Upgrade path - good plan?

[Ifti]

Currently using the stock HDD in my new MBP, running Lion - set up with my apps etc exactly how I want it. Only set up a week ago.

My Samsung 830 256GB is on order, but hasn't arrived yet.
I'm in no hurry etc to upgrade to ML, and am still waiting for my download code anyways.

Ultimately I want to be running ML on my SSD with all my current apps and settings etc.
I'm good with several backups etc so will ignore that for now as I'll be creating plenty at each step.

How does this sound:

1. Update my current HDD to ML. Check everything works.
2. Create a fresh Time Machine backup.
3. Install the SSD.
4. Install Lion (since that's what the MBP originally came with)
5. Upgrade the fresh Lion install to ML.
6. Now that the OS version etc is the same as my Time Machine backup, use Migration Assistant to restore all my settings and applications.

Can anyone foresee any issues with this?

 

[Nde]

Your steps are fine. But what I would do is skip the ML install on your old HDD. My point is why install ML on your old drive, which takes 1-2 hours. Take advantage of your SSD and install ML there.

My way, may not be the best.

Leave HDD along. Timemachine full
Swap HD to SSD
Restore from TM
Make sure everything works, install ML.
Create another TM if you want with ML.

 

[Ifti]

Your steps are fine. But what I would do is skip the ML install on your old HDD. My point is why install ML on your old drive, which takes 1-2 hours. Take advantage of your SSD and install ML there.

My way, may not be the best.

Leave HDD along. Timemachine full
Swap HD to SSD
Restore from TM
Make sure everything works, install ML.
Create another TM if you want with ML.

I just thought it would make the Time Machine restore easier if it was going onto the same OS and the same version as it was taken from - or does that not matter?
Thanks.

 

[Nde]

Its possible but once you are in ML, I suggest you run another Timemachine full.

I did about 18 ML upgrades yesterday and today, they all upgraded fine.

 

[Ifti]

OK I decided I wanted to try ML while I want for my SSD to be delivered. My HDD is now running ML and everything works normally.

Another idea for transferring to SSD:

1. Install new SSD into MBP
2. Use my SuperDuper image to clone everything across to the new SSD.
3. Open Mac App Store and reinstall Mountain Lion. This should keep all my settings etc intact, and simply create the recovery partition.


The longer way is to create a recovery USB drive using the following:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

Then boot off of this and install Lion.
Upgrade to Mountain Lion.
Use Time Machine backup to restore using Migration Assistant.

 

[Weaselboy]

1. Install new SSD into MBP
2. Use my SuperDuper image to clone everything across to the new SSD.
3. Open Mac App Store and reinstall Mountain Lion. This should keep all my settings etc intact, and simply create the recovery partition.

That would work.

Or you might want to look at Carbon Copy Cloner. I can do the clone and it will copy/restore the Recovery HD partition also, saving you a step. They have a 30 free trial, so you don't have to pay for CCC just to do this.

 

[Ifti]

Ok, easiest way of all is to create a bootable Mountain Lion installer on USB Flash drive. Boot from that once the SSD is in and install ML from fresh, then use my time machine backup to restore settings!