly confident on how to physically replace the drive. However my question is do I need to install or do anything to the SSD before installing it?

Do I need to update the computer at all? Also, I have read that many people do clone copies of their hard drive but since my computer will be new there won't be any important apps or documents that I need to copy. My question is, can I simply just take the SSD out of the box and pop it into my macbook and install lion somehow?

Any help/tips or a guide would be extremely helpful. Thank you!

 

[djpuma]

Pretty much you'll be able to do that.

You will need to format the drive first, using disk utility, choose advanced and choose GUID partition.

Not sure how it works with Lion and new laptops as far as installing lion via the internet.
You won't get any disks with your computer unless the OS is snow leopard.

CMD & R will get you to the internet recovery option (downloads lion and installs it to your hard drive)

Another way is just to clone the drive (use an external case) and then swap the drives.

 

[greatestrobo]

So you're saying I can just take the brand new SSD out of the box and install it into my laptop and it will still turn on and let me download Lion from online?

 

[Auszero]

if you have an adapter for the new drive to usb it might be easier to use carbon clone copier. being a brand new mac there is no disadvantage to doing it this way. It will be less time consuming in terms of you sitting there inputing personal information. If you fire up the computer at all you'll have to input the info to get started and have to do it all again a second time after you install lion on the new drive. You can but the drive adapters at staples or best buy and then throw your old stock drive in it and use it as a backup.

 

[Weaselboy]

So you're saying I can just take the brand new SSD out of the box and install it into my laptop and it will still turn on and let me download Lion from online?

Yes. 2011 MacBooks have firmware that will allow you to boot to Lion Recovery mode and DL Lion from the Internet.

Make sure you run software update on the Macbook before you remove the HDD so you get the latest EFI (firmware) installed on the Macbook first. I believe the shipping firmware did not have the Lion Recovery feature and it was added with an EFI update, so you want to make sure you have that first.