Using drive (SSD) from MBP

[D.T.]

So I'm moving from a MBP (2011, running 10.9.5) to a 2012 Mini - my intent is to use the SSD (Crucial MX100) in the new-to-me Mini. I've been on Macs for a while now, and done quite a few installs/updates (soft- and hard- ware), but I've never swapped an existing, working drive across OSX machines.

On Winders© I've swapped out motherboards, moved drives between machines, and what [usually] happens is you just get drivers that don't load, you setup the new drivers (starting with at least the network), and after a few updates, Windows is configured for the new hardware.

If I just pop the SSD into the Mini, fire it up, does OSX simply reconfigure as needed to account for the change in hardware? Things like the video I'd think would be the most different.

Thanks!

 

[MagicBoy]

Yep, should be fine. I did the same with the drive from my 2011 MBP into my 2009 Mac mini. First boot might take a while.

 

[D.T.]

Yep, should be fine. I did the same with the drive from my 2011 MBP into my 2009 Mac mini. First boot might take a while.

Yeah, that's pretty close to my scenario. My Mini doesn't show till tomorrow late afternoon, so maybe I'll get a few more confirmation before then.

Thanks!

 

[MagicBoy]

Generally speaking an OS X installation will boot on any supported Mac of the same architecture (Intel or PPC). Clone it to an external drive and it'll still work fine.

OS X isn't like Windows where it panics when it finds a different type of chipset.

 

[g33k]

If you have the Mini boot up with a drive with some form of OS X installed, it will boot.

 

[scottsjack]

One of my M500s went from Mac Pro to mini and now back to a different Mac Pro with minimal problems and no fresh installs. Another one with Windows 8.1 went from a Mac Pro and now to a mini with not too much trouble.

You have to change machine names un-authorize and re-authorize some software but it's not too bad.

 

[D.T.]

Generally speaking an OS X installation will boot on any supported Mac of the same architecture (Intel or PPC). Clone it to an external drive and it'll still work fine.

OS X isn't like Windows where it panics when it finds a different type of chipset.

If you have the Mini boot up with a drive with some form of OS X installed, it will boot.

One of my M500s went from Mac Pro to mini and now back to a different Mac Pro with minimal problems and no fresh installs. Another one with Windows 8.1 went from a Mac Pro and now to a mini with not too much trouble.

You have to change machine names un-authorize and re-authorize some software but it's not too bad.

Piece o' cake

It took longer to get the antenna plate back on/aligned than to restart the Mini with the SSD

A few passwords for Mail and Messages, and I'm back up and running. Fantastic! It seems fast, it's _super_ quiet, and I'm running two monitors now (one off the HDMI, one off the TB/DP with a DP>>HMDI adapter ... both displays are using HDMI>>DVI cables from Monoprice)