As you can probably tell by the title, I plan on getting an 80 gb Intel X-25M SSD and a 1TB WD to place in an Optibay (which I've read conflicting comments stating the 12.5mm won't fit in the Optibay, while others saying that it does. I believe the definitive answer was that it does and was done by someone on this forum). I have a stock 13" MBP (mid 2009) with the 250gb HD it came with. I have my system backed up on an external HD via Time Machine. Obviously, I want to install the OS and applications on the SSD while keeping all of my media on the regular HD in the Optibay. My question is how do I go about transferring only the OS and apps to the SSD (because all my data won't fit on the 80gb SSD) and everything else (media, etc) to the 1TB HD via Time Machine. Can someone please provide some sort of step by step tutorial on this? I've searched through mRoogle but haven't found something answering this specific question. I appreciate everyones help! Thanks!
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SSD plus 1tb HD optibay HOW TO?
- Thread starter kjaxplicit24
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If i were you, this is what i would do.
1. Put SSD into the HD bay in the mac,
2. do a fresh install of the operating system, customize the instal and delete the extra languages and printer drivers, you'll get an extra 2.5 gb of space this way
3. Install the optibay/ hd (i have no idea if the 1 tb fits, its up to you)
4. Format the the new drive using disk utility, this can be done within osX
5. Connect to your time machine backup, but don't sync with it
6. go into the folder from your last backup, you will probably have to drag and drop everything over to your new computer, (this will insure that it backs it puts it on the correct drive.
7. Once you are positive you have everything just the way you want it. Wait a week or so to make sure you don't find anything that you forgot to move over.
8. Create a new time machine back up of your computer. You should be able to just add the storage drive, as part of your backup.
9. Enjoy a superfast setup.
1. Put SSD into the HD bay in the mac,
2. do a fresh install of the operating system, customize the instal and delete the extra languages and printer drivers, you'll get an extra 2.5 gb of space this way
3. Install the optibay/ hd (i have no idea if the 1 tb fits, its up to you)
4. Format the the new drive using disk utility, this can be done within osX
5. Connect to your time machine backup, but don't sync with it
6. go into the folder from your last backup, you will probably have to drag and drop everything over to your new computer, (this will insure that it backs it puts it on the correct drive.
7. Once you are positive you have everything just the way you want it. Wait a week or so to make sure you don't find anything that you forgot to move over.
8. Create a new time machine back up of your computer. You should be able to just add the storage drive, as part of your backup.
9. Enjoy a superfast setup.
That sounds like a really smart plan. Thanks alot!
Can anyone definitively confirm that the 1 TB WD 12.5mm HD will fit in the Optibay in a 13" MBP (mid 2009)?
Are you personally running that setup or is that what you've read? Also, the issues were relating to hibernation I thought, not sleep. Do you have any issues with hibernation functionality? If no, how did you bypass them?
OK, so I've read through 26/31 pages of the massive "MCE Optibay Alternative CHEAP" thread, and everyone that placed their SSD in the optibay, and the HD in the main HD bay has experienced hibernation issues, specifically related to having the battery completely drain (in order to properly calibrate the battery, etc.). When you say you've had none of the hibernation or sleep issues, do you mean with regard to completely draining the battery? I'd appreciate if you could expand on your experiences with the SSD in the optical bay. I'm sorry for being so anal about this, but this will be the deciding factor on being able to get the 1TB and putting it in the HD bay, or having to get a 500gb and putting that in the optibay and the SSD in the main HD bay. Thanks in advance!
Moreover I should note that the hibernation is not so much a big deal to me, so when I need to do battery calibration, I will switch around my set up when I do so. Good luck!
Thanks for that great link! Looks like I may be going with the 1TB after all, albeit at the expense of hibernation. As long as sleep works (which is what I gathered from reading that post), I can live with it. Are you planning on putting your HD in the regular HD bay or the optibay? Please let me know how your install goes..it looks like we'll be having similar setups. Enjoy your new SSD!
Carbon Copy Cloner allows you to exclude directories.
- Back up to an external drive (Not necessary but a good idea none the less).
- Use CCC to clone your existing drive to the SSD, but exclude the directories you don't want on the SSD. I just excluded the Users directory.
- Once you've cloned everything except the users directory to the SSD, clone your users directory to the HHD.
- Once your done cloning open System Preference/ Accounts. Unlock the pref pane to allow chnages and right click an admin account. Select advanced setting. There will be a dialog box providing a path to your home folder. Select browse and navigate to the user folder on the HHD.
- Log out, and then back in and you should be good to go.
One reason to disable hibernation, even if its not causing you any issues, is that it eats up space on your SSD equal to the amount of memory you have. If you have 4GB of RAM you will loose 4GB of SSD space to the hibernation file, 8GB of RAM and say goodbye to 8GB of your SSD. At $3-4 per GB its an expensive proposition.
Code:
main() {
// It's been too long since I've written any C
// Need my fix
dev hhd = hard drive;
If(hhd.suddenMotionSensor = false){
harddrive = hardriveBay;
mbpSMS.enabled;}
elseIf(hhd.suddenMotionSensor = true){
harddrive = harddriveBay
mbpSMS.disabled;}
else{
harddrive = optibay;
mbpSMS.disabled;}
}Or more simply if your HHD does not have a sudden motion sensor put it in the hhd bay and leave the MBP's SMS enabled. If it has its own SMS then you can put it in either the hhd bay or the optibay as long as you disable the MBP's SMS. Disabling the MBP's sensor might not be absolutely necessary but leaving it on when the hhd has its own sensor has been know to cause issues. There is a article in Apples KB that explains how.
I am glad you found it helpful! When I came across that I was like THANK GOODNESS. In fact, I am going to PM the guy a thank you. Going to spread that link around in these optibay posts with questions.
Anyways!
I certainly will update you about the kinks etc! You have a similar mindset to me, as hibernation is not so much a big deal until it comes around to the battery calibration. I never let my battery drain all the way down. The sleep though, is of the utmost importance, since I mostly let my mbp sleep rather than shut down. I actually had an 80gb ssd to start with in my mbp but the lack of space rendered the machine like unusable for what I do with it (movies, music etc)...so I just got a 500gb 7200rpm hitachi. 80gb SSD in the optibay as the bootdisk (since it can handle the lack of SMS, for increase in speed for apps and powerup) and 500gb 7200in the hdd bay (for the media access and more space). I cannot wait!!
Or more simply if your HHD does not have a sudden motion sensor put it in the hhd bay and leave the MBP's SMS enabled. If it has its own SMS then you can put it in either the hhd bay or the optibay as long as you disable the MBP's SMS. Disabling the MBP's sensor might not be absolutely necessary but leaving it on when the hhd has its own sensor has been know to cause issues. There is a article in Apples KB that explains how.[/QUOTE]
Does anyone know if the 1TB WD has SMS?
Does anyone know if the 500GB Hitachi 7200rpm has SMS?
Does anyone know if the 1TB WD has SMS?
Does anyone know if the 500GB Hitachi 7200rpm has SMS?
Guys just to compliment the existing guide mentioned above here is one I found today which I feel is excellent and complete with photographs.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6190079&posted=1#post6190079
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6190079&posted=1#post6190079
Just completed the mod, and thanks for the guide BLUETHREE! That should definitely be stickied!!
Pretty easy and quick. I almost couldn't do it because I didnt have a screwdriver small enough for the job, but found one! Now I have my ideal set up!! Going to test out the machine by booting up a few times. BRB!
I'd recommend against using this procedure. It's important to keep certain settings in your /user directory on the SSD for optimum performance (and to keep the HD from spinning up constantly and chewing up battery). the /user/lib files in particular need to be resident on the SSD.
Here's the procedure I've followed, which works well:
You should *keep* your /user account on the SSD. Certain library settings need to stay on this drive. You should move music, media, the itunes folder, photos, downloads, and e-mail to your data drive. This is a bit complex. itunes and iphoto allow you to specify the save directory (and itunes will copy your music). e-mail is the toughest. Here's the best instructions, from macperformanceguide.com
0. Quit Apple Mail, and make a backup of your mail folder.
1. Copy the Mail folder to the top level of your data drive (or elsewhere, then modify step 3 appropriately).
2. Rename the original mail folder to Mail.old as an additional backup.
3. Start a Terminal window and type:
ln -s /Volumes/Master/Mail Library/Mail
This makes a symbolic link to the folder Mail on the volume Master (type the name of your volume, and use quotes around it if the volume name contains a space character). The resulting file Library/Mail is a tiny file that says “look over there on /Volumes/Master/Mail instead”. Note: in this example, the data drive is named "Master" and the folder at the top level is named "Mail". If yours is different, adjust appropriately. This last step is essential to get mail to use an alternate drive as the storage directory. Not simple, but necessary.
Thanks for the tip! Would you say that my best method for the whole procedure in the one outlined by paintballswimgu in the beginning of this post?
I haven't run into any issues with moving the entire users folder to the data drive but overall your's is a safer approach. I'm not sure how much of a performance benefit you get from keeping ~/Library on the SSD, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
Does anyone know if the 1TB WD has SMS?
Does anyone know if the 500GB Hitachi 7200rpm has SMS?[/QUOTE]Be careful with this one, hhd manufacturers often make two versions of the same drive, one with SMS and one without. I have a 500GB Seagate ST9500420AS which does not have SMS, however Seagate also make the ST9500420ASX which does have SMS.
Your procedure is perfectly acceptable, and will work flawlessly. You can assign /user to anyplace you'd like. The downside is the constant need to access /user and the data calls to the HD that result. This is noisy, power hungry, and slow compared to the SSD. But there's no reliability hit for putting /user on the HD, only performance. What I found was that the HD was often in "sleep" mode, and whenever I opened a new app, it had to spin the HD back up, resulting in the occasional spinning pinwheel... Haven't had that issue since I moved /user back to the SSD.
When, make that if, I can find enough free time maybe I'll move ~/Library to the SSD and see if there is anything to be gained.
Is there somehow you can fit the 1TB in the optical drive bay without the adapter and somehow gerry rig it into place?
I'm really wanting to avoid these hibernation issues.
I have an SSD I want to put in as well.
I'm really wanting to avoid these hibernation issues.
I have an SSD I want to put in as well.
Hey peapody...how are you liking the new setup? Have you run into any issues or has it been all smooth sailing? I'd like to know your thoughts on it and also if you could detail how you transfered your data between the two drives