OK, though i’m not completely useless with things computery, I do like to make sure I know what i’m doing before I do it. I want to replace the HDD on my Mac to a larger 1TB one (currently a measly 250GB) so I can get all my iTunes and other files off USB hard drives. I’ve researched the steps required:-

1. make a bootable clone with SuperDuper (or similar app) onto an external USB HDD
2. shut down computer and remove current HDD
3. install new HDD
4. plug in USB HDD switch on and boot from the external HDD

So i’m not sure with a Mac if it will simply boot from the external HDD and if it does what will be on the screen – will it be as normal or some form of reduced safe mode?

And once its booted up how do I then copy over the cloned HDD to the new installed HDD? I’m assuming i’d open up the SuperDuper app and it will be obvious?

Is there anything else I need to do or be aware of?

Cheers.

Very easy.

Bought SSD drive and USB adaptor.

Pluged blank SSD into Mac via USB adaptor.

Ran Carbon Copy and cloned existing drive onto new SSD.

Shut down Mac, swapped drives over and powered back on.

et Voila!

As per footflaps, really.

I’m not sure what you can do with CCC before you have to pay for it, but I know with SuperDuper you can do what you need with the trial. As paying for it just unlocks smart update, scheduling and scripting.*

*Which are well worth it.

Ahh, good one. I never though of using the new drive as the clone with a USB adapter. Will give it a go Cheers.

CC has a one month free trial which does all you need.

Scott it’s normally a very easy task using either super duper or even apples own time machine.

There are however a few times it can be a pain.

Which mac have you got? If it’s an aluminium bodied IMac you have to remove the glass in front of the LCD panel which is held on with very very strong magnets. If it is this type get an apple shop to change the drive as it’s tricky and very easy to break the glass.

Otherwise simply backup the mac to the new hard drive and replace. You can also boot directly from ausb drive on an intel mac.

If you need any help I’m just down the road in Leicestershire

Dan

Thanks all and thanks for the offer of help Dan, much appreciated. Its a 2009 vintage Macbook. I’ve already had the back off to upgrade the RAM to 4MB. It does seem straight forward I was just trying to visualise what to expect. I hate getting halfway through jobs finding something unexpected or i’ve not got the right tools.

Always worth a look at the iFixit guides as well…

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook

I’ve done the same task on our 09 MacBook and it’s a piece of cake. Went from 160 up to 500gb as the 1 tub was too tall to fit into the slot in lives in behind a metal plate nest to the memory behind the battery.
We simply pulled the tag out and pulled the drive directly out. After cloning the drive using a hdd caddy (useful to be able to store or access the old drive after) then swapped them over. Not much risk as if it failed we could bolt the old one back in.

I’ve just done this, specifically replacing optical drive with an SSD and replacing the original HDD with a larger one.

I used time machine to do a full backup to external HDD, swapped both the drives and then just switched the MacBook back on. You select a wifi network, it downloads the OS and then you plug the external HDD in and select the backup you wish to restore from (i.e. the most recent) and, in my case, which of the 2 drives I want to install it on.

Could not have been easier really. I actually put the user settings and applications on the SSD first and then put all the stored files on the HDD.

Well worth having a bash yourself – worst case scenario, if you balls it up you just need to put the original hdd back in!

I would probably take the opportunity to perform a clean install

Buy a USB caddy for £10 and put the old drive in there

You can then clean install onto the new HDD and load the files you need from the USB HDD

Cabeaumont -did you install a fresh osx install direct from wifi onto a completely new hdd? All the research I’ve done so far says you first install a fresh osx from a USB flash drive.

I’ve now purchased a 1TB hybrid drive and am just dusting out if I want to go the USB caddy/SuperDuper route or the Time Machine route.