Time Machine Backup Restore Question

[henhowc]

So I just got my SR Macbook Pro back from the Apple Store due to the Nvidia GPU failing and have contemplated selling it. What I wanted to know is if I could do the following:

1. Do a time machine backup of my current machine
2. Buy a new unibody MBP
3. Move the old HD from my SR MBP to the unibody MBP, boot from the SL DVD, and perform a format/restore using the Time Machine backup from my external HD.

Will the above work or am I just asking for problems due to the obvious hardware changes from the SR MBP and unibody? Thanks.

 

[gr8tfly]

It won't work because of the difference in h/w. Is there a reason you want to move the drive from the old machine to the new one? If you really need to upgrade the UB, it seems like you should just buy a new drive - they're not very expensive compared with the new machine. That way, you can leave your SR alone. Removing a drive from the SR (as you probably already know) is not all that easy compared with a ubMBP.

If you do start with a freshly partitioned and formatted drive, you will need to perform a restore from the ubMBP's included restore disc(s). Again, you won't be able to use your old system install [from the SR].

Once you have the system restored (or start factory fresh), you have a couple of ways to migrate. You can use Firewire Target Disk mode on the SR and migrate directly from your SR to the ubMBP, or you can migrate from your Time Machine backup. The first option is probably faster than using Time Machine, but the end result should be the same.

Enjoy your new ubMBP!

 

[henhowc]

The HD I would be moving over wouldn't be the stock 120GB HD that came with the MBP. I bought a new 500GB WD Scorpio Blue for my SR MBP in December. Hence the reluctance to part with it. I suppose if I did sell it, I could ask for a few more bucks due to the upgraded HD. I've opened it up a few times already so yes I know the pain I would have to go through to extract the thing haha.

I've had three different hardware issues in the past year alone so I'm kind of itching to get rid of the thing. I still have Applecare through August 2010 though so I might just wait until then and hopefully time it with whenever the next hardware refresh is. Or maybe it'll break a few more times and Apple will give me a new unibody.

Regardless, thanks for the suggestions!