Please help! New to OSX and install SSD.

[mstgkillr]

I have always used Windows but I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a Macbook Pro. I have never used OSX except for the few minutes that I got to play with it in Best Buy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Before anyone tells me to do a search, I already have and it only confused me with all of the options.

Here are the specs on the Macbook Pro that I ordered…
MacBook Pro MD322LL/A 15-Inch
Late 2011
2.4GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1GB
750GB 5400rpm HDD

Here are the goodies that I just ordered…
Corsair 16GB RAM
Crucial M4 256 GB SSD

I already know how to physically install the RAM and SSD but I have no idea on setting up the software, TRIM, or updating the firmware on the SSD.

Could someone please provide step-by-step instructions on how to make my new SSD like it came from the factory?

Since the computer is brand new, I don't need to save anything.

I would like to know how to…
Format the SSD.
Install OSX.
Update the firmware on the SSD and when to do it, before or after installing OSX.
How and why to partition the drive.
What is TRIM and what to do about it?
Recovery disks.
Anything else.

 

[shanimal]

I have always used Windows but I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a Macbook Pro. I have never used OSX except for the few minutes that I got to play with it in Best Buy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Before anyone tells me to do a search, I already have and it only confused me with all of the options.

Here are the specs on the Macbook Pro that I ordered…
MacBook Pro MD322LL/A 15-Inch
Late 2011
2.4GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1GB
750GB 5400rpm HDD

Here are the goodies that I just ordered…
Corsair 16GB RAM
Crucial M4 256 GB SSD

I already know how to physically install the RAM and SSD but I have no idea on setting up the software, TRIM, or updating the firmware on the SSD.

Could someone please provide step-by-step instructions on how to make my new SSD like it came from the factory?

Since the computer is brand new, I don't need to save anything.

I would like to know how to…
Format the SSD.
Install OSX.
Update the firmware on the SSD and when to do it, before or after installing OSX.
How and why to partition the drive.
What is TRIM and what to do about it?
Recovery disks.
Anything else.

1. do you have an external drive? if you do, boot from that while your ssd is installed and format if you wish.
2. for me, i partitioned about 10gb on my external hdd and put Lion on there so i could use it like a usb drive installation (google instructions.)
3. look on the back of your ssd ans see if the firmware is 0309(latest). if not, http://www.crucial.com/support/firmware.aspx
4. to partition a drive...http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-partition-your-hard-drive-on-mac-os-x-snow-.html
remember, mac os extended journaled is for boot drives, non journaled is for storage.
5. TRIM is a command that allows an operating system to inform a solid-state drive (SSD) which blocks of data are no longer considered in use and can be wiped internally (wikipedia, TRIM).
and a hack to enable it, http://www.groths.org/?page_id=322
6. i just leave the partition i made for the Lion OS installation alone. if doesnt do anything so there is less chance of corruption, thats my recovery disk. you could always do buy a cheap usb stick and install it on there though.

 

[macchiato2009]

one very simple process:

- buy OSX Lion thumb drive from the apple store so that you don't need to worry about downloading 4 Gb when needed


- open your mac, put the ssd, close it

- put the thumb drive, launch install, reformat to HFS+ the SSD to make sure it's 100% newly formatted

- download Trim Enable

done

it took me 15 minutes

works like a charm

 

[mstgkillr]

one very simple process:

- buy OSX Lion thumb drive from the apple store so that you don't need to worry about downloading 4 Gb when needed


- open your mac, put the ssd, close it

- put the thumb drive, launch install, reformat to HFS+ the SSD to make sure it's 100% newly formatted

- download Trim Enable

done

it took me 15 minutes

works like a charm

Wow, it's like $70 bucks for that USB. It just doesn't seem right to have to pay for software that I already own.

Can I make my own USB or what about the downloading you mentioned?My Internet connection averages 10Megs so downloading shouldn't be too bad.

I want the SSD to be like a factory install but I read somewhere that I will lose some kind of Apple Diagnostic Tools?

How is the factory drive partitioned?

 

[dsciel]

Wow, it's like $70 bucks for that USB. It just doesn't seem right to have to pay for software that I already own.

Can I make my own USB or what about the downloading you mentioned?My Internet connection averages 10Megs so downloading shouldn't be too bad.

I want the SSD to be like a factory install but I read somewhere that I will lose some kind of Apple Diagnostic Tools?

How is the factory drive partitioned?

you can search the web and there is many tutorials show you how to do it. The idea is to download from App Store and make the USB in your own.

 

[mstgkillr]

So I still have to purchase Lion in the app store?

I would also like to keep the Lion recovery partition.

 

[appleraj]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1177020/ Read post 591. really good one.

 

[macchiato2009]

the recovery partition is useless imho

it helps browsing the web and downloading lion but lion is not installed on it

yes $70 but very useful

i hate using CDs and thumb drives are way faster, especially for installing OSX

if you try to make your own OSX thumb drive, you would have to buy OSX for $29 and buy a thumb drive anyway

 

[Ccrew]

if you try to make your own OSX thumb drive, you would have to buy OSX for $29 and buy a thumb drive anyway

No he wouldn't. His laptop came with Lion installed, so as long as he's booted it and registered to an Apple ID it will be available to him for install in the AppStore. Then he can download and follow the many instructions on the web for creating an install Thumb drive.

Lion machines don't come with recovery media, and that's one of the options for creating your own.

 

[macchiato2009]

No he wouldn't. His laptop came with Lion installed, so as long as he's booted it and registered to an Apple ID it will be available to him for install in the AppStore. Then he can download and follow the many instructions on the web for creating an install Thumb drive.

Lion machines don't come with recovery media, and that's one of the options for creating your own.

well, before having the thumb drive, i downloaded Lion

took me 3 hours, it's really a pain in the...

maybe it could be faster now, but still, wasting more than 1 hour downloading Lion is annoying

 

[mstgkillr]

No he wouldn't. His laptop came with Lion installed, so as long as he's booted it and registered to an Apple ID it will be available to him for install in the AppStore. Then he can download and follow the many instructions on the web for creating an install Thumb drive.

Lion machines don't come with recovery media, and that's one of the options for creating your own.

Ok, that is what I wanted to hear. So I can make a thumb drive to reinstall OSX on the new SSD without purchasing anything. I think this should make the recovery partition if I read it right.

After doing a little research it looks like no matter what, I am going to lose the Apple Diag Tool but I can always use the online version from apples website.

 

[Weaselboy]

No he wouldn't. His laptop came with Lion installed, so as long as he's booted it and registered to an Apple ID it will be available to him for install in the AppStore. Then he can download and follow the many instructions on the web for creating an install Thumb drive.

No it won't. If he did not buy Lion in the app store, it will not show up on his purchased list.

Ok, that is what I wanted to hear. So I can make a thumb drive to reinstall OSX on the new SSD without purchasing anything. I think this should make the recovery partition if I read it right.

After doing a little research it looks like no matter what, I am going to lose the Apple Diag Tool but I can always use the online version from apples website.

You new Macbook has the recovery diagnostics in the device's firmware. Just do command-r at start and even with a blank drive in, it will boot to the recovery firmware and allow you to format and install Lion from there. Although, this will require a download of Lion.

This tip explains how you can capture the Lion USB download when you did not buy it in the App store. You can then use the DMG to make a USB installer with your own USB key.

 

[camardelle]

This is a great thread. Lots of useful information in it. I'm subscribing