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Ok So I've Just Installed My SSD........

J

Jaykee

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 16, 2012
34
0
England
Hey guys, I've recently been and bought a Samsung 830 256GB SSD.

I was wondering, what types of changes to I have to make to Mac OSX to ensure everything is running in tip top condition?

I'm only asking this due to looking around and seeing that if you're on Windows, you need to make a whole load of changes to the Operating System, e.g. turning off system restore etc etc.

Are there any things like this to do to the Mac?

Thanks!
Jayke.
 
Just enjoy the experience - definitely don't go to defrag the SSD - that's a recipe to dramatically shorten the life span.
 
Jaykee said:
Are there any things like this to do to the Mac?

Thanks!
Jayke.
Click to expand...

If you search around you will see all sorts of advice about turning off the sleep/hibernate image and all kinds of other Terminal commands targeted at reducing write cycles to the SSD. Ignore all this. It is true the NAND cells in an SSD have a finite number of write cycles, you are not going to hit that limit in any normal usage of your computer. Just enjoy it and don't sweat this.
 
Jaykee said:
I'm only asking this due to looking around and seeing that if you're on Windows, you need to make a whole load of changes to the Operating System, e.g. turning off system restore etc etc.
Click to expand...
That is BS. Windows detects if there is an SSD and automatically make all the actually necessary changes. There is absolutely zero one has to do past that.
Like automatic defrag will be deactivated automatically because it is just useless in an SSD setting.

Most of those things some websites tell you to do revolve around the write workload with has become a none issue with all modern SSDs. Following any of the tipp is tedious, offers no benefit and might even slow things down or kill of useful features. That stuff used to matter when SSD controllers were still crap an the sizes were below 60GB.
 
Jaykee said:
Hey guys, I've recently been and bought a Samsung 830 256GB SSD.

I was wondering, what types of changes to I have to make to Mac OSX to ensure everything is running in tip top condition?

I'm only asking this due to looking around and seeing that if you're on Windows, you need to make a whole load of changes to the Operating System, e.g. turning off system restore etc etc.

Are there any things like this to do to the Mac?

Thanks!
Jayke.
Click to expand...

We're not in Kansas anymore...
 
Can someone point me to a step by step procedure to install the Samsung 830 256ssd in a 2012 13" MBP? I just ordered a refurb 13" MPB and a Samsung 830 ssd, I want to do this right the first time. How do I get the new OS transferred onto the new ssd? etc, etc.

Thanks
 
Black Diesel said:
Can someone point me to a step by step procedure to install the Samsung 830 256ssd in a 2012 13" MBP? I just ordered a refurb 13" MPB and a Samsung 830 ssd, I want to do this right the first time. How do I get the new OS transferred onto the new ssd? etc, etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you have an external enclosure lying around somewhere, stick your SSD in there and use disk utility to format it. If your stuff does not exceed your SSD's size I'd simply install OS X onto it using the recovery partition while it's still in the external enclosure, and copy everything over from a Time Machine backup.
 
snaky69 said:
If you have an external enclosure lying around somewhere, stick your SSD in there and use disk utility to format it. If your stuff does not exceed your SSD's size I'd simply install OS X onto it using the recovery partition while it's still in the external enclosure, and copy everything over from a Time Machine backup.
Click to expand...

This will be a fresh new machine without any data/backup being restored to it. I'll find an enclosure for the ssd. "I'd simply install OS X onto it using the recovery partition while it's still in the external enclosure" - so I can do this from disk utility? do you have a step by step? Thanks.
 
Black Diesel said:
This will be a fresh new machine without any data/backup being restored to it. I'll find an enclosure for the ssd. "I'd simply install OS X onto it using the recovery partition while it's still in the external enclosure" - so I can do this from disk utility? do you have a step by step? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Boot the computer with the SSD in the external enclosure plugged in and simultaneously hold cmd and R. You'll boot into the recovery partition. From there you will be able to use disk utility to format the SSD, and will also be able to install OS X onto it.

Once the install is done it will boot off of the external drive. Shut the computer down, unplug the SSD, plop it in and you're done.
 
Black Diesel said:
Can someone point me to a step by step procedure to install the Samsung 830 256ssd in a 2012 13" MBP? I just ordered a refurb 13" MPB and a Samsung 830 ssd, I want to do this right the first time. How do I get the new OS transferred onto the new ssd? etc, etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Follow this guide to swap the drives. Once the SSD is installed, boot while holding the command-r keys into Internet Recovery. Once the recovery screen comes up start Disk Utility and format the drive as Mac OS extended. Then quit Disk Utility and click to install the OS. It will take a but as the OS gets downloaded from Apple's servers. It will reboot after the install and prompt your for time zone, language, and setup a new account. Done.
 
snaky69 said:
Boot the computer with the SSD in the external enclosure plugged in and simultaneously hold cmd and R. You'll boot into the recovery partition. From there you will be able to use disk utility to format the SSD, and will also be able to install OS X onto it.

Once the install is done it will boot off of the external drive. Shut the computer down, unplug the SSD, plop it in and you're done.
Click to expand...

okay, thanks for the help.
 
snaky69 said:
If you have an external enclosure lying around somewhere, stick your SSD in there and use disk utility to format it. If your stuff does not exceed your SSD's size I'd simply install OS X onto it using the recovery partition while it's still in the external enclosure, and copy everything over from a Time Machine backup.
Click to expand...

snaky69 said:
Boot the computer with the SSD in the external enclosure plugged in and simultaneously hold cmd and R. You'll boot into the recovery partition. From there you will be able to use disk utility to format the SSD, and will also be able to install OS X onto it.

Once the install is done it will boot off of the external drive. Shut the computer down, unplug the SSD, plop it in and you're done.
Click to expand...

Given he has a new computer with no data to move over, I'm not seeing any benefit to using an external enclosure for anything. Just pop the new, blank drive in and install the OS from Internet Recovery.
 
Weaselboy said:
Given he has a new computer with no data to move over, I'm not seeing any benefit to using an external enclosure for anything. Just pop the new, blank drive in and install the OS from Internet Recovery.
Click to expand...

Sounds good Weasel and will be much easier right? I'll do the internet recovery. Will the new machine open the window to connect to my wifi and allow me to put in the password to connect?
 
Weaselboy said:
Given he has a new computer with no data to move over, I'm not seeing any benefit to using an external enclosure for anything. Just pop the new, blank drive in and install the OS from Internet Recovery.
Click to expand...

Depending on his internet speed, the recovery partition will probably be faster since it doesn't need to download the OS off the internet before installing it, but that's just my opinion.
 
Black Diesel said:
Sounds good Weasel and will be much easier right? I'll do the internet recovery. Will the new machine open the window to connect to my wifi and allow me to put in the password to connect?
Click to expand...

Yes... when you command-r boot with the blank drive in there the first thing you will get is a screen asking what wifi network you want to join and the password, then you are off to the races! ;)

Make sure your router is using WPA encryption and not the older WEP, as WEP will not work with Internet Recovery.

snaky69 said:
Depending on his internet speed, the recovery partition will probably be faster since it doesn't need to download the OS off the internet before installing it, but that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...

You misunderstand how Recovery HD works. The recovery partition is only a 650MB partition that allows you to run Disk Utility then re-download the 4.7GB OS over the Internet. The OS is not actually contained on the recovery partition. You can read a long, boring article about it here.
 
Weaselboy said:
Yes... when you command-r boot with the blank drive in there the first thing you will get is a screen asking what wifi network you want to join and the password, then you are off to the races! ;)

Make sure your router is using WPA encryption and not the older WEP, as WEP will not work with Internet Recovery.
Click to expand...

Okay, I'm using a 2-3yr old airport extreme so hopefully it has the WPA.
 
Black Diesel said:
Cool, I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping my new 13" 2.9ghz i7 with 16GB RAM and the Samsung 830 256GB SSD will be much faster than my 2010 13" 2.4Ghz C2D with 8GB RAM and 250GB 5400rpm HD?
Click to expand...

That is going to be a HUGE difference, particularly with the SSD. If you have not used a machine with an SSD before you are in for a treat.
 
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