Installing SSD (Best Set-Up Option)

Question

Installing SSD (Best Set-Up Option)

My System:

MacBook Pro

13-inch, Late 2011

Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3

SSD To Install

OCZ Vertex 4 60GB SSD SATA II

I am looking to gain some speed from my Macbook and I am wandering if my idea to run my OS and Applications from my SSD and using my HDD for storage is a viable option?

Would I be correct in thinking that I would be best to install the SSD into the HDD slot and install the HDD into the optical bay using an adapter? Then install the OS (Looking to Downgrade to Snow Leopard) onto the SSD from a flash drive and use migration assistant to install my applications onto the SSD from my HDD and then link those applications data files to the HDD using SymbolicLink as shown in the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QByRKadjnEE&feature=related

I hope that made sense, would this set-up work/be the most effecient way of going about it or is there an easier option?

Sorry if this subject has been covered in another thread, i couldn't seem to find anything that was detailed enough for me to follow as I am not very experienced in this sort of thing.

Thanks in advance,

Jamie

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), OCZ Vertex 4 60GB SSD SATA II

Posted on Aug 18, 2012 9:48 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

clintonfrombirmingham

Level 7

30,100 points

Aug 18, 2012 10:24 PM in response to Jamie.P.Carter

Have you already purchased the SSD? It would be a shame to purchase a SATA II SSD when your computer can handle SATA III. However, if you've already purchased the drive, and you've purchased a data doubler kit for your optical bay (from OWC or another reputable source) then you can just go ahead and place the SSD in your internal bay, install your old HD into the optical bay and boot from the hard drive. Then use Disk Utility to format the SSD.

Now here's where the hard part comes in - I don't think that you're going to be able to move your applications from one disk to another using Migration Assistant, unless you have a Time Machine backup. If you don't, I'd go ahead and purchase an external drive anyway and, before doing anything, use Time Machine to make a backup of your existing hard drive. Then you can use MA to transfer applications (or whatever) from Time Machine. That's really the only way I know of to go about it. MA is for transferring data between Macs and PCs or a TM backup.

Sorry to throw a couple of monkey wrenches in so soon - I just don't think that you're going to be able to accomplish what you want without a TM backup.

Clinton

P.S. There's always the possibilty that I'm wrong...

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Answer 2

Aug 19, 2012 5:59 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Thanks for the great advice Clinton, very helpful!

Yes I have already purchased the SATA II I'm afraid. I was on a tight budget for an ugrade and came across the OCZ for £35 which for what I'm getting, is next to nothing, at least as far as I know ha. Although the extra speed of the SATA III would be nice im probably gonna save for a while and bump up the memory to 16GB soon.

Okay so I'd boot from the hard drive, format the SSD and then install Snow Leopard and change the SSD to my boot drive in system preferences?

Oh no that makes perfect sense, so I just backup through time machine to my external drive, then migrate the applications I want on the SSD? Its an extra step but not a problem. Its about time I did a backup anyway so in a way its a good thing ha

Now for the positioning of the drives (I apologise for any incorrect terminology here), my Serial SATA for my HDD has a Negotiated Link Speed of 3 Gigabit but the Serial SATA for my optical drive only has a Negotiated Link Speed of 1.5 Gigabit. Would it be better to place the SSD in the 3GB position for maximum speed, or the 1.5GB sacrifising in a little SSD speed to allow for faster data transfer to the HDD? Or does that not matter/make any sense?

Thanks for all the help. Wanna make sure I have all the bases covered before I crack up open my baby ha

Thanks,

Jamie

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Answer 3

Aug 19, 2012 8:11 PM in response to Jamie.P.Carter

OK - since you have a boot disc (Snow Leopard) this is going to make things a bit simpler. And since you've an external drive with a Time Machine backup, even simpler.

Just install the SSD in the hard drive bay and then boot from the optical SL disc. Run Disk Utility and format the SSD for "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Then install the OS from Snow Leopard onto the SSD. You can then boot from the SSD with your external drive attached and then I would actually use Migration Assistant to bring over what you want from your Time Machine backup (because you don't really want to do a full Time Machine restore). Now that you're finished with that, make certain that you select your SSD as your boot drive and proceed with installing your HD into the data doubler enclosure.

Make sense? I haven't had my coffee yet so I'm a little drowsy - but I'll be up all night shoul you have any questions.

Clinton

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Answer 4

Aug 21, 2012 5:24 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Clinton, that is a brilliant help!

Thank you so much. Hopefully il be up an running in no time! 😁

Cheers,

Jamie

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Answer 5

gzhtub

Level 1

4 points

Sep 11, 2012 6:28 AM in response to Jamie.P.Carter

SSD Location Guidelines for MBPs:

2011 Model, put SSD in the HDD bay, as CD/DVD is only SATA-II (3G).

All other models: pre-2011 & 2012, no need to put SSD in HDD bay as CD/DVD Drive is also SATA-III (6G).

In addition, there is some added safety for the HD being left in the HDD bay, with accelerometer (SMS) protection, noise insulation, etc., plus it's just easier/quicker for the install. :-)

I would also use one of the free tools (like chameleon) to active TRIM support for your non-Apple SSD (it may help stability). Pls note that OS upgrades may switch this feature off, so you will need to do it again. Also an issue with SSDs on Macs is that many (unlike Intel) do not provide Firmware update apps, although you may be able to create a bootable USB Stick or CD (via Linux/PC) to upgrade the firmware in your SSD.

I have an OCZ in my W7 PC, and it has had the firmware upgraded several times in 18M, so this would be an issue on the Mac. It aslo uses a Sandforce controller (hence the updates), so I would not chose it for a MBP, I would (& did) go with Samsung 830 series. :-) Late, but I hope this helps?

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Answer 6

Mar 6, 2013 7:45 PM in response to Jamie.P.Carter

Im just trying to get the SSD in and getting OSX on it ASAP.

Is there any reason the following would not work?

Current Configuration:

Mid 2010 Macbook Pro w/500MB Hard Drive (GUID partition table and bootable, obviously) (I'll call it HDD1)

Desired Target Configuraiton method:

a) HDD1 moved to Optical Drive Bay (I'll pull out the optical drive, and already have the caddy).

b) Install New SSD in Original HDD1 position.

c) Format and load OSX on SDD using HDD1 (which is GUID partition table, bootable, etc.)

d) Configure SDD to be bootable (this will be the new master boot drive, HDD1 will become a data disk).

That is... I believe the following:

1) There is no need for a Time Machine backup for the migration, I can just immediately move the drives (FYI I do in fact have all data backed up).

2) No need for additional OSX install CDs, etc.

Is what I have listed above correct, or am I missing something.

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Answer 7

Mar 6, 2013 8:01 PM in response to radioman2001

No problem with those steps, but if your original drive is in working order, why not clone it first to the SSD. Less work since you don't need to install the OS now.

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