Question Regarding SSD install on Mid 2012 MacBook Pro

[brig2221]

I just received a brand new Samsung 840 Pro SSD (256GB) that I am attempting to install in my mid 2012 cMBP.

I purchased a 2.5" SATA Hard Drive enclosure to help me with the install. My plan was to place the SSD into the hard drive enclosure, connect it to my MacBook via the provided USB 2.0 cable, and then clone my MacBook's current hard drive onto the Samsung SSD via Carbon Copy Cloner (Trial Version), and then take apart the computer and physically install the SSD.

So far, I've attached the SSD to the SATA Hard Drive Enclosure, and plugged into my MacBook via the provided USB 2.0 cable. The computer recognized that I plugged something in, but only recognized it as a 256GB Mass Storage Device.

I went into Carbon Copy Cloner, and when I select my MAC Hard Drive on the left side (From), I cannot choose the Samsung 840 Pro SSD on the right side as the "To", in order to clone my hard drive.

Any thoughts as to what I'm doing wrong here?

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I forgot to mention that when I plug the SSD in via the HD enclosure, I get the following message on my computer:

"The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer". I then have three buttons to hit, Initialize (which brings up the disk utility), Ignore, or Eject.

I hit the initialize button, which take me over to the Disk Utility, and this is where I'm stuck. I have no idea what if anything I need to do (format?) to the SSD via the Apple Disk Utility, or what I need to do to get Carbon Copy Cloner to recognize the SSD drive so I can effectively clone my current hard drive over.

All help here is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Weaselboy]

I forgot to mention that when I plug the SSD in via the HD enclosure, I get the following message on my computer:

"The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer". I then have three buttons to hit, Initialize (which brings up the disk utility), Ignore, or Eject.

You can't use the drive yet because it has not been formatted for your Mac yet. Just click initialize and then format the blank drive to "Mac OS Extended"... when you do that just name the drive Macintosh HD. Once you do that CCC will see the drive and you can clone.

 

[spartacvs]

I just received a brand new Samsung 840 Pro SSD (256GB) that I am attempting to install in my mid 2012 cMBP.

I purchased a 2.5" SATA Hard Drive enclosure to help me with the install. My plan was to place the SSD into the hard drive enclosure, connect it to my MacBook via the provided USB 2.0 cable, and then clone my MacBook's current hard drive onto the Samsung SSD via Carbon Copy Cloner (Trial Version), and then take apart the computer and physically install the SSD.

So far, I've attached the SSD to the SATA Hard Drive Enclosure, and plugged into my MacBook via the provided USB 2.0 cable. The computer recognized that I plugged something in, but only recognized it as a 256GB Mass Storage Device.

I went into Carbon Copy Cloner, and when I select my MAC Hard Drive on the left side (From), I cannot choose the Samsung 840 Pro SSD on the right side as the "To", in order to clone my hard drive.

Any thoughts as to what I'm doing wrong here?

----------

I forgot to mention that when I plug the SSD in via the HD enclosure, I get the following message on my computer:

"The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer". I then have three buttons to hit, Initialize (which brings up the disk utility), Ignore, or Eject.

I hit the initialize button, which take me over to the Disk Utility, and this is where I'm stuck. I have no idea what if anything I need to do (format?) to the SSD via the Apple Disk Utility, or what I need to do to get Carbon Copy Cloner to recognize the SSD drive so I can effectively clone my current hard drive over.

All help here is greatly appreciated!!!

You need to format the SSD To Mac OS Extended Journaled using disk utility before you can use it.

 

[brig2221]

Thanks so much for the help gentleman. Keep in mind that I am 37 years old, and have NEVER upgraded anything on any of the computers I have owned over the years.

This afternoon, I figured out how to pop out the stock 4GB of RAM my MacBook came with, and replaced it with 16GB of Corsair Ram, and also followed your advice and was able to get my mechanical hard drive cloned to my Samsung 840 Pro SSD, and then swapped them out. Very proud of myself

I just finished, and it obviously worked as I'm able to be on the Internet typing out this reply.

A couple of quick questions:

1) I've read around that although enabling TRIM on SSD's isn't required (apparently you have to enable it yourself), it can help with maintaining fast speeds and prolong the life of the drive. My questions is, how exactly does one enable TRIM? Is it specific by type of SSD, Samsung 840 Pro in my case?

2) I plan on taking the stock 512GB hard drive I removed and putting it in a 2.5" SATA enclosure, and using it as a backup device. I really liked Carbon Copy Cloner, so I imagine I will purchase it and backup (clone) my hard drive every so often to it.

My question is, would it be better to erase the drive first (thus formatting it), and then backup (clone) to it, or can I just use it as is (stock from computer)?

3) I don't want to mess with a good thing as my computer is obviously working fine with the new SSD installed. That said, would anyone recommend doing a clean install and starting from scratch on the SSD as opposed to using it as it is now, cloned from the factory mechanical hard drive?

I very much appreciate everyone's help and input!

 

[brig2221]

OK, one more follow up question. I can definitely tell that my computer is a lot more snappy in regards to applications opening, and I tested my hard drive read and write speeds using Black Magic Disk Speed Test.

I'm getting 490 write, and 515 read. That said, when I start my computer, I timed it, and it took a whopping 43 seconds to load (started the iPhone stop watch the second my finger depressed the power button on the MacBook).

I'm not sure what the watermark is when using SSD's, but I'm guessing it should be a lot faster than 43 seconds.

Would this be a reason to do a complete re-install on the SSD, or am I completely looking at this wrong?

 

[spartacvs]

Thanks so much for the help gentleman. Keep in mind that I am 37 years old, and have NEVER upgraded anything on any of the computers I have owned over the years.

This afternoon, I figured out how to pop out the stock 4GB of RAM my MacBook came with, and replaced it with 16GB of Corsair Ram, and also followed your advice and was able to get my mechanical hard drive cloned to my Samsung 840 Pro SSD, and then swapped them out. Very proud of myself

I just finished, and it obviously worked as I'm able to be on the Internet typing out this reply.

A couple of quick questions:

1) I've read around that although enabling TRIM on SSD's isn't required (apparently you have to enable it yourself), it can help with maintaining fast speeds and prolong the life of the drive. My questions is, how exactly does one enable TRIM? Is it specific by type of SSD, Samsung 840 Pro in my case?

2) I plan on taking the stock 512GB hard drive I removed and putting it in a 2.5" SATA enclosure, and using it as a backup device. I really liked Carbon Copy Cloner, so I imagine I will purchase it and backup (clone) my hard drive every so often to it.

My question is, would it be better to erase the drive first (thus formatting it), and then backup (clone) to it, or can I just use it as is (stock from computer)?

3) I don't want to mess with a good thing as my computer is obviously working fine with the new SSD installed. That said, would anyone recommend doing a clean install and starting from scratch on the SSD as opposed to using it as it is now, cloned from the factory mechanical hard drive?

I very much appreciate everyone's help and input!

1. Download TRIM Enabler here

2. CCC is free for 30 days so you don't have to buy it. You can do either way, for mine I just left it as is and used it as an external HD.

3. Again for my MBP, I left it as is after cloning it with CCC but do what you think is best for your MPB.

4. Go to System Preferences > Startup Disk > select the SSD as the boot drive and then restart.

 

[freduke]

1. Download TRIM Enabler here

2. CCC is free for 30 days so you don't have to buy it. You can do either way, for mine I just left it as is and used it as an external HD.

3. Again for my MBP, I left it as is after cloning it with CCC but do what you think is best for your MPB.

4. Go to System Preferences > Startup Disk > select the SSD as the boot drive and then restart.

awesome just enabled trim thanks

 

[brig2221]

1. Download TRIM Enabler here

2. CCC is free for 30 days so you don't have to buy it. You can do either way, for mine I just left it as is and used it as an external HD.

3. Again for my MBP, I left it as is after cloning it with CCC but do what you think is best for your MPB.

4. Go to System Preferences > Startup Disk > select the SSD as the boot drive and then restart.

I just enabled TRIM on mine as well.

In regards to my startup times coming in at 44 seconds or so, I decided to download and re-install OSX Mountain Lion. Not sure if I did it the right way or not, but I simply downloaded (was already showing up on my purchases in the App Store) Mountain Lion and re-installed it.

Once I completed the re-install, my boot up time went from 43-44 seconds down to 11-12 seconds, AMAZING.

Not sure why it wouldn't boot up faster on the new SSD. I assume it had something to do with the cloning process. Regardless, all is well now, and I have TRIM enabled on my SSD. This computer is now in BEAST MODE!