Macbook Pro - Hard Drive Upgrade

[Aaleck]

I've searched around and couldn't really find anything that would give me a straight answer, so here we go.

I have a new Unibody MacBook Pro and I'm going to buy a 500GB hard drive to replace my 250GB hard drive. If I buy a external enclosure and put the current hard drive in it (with mac os x installed and everything) could I use migration assistant to transfer my files & everything to the new hard drive from the old hard drive in the enclosure?

It would most likely be transferred via USB unless I can find a FireWire 800 external closure or something for the same price (haven't really looked at the current enclosures)

Thanks for the help

 

[Aaleck]

Also, I would like too add...

If I use CarbonCopyCloner, could I put the new 500GB hard drive into the exclosure, then use this program to clone my current hard drive to the new one? Probably, I guess I just don't know if this program is reliable or not

 

[rhythmac]

Yes. You can use migration assistant or drag and drop the files you need/want.

I upgraded my hard drive to a 500GB@7200RPM... it was a piece of cake to accomplish. OWC has an excellent video to assist you.

They also have some good firewire 800 enclosures

 

[melchior]

either of these options will work fine.

the advantage to the migration assistant is that os x puts certain system files at the start of the disk for slightly faster speed, especially during booting. using CCC means you have an exact replica of you current drive. both work fine in practice.

 

[gr8tfly]

I recommend using the Disk Utility Restore function. You can put the new drive in the external case first (or test it in the case, then install in the Mac), then boot to your Leopard or machine Restore disk, and run Disk Utility from there.

I've used this method for years with a perfect track record. Whether you put the new drive in the external case to clone, or install it in the Mac, then clone, doesn't really matter. I like to do the latter, though I put new drive in the ext. case, initialize it and run some basic tests to make sure it's working (initialize it using GUID partition table, single partition, and Mac OS Extended (journaled) format). Then I install it in the MacBook/MacBook Pro and put the old drive in the ext. case.

Here are the steps I use to clone the old drive:

Boot from your install DVD (or the Mac's restore disk), run Disk Utility, and verify the source disk with First Aid.

If you hadn't done so already, format the new drive with a single partition using GUID map and format as Mac OS Extended (journaled).

Next, use Disk Utility Restore to clone the original to the new drive. Drag the old volume to the Source and the new to Destination. Check the "erase destination" to enable block copy. Double-check source & destination. Check it again. Disk Utility will ask if you are sure you want to erase the destination. Check your source & destination again.

Wait a while (it could easily take an hour or two, depending on how much data is being moved).

If you already have the new drive installed in the Mac, then just restart. The startup disk should remain set to the internal, but you can verify and restart from the Startup Disk app. Otherwise, now's the time to swap drives. Once that's done, you can restart per above. You should now be booted on your new drive.

If you have a Boot Camp Partition and Windows installed, it can be cloned to the new drive too. I've had great results using WinClone:

With the old drive mounted, use WinClone to create an image file of the old BC Partition.

Next, use the Apple Boot Camp Assistant to create a new BC partition on the new drive. It needs to be the same size or larger than the old, but larger only works if you had formatted the BC partition as NTFS. Actually, it will work with FAT32, but you won't have access to the additional space.

Finally, use WinClone to restore the image file to the new drive's new BC partition. Windows should boot right up. I've done this method several times over the last month and it's worked fine. Also, if you had created a new, larger partition AND it was NTFS format, WinClone will expand the old partition to the new BC partition size.

​

The other option, as suggested, is to do a clean install and just use the Migration Assistant to transfer your apps and data. You can put the new drive in the external case or do it as I mention above (new drive installed in the Mac). Doesn't matter, really. But, if you aren't having any trouble with your install, a clone is much easier, IMO.

Enjoy the new BIG drive!

 

[melchior]

Enjoy the new BIG drive!

where oh where are the 750gb or 1tb laptop drive?

 

[Aaleck]

I recommend using the Disk Utility Restore function. You can put the new drive in the external case first (or test it in the case, then install in the Mac), then boot to your Leopard or machine Restore disk, and run Disk Utility from there.

I've used this method for years with a perfect track record. Whether you put the new drive in the external case to clone, or install it in the Mac, then clone, doesn't really matter. I like to do the latter, though I put new drive in the ext. case, initialize it and run some basic tests to make sure it's working (initialize it using GUID partition table, single partition, and Mac OS Extended (journaled) format). Then I install it in the MacBook/MacBook Pro and put the old drive in the ext. case.

Here are the steps I use to clone the old drive:

Boot from your install DVD (or the Mac's restore disk), run Disk Utility, and verify the source disk with First Aid.

If you hadn't done so already, format the new drive with a single partition using GUID map and format as Mac OS Extended (journaled).

Next, use Disk Utility Restore to clone the original to the new drive. Drag the old volume to the Source and the new to Destination. Check the "erase destination" to enable block copy. Double-check source & destination. Check it again. Disk Utility will ask if you are sure you want to erase the destination. Check your source & destination again.

Wait a while (it could easily take an hour or two, depending on how much data is being moved).

If you already have the new drive installed in the Mac, then just restart. The startup disk should remain set to the internal, but you can verify and restart from the Startup Disk app. Otherwise, now's the time to swap drives. Once that's done, you can restart per above. You should now be booted on your new drive.

If you have a Boot Camp Partition and Windows installed, it can be cloned to the new drive too. I've had great results using WinClone:

With the old drive mounted, use WinClone to create an image file of the old BC Partition.

Next, use the Apple Boot Camp Assistant to create a new BC partition on the new drive. It needs to be the same size or larger than the old, but larger only works if you had formatted the BC partition as NTFS. Actually, it will work with FAT32, but you won't have access to the additional space.

Finally, use WinClone to restore the image file to the new drive's new BC partition. Windows should boot right up. I've done this method several times over the last month and it's worked fine. Also, if you had created a new, larger partition AND it was NTFS format, WinClone will expand the old partition to the new BC partition size.

​

The other option, as suggested, is to do a clean install and just use the Migration Assistant to transfer your apps and data. You can put the new drive in the external case or do it as I mention above (new drive installed in the Mac). Doesn't matter, really. But, if you aren't having any trouble with your install, a clone is much easier, IMO.

Enjoy the new BIG drive!

Thanks for all of the replys guys. This is the method I will probably try, since my current OS works pefectly and everything... If not, I'll just do Migration Assistant.

 

[Aaleck]

where oh where are the 750gb or 1tb laptop drive?

I know! I would love to get a 1TB drive and be future proof for a while... I know once I buy this thing, a bigger drive is going to come out and I'll get all pissed.

 

[pdxflint]

I used the CCC method by cloning my internal (original) hd to the new drive via the usb external enclosure that Newegg threw in the deal. Once the cloning was done I tested the new drive by booting externally and testing it. Once I knew it worked normally, I just swapped drives. Real easy. Everything was exactly the same as before.

I decided to try CCC also as a backup tool, so I did a "backup everything" clone copy once again to an external drive, and now have it set up to do an "incremental backup" of my internal HD every time I plug in the external. Different backup tasks can be assigned to different external physical hard drives, - so you can have a 'clone' that keep growing as your internal HD does for total backup, and use other external drives just for certain types of media you want to backup separately. Just create the backup task for each drive, and when you plug it in, it runs that specific backup task. I'm now not using Time Machine any more... it's redundant, although it does look cooler when you run it...