Question about using old hard drive in new MBP?

[soLoredd]

Need some help. Have a new MBP coming tomorrow due to my previous MBP dying. In my old MBP I have a 500GB hard drive with all my data on it - the new one is coming with 320GB. I want to switch the hard drives and am wondering what the best way to go about it is?

Can I do an Archive and Install on the 500GB once I put it in the new MBP? I have plenty of space on there (I'm taking out the BootCamp partition). The old MBP is from '08 so I know it would be better to have a fresh install of OS X. But I need to preserve my photos, music, etc.

Thanks so much!

 

[Orlandoech]

Yes u can do it. Id wipe the 500GB and then clone the 320GB to the 500GB via SuperDuper or CCC or even a fresh install if you prefer.

 

[soLoredd]

Ay, wait. The 500GB has all my data, surely I wouldn't want to wipe it?

 

[Mal]

No need to wipe. Just pop it in and use it, and if for some reason it doesn't work right out of the box, then just do the Archive and Install (actually, Snow Leopard doesn't have that option to use, but simply running the installer from the CD will have the same effect).

jW

 

[soLoredd]

No need to wipe. Just pop it in and use it, and if for some reason it doesn't work right out of the box, then just do the Archive and Install (actually, Snow Leopard doesn't have that option to use, but simply running the installer from the CD will have the same effect).

jW

Cool, sounds like the road I was prepared for anyway.

Another question: if I use Time Machine to backup the 500GB once it's in the new MBP, and I then do a fresh install, does Time Machine give me the option to restore library folders (iTunes, iPhoto, etc)? Or will it just restore the entire backup? Never used Time Machine before, I am used to using CCC.