Upgrading to SSD- difficult to install?

[VERYOLDMAC]

Getting an external SSD to boot

Bottom line - Do not try to use a firewire enclosure or bootsystem with an SSD unless you pick the ' convertor bridge ' properly. The standard bridge shipped works with ATA/SATA/IDE hard drives or equivalent SSD.


Short story version

After converting an external mini enclosure (laCie) which used a firewire connection to my mini - to a 40GBOWC SSD, everything seemed to work until I tried to boot.

Got several b- tree errors, could not repair, etc

After call to addonics.com support line ( they provide the bridge shipped with OWC ) the suggestion was that it was a timing problem brought about by use of two bridges

reinstalled SSD in another laCie USB mini enclosure- and system works great.

Advantage is that I can use 40GB for boot to 10.6 on my mini, and use internal partitioned hard disk for data storage and alternate boot disk

Seems to me to be a relatively cheap way to get the benefits of an SSD boot drive ( about 35-45 seconds ) near instant browser and application open, etc.

 

[bigfoamfinger12]

What I did was buy an external case for $7 from Amazon, put the SSD in it, and cloned my drive using Carbon Copy Cloner. Then I swapped the hard drive with the SSD. Done.

Awesome. So easy. So this literally copies the whole hard drive- settings, OS,etc and then boots up as if the 2 drives just changed places?

 

[VERYOLDMAC]

About SSD and cloning

Awesome. So easy. So this literally copies the whole hard drive- settings, OS,etc and then boots up as if the 2 drives just changed places?

Sure- the cc cloner does exactly that and even faster if you use an external drive to run the mac when cloning, allowing a sector by sector copy.

In my case, by using the matching external laCie mini, I avoided having to disassemble my mac mini, can leave the external powered on and it will also turn off when I turn off the mac.

And almost any cheap external drive case can then be used to contain the hard disk that was in the lacie case - for mine it was a hitachi deskstar 3.5" ata/ide drive.

The 40GB SSD works for me cuz for years I either partition and/ or use an external drive to store all data as emails, spreadsheets, pdffiles, photos, etc.

My particular installation and applications use about 23 GB on the boot drive, with minimal application data stored in the home folder.

 

[Weaselboy]

This is something that I am interested in doing as soon as I get my MBP (I won't choose the BTO because they overcharge)

I don't know anything about cloning drives. Could I just pop the OS disc in and install it fresh?

I got the kit from OWC that comes with a external USB drive enclosure and here is what I did.

1. Install new blank SSD in Macbook
2. Put old hard drive in enclosure
3. Boot Macbook from old hard drive in USB enclosure
4. Clone data from old drive to SSD using Carbon Copy Cloner
5. Shutdown Macbook and disconnect USB drive then boot from SSD

Done.

This avoids having to open the USB enclosure twice to put your SSD in then later your old hard drive if you want to repurpose it.

 

[koston33]

I just got the new mbp. So I don't really have anything to important on it right now. Is it possible to just install the ssd. Run the os x cd, and put that on the ssd. I don't really need anything else right now on the ssd accept the os and applications that came on the hdd.

 

[Weaselboy]

I just got the new mbp. So I don't really have anything to important on it right now. Is it possible to just install the ssd. Run the os x cd, and put that on the ssd. I don't really need anything else right now on the ssd accept the os and applications that came on the hdd.

Sure... you can do that.

 

[mtkagan]

question, are sandforce controller ssd's still having sleep/wake issues with the mbp. i plan to buy the 13 and throw in a vertex 2 or a owc mercury ssd and i dont want any issues

 

[adnoh]

Sand force still having issues, go with owc

 

[tjb1]

Sand force still having issues, go with owc

OWC is a brand...still uses Sandforce...try again.

For the others, 310 firmware works fine...343 which is the newest works for some but is the cause of most problems.

 

[mtkagan]

OWC is a brand...still uses Sandforce...try again.

For the others, 310 firmware works fine...343 which is the newest works for some but is the cause of most problems.

so the firmware is all the same for the sf 1200 controllers? regardless if its a ocz vertex2 or owc mercury?

 

[tjb1]

so the firmware is all the same for the sf 1200 controllers? regardless if its a ocz vertex2 or owc mercury?

If it is a drive using a Sandforce controller...yes

 

[Neolithium]

Intel isn't a Sandforce drive and plays well. The higher capacity drives can be a bit pricy but they've gone down slightly over the last couple of months in anticipation of the release of their 510 series.