How to replace the hard drive when using Yosemite

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Level 1

7 points

How to replace the hard drive when using Yosemite

I suspect there's a tutorial already for this but I haven't yet found it, so apologies if I'm repeating an old question.

I have a mid-2012 Macbook Pro with a 120GB SSD. I'd like to swap it out with a 512GB drive. However, I'm not sure what the procedure is for re-installing Yosemite? I've seen various tutorials for previous iterations of the OS but want to make sure I'm 100% sure of what I need to do before proceeding.

Any help will be appreciated.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 9:24 AM

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Answer 1

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keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 7, 2015 9:51 AM in response to dartiss

Yosemite should be no different than Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks when upgrading an internal drive.

You could (assuming Yosemite is your current OS):

Back up your current system. Then create a USB thumb drive using the OS X Recovery Disk Assistant utility which puts the Recovery HD on a thumb drive so you can use OS X Utilities. Install your 512GB SSD, boot from the thumb drive, use Disk Utility to format the SSD then reinstall Yosemite to the SSD. You will need an Internet connection because this will download Yosemite from Apple then install it. During Setup you could migrate your user account(s), apps and data.

Back up your current system. Then create a USB thumb drive (8GB) installer for Yosemite. Install your 512GB SSD. Restart using the USB thumb drive. Then use Disk Utility to format your 512 and install Yosemite. During Setup you could migrate your user account(s), apps and data.

Back up your current system. Then clone the 120GB SSD to the 512GB SSD or USB drive by restarting into Recovery Mode (Command+R). Use Disk Utility - Restore to clone the 120 to either your 512 using an external USB drive enclosure or to an external USB drive. If you clone using the external enclosure, then you would simply install the 512 and your good. If you use a USB external drive then you would install your 512, boot to Recovery Mode on the USB external drive then use Disk Utility to format and Restore from the external drive to the 512.

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Answer 2

dartiss Author

Level 1

7 points

Jan 8, 2015 3:11 AM in response to keg55

Thanks. I was going to get a caddy for the old Macbook drive so I may as well use that first to clone the existing drive.

Do you have any thoughts on this issue... http://www.larryjordan.biz/caution-ssd-drives-and-yosemite/.I'm concerned now about putting a third party SSD in now 😕

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Answer 3

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 8, 2015 3:47 AM in response to dartiss

The link you provided clearly states the issue and it's NOT the SSD: The issue revolves around Trim utility software used by the SSD drive.

Answer is simple. Don't use any of the 3rd party TRIM utilities (Trim Enabler, Chameleon, etc.) with Yosemite. Third party SSDs come with built in Garbage Collection and TRIM is NOT enable within OS X for these. So there are hacks used to enable TRIM in OS X for these SSDs. Here is some information from the developer of Trim Enabler. Your choice, however, to use these utilities.

Today's SSD's have very good Garbage Collection. And in my opinion that is good enough. I have 2 Mac Minis with SSDs (Crucial, OWC). Neither have TRIM enable using those hacks and both are excellent performers.

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