Installing new SSD into older MacBook Pro and Organization Questions!!?
Hello,
I am about to pull the trigger on a new Samsung 840 Pro 512gb ssd for my older Macbook Pro 5,3 with 2.66 Intel Core 2 Duo.
I need some advice or at least point me in the direction of where I can read up to date info on properly executing the install of my new ssd.
A little background:
I have a Seagate 500gb external hdd that has many older pictures/videos on it as well as my "just about full" 320gb hdd on this computer that will be getting the 512ssd.
Any comments/suggestions a to how I can organize all of this and have it in one accessable place? (I was planning on installing the 512ssd on this computer, putting everything on the 512ssd and then wiping the external drive and using it as a backup periodically in case something went wrong with the new ssd I would be installing on this computer. Follow me? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've been telling my wife that we NEED to replace this drive before we lose many of our important pictures and other items on it. We have used 319gb of which 45gb is still available. I am nervous as this hdd is about 6-7 years old?
The pictures/videos are the most important to us and do not want to lose them. Thanks, in advance, for your help!
How to use an SSD with your HDD
If you are going to use an SSD as a boot drive together with your existing HDD as the "data" drive, here's what you can do.
After installing the SSD you will need to partition and format the SSD using Disk Utility. Then, install OS X on the SSD. After OS X has been installed boot from the SSD. Use Startup Disk preferences to set the SSD as the startup volume.
Open Users & Groups preferences. Click on the lock icon and authenticate. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on your user account listing in the sidebar and select Advanced Options from the context menu.
You will see a field labeled "Home dir:" At the right end you will see a Change button. Click on it. In the file dialog locate the Home folder now located on the HDD (HDD/Users/account_name/.) Select the folder, click on Open button. Restart the computer as directed.
When the computer boots up it will now be using the Home folder located on the HDD.
Another more technical method involving the Terminal and aliases is discussed in depth here: Using OS X with an SSD plus HDD setup - Matt Gemmell. This is my preferred approach because I can select which of the Home's folders I want on the HDD and which I don't want. For example, I like to keep the Documents and Library folders on the SSD because I access their content frequently.
Be sure you retain the fully bootable system on your HDD in case you ever need it.
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