switch hard drives

[calsci]

at the moment i have a 120 GB hard drive installed on my macbook. i have a 500 Gb internal hard drive sitting next me. I just have one question. how can I

1. ...transfer all my information from the 120 to the 500?

2. if it is say a bootable image will i need to install any thing
2b. if so what and how?

note i do not have an external hardrive

 

[stringbeanie]

Easiest way is to buy an external enclosure for the 500GB drive and then use the free version of a program called Super Duper which creates the bootable clone and voila, swap them out.

 

[GfulDedFan]

Easiest way is to buy an external enclosure for the 500GB drive and then use the free version of a program called Super Duper which creates the bootable clone and voila, swap them out.

I second this method. It's worked for me over and over every time. Make sure that you buy a SATA enclosure. When the operation's complete, you have the old 120GB in the enclosure to use as an external drive. -GDF

 

[calsci]

ok so if i understand this right

1. put the 500GB in an enclosure
2. conect the drive to my macbook
3. run super duper creating a bootable clone on the 500
4. swithch the 500 and the 120
5. boot up my computer and it will be just like when i had the 120 just alot more space

am i missing anything in the process or is it really that simple

 

[jimboutilier]

ok so if i understand this right

1. put the 500GB in an enclosure
2. conect the drive to my macbook
3. run super duper creating a bootable clone on the 500
4. swithch the 500 and the 120
5. boot up my computer and it will be just like when i had the 120 just alot more space

am i missing anything in the process or is it really that simple

Nope that will work great. Then you have your old drive in an external enclosure to use for whatever you want.

 

[Mintin8]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll be needing to use it soon.

 

[calsci]

7200 vs 5400

i was wondering since i have the white macbook would there be a draw back to having a 7200 rpm drive in there. would there be a heat issue. I'm just curious ?

 

[GfulDedFan]

i was wondering since i have the white macbook would there be a draw back to having a 7200 rpm drive in there. would there be a heat issue. I'm just curious ?

There are many articles and discussions on this subject and I can only speak from my own experiences. I've had a 120GB 7200rpm Seagate and a 320GB 7200rpm Western Digital in my First Gen MacBook and neither drive gave me any trouble with heat, battery life, or vibration. Was I just lucky? I think not.

 

[Olivier L.]

am i missing anything in the process or is it really that simple

Almost! My suggestion:

1. put the 500GB in an enclosure
2. conect the drive to my macbook
3. run super duper creating a bootable clone on the 500
   [*]check the bootable clone by booting once before installing it: press Option when powering up the macbook with the 500 clone connected externally.
4. swithch the 500 and the 120
5. boot up my computer and it will be just like when i had the 120 just alot more space

am i missing anything in the process or is it really that simple