New MBP - Can I just "Mirror" HD

[BasilFawlty]

I just unboxed my new MBP (13 inch). It's all set up, but I want to swap the 320GB HD that it came with with a 500GB Seagate Momentus Hybrib. Is there a way I can do a total copy of the OS and everything, settings included, from my MBP stock 320GB to the Momentus drive, so that I just have to swap out the drives, turn it on and I'm good? Or is it more complicated than that??

 

[GGJstudios]

Put the 500GB in an external enclosure. Then use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your internal drive to the external, then swap the drives and boot up. Your 320GB now becomes an external drive for backups or additional storage.

 

[squeakr]

You can mirror it< but the hidden recovery partition will not be copied only the main partition.

 

[BasilFawlty]

You can mirror it< but the hidden recovery partition will not be copied only the main partition.

So what do I need to do to have Lion on the larger HD WITH the hidden recover partition? Do I need to purchase a new copy of Lion?

 

[GGJstudios]

You can mirror it< but the hidden recovery partition will not be copied only the main partition.

It will be copied if you use CCC and do a block copy. Or you can restore it using the Lion Recovery Disk
Assistant.

 

[squeakr]

Thanks, GG. I thought everything I read said it didn't copy it. Good to know it will.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Put the 500GB in an external enclosure. Then use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your internal drive to the external, then swap the drives and boot up. Your 320GB now becomes an external drive for backups or additional storage.

I don't see a price - is CCC Freeware?

 

[GGJstudios]

I don't see a price - is CCC Freeware?

Yes, it's free.