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laptop HD swap using external drive help

S

Soura2112

macrumors 6502
Original poster
I have installed new drives using my G5 but of course it has 2 Hard drive slots. I want to put a new drive in my MacBook Pro but I want to use one of my many external drives so I don't need to buy a enclosure. Before I open the laptop up I wanted to make sure I can use my Western Digital Firewire drive. I have done the clone, and now I am simply waiting to instal the new drive and clone the new drive from the external drive. So before I open the laptop up I wanted some advice, or if anyone thinks this is a bad idea. I have opened up other Macbook's just not mine, yet. So I do not want to open it up too many times. I love opening my G5, but IMO laptops are not as fun to open, no simple latch like a G5.
I never used a external drive to boot up the system, I have my Mac OS Tiger disc on hand too.
From everything I read it seems okay to do, just want to check with my fellow forum friends.
Thanks!
 
Sounds fine to me. If you've cloned the drive with Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper, you'll be able to boot to the external after the body swap is complete. From there, you can just use run the cloning app from the extern to clone your system back to the new drive.
 
Yeah, I have no idea what he's on about either. USB on PowerPC aside, I've never met a hard drive that couldn't be made bootable.
 
thanks for the info, used the WD HD.

Everything went smoothly. I used the Western Digital and I must say after words I was a little worried. Except, it worked fine when I was using Cloning to it ( a few times since this was on the back burner for a while), and the Macbook was operating on it before I did the clone. So I don't know if that makes people with a Western Digital a bit happier.

Like I said I never mind working on a G5 but I do not have the hands for laptops. I should not have to open that thing up again for a long time, even though its technically "easy". Again thanks for the input I appreciate it as always

Case: Solved
 
Soura2112 said:
Everything went smoothly. I used the Western Digital and I must say after words I was a little worried. Except, it worked fine when I was using Cloning to it ( a few times since this was on the back burner for a while), and the Macbook was operating on it before I did the clone. So I don't know if that makes people with a Western Digital a bit happier.

Like I said I never mind working on a G5 but I do not have the hands for laptops. I should not have to open that thing up again for a long time, even though its technically "easy". Again thanks for the input I appreciate it as always

Case: Solved
Click to expand...

Are you saying the Western Digital external was bootable? If so, which one is it?
 
DewGuy1999 said:
Are you saying the Western Digital external was bootable? If so, which one is it?
Click to expand...

The thread you linked didn't say it wasn't bootable, it said that Western Digital (the company) wasn't providing support for people booting from their external drives. Big difference.
 
BlueRevolution said:
The thread you linked didn't say it wasn't bootable, it said that Western Digital (the company) wasn't providing support for people booting from their external drives. Big difference.
Click to expand...

You are correct as to what that thread actually does say, but, I've read on other forums (maybe even this one, I don't remember precisely where) that they are not bootable. Apparently it has something to do with their button (software/firmware I think) taking the first ID or something like that and that this first ID is what the Mac OS uses to boot. If I can remember where that was discussed I'll post it here.
 
Model WDH1CS5000N

Yes the Western Digital "My Book Home Edition, 500GB" drive was bootable (Its in a blue box, which has USB, FireWire and Esata). I booted it up after I used "Carbon Copy" (with the original HD still in) to make sure it worked. The WD drive transfered everything, did not need my Tiger disc either, not to say one should not have the disc on hand. In the end everything worked. It never went to "sleep", though I have noticed the WD drive has yet to go to sleep on me. Now the "Maxtor One Touch 4" is a drive I have had many problems with. I use the Maxtor for my Time Machine since it's 1.5TB. I had to send back the Maxtor two times, thankfully they have good service and they get you the new drive pretty quick. But I will never buy Maxtor again obviously.

The Western Digital is about a year and half old, I went to the website and the model number is WDH1CS5000N. It may be the new models or possibly mine runs well.....Knock on wood.

Thanks again
 
Soura2112 said:
Yes the Western Digital "My Book Home Edition, 500GB" drive was bootable (Its in a blue box, which has USB, FireWire and Esata). I booted it up after I used "Carbon Copy" (with the original HD still in) to make sure it worked. The WD drive transfered everything, did not need my Tiger disc either, not to say one should not have the disc on hand. In the end everything worked. It never went to "sleep", though I have noticed the WD drive has yet to go to sleep on me. Now the "Maxtor One Touch 4" is a drive I have had many problems with. I use the Maxtor for my Time Machine since it's 1.5TB. I had to send back the Maxtor two times, thankfully they have good service and they get you the new drive pretty quick. But I will never buy Maxtor again obviously.

The Western Digital is about a year and half old, I went to the website and the model number is WDH1CS5000N. It may be the new models or possibly mine runs well.....Knock on wood.

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Thanks, it's always nice to learn which WD drives will actually work for booting since WD doesn't support it all on the Mac.
 
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