Yeah I don't have that external enclosure or whatever it is.. We are just using an intel iMac, and transferring it all onto a disk image file on the iMac, then transfering back over once the new harddrive is installed. The problem is I don't understand how this is going to work. Do I install the OS onto the new harddrive first? And if so, how does it work once I get the disk image file back onto the new harddrive. Nobody has explained this to me yet. I don't see how it wouldn't screw anything up seeing as how you are putting 2 of the same sets of OS X files on the same computer.

I just replaced my old 250GB system disk with a 500GB disk in my G5. No special software is needed. No disk images. Here's what I did:

1) Installed the new drive and formatted it.

2) Installed Tiger on the new drive. At the end of the system install process a window opens that asks "Already Own a Mac?" It offers a number of choices for migration, one of which is "transfer data and system information from another volume" I checked that option and selected my old system drive

3) All the data, apps, and system information were transfered to the new drive. That's it. Done.

I did have provide my serial number for FCP the first time I ran it from the new system disk.

I think you should be able to do the same thing with your MacBook if you, as suggested above, get an enclosure for the old drive (about $40 at Best Buy or similar store -- just ask) and connect it to the MacBook Pro.

Search your system help/hard drive for "migration assistant" for more information -- it's a utility provided with OS X and it does the same thing as described above. Depending on how full the old drive is, the process can take hours, so make sure you are running the MacBook on AC

The point I was trying to make is, for like $30 or so you can get an external enclosure. This will be a good investment because it will allow you to use your old drive in the future for backups. In addition, it makes migration to a new drive extremely easy (as described by me and others above).

This is why mirroring an entire drive (using an external enclosure) to the new drive is so easy. You need nothing except SuperDuper (which is free).
You do not have to install a new OS onto the new drive because SuperDuper will create a functional clone of your existing drive (In superduper, you specify your old internal HD as source, the new one as destination. It's real easy.
This entire process is far easier than using the disk image approach.

"You do not have to install a new OS onto the new drive because SuperDuper will create a functional clone of your existing drive (In superduper, you specify your old internal HD as source, the new one as destination. It's real easy."

How does this work?

read this:

http://www.bombich.com/mactips/image.html

The page describes how Carbon Copy Cloner works. It does the same as SuperDuper.
(My personal opinion: every Mac user who's in charge of his data should know and use either Carbon Copy cloner or SuperDuper in order to do backups. These two apps are sooo easy to use and they generate a "mirrored", identical backup of your internal HD.

Here's the link to superduper:
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html

So could you explain exactly what happens? I do the super duper thing, transfer the first HD as a disk image onto the iMac, put the new HD in, and then what happens?

Read my post #15 from yesterday. It says what you have to do.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....9&postcount=15

Yeah I can't do the external enclosure thing, I explained how I was doing it before, is it not possible to do it the way I am trying?

Is it not possible to transfer my stuff with Super Duper to an iMac and transfer it back after I put the new hard drive in?

You guys there??

Yes, you could clone (over ethernet) your internal HD to a disk image that's on an iMac. However, once you're done cloning and after you've put in the new HD into the macbook, you'll need to boot and start superduper - you can't do this from the install DVD. And you can't boot from the networked image. Also you cannot install a fresh system onto the new drive and then "merge" this with your image on the iMac. That's why I recommended buying an external enclosure.
I'm not sure if you're unwilling to listen, read the referenced websites, or whatever, hence my hesitation to answer promptly...
If you're willing to explain *exactly* what your problem is, then you might get more help.

resurrection
 

hey y'all,
I'm resurrecting this forum with a thread query...

Here's my scenerio, I'm currently using a Macbook 13" and about to buy a Macbook Pro 15". I have a 160gb hd and the Pro has a 200gb drive. I want to clone my existing drive to the new machine with all the applications, settings, preferences and such, so I can get to work immediately on it. I am somewhat familiar with the process.

The thing is, the Macbook I currently own is still on OSX 10.4." Tiger and the Pro will have 10.5. Leopard...will this cause any problems as far as transfering the cloned image to the new machine?? or will everything be cool.

If anyone has experience with this scenerio and can advise me of the easiest most fail-safe procedure for this task, i would greatly appreciate it!!..I have a couple TB's of external firewire storage, so backing up is not a problem.

thanks so much!
Brendan

Cloning a drive means you are making an exact replica -- OS included -- of the drive. This clone is used to replace the contents of the target drive (OS included).

In other words, making a clone of a drive with Tiger and then restoring it to the new machine will replace the OS.

To Brendan
 

Give use some news of your scenario. I think i'll have to do the same thing in a few months from my MBP2.2 ghz with 10.4.11 to a brand new MacBook Pro.

Thanks

Bruno

If you are moving data from one OS to another (e.g. files from a Tiger OS drive to a new Leopard drive) then cloning is not the way to go. You will have to simply copy them over as you would from one drive to another. This also means you have to reinstall your applications from scratch. It's a PITA but that's how the cookie crumbles.