Installing SSD to iMac. Steps to restore ?

[soamz]

Hi, I have a 2013 iMac, which has been too slow, so I have finally got RAM and SSD to change.

I dont need the iMac Backup to restore again.

I have a Macbook Pro retina and I need its whole time machine backup to come into this iMac new SSD.

So, what is the exact step by step method to take ?

My time machine backup is ready from the Macbook Pro Retina.

How do we restore to iMac now ?

The SSD is installed and brand new, blank totally blank.

 

[yjchua95]

Hi, I have a 2013 iMac, which has been too slow, so I have finally got RAM and SSD to change.

I dont need the iMac Backup to restore again.

I have a Macbook Pro retina and I need its whole time machine backup to come into this iMac new SSD.

So, what is the exact step by step method to take ?

My time machine backup is ready from the Macbook Pro Retina.

How do we restore to iMac now ?

The SSD is installed and brand new, blank totally blank.

Plug the Time Machine backup into the Mac.

At boot, hold down Option.

Boot into Recovery and when prompted, click Restore from Time Machine backup.

That's it.

Before doing so, open up Disk Utility (also from Recovery partition) and format the SSD as Mac OS Extended Journaled first.

 

[soamz]

The SSD is brand new, it has got nothing.
No OS X nothing!

How can we goto Disk Utility without having a OS ?

 

[yjchua95]

The SSD is brand new, it has got nothing.
No OS X nothing!

How can we goto Disk Utility without having a OS ?

The Recovery partition is built into the EFI. Even without a hard drive inside, you still can boot into the Recovery partition.

Recovery contains Terminal, Disk Utility and Time Machine restore. All these are built into the EFI and can be accessed without a hard drive.

 

[soamz]

Okay so simply install the SSD and then start the iMac and hold down the OPTIONS button and it does the rest.

That simple ?

 

[yjchua95]

Okay so simply install the SSD and then start the iMac and hold down the OPTIONS button and it does the rest.

That simple ?

After holding down Option at the boot chime, select Recovery. Boot into it.

After that, open Disk Utility from Recovery and format the SSD as Mac OS Extended Journaled.

Then restore Time Machine backup.

 

[Weaselboy]

Okay so simply install the SSD and then start the iMac and hold down the OPTIONS button and it does the rest.

That simple ?

Yes. There is a copy of the recovery utility on your Time Machine backup disk. So just option key boot and pick the TM disk to boot to. You will see the recovery screen. Then use Disk Util to format and click restore. Done.