Macbook HDD switching queries, and Hi.

[dnbRem]

Hi, I thought it was about time I signed up to MacRumors, because I have found a lot of very useful info. I bought a 2.4ghz Aluminium Macbook almost as soon as they released them in oct 08. This is my first Mac, and I am quite bowled over.

I bought it with the 250GB HDD, because I felt it would be enough. I want more space now, so i was thinking about buying the Seagate 320GB 7200.3rpm disc that people seem to be fitting. Otherwise a 5400rpm disc because i am worried about power and heat and everything.

Cutting to the chase, I have a lot of files, apps, music and photos that I cannot lose. I dont have access to a drive i can back them up onto, so the only way to do it would be to buy a 2.5 hdd cradle and the bigger disc, but take out the 250GB, install osx onto the new disc and then, this is the query, would i be able to retrieve all of my files off the 250GB disc, that still has osx on it?

Your views would be apprieciated.

Thankyou

 

[bov]

i just replaced my 160GB with a 500GB WD Scorpio Blue and am loving it!

I used a program called Carbon Copy Cloner and it was suuuuuuuuuper easy, just insert your new drive in an enclosure, plug that baby in, format using Disk Utility, and then clone!

 

[dnbRem]

i just replaced my 160GB with a 500GB WD Scorpio Blue and am loving it!

I used a program called Carbon Copy Cloner and it was suuuuuuuuuper easy, just insert your new drive in an enclosure, plug that baby in, format using Disk Utility, and then clone!

Oh right this sounds good. So you just buy a cradle and 2.5 HD, put it in the cradle, format it and then clone the HD inside my mac, then im all good to swap it without having to re install OSX?

How does that drive fair? noisier than the original, i wanna find one that is pretty much silent and doesnt click.

Thanks for your help

 

[GfulDedFan]

As stated, the method of cloning to the new drive and then switching the drives is quite easy. With the new drive in an enclosure, connect it to your MacBook. Start Disk Utility and format and partition the new drive to Mac Extended (Journaled) with a GUID partition table.
Next, use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! in order to make a bootable clone of your current drive. This will take quite a while; 1-3 hours depending on how full your drive is.
Now you should test the cloned (New) drive by restarting your MacBook while holding down the option key to bring up the drive selection to select your cloned drive to boot from. Once booted, explore about to make sure that everything that you expect to be there is there and in good working order. It will be a little slow because your using the drive via a USB connection.
Finally, you physically switch the drives and when you start your MacBook, it should be exactly like it was except you have more storage space.

 

[dnbRem]

As stated, the method of cloning to the new drive and then switching the drives is quite easy. With the new drive in an enclosure, connect it to your MacBook. Start Disk Utility and format and partition the new drive to Mac Extended (Journaled) with a GUID partition table.
Next, use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! in order to make a bootable clone of your current drive. This will take quite a while; 1-3 hours depending on how full your drive is.
Now you should test the cloned (New) drive by restarting your MacBook while holding down the option key to bring up the drive selection to select your cloned drive to boot from. Once booted, explore about to make sure that everything that you expect to be there is there and in good working order. It will be a little slow because your using the drive via a USB connection.
Finally, you physically switch the drives and when you start your MacBook, it should be exactly like it was except you have more storage space.

This sounds too good to be true, is this the most stable way of doing it, because I have absolutely no back up of anything. I will need to look into the formatting and partitioning ect, not too familiar. Now just need to find a disc and enclosure. Ive seen mixed reviews on putting a 7200rpm drive in a smal space. Dont know whether to risk it.

Anyway cheers for your input

 

[GfulDedFan]

Of course a backup of your information is always imperative and you may want to think about the investment of a backup drive. Understand that you will be creating one with your old drive in the enclosure after you upgrade but it will be a 250GB external that may not be big enough in the future.

I've found This Tutorial most informative and I've posted it here to help fill in some blanks for you. This is the tutorial that I used the first time that I went through the upgrade process. It's a slightly different method but it does go over the formatting and cloning process nicely. The free/trial version of SuperDuper! is all you'll need for the operation.

I've used 7200 rpm drives in both of my MacBooks and currently have the 320GB WD Scorpio Black (WD3200BEKT). It works perfectly.

 

[dnbRem]

Of course a backup of your information is always imperative and you may want to think about the investment of a backup drive. Understand that you will be creating one with your old drive in the enclosure after you upgrade but it will be a 250GB external that may not be big enough in the future.

I've found This Tutorial most informative and I've posted it here to help fill in some blanks for you. This is the tutorial that I used the first time that I went through the upgrade process. It's a slightly different method but it does go over the formatting and cloning process nicely. The free/trial version of SuperDuper! is all you'll need for the operation.

I've used 7200 rpm drives in both of my MacBooks and currently have the 320GB WD Scorpio Black (WD3200BEKT). It works perfectly.

Thanks mate, yeah im stuck between the one you mentioned, the Seagate and the Hitachi 320GB that they use in MBPs, all 7200rpm, or the 500gb drive.

Anyone got any feeback?

Thanks, i am looking at the tut.

 

[Richard1028]

You installed a 250gb drive and found it was too small... now you want a 320gb?

I really don't understand why people go to the trouble of upgrading their mac's innards with puny drives they can max it out for an extra $20.

Got for 500gb!

5400rpm is just fine, will use a tiny but less juice and it's guaranteed not to have the noisy spin factor which seems to be hit and miss with other 7200rpm drives. You won't notice the difference in speeds.

 

[dnbRem]

You installed a 250gb drive and found it was too small... now you want a 320gb?

I really don't understand why people go to the trouble of upgrading their mac's innards with puny drives they can max it out for an extra $20.

Got for 500gb!

5400rpm is just fine, will use a tiny but less juice and it's guaranteed not to have the noisy spin factor which seems to be hit and miss with other 7200rpm drives. You won't notice the difference in speeds.

I am keeping my options open for it, but i have heard better things about the 320gb drives. I agree with the lower revs ect.

I feel there is no be all end all solution to this, so i will have a hard think on it.

EDIT:
http://www.nextag.co.uk/Hitachi-DeskStar-P7K500-500GB-1501334546/uk/specs-html

This is one I have been looking at for a while, mainly because it is Hitachi, which is the make of the usual mb hdds

 

[Richard1028]

I feel there is no be all end all solution to this, so i will have a hard think on it.

You're thinking too hard on this.

When was the last time you turned on yo 5400rpm mac and said, "Damn it! I wish this slow bastard would spin faster!"

As far as the Hitachi goes... show me a dozen satisfied users and I'll show you 12 more that say it's crap. *All* hard drives are made from the same bucket of parts.

 

[dnbRem]

You're thinking too hard on this.

When was the last time you turned on yo 5400rpm mac and said, "Damn it! I wish this slow bastard would spin faster!"

As far as the Hitachi goes... show me a dozen satisfied users and I'll show you 12 more that say it's crap. *All* hard drives are made from the same bucket of parts.

Ok man, i agree, the only reason i would like a 7200rpm hdd is that i use alot of samples... sometimes get a lag loading them, but i feel i can cope with it.

I shall buy something tonight