Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Rename SSD

Ambrosia7177

Ambrosia7177

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
2,078
396
This is a new experience for me with a SSD that is basically permanent to my rMBP.

Is there a way to rename the SSD on my new rMBP?

I have a naming convention for my HDDs and would ideally like to keep using that, although it makes less sense since removing my SSD isn't as practical. Still...
 
You can only change volume names, not the name of the drive itself. That is typically hard-coded into the firmware.
 
thats all folks said:
just rename it as you would any drive. is it not letting you?
Click to expand...

As I recall in the past, if I wanted to rename a new HDD in Disk Manager, then I had to repartition and format the drive or something like that. In other words, it was a major deal!

No, I haven't tried, and I wanted to ask here first before I trash my new rMBP!!
 
I personally renamed mine to just ‘Macintosh’, because I don’t like spaces in volume names.
 
We have several Macs in our family and we use file sharing to swap files. It makes it less confusing if each Mac's HD has a different name. So we have each replaced "Macintosh" in the volume name with our name or initials. It also help us to avoid confusing backups.
 
JohnDS said:
We have several Macs in our family and we use file sharing to swap files. It makes it less confusing if each Mac's HD has a different name. So we have each replaced "Macintosh" in the volume name with our name or initials. It also help us to avoid confusing backups.
Click to expand...

I came up with a naming convention this summer to try and keep track of my original HDD and clones and backups, plus to allow for owning a second Mac.

As storage becomes harder to remove, this may become less relevant to me.

I forgot... I can still swap out the SSD in my 2015 rMBP, right?

What about on a 2016 rMBP?
 
I rename the hard drive in my machines just as I rename new folders..... on the desktop, click on the name, then when it is highlighted, click again so that it is blinking, then type in the desired new name. Since I have several machines I give the HD the name of whatever model it is: i.e., rMB 2016, rMBP 15 2015, etc. I also find an appropriate photo of the machine and then replace the boring photo of the Macintosh disk with one of the computer itself. I also use photos on all of my folders, too, on the desktop, making for a very unique, attractive and interesting looking desktop!
 
Clix Pix said:
I rename the hard drive in my machines just as I rename new folders..... on the desktop, click on the name, then when it is highlighted, click again so that it is blinking, then type in the desired new name. Since I have several machines I give the HD the name of whatever model it is: i.e., rMB 2016, rMBP 15 2015, etc. I also find an appropriate photo of the machine and then replace the boring photo of the Macintosh disk with one of the computer itself. I also use photos on all of my folders, too, on the desktop, making for a very unique, attractive and interesting looking desktop!
Click to expand...

Care to share some screenshots of what you mean?
 
You know how you start a new folder on the desktop...and then can type in the desired name for that folder? This is the exact same process!

The one with swapping out the plain blue folder and putting a photo in its place for that folder is a little more complex. Basically one selects the photo that he wants to use for that folder -- say it's a folder of photos of flowers and the folder is named "Flowers of Spring 2016," so a photo of a flower from that collection would be nice, wouldn't it? Click on the photo and open it in preview, then select all and copy. Keeping the photo open, then go to the folder and hit "Get Info." At the top of the Get Info screen you'll see a small image of the blue folder. Click on that once and you'll see it change. Then click "paste" (as you've still got that flower image copied in the clipboard). The new flower image should appear as the folder ! (Sometimes it takes a reboot to get it to work, other times it works on the first try. On the desktop, then, you've got a pretty new flower photo and you know it's your folder because the folder name and addition info are listed under it just as they were with the blue folder icon.
[doublepost=1478916905][/doublepost]Here we go!!
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2016-11-11 at 9.13.04 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2016-11-11 at 9.13.04 PM.png
    581.1 KB · Views: 208
  • Like
Reactions: Ambrosia7177
Clix Pix said:
You know how you start a new folder on the desktop...and then can type in the desired name for that folder? This is the exact same process!

The one with swapping out the plain blue folder and putting a photo in its place for that folder is a little more complex. Basically one selects the photo that he wants to use for that folder -- say it's a folder of photos of flowers and the folder is named "Flowers of Spring 2016," so a photo of a flower from that collection would be nice, wouldn't it? Click on the photo and open it in preview, then select all and copy. Keeping the photo open, then go to the folder and hit "Get Info." At the top of the Get Info screen you'll see a small image of the blue folder. Click on that once and you'll see it change. Then click "paste" (as you've still got that flower image copied in the clipboard). The new flower image should appear as the folder ! (Sometimes it takes a reboot to get it to work, other times it works on the first try. On the desktop, then, you've got a pretty new flower photo and you know it's your folder because the folder name and addition info are listed under it just as they were with the blue folder icon.
[doublepost=1478916905][/doublepost]Here we go!!
Click to expand...

With all of my directories, probably not something I could use, but still pretty neat!
 
"Is there a way to rename the SSD on my new rMBP?"

1. Click ONE time on drive icon.
2. If this doesn't turn the name into editable text, hit the return/enter key.
3. Type whatever name you wish.
4. Hit return/enter.

What could be easier?
 
Fishrrman said:
"Is there a way to rename the SSD on my new rMBP?"

1. Click ONE time on drive icon.
2. If this doesn't turn the name into editable text, hit the return/enter key.
3. Type whatever name you wish.
4. Hit return/enter.

What could be easier?
Click to expand...

Sounds too easy.

I figured doing that would screw up your OS and apps and plist files.
 
I name two items (actually three) on a new Mac.
I have used the hard drive name "TheAbyss" since I started using Macs in 1993 (Mac IIsi, if you want to know :D )
So, my main home Mac gets that hard drive name.
Then the computer name (which is the name used for file sharing, and access from other devices), and I also make the local hostname a unique name (so it does not resemble either the computer network name, or the hard drive boot volume name) None of which is necessary in any way, but simply something that I do.
I do also try not to ever use spaces, or special symbols in any of those names. Just an old habit that probably isn't technically necessary anymore, but it's what I do :D

You can change the hard drive name anytime you like. It usually doesn't affect much at all, although you might use an app that needs a path for support files, and changing the hard drive name would affect the pathname. Some apps don't know how to deal with that. Just something to be aware of, and it's usually something that you can fix pretty easily if it happens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ambrosia7177
DeltaMac said:
I name two items (actually three) on a new Mac.
I have used the hard drive name "TheAbyss" since I started using Macs in 1993 (Mac IIsi, if you want to know :D )
So, my main home Mac gets that hard drive name.
Then the computer name (which is the name used for file sharing, and access from other devices), and I also make the local hostname a unique name (so it does not resemble either the computer network name, or the hard drive boot volume name) None of which is necessary in any way, but simply something that I do.
I do also try not to ever use spaces, or special symbols in any of those names. Just an old habit that probably isn't technically necessary anymore, but it's what I do :D

You can change the hard drive name anytime you like. It usually doesn't affect much at all, although you might use an app that needs a path for support files, and changing the hard drive name would affect the pathname. Some apps don't know how to deal with that. Just something to be aware of, and it's usually something that you can fix pretty easily if it happens.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that I can do this. I wasn't sure since I haven't owned a new Mac in like 4 years, and since then when I install a new HDD, it doesn't matter because I name the HDD before I install the OS or the clone.

I like naming things, so this is good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back