Adding SSD to macbook pro - installation query.

Donnie

Donnie

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OK I've googled until my eyes bleed but i cannot find a tutorial / video / instruction list on how to add an SSD into the optical bay of my mid 2012 MBP to use as a boot drive.

Im not worried re the actual installation, that I can see how to do its the steps before and after.

BUT where I am struggling is every single site talks of replacing the hd with the ssd, i want to add one and make it bootable and use the hdd for storage.

Additionally I was planning on a fresh install to the ssd (which i believe can be more tedious) and then reinstalling the few programmes I want to run off the ssd if that makes sense.

My reasoning for this was the space taken up on the 500hdd is just over 200gb, the ssd is only 250gb though 100gb is photos

So, either a fresh install or carbon copy the old HDD then erase the HDD once done, then move the 100GB of photos to the HDD freeing up space on the SSD?

I really need some help here before i dive in and confuse myself further :-(
 
replace the CD drive with the new SSD and leave the existing HD in place

if you want to keep the CD as an external - buy a caddy from Amazon
 
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Not sure about a mac but in windows you enter in the bios on startup and change the boot options from there.
 
Donnie said:
Yes thats the physical drive installation which i know how to do, its how to get that ssd as the boot drive that I dont get
Click to expand...

there is a migration utility - google it

migration assistant?
 
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Bill, I have and "Because if you have been upgrading your Macs over the years by installing new versions of OS X over old ones, and migrating data from old Macs to new ones, you’ll have hundreds, even thousands of old files that you no longer need. For this reason, you might want to consider doing a clean installation."

which is why im asking for some actual help and admitting ive got lost and confused with it all. So if you can help that would be great
 
Donnie said:
Bill, I have and "Because if you have been upgrading your Macs over the years by installing new versions of OS X over old ones, and migrating data from old Macs to new ones, you’ll have hundreds, even thousands of old files that you no longer need. For this reason, you might want to consider doing a clean installation."

which is why im asking for some actual help and admitting ive got lost and confused with it all. So if you can help that would be great
Click to expand...

Hi Donnie - all I did was what I said - once you have all the info you need on the SSD can you not start cleaning the system - took under 2 hours - much faster - I appreciate that you want to start with a fresh installation and all that - but I cannot help with that - others will be able to help you - but why don't you just get the SSD installed and running with the HD working OK, with Back ups and then think about a fresh installation of the latest OS ...... rather tan trying to do it in just one big step
 
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OK, so
1 install the ssd
2 migrate everything to the ssd from the hdd
then you lost me

I then have 2 drives with the same information surely and have to choose which is bootable? wont this be a conflict? even if not Id assume you are saying "cleaning the system" to mean either tidying up old programmes etc on the new ssd while erasing the old hdd?
But then a fresh installation onto what the ssd? isn't that a completely different kettle of fish from what i read ie downloading osx from app store onto a boot thumbdrive and using it on an erased formatted ssd? making the migration pointless surely?

Can anyone else help here?
 
Donnie said:
OK

BUT where I am struggling is every single site talks of replacing the hd with the ssd, i want to add one and make it bootable and use the hdd for storage.
Click to expand...

I did this a few years ago. The advice I was given (I don't know if right or wrong) waste replace the traditional HD with an SSD and then place the HD is the optical bay. Apparently just putting your boot drive in the optical by may lead to problems waken the system from sleep.

You select your boot drive from the system preferences.

As Bill says doing it in one go is silly. I used Carbon Copy Cloner to create a boot disk on an SSD but then I've always used external storage for data
 
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@boyfalldown OK I can see what you're doing there.

so you're steps were
1 using ccc create boot disk on the ssd externally
2 shut down computer - remove HDD - replace with boot ssd - put HDD in optical drive bay.
3. turn on computer and select ssd in preferences then reinstall fresh OS from there.

That makes sense I think if im right in what you are saying
 
Donnie said:
Yes thats the physical drive installation which i know how to do, its how to get that ssd as the boot drive that I dont get
Click to expand...

If you want to choose different devices from time to time.....When your Mac starts it should make a bong. When you hear the bong hold down the option key (the one with alt on it) until a screen pops up which will allow you to select from any attached bootable device.

If you want to choose a default or always boot from the same device....Boot the machine and then go into System Preferences on the Apple menu and select "Startup disk". It should be obvious from there.
 
JonathanRyan said:
If you want to choose different devices from time to time.....When your Mac starts it should make a bong. When you hear the bong hold down the option key (the one with alt on it) until a screen pops up which will allow you to select from any attached bootable device.

If you want to choose a default or always boot from the same device....Boot the machine and then go into System Preferences on the Apple menu and select "Startup disk". It should be obvious from there.
Click to expand...

As Jonathan states above.

Before that though, boot up with the USB installation image you have created (if you haven't done that bit yet is is quite easy, just google and follow the instructions).

When you boot from that installation USB you should have the option of where to install OSX. Just select the new SSD.
 
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