Installing OSX on new SSD

Mac OS X v10.5, v10.6: How to back up and restore your files

I'm in the same situation, so let see if i got it:

basicaly you just have to use disk utility, and from the restore tab, drag your original 1TB HDD to source, and your new SSD to destination, click restore, and voilá! you'll have your same OSX and all files and apps on it.

after that i asume you can format your 1TB HDD, altough i would leave it as an osx emergency backup.

Yes, that procedure will work provided everything is NEW. Once you have established User accounts and become acquisitive, the Users stuff will not fit. So you need a way to move it off, such as these recipes:

Japamac's Blog: Make room for performance -- Moving the Home Folder

http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-move-the-home-folder-in-os-x-and-why/

EDIT: These two articles have some discussion of WHY you do this, and they are unique in that they do not require the use of Terminal commands, so they are very accessible.

Once you live with this setup for a while, you may decide to add more flourishes, such as moving selected sub-directories to another drive, which would require using Symbolic Links.

Here's a similar article and you might want to peruse some of the ssd-related articles in the mac performance guide.

Hey Grant! thanks for those links! I'm still wating for the new mac pro 2011. I will have those tricks in mind.

Mac Performance guide! awesome site! I'll read it carefuly tonight at home! thanks!

Check out this video:

http://youtu.be/8qydv9LgtCU

An Addditional Note: Changes to Mac OS X at 10.7 make the

/Users/<your-name>/Library ... directory invisible by default. It can no longer be copied using Finder alone. Cloning [Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! ] and using Disk Utility Restore still work fine.

You can also make your Library folder visible with terminal commands and then use Finder alone.

It can no longer be copied using Finder alone.

Why not?

Linc-

I was under the impression that Finder would not copy invisible folders.

I will certainly defer to your judgement if this is not correct.

There's no need to defer to my judgment. Try it.

Ok, you are right.

Finder does copy invisble folders when they are inside another item being copied.

So the caveat is much narrower, almost negligible:

"Do not try to copy each folder inside your Home folder individually, because you may overlook invisible folders such as your Library folder."

If you copy the ENTIRE Home folder with the Finder it works fine because invisible folders will be copied as well.

Here's what I did.

Bought an Intel 520 SSD 480GB

Bought OWC Mac Pro drive sled

Made sure Lion is updated.

Shutdown

Installed SSD in slot 2>

Boot > wait for drive to intialize

Disk Utility > Format SSD

Shutdown

Boot holding Option key

select Restore

Select SSD as desination

Lion is installed on SSD including all user files and programs

Shutdown

Move SSD drive to Slot 1

Boot