Q: Changing my HDD with SSD on a Mid-2012 MacBook Pro
-
Apr 28, 2014 3:15 AMby clintonfrombirmingham,It's a very simple procedure to upgrade to an SSD - see -> Upgrading Your MacBook Pro with a Solid State Drive.
As for recommendations for SSD, I personally have only purchased Crucial SSDs. They're not to expensive though not the fastest kid on the block. I can also recommend (though I've never used one) the Samsung EVO series. If you look at Crucial, look at the price differences between the older M500 series (which I have) and the newer M550 series.
I would get the largest drive that you can afford. I just recently got a Crucial M500 series 960GB drive that I love - I still have 400GB on it, but I use that mainly for cache, etc.
Good luck,
Clinton
-
Apr 28, 2014 4:54 AMby Raptole,Okay, I did it. I checked their website and it seems amazing. But there is another problem I have now and it is the Mac OS X.
When I get the new SSD and I put it my computer(as shown on the articles and videos I saw) there would be no Mac OS X on it. So I wouldn't be able to start the OS with it... How do I do it then? What shall I do? I want to make a new/fresh/clean install of the Mac OS X.
-
Apr 28, 2014 5:00 AMby clintonfrombirmingham,Do you want a clean install of Mavericks? Mountain Lion? Lion? If any of the above, you can download the version of OS X that you want, get yourself an 8GB+ USB thumb drive and download and run DiskMaker X. Run DMX, with the USB drive in place, and you can make a bootable installation disk!
Very simple, actually...
Clinton
-
Apr 28, 2014 5:24 AMby Raptole,Okay, I have and would like to install a fresh Maverics. But is this the best way to do so?
Is the DiskMakerX the best way to install a fresh copy on a newly installed SSD? Im asking because I wouldn't want any problems in near future. I just want to forget about it after I have installed it and just to enjoy the productivity and speed of the SSD in my laptop.
-
Apr 28, 2014 7:50 AMby clintonfrombirmingham,HelpfulYes, it's the simplest, most fool-proof way there is. It doesn't cost anything (although donations are welcome) and it's the best, cleanest and fastest way to get your Mac up and going.
Make certain that you've downloaded the latest version of Mavericks from the Mac App Store (10.9.2) and make sure that the "Install Mac OS Mavericks.app" is in your Applications folder. Boot from the installation USB stick that you've created with DiskMaker X, use Disk Utility to erase and format the SSD and then install the system.
Couldn't be simpler...
Clinton
-
Apr 28, 2014 3:31 PMby Raptole,Okay, I just have a couple more questions before I decide to do it myself at home. It all doesn't seem like a very hard thing to do, so:
1. I need to get a SSD(i decided its gonna be one of the Crucial ones) and I just need to have it installed into my computer(saw some Tutorials, will do it alone)
2. I just need to make a bootable thumbdrive with Mavericks on it, so I can make a fresh/clean install of the Mac OS
3. if I would like to get some old photos or videos from my old hard drive, can I use this particular USB enclosure -- http://www.alternate.nl/Sweex/2-5-SATA-II-HDD-Enclosure-externe-behuizing/html/p roduct/1049707?event=search
And will it do the job? Also when I have installed the new SSD in the computer and also i have a new fresh running Mac OS X on it, can I plug in the old hard drive with the enclosure and can I get photos from it or everything is encrypted and I only need to run it as an Operating System... Am i just going to be able to get some particular files from the old hard drive that is connected to the newly running computer?P.S. Please recommend me a good USB enclosure. A cheap but good one, the one that will do the job that I get it for. I just need to transfer some photos after I make the fresh install of the new SSD and Mac OS X. That's all. Is that hassle all worth it? Shall I really get the USB Enclosure and do all that? What do you think?
ALSO!!! When I put the new SSD in the computer, it has nothing on it, comes right out of the box, what do i do when I start the computer? It has no Operating System, how is it going to work? Or it know that and it automatically takes me to Disk Utility(althogh there is no operating system on it) so I can format the disk and then it asks me to download the OS from the internet or from the thumbdrive? Is that correct, that all I want to know
-
Apr 28, 2014 4:24 PMby Eustace Mendis,When I put the new SSD in the computer, it has nothing on it, comes right out of the box, what do i do when I start the computer? It has no Operating System, how is it going to work? Or it know that and it automatically takes me to Disk Utility(althogh there is no operating system on it) so I can format the disk and then it asks me to download the OS from the internet or from the thumbdrive? Is that correct, that all I want to know
Put the SSD in the enclosure not the Mac (see below) and connect the external to the MBP. You will be asked what you want to do with the drive you just connected. Use Disk Utility on the MBP (Applications / Utilities ) to format the external drive as Mac OS extended.
Download Mavericks and install it on the external drive - no need for a thumb drive. After that verify that you can boot from the external drive. Then physically switch drives. (By the way the copy of Mavericks will remain on the Mac's drive, since the installation was to the other drive.)
As for a USB hard drive enclosure, there are hundreds of them. Here's one (an example only, not an endorsement):
-
Apr 29, 2014 12:52 AMby Raptole,Okay, so basically what i have to do is described in this article? --> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5911?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
Shall I follow it exactly what it says and do it? And then I will be perfectly fine i assume?
