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my install plan for SSD upgrade...(please review)

J

juandixon109

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 7, 2008
60
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MBP 15" i7 with the default 500g 5600 rpm drive.


HDD BAY (500g hdd) - will have the OSX and all my programs on it.
Superdrive BAY - the default optical drive that comes with the build

Will remove the superdrive and install the below.

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/...B&Category_Code=STORHDOPTIBAY&Product_Count=0

Once the optibay is in, will install the SSD below into it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167024

So once that is installed i should have a new ssd drive ready for use.

Here is the part I am unsure of since obviously I want to make the ssd the boot/os/applications drive, need to flip all that data from the old drive to the ssd.


I assume I can just use some sort of drive cloning software to snapshot the hdd to the ssd? And I guess once that is done, change the bios to boot off the ssd and if successful just need to format the hdd to free up my storage space.

Tell me if this make sense. Thanks.
 
Use Super Duper to clone your drive, but the HDD into the optibay and put the SSD into the HDD bay.
 
jessica. said:
Use Super Duper to clone your drive, but the HDD into the optibay and put the SSD into the HDD bay.
Click to expand...

Thanks will look into super duper. From what I understand it shouldn't matter which bays the ssd and hdd are in since both use the same sata connection types? Basically I rather not have to dig into the hdd and extract it and replace it. With the ssd/boot drive in the superbay slot, I understand there is chance to lose hibernation functionality, but i have really no use for and can live with that.
 
I would think you just use the OSX install disks to install on the SSD right? Then format the HDD.

I got a question. Can I split boot camps?
Like have half of each drive OSX and the other half windows so both systems have a portion of SSD for quick loads?
 
juandixon109 said:
MBP 15" i7 with the default 500g 5600 rpm drive.


HDD BAY (500g hdd) - will have the OSX and all my programs on it.
Superdrive BAY - the default optical drive that comes with the build

Will remove the superdrive and install the below.

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/...B&Category_Code=STORHDOPTIBAY&Product_Count=0

Once the optibay is in, will install the SSD below into it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167024

So once that is installed i should have a new ssd drive ready for use.

Here is the part I am unsure of since obviously I want to make the ssd the boot/os/applications drive, need to flip all that data from the old drive to the ssd.


I assume I can just use some sort of drive cloning software to snapshot the hdd to the ssd? And I guess once that is done, change the bios to boot off the ssd and if successful just need to format the hdd to free up my storage space.

Tell me if this make sense. Thanks.
Click to expand...


Here is what i would do . Get the Spinning drive all setup like you like than before you do anything else play it safe and clone that drive to a external firewire drive. That way anything happens you got backup. Okay than proceed with SSD drive in the Optical Bay space. I havedoenthis myself and it is not hard to do just be careful with the connector once you have the optical bay out , save the three screws. Than get the SSD all buttoned up in the bracket FIRST than take that and install in the space from the optical.

Now boot up . Once you boot from your spinning drive like you have been doing the OS detects the SSD and wants to initialize it okay that than it takes you into your disk utility and than format it to Guid partition and do all that you are supposed to do there and name it what you like. I use Guy's Hard Drive . Now once that is all done than simple clone your spinning drive on the SSD drive. Once that is done reboot holding the option key on restart you will see both drives pop up to boot from pick whatever you named the SSD drive to boot from. Once you get all booted up from the SSD drive than go to system preference to the start up disk and than select the SSD drive and lock it down. Than i would restart but before you do , I would just add a folder on your desktop call it SSD or whatever so when you reboot you know for a fact it is the SSD drive booting.

From here not sure what you want to do with your 500 gb spinning drive but I would erase it and partition it maybe into at least two drives make one 75gb and call it OS backup , than clone from the SSD drive to that partition so you always have a backup OS on the box. the other partition can be all data or whatever or make 3 partitions out of it
 
juandixon109 said:
thx i already ordered the optibay and since its basically just an enclosure yeah i am sure there are a lotta other alternatives.
Click to expand...

dude --it's a fresh comp...why don't you just use the OSX disk to install all the base apps?

what's the point of cloning when it's just the base install disk?
 
You bet. Now hopefully you know all the ins and outs on formatting the SSD drive( just like any drive) but if not I can get into all that if you need.
 
gadgetfreaky said:
dude --it's a fresh comp...why don't you just use the OSX disk to install all the base apps?

what's the point of cloning when it's just the base install disk?
Click to expand...

Honestly takes a long time working from optical drives and you need to remember he is actually REMOVING his optical drive. I bought a external DVD burner for that stuff. Don't miss the optical drive for anything. Apple should give us this option of no optical drive with a bracket already set to go for user install of second hard drive. Okay wet dream

Also he opens his back end up once and he is done. Removing the 500 first installing the SSD in it's place button it up than load software. Than open it up again and install optical . Hell that is a royal PITA. Just install all his software and apps at the beginning open her up install SSD than clone it over and only open the back end once. Been down this road a couple times it really is the easiest. Also this way he loaded everything up and no longer needs the optical drive to install apps.
 
gadgetfreaky said:
dude --it's a fresh comp...why don't you just use the OSX disk to install all the base apps?

what's the point of cloning when it's just the base install disk?
Click to expand...

Just to let you know this will be my first mac. So I guess the path to least resistance is what I am looking for. Maybe using windows for the past 20 years traumatized me so that maybe part of the problem here and don't even know if mac's have a bios(yeah I know its intel) but apple does do things differently(and better).
 
Guy Mancuso said:
You bet. Now hopefully you know all the ins and outs on formatting the SSD drive( just like any drive) but if not I can get into all that if you need.
Click to expand...

I would assume it would just be using the osx disk manager utility(pardon my windows speak) to format the drive? Partitioning and formatting drives I can do, but again this will be my first time on a mac and I don't even know how to get to those system utilities yet.
 
juandixon109 said:
Just to let you know this will be my first mac. So I guess the path to least resistance is what I am looking for. Maybe using windows for the past 20 years traumatized me so that maybe part of the problem here and don't even know if mac's have a bios(yeah I know its intel) but apple does do things differently(and better).
Click to expand...

So from what I've read (and I'm sure someone will correct me).

You put the OSX disk in the superdrive --it boots up. and you can format it and have all your base OSX apps on there. You have to hit utilities or something then install. takes a few minutes.
 
Okay let me find a good link for you that you can follow to the letter. This you don't want to screw up
 
Guy Mancuso said:
Honestly takes a long time working from optical drives and you need to remember he is actually REMOVING his optical drive. I bought a external DVD burner for that stuff. Don't miss the optical drive for anything. Apple should give us this option of no optical drive with a bracket already set to go for user install of second hard drive. Okay wet dream

Also he opens his back end up once and he is done. Removing the 500 first installing the SSD in it's place button it up than load software. Than open it up again and install optical . Hell that is a royal PITA. Just install all his software and apps at the beginning open her up install SSD than clone it over and only open the back end once. Been down this road a couple times it really is the easiest. Also this way he loaded everything up and no longer needs the optical drive to install apps.
Click to expand...

hmm. Can't he just do it once his superdrive becomes external with that kit he bought?

i.e. puts the OSX drive in that external kid doo dad. Then when he boots..he boots from that and formats the SSD???
That would be just opening once.
 
I'd swap out straight away, and reinstall OS X on the SSD. If you search around a bit you will find that cloning data from a regular harddrive to an SSD can cause a noticeable decrease in performance from the SSD.

Especially as the computer is new, it would really be better to install OS X to the SSD from scratch. You can either buy an external caddy for your optical drive to be able to install from the DVD, or create a bootable disk image on an external drive if you have a bit more know how. Much easier in my opinion!
 
gadgetfreaky said:
hmm. Can't he just do it once his superdrive becomes external with that kit he bought?

i.e. puts the OSX drive in that external kid doo dad. Then when he boots..he boots from that and formats the SSD???
That would be just opening once.
Click to expand...

He would need a kit to run the optical outside the box. Obviously you can go from the disk by removing the spinning drive first install the SSD and with the optical bay still in the unit install the OS that way but again you will have to open and close the box up twice to do this because than you want to remove optical and than put in the 500 gb drive in the optical bay. Sure you can go that route as well. Just takes longer. BTW cloning over from the spinning drive to the SSD has no ill effects at all that I have seen. All you are doing is writing data to the SSD just like you would from the install disk. For the first time it has no effect doing it repeatable down the road it can.

BTW the optical kit for it to go external is extra money , not sure he is buying that piece. I did not , just bought a much better DVD burning external drive after the fact since I burn images to DVD for clients wanted something with more horsepower.
 
Guy Mancuso said:
He would need a kit to run the optical outside the box. Obviously you can go from the disk by removing the spinning drive first install the SSD and with the optical bay still in the unit install the OS that way but again you will have to open and close the box up twice to do this because than you want to remove optical and than put in the 500 gb drive in the optical bay. Sure you can go that route as well. Just takes longer. BTW cloning over from the spinning drive to the SSD has no ill effects at all that I have seen. All you are doing is writing data to the SSD just like you would from the install disk. For the first time it has no effect doing it repeatable down the road it can.

BTW the optical kit for it to go external is extra money , not sure he is buying that piece. I did not , just bought a much better DVD burning external drive after the fact since I burn images to DVD for clients wanted something with more horsepower.
Click to expand...
that lithe ordered comes with an external DVD bracket free accordinggg to link
 
I have a couple questions.

First, I am trying to decide where to put which drive. If I understand correctly, the pro's for putting the SSD into the stock drive position is that it will allow the system to hybernate. The Con for this setup is that it deprives the HDD of the Sudden motion sensor.

Am I missing anything else? If not, which is more important? SMS or Hibernation?



Secondly, if I do decide to put the SSD into the stock position what is the easiest way to get the system set up? It seems pretty straight forward if you put the SSD into the optibay. The other way, not so much...


Would you have to clone the HDD onto the SSD before you put it in the computer so the system can boot from it? Or is there an easier way?

Thanks so much!
 
Your right when I did mine awhile back it was 49 bucks extra. Not a bad deal than. Sucks being the guinea pig.
 
lionheartednyhc said:
I have a couple questions.

First, I am trying to decide where to put which drive. If I understand correctly, the pro's for putting the SSD into the stock drive position is that it will allow the system to hybernate. The Con for this setup is that it deprives the HDD of the Sudden motion sensor.

Am I missing anything else? If not, which is more important? SMS or Hibernation?



Secondly, if I do decide to put the SSD into the stock position what is the easiest way to get the system set up? It seems pretty straight forward if you put the SSD into the optibay. The other way, not so much...


Would you have to clone the HDD onto the SSD before you put it in the computer so the system can boot from it? Or is there an easier way?

Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

Reread post 6
 
I have always had 2 SSD drives in my system so not sure about SMS or hibernation. Mine goes to sleep and wakes up without any issues. This is actually my second set of SSD . My first where Intels and than replaced them with two 128gb Crucials P128 models I believe they are. I'm sitting here trying to decide on the new MBP actually. My thought was take everything out of this box including the 8gb , drives and installing on the new one and sell this model with 4gbs and the spinning drive that come with the new model. Pretty much a swap out but I need a load of horsepower and was after quad cores and not sure we won't see them for awhile. Little depressed about is being offered here. Being a Photographer that processes 40mpx files with a program that is very CPU and core dependent has me scratching my head wondering how much better performance this really would be. Not sure it is a big enough jump to justify it.
 
thx all, actually the optibay i just purchased comes with an external enclosure kit(usb) for the original superdrive too.

the fresh install makes sense too. I just want iLife to still be there :)
 
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