Installing New Hard Drive / SuperDuper Question

[T-Stex]

Hey guys. I recently ordered a new internal hard drive for my MacBook (Seagate 160GB), and an external enclosure for the original 80GB drive that has FireWire and USB support. I'm wondering exactly what the process that I'll need to go through to copy my current drive to the new drive will be.

As far as I understand, I'll do the following steps:
- Install the original drive in the external enclosure
- Install the new drive in the MacBook
- Boot from the old drive
- Format the new drive using Disk Utility
- Use SuperDuper to clone the external drive to the new internal drive
- Format the external drive using Disk Utility

Basically, does this seem like the correct set of steps (and order) to do? Also, how exactly do you boot from an external USB or FireWire drive?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[kainjow]

Seems good to me. When I installed a new hard drive into my MB, I already had an external drive to back up onto via SuperDuper. Then, when I got the new drive, I popped it in, booted up onto the external drive, and used SuperDuper again to copy the files back. To start up from another volume, hold down Option when booting up, and you'll be able to select your external drive.

 

[skybolt]

Even easier would be to use Migration Assistant to migrate from the external to the new internal.

 

[Snide]

Even easier would be to use Migration Assistant to migrate from the external to the new internal.

How would you do that without having Tiger installed on the new internal?
I have used Migration Assistant to transfer data from old machines to new
machines, but new machines always come with the latest OS installed.

I recommend putting the new drive into the new enclosure and then
verify that both the drive and the enclosure work (without removing drive
from Macbook needlessly), then use Superduper! to clone from the Macbook.
I set Superduper! to boot from the external drive after cloning, and if all goes
well (and only then), I swap drives.

 

[crazzyeddie]

You just boot up off the install CD that came with your computer and install a fresh copy of Tiger on the new drive (after its installed inside of the MacBook). During the setup process (either before or after reboot, I can't remember) the migration assistant will come up and ask if you want to import from another drive. Just turn on your Firewire drive and click Go. Select what you want to transfer and just let it do its thing!

 

[T-Stex]

As an edit to this thread, I wanted to write that I received the drive (Seagate Momentus 160GB) and enclosure (OWC Mercury On The Go) and set everything up very easily. Thinking that this might be able to help out some other people on here, I'll list my steps. I followed Snide's advice, and put the new drive into the enclosure first, then formatted using Disk Utility, then copied the contents of the old drive over to the new one using SuperDuper! Next, I restarted the computer, and booted from the new drive in the external enclosure, verified that it was working, and then swapped drives. Everything was incredibly easy and worked well.

The hardest part was figuring out how to open up the OWC enclosure. While the enclosure was more expensive than other 2.5" SATA enclosures I've seen, I didn't want to skimp on an enclosure that I'd be travelling with, and would like to last a while. I've purchased a few cheaper enclosures, and just haven't been happy with them at all. Overall, I think that the OWC enclosure is the best I've used thus far, and it supports USB 2.0 and FireWire 800.

 

[T-Stex]

Also, the reason I couldn't install Tiger and use the migration assistant was because I'm at school now and don't have the Tiger DVD's with me, and didn't want to drive two hours to get them. I forgot to mention that when asking my question.

 

[Oshawapilot]

So, let me get this straight - will migration assistant *completely* duplicate an existing drive? Right down to applications....configurations, and the most minuscule of things?

Basically what I'm trying to say is..using Migration Assistant can I expect to perform the migration from the old HD to the new HD...reboot, and have my Mac pop up with everything exactly duplicated but on the new HD?

We got a new MacBook a while back and didn't bother trying to migrate from my old iBook as most of our setup was easily duplicated fresh on the new MB.

However, our new MacBook is now significantly customized and there is allot of software installed, and unlike my switch from the iBook, I don't want to start from scratch again if I upgrade the internal drive in the new Macbook.

 

[ianhhh]

sorry to jump in here but if i go from a pbook to a mbp am i best to use this migration thing? i thought i heard that it wasnt reliable, dropped things?!! mayb think best to start afresh as a different chip? is it poss to do a partial migration?!

 

[theBB]

sorry to jump in here but if i go from a pbook to a mbp am i best to use this migration thing? i thought i heard that it wasnt reliable, dropped things?!! mayb think best to start afresh as a different chip? is it poss to do a partial migration?!

If you just transfer your "home", I mean, just personal files, no applications or system files, you'll probably be OK.

 

[konfuzion]

I'm checking out macbook hard drives from ebay...

is there any installation required other than just unscrewing the bracket that blocks the ram and hard drive? Is it simply popping the new drive in like a nintendo cartridge?


heres the hard drive info:


# Enhanced Adaptive Battery Life Extender 3.0 for maximized battery life
# Low Power: Spins at 5400 RPM for fast performance but has power specifications similar to slower 4200 RPM drives
# Fluid Dynamic Bearing Spindle Motor for lower acoustics and increased non-operating shock tolerance
# Ultra Quiet : Advanced noise reduction using a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Damper
# S.M.A.R.T. compliant detection system that gives advanced warning of possible drive inconsistencies
# Stiffness-reinforced base casting construction offers enhanced stability and greater vibration/shock resistance
# Antiferromagnetically-coupled (AFC) "pixie dust" media
# Specular Layer giant magnetoresistive (GMR) heads
# Ramp Head Load/Unload technology
# Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) read channel
# Adaptive Formatting


Specifications
Capacity (GB) 160 Form Factor 2.5" Notebook
Rotational Speed (rpm) 5400 Seek time (ms) 12 Average (typical)
Buffer Size 8 MB Drive Type SATA
Product Life 5 years or 20,000 power ON hours Buffer to/from Host Max 100MB/sec
Dimensions (mm) 9.5(H)x70(W)x100(D) Weight (g) 98