Best Way to Move OS to a New Hard Drive?

I currently have two internal hard drives in my G5 (a 160 GB, original System disk, and a 320 GB, which I installed myself). The disks are both reaching their capacity. What I would like to do is replace the 160 GB drive with the 320 GB drive and then install a new, larger hard drive in the second bay.
If I copy everything from both drives onto an external drive, and then copy all of the 160 GB drive contents to the 320 GB drive, will this work? That is, will the MacOS copy properly in this way?

To replicate your startup volume use the Restore option of Disk Utility. This will make a bootable clone. The clone should be to either a separate drive or a separate partition on another drive (the partition will be erased.) The partition or drive needs to be large enough for the data usage on the source drive which in your case sounds close to 160 GBs.
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4.Check the box labeled Erase destination.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the backup drive.
Source means the 160 GB startup drive.

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Best way to move all music to new hard drvie and computer

I'm updating my existing computer, will be installing Vista home premium to new hard drive on new computer, using some of my existing hardware - setting up existing hard drive as secondary drive to move data over - I was hoping to backup all itunes files to the hard drive and then restore from backup to new drive but I can only backup to DVD - which i dont want to do. Once Itunes is setup on the new computer, whats the best way to move all files from the old directory without losing the purchased folder and all settings? thanks.
Windows XP Pro

Make the drive name the same as the old one, or point to the first file when asked. PR will then find the rest of the files, at least if they are in the same directory.

Best way to move to a larger external hard drive

Hi everyone, I currently have my masters on an external hard drive and want to move them to a larger hard drive. What is the best way to move them so that aperture will still be able to find them? Just clone the drive using something like carbon copy? Can I just start using the new larger hard drive and not have to take any other steps? Thanks.

To move Aperture library read this.
Scroll down until you reach Aperture because this one site tell you how to move a bunch of libraries.
Allan

What's the best way to move a project from my hard drive to someone else's hard drive?

I've read lots of related discussions concerning problems after copying/importing/whatever, so I want to avoid those. I have worked on a project since its inception. It is currently in RoboHelp 8 HTML with several dozen LINKED Word documents and a couple of PDFs.Someone else is about to take over maintenance. What's the recommended sequence, please?

Assuming the project is not under any form of source control, simply copy the source to a shared drive and let your colleague know when it is available. Just make sure they copy it to a local drive before they edit anything.
The RoboColum(n)
@robocolumn
Colum McAndrew

HT1589 what's the best way to move content to a new library I created ie a holiday music only library?

what's the best way to move content to a new library I created ie a holiday music only library?

Sophie:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. You're only hope to recover the library as it once was is to: 1 - if you have a backup copy of your iPhoto Library or 2 - you can put everything back exactly the way it was in the Finder.
Otherwise you'll have to start over with a new library and import the Originals folder from your current library as follows:
Creating a new library while preserving the Events from the original library.
Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
Open the library package like this.
Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library if you have the Finder checkbox unchecked in the Events preference pane.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

I am moving from PC to Mac. My PC has two internal drives and I have a 3Tb external. What is best way to move the data from the internal drives to Mac and the best way to make the external drive read write without losing data

I am moving from PC to Mac. My PC has two internal drives and I have a 3Tb external. What is best way to move the data from the internal drives to Mac and the best way to make the external drive read write without losing data

Paragon even has non-destriuctive conversion utility if you do want to change drive.
Hard to imagine using 3TB that isn't NTFS. Mac uses GPT for default partition type as well as HFS+
www.paragon-software.com
Some general Apple Help www.apple.com/support/
Also,
Mac OS X Help
http://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/
Isolating Issues in Mac OS
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1388
https://www.apple.com/support/osx/
https://www.apple.com/support/quickassist/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/help/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/tour/
Get Help with your Product
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304725
Apple Mac App Store
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_app_store/using_mac_apple_store
How to Buy Mac OS X Mountain Lion/Lion
http://www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/
TimeMachine 101
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427
http://www.apple.com/support/timemachine
Mac OS X Community
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os

Best way to manage Aperture library size for hard drive space?

For a couple years, I have been using Aperture 2 and then migrated to Aperture 3. All this time I have worked completely on my laptops internal hard drive and with one library. My library is now 80gb and hard drive space is becoming an issue. Now I am trying to decide the best direction to take for reducing my internal hard drive space. My biggest storage culprit are my kids sports team pictures. I have taken thousands and thousands of pictures of kids that I don't need to keep in my internal library. I would like to pull my kids out of those pics, keep them in my main library and archive the rest out. I'm looking for advice for the best process.
I put an external drive on my Airport USB drive and put my library in a new vault last night. I know it is much slower than going direct to USB on computer. With wireless N it took about 12 hours to backup the 80gb library to a new vault on this Airport drive. Are there any issues with using the Airport USB other than speed? I know apple has issues with using time machine on this kind of setup but I don't know if Aperture has any of the same issues. My thought is that I might use this drive for additional libraries as well.
Thanks
-Erik

Once I move files to external storage as a "referenced master", is there a way to move some of them back to main library on the internal drive? I'm going to move all my team sports pictures to external but would like to keep the pictures with my kids on the internal drive where they are at. But if I unintentionally move some of my kids to the external drive, how do I "un-reference" them and move them back?
Thanks for the help!

Move itunes library to new hard drive

ok i recently got a new harddrive because i ran out of space on my old one. i have started everything over fresh and i want to take EVERYTHING from my old iTunes and put it on my new harddrive. One thing i have tried is taking the itunes>music folder and copied onto my ipod (enable disk use) and then put it on my new hard drive. well my problem is that i dont have the same number of items and its missing all of the ratings and play counts and any of the small details like "skip during shuffle". another problem is that all of my videos are under the movie category, which will take me forever to organize. please help me because i really do not want to organize my whole library again

Then you want to clone your original HD to the new HD. See below - same concept as moving between two computers, you just do it between two HDs on the same PC..
How to Copy and Move your Music Files from One Computer to Another
This is the conceptual framework with related and important links. Apply and adapt it to your specific situation and equipment resources.
The safest, quickest, and most optimal method to move your Library to a new computer is to actually clone the entire ‘iTunes’ folder (directory) structure, rather than just copying just the song files. By copying the entire ‘iTunes’ folder and all sub-folders, you capture not only the music files, but the all-important ‘iTunes Library.itl’ database file (usually located in the ‘iTunes’ folder), which contains all the data about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). See: What are the iTunes Library files?
Install iTunes on the new computer. Then go back to your old computer and move (copy) the "iTunes" folder which usually resides inside your "…\My Documents\My Music" folder from the old computer to the exact same place (both Drive Letter and complete Path) on the new computer. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will look and behave exactly the same way it did on the old, Play Counts, Ratings, Comments and all!
NOTE: It is usually safer moving files between computers with the same version of iTunes!!
iTunes Files to Copy and Move to your New PC
1) All music files in their current folder structure (usually located in and under the ‘iTunes Music’ folder)
2) The Library database file: ‘iTunes Library.itl’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
3) The Library XML file: ‘iTunes Music Library.xml’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
4) Any XML playlist files you created for Playlist retention
5) The two iTunes.pref files (optional)
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunes.pref
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer Inc\iTunes.pref
6) The XML file of Ratings, Play Counts and Last Played attributes saved from the main Library and created by Otto’s SaveRatings script (also optional, but recommended):
“Download this: http://ottodestruct.com/itunes/SaveRatings.zip . It's a program, just run it like any other program. Run it on the machine where you're copying the info from BEFORE you move the files to the new machine. Click the "Save Ratings" button and it'll create a ratings.xml file. Now when you move the files, move the program and this file as well. Then after you make your new iTunes library, run it again and click the "Restore Ratings" button. Voila, all your information is back in the Library. Well, most of it anyway, it's not perfect. It'll tell you what songs it couldn't figure out though, and there's usually not very many.”
Here's a list of methods to copy and move your music files from one computer to another:
1) Use an External Hard Drive (ExHD) to move the complete files and Folder structures from one computer to another (my preferred option). You can clone’ the entire ‘iTunes’ folder structure in one very easy step. Also great to have available for complete backups of your Library. External hard drives now run less than $100 for 200-250GBs of storage. See This Link
2) Directly connect the two computers....
- 2a) Connect them through a Router &/or Network
- 2b) Directly connect using an Ethernet cable: Straight for using at least one Mac; or Crossover for PC/PC Instructions here.
- 2c) Connect them via a USB-to-USB Network Bridge. Example here. There are various types out there (use Google).
....Then copy the files from one computer to the other.
3) Use the iPod as a transfer device, as this extensive Apple link explains. It will be a bit easier if your iPod has a larger capacity than your music collection, otherwise you will need to perform multiple copy/move transfers. This well written process also works fine while using any other data transfer medium (ExHD, Flash Drive, DVD, CD, Zipp, Jazz, etc.).
4) Burn several DVDs (at 4.7GBs each) with your music data files and folder structure, and load them onto the new computer. Re-writable DVDs are more cost effective (if your DVD drive can manage these types).
5) Burn 6x more on CDs (at 700MB each) than in #4 above and load the files and folders on the new computer. Re-writable CDs are more cost effective (if your CD drive can manage these types).
6) Use a larger USB Flash drive (1GB - 4GB) to move the files and folders. Best if the flash drive is larger than your Library, otherwise you will need multiple copy/move transfers.
These are links to various additional instructions on performing the transfer (read them all, but some listed steps may not be required depending on your specific situation):
Switch from PC to Mac Using the iPod
hudgie: Migrating iTunes for Windows to a new PC
How to copy music between authorized computers

How to move files after installing new hard drive

I am considering the installation of a new 80 or 100 GB hard drive. I purchased the new iLife 06 program but I do not have enough space to install on my present 60 GB unit. I only have 3 GB available. I've read all the posts involving the possible brands, downloaded the instructions how to swap out the units. My question is how to backup and install my files and applications so I may reinstall onto the new drive. Can I just copy my hard drive volume onto my external Lacie storage unit and then drag the volume back to the new hard drive after booting off my OS disk? Any advice on how to move my apps and files? Do I need to purchase cloning software?

The easiest way is buy an external firewire enclosure and put your new drive in it. Then format your new drive. then use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy your internal drive onto your new drive. Then install your new drive and put your old one in the enclosure. You are now in business with an external backup on your old drive.

Have Old Hard drive and want to move old data onto new hard drive in imac.

I am trying to get my files off of an old hard drive. I have it hooked up through a sata drive. I am able to access all the programs but for whatever reason I am unable to access any of the files, i.e- 1,00's of pictures, videos, music, and documents. Is there something else I need to do in order to get the files, or is it possible that all the programs could still be on it but the files are just missing? In the current Sata it only has two plugs but on my hard drive it looks like there is another place to plug something in.

Hello again Shadow,
The way I do this is to:
1) Install your new hard drive into your iBook
2) Get your iBook reassembeled
3) Place your old hard drive in your firewire enclosure
4) Insert your install DVD into your iBook and restart with the C key held down. When the installer launches, select your language in the first pane, click 'continue' and in the upper dropdown menu in the next page select Utilities > Disk Utility. After DU is open, select your hard drive from the list of volumes on the left (the very top one), and then click the 'Partition' tab to the right. Then select 1 partition (normal) and make sure that you have 'Mac OS Extended (journled)' selected in the lower section. Then click 'partition'
5)Quit disc utility, which brings you back to the installer. continue with your installation of OS X. In one of the first steps you will see a button on the lower left which says 'options' click on that and make sure that the option 'Installs OS X for the first time' is selected. It will normally be selected by default with a new drive.
6) After the installation, the Migration Assistant will ask if you would like to transfer your information from another mac. click yes then follow the instructions. but instead of using another mac, connect a firewire cable from your enclosure with your old hard drive installed. The installer will think that this is another mac and will transfer all of your account information and user files (everything!)from your old drive to your iBook's new drive. Just diconnect when it says to and complete the installation sequence.
You're done!
Check back again if anything is unclear.
Randy
Message was edited by: DesertSage

How is the best way to sync my iphone after a hard drive upgrade?

With a new hard drive on a Windows 7 machine and transferring my purchases (Mostly Apps, Music, and Photos) from my iphone to a fresh and the latest install of iTunes, how do i sync my apps the same way including the folders they are in on the iphone? Or do i have to drag them back inside their folders in the itunes software first? Especially, since it wants to delete everything from the phone and put the apps back on in that order instead of the folders I originally had them in...??

Try this way:
Disable autosync in iTunes, connect your phone to your new computer and right click on it in the device list and choose backup. iTunes will backup your phone without syncing.
Transfer your purchases the same way, choosing "transfer purchases" this time.
When you connect your phone for the first time, all media content will be erased. But you can restore your settings and app data from your manual backup afterwards.
Don't forget to set up at least one contact and event on your new computer to be able to merge calendars and contacts when you sync the phone for the first time.
About backups and what's saved:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
How to back up and restore:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414
How to download apps for free again:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
Saving other data is also described here. How

My old hard drive is dead and I need to move iTunes to the new hard drive

My computer's old hard drive contained some corrupted Windows files. A friend was able to get my husband's iTunes file off the old hard drive and it's saved in the My Music folder on the new hard drive. Can someone please give me super easy to understand instructions on how I get the iTunes stuff onto the new hard drive? I don't want to mess anything up because he has such a large number of albums in the iTunes folder. Thank you in advance!

It sounds like you just have 2 formatted drives (SSD, HDD) that are not configured as a Fusion drive. If so, you have to manually move files from the SSD to the HDD and visa versa.
If your system would have come configured with a Fusion drive (SSD and HDD 'fused' together) then OS X would maintain file movement from the SSD to the HDD without user intervention.
Look here then scroll down to Introducing Fusion Drive for a brief explanation.

Easiest way to start fresh with a new hard drive?

RIP my MacBook Pro's hard drive. I got the dreaded 'this drive can't be repaired' error yesterday, so I wiped and restored with Time Machine and it seemed fine at first. This morning, the computer kept seizing up and I had to do a hard reboot, which failed. I have no reason to believe there's anything wrong with other components such as the motherboard. The hard drive gave me plenty of indications that it was dying.
I'll be ordering a new drive shortly. Any suggestions for good drive for an early 2009 17" MBP? I currently have a 320GB drive and that's plenty, no need to go bigger unless I can get a 500GB drive for the same price. I can do the switch myself.
I'm also trying to figure out the least painful way to get the new hard drive up and running. All the info I find has me transferring data from the old one to the new, but that's not possible obviously and why would I even want to since I have backups.
Can I just do a restore from the last Time Machine backup? Or do I have to install ML on the new drive and then use Migration Assistant? Would my bootable full backup be of any value?
I want as fresh of an install as possible with minimum fuss -- all my apps, all my data, none of the file permission errors, etc. Is that even possible?
Thanks!
Rae

You can boot up from the Mac OS X Install Disc that came with your machine or using the Recovery system if you have Lion/Mountain Lion installed. In the Utilities menu that will be on the top of your screen after you boot to the disc, you'll have an option to Restore From Time Machine Backup.
Once you choose that option, it will perform a full carbon copy restore from your Time Machine backup.
"Restoring your entire system from a backup
If you are restoring a backup made by a Mac to the same Mac
With your backup drive connected, start up your Mac from the Recovery system (Command-R at startup) or Mac OS X v10.6 installation disc (With the disc in the optical drive, 'C' at startup). Then use the "Restore From Time Machine Backup" utility."
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11192?viewlocale=en_US
Tada.
Done.

What is the best way to remove personal data from the hard drive in preparation for selling my old Mac?

I am going to sell or perhaps donate my old Power Mac G5. Is there an easier, yet comprehensive way to remove my data from the hard-drive? My best approach is dumping anything I do not want found into the trash.
I am running Mac OS 10.5.8 on the powermac G5

For better security than the simple Erase (which does not actually over-write the data blocks, only clears the directory), choose Security Options, and Zero all data, one pass.
After a Zero all data, the only way to recover the data is to dis-assemble the drive in a clean room and use expensive test gear to recover a little of the data. That is good for all but Military Secrets.
If you really trust no one under any circumstances, remove the drive and beat it to death with a hammer.

Purchased movies not playing in new hard drive

After installing a new hard drive on my pc laptop I see a gray screen with no audio when I play purchased movies in iTunes. I have authorized the iTunes player and movie, I have the latest version of iTunes.
What is stopping me from hearing and seeing movies in iTunes that I have purchased?
I have no problem seeing and hearing them on my iPod.
Thank you for looking.

correct me if i am wrong, but you do not get that option to convert movie to ipod/iphone, just to acc that i recall.

Best Way to Move OS to a New Hard Drive?

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