Multiple time machine back-ups on the same disk

[Joelburman]

I currently have a Macbook Pro (early 2011) with a Kingston 256GB SSD and 2011 Mac Mini with the original 320GB HDD. Now I want to move the Kingston SSD to the Mini and put in a 512GB SSD (Crucial MX100) in the Macbook Pro.

How do I go about the easiest way to switch these disks. I want to use time machine since I've setup both systems with a lot of settings I don't want to re-do.

I've also only got one external HDD at the moment so I would like to have both time machine copys on the same disk if thats possible. The Macbook runs Yosemite while the Mini runs Mavericks.

Any advice?

 

[tampasteve]

It may be easier to use a program like Carbon Copy Cloner or Superduper! to clone the drives.

Clone the current SSD drive to the external HDD and then clone the current Mini drive to the current SSD. Then install the current SSD in the Mini and the new SSD in the MBP and restore the clone from the external HDD to the new SSD.

At least that is what I would do. The clone will be an exact copy of everythging. You could also use TM, but this is just the way I have done it on other machines successfully.

 

[Joelburman]

Thanks for the advice TampaSteve sure sounds like the smoothest sollution I've heard of so far. Which of these programs would you recommend the most?

 

[tampasteve]

I think CCC is a little more user friendly, and it works on all (IIRC) versions of OS X.