SSD install Help!!!

[Tin88]

Need help setting up SSD for '11 MBP 13" ...What's the easiest way to make SSD the boot drive-I want OSX and all applications on the SSD. Making the HD a storage drive for movies, music documents....etc. Because of the SATA 6/3 on early MBP's my SSD(OWC 120 GB 6G) will be in the hard drive bay with HD(stock 500GB) in Optibay

 

[riptideMBP]

assuming you already had a full installation on the stock hard drive and have already put the SSD in your laptop, I would download carbon copy cloner to the existing installation, boot from the existing installation and use the incremental backup of selected items option (de-select the movies/media folder) to clone to the SSD. Then just direct programs like itunes to find the files on the hard drive. I would recommend also copying your documents, and maybe your more accessed music to the SSD in order to reduce hard drive access on battery power.

 

[Tin88]

I haven't installed the SSD yet.. To get the system to boot from the Hd while its in Optibay anything i have to do to make it happen? also what do i have to do to direct programs to find files..Itunes like u mentioned.. Thanks btw

 

[riptideMBP]

nothing special, just move the hard drive, install the SSD and then hold the option key at boot to select the hard drive as the boot volume (just to be on the safe side). If you plan on keeping all your music on the mechanical hard drive, then you would open itunes then go to preferences -> advanced -> then change your itunes media folder (the path would be something like: /Volumes/name of your hd/Users/username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media). Additionally you could use the itunes smart playsists feature to find songs you listen to often, then copy only those songs to your SSD and use two itunes libraries (option key on itunes launch) so that you can get better battery life when listening to music

 

[Tin88]

Would i wanna move my whole home folder? Ive read alotta different things online and on Macrumors forums...thanks again

 

[riptideMBP]

it really depends on how many pictures/documents/movies/songs you have, but you can probably fit most of it on the SSD considering you have 120 gigs. Personally I keep my documents and around 7 gigs of music on my SSD bringing my osx install to 18gigs.