Question about new HD & Time Machine

[gregrose]

Hey guys, I have read up on this but I need some more info.

Im looking to upgrade my HD and I was going to use time machine to back up & I guess clone my old HD to my new one. Is it as simple as that?

Will time machine make my new HD exact clone of how everything was on my old HD? I use a series of programs, including pro tools, logic 9, ect...and I need to make sure everything will work perfect.

Any additional info from you guys would be awesome.

 

[tjb1]

Yes, time machine will copy everything except you can not boot from a time machine copy. You will have to install OS X first, then do a time machine restore.

Another option is using CarbonCopyCloner to clone the drive. CCC will make a bootable copy of your current hdd and you can save that to the new drive. This makes an exact copy, after cloning the other drive will match your current in every possible way. All that will need to be done is put the new HDD inside.

 

[Tomorrow]

Will time machine make my new HD exact clone of how everything was on my old HD? I use a series of programs, including pro tools, logic 9, ect...and I need to make sure everything will work perfect.

In a nutshell, Time Machine backs up your documents, not your applications and settings. It sounds like you're looking to clone your HD, which Time Machine doesn't do.

Don't be overly dismissive of TM, it definitely has its uses - but if you're looking to back up your applications and OS settings, you need a clone program, not TM.

 

[BlackViper]

Clone is best

I've done restores from TM and while they are good for backup purposes, not everything carries over. After a TM restore, you must re-authorize your Mac for iTunes purchases, re-enter passwords that were previously auto-finished, and maybe some other minor things depending on your specific setup. I would wonder though, will TM carry-on incrementally from a cloned machine or want to start a new backup. Something to consider.

 

[gregrose]

ok thanks guys, do i need to use a external harddrive with CCC then?

 

[tjb1]

ok thanks guys, do i need to use a external harddrive with CCC then?

Its best if you put your new drive in a case or connect it via cable to the computer and then CCC over to the new drive then swap the drives. You can get a cheap case for $10-$20 to put it in and do that.

 

[gregrose]

Its best if you put your new drive in a case or connect it via cable to the computer and then CCC over to the new drive then swap the drives. You can get a cheap case for $10-$20 to put it in and do that.

blah you confused me, get the hd & put it in a case then connect it through usb to copy over? what kind of case

 

[nippyjun]

blah you confused me, get the hd & put it in a case then connect it through usb to copy over? what kind of case

You can get a hard drive enclosure to put the new hard drive into that connects to your computer by usb. They can be found at computer shops or online at OWC or newegg. Put the new drive in the enclosure, format it, use carbon copy cloner to clone your existing drive. Boot from the new drive while in the enclosure to make sure it works (hold option while booting and select the new drive). If it work fine then swap the drives.

When you first boot up it may take a while to boot. Once it's booted, go into system preferences and then to start up disk, click on the new drive and click reboot or restart.

 

[tjb1]

You can get a hard drive enclosure to put the new hard drive into that connects to your computer by usb. They can be found at computer shops or online at OWC or newegg. Put the new drive in the enclosure, format it, use carbon copy cloner to clone your existing drive. Boot from the new drive while in the enclosure to make sure it works (hold command while booting and select the new drive). If it work fine then swap the drives.

When you first boot up it may take a while to boot. Once it's booted, go into system preferences and then to start up disk, click on the new drive and click reboot or restart.

You hold Option to select where to boot from, not Command.

After you put it in the enclosure, clone the HDD in the computer(Source Drive) to the New HDD in the enclosure(Target Drive) depending on how much you have on your hdd(100gb takes about 90 minutes). When done, test the drive as nippyjun said or you can go to System Preferences > Startup Disk > Select the NEW drive and hit restart to avoid holding Option. If the drive starts up ok and works fine, you can then shut down the computer, take it apart and swap the drives and erase the old HDD.

Here are some enclosures

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/USB2/OWC_Express

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...puting_OWCES2_5BPU2W_Express_2_5_USB_2_0.html

If your going to look for yourself, you need a 2.5" Sata Enclosure USB2.0 or Firewire 800. You can get a Firewire 400 enclosure but you will need a FW800(square) to FW400(rectangle) cable. Depends what you want to pay.