Should I upgrade the internal hdd on my 2008 8.1 iMac or use an external drive?

I have an external hdd right now it is a 500gb go seagate goflex with a number of iTunes folders that I put on from my windows pc. I just received this 2008 2.4ghz core 2 duo 8.1 iMac and tried to import the files. The internal hdd is only 250gb so they would not fit, when I tried to get iTunes to run from the external drive it would but I would have to manually open each artist then album then song I wanted in the Finder for it to play. The songs do not show up automatically in iTunes, even though I think I followed all of the instructions for external hdd support. I was going to buy a new iMac and have the genius set it up, but now I think I am going to upgrade the RAM myself and am deciding wether or not I should also replace the internal hdd to 2TB or just get an external hdd so when I get a new iMac, maybe next year, I could still use it. However, I don't want to get another, larger external hdd if I'm going to have a hard time transferring all of my media to iTunes. Can I pay to have an apple genius do this at the store? I just upgraded the operating system to Snow Leopard and am waiting to upgrade RAM before moving to Mountain Lion. I just want my iTunes to sync up, at this point I will do just about anything, short of buying a new Mac. Thanks for any help.

You can keep your iTunes collection on an external drive. You can also keep just bulky items that you may not want to see often such as movies and just keep smaller items on the internal drive. This split option is more tricky but there are several ways to do it.
If all you have is a modest music collection, you can manage with an internal drive. Most modern media collections with huge movies files fast outpace even larger internal hard drives and you will have to resort to an external drive. Your computer dating from 2008 is (according to Apple's coproration standards) on its way to becoming a museum piece (hey, I still use a 10 year old computer, but Apple gave up hope for me years ago). I would not upgrade the internal drive. That will cost you a lot and be tricky to take with you to your next computer. An external drive you can just plug into a new computer.
Some of the issues you are encountering are because you do not yet know how to properly manage and transfer iTunes files. We can help you, or you can pay somebody a lot of money to do this for you on a regular basis.
Your GoFlex drive was used with Windows. Macs and Windows use different drive formats. If you are now using Mac-only then you will need to reformat the drive (you will need to store all those files elsewhere while you are doing this).
Do not buy just one external drive. When that drive fails (oh, and believe me, it will) your whole collection will be lost. Some of it you may be able to download again from Apple, but Apple does not "store" your iTunes collection, it is up to you to ensure its safety.

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Due to a divorce all my music is on my iTunes and iPod. I had to buy a new computer and want to transfer my Library to the new computer. How can I do this without using an external drive and use new computer just like I do the old one? Thanks.

Due to divorce, all my music is on my iTunes and iPod. I have had to buy a new laptop and want to transfer the library to the new computer before deauthorizing the old one. I dont want to have to use an external drive every time I want to listen to my music. How can I do this and have the same basic iTunes setup as before? HELP!

You might consider itunes match for moving CDs you've copied into your itunes library if you dont have a way to use home sharing.
iTunes match is an optional service offered by apple that costs about $25 a year. It scans your music library and if it finds music that is already in apple's itunes catalog it'll automatically "unlock"/"store" these in the cloud for you. Items that it does not find in the catalog it'll upload and store these in the cloud for you and you can download them on your devices. See http://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/

How to steer the iMac to use an external drive when SSD on start-up drive?

Good day,
As stated elsewhere it is a good practice to have an admin account and a "working" or day-to-day user's account.
Secondly it is recommended to have the OS & the apps on the SSD and "everything else" on another (conventional hard-)disc, because of the peculiarities of a SSD.
So far so good.
My questions is only about how to get there:
Can I have my user account on the SSD (start-up disc) and still load my documents / files / mp3s etc automatically unto the external drive? How can one force the Mac to save "everything else" on the other disc, not in the home folder on the SSD ?
(iMac i3 SSD due today !

i don't quite get it, is this the best way to go?
Would it be a good practice in my users's account to save all documents, mp3s etc into a folder which is actually placed on the external drive?
Is this ok?
bw, O

I want to upgrade the 500gb HDD to an SSD on an S230u with windows 8 but want clone the drive

I want to upgrade the 500gb HDD to an SSD on an Thinkpad Twist S230u with windows 8 but don't want to lose the data and programs installed on the drive and have to start over. I tried to clone it but no software could do it. I tried acronis and EasyToDo. I was able to clone it with a duplicator but it wasn't bootable. Am I to assume that what I need to do is the following - 1- Create the recovery media on a 32gb usb stick. 2- back up the drive using Acronis (or other) 3- Physically replace the drive 4- boot to the USB Recovery Media and bring the system back to it's original state out of the box but with the SSD Drive. 5- Use Acronis (or other) to restore back up made of the 500gb prior to removal. Thanks in advance! Scott Fischer

Before you start cloning your HDD with acronis, you have to prepare the SSD:
at first: connect your SSD with USB to your notebook and
1. Start CMD.EXE as Admin
2. type: "diskpart"
3. type: "select disk x " x = Letter of your SSD
4. type: "list partition" the drive should be unformatted
5. type: "create partition primary align=1024"
6. type: "active"
7. type: "format fs=ntfs" --> wait some minutes
8. type: "assign letter=x" --> For example "x"
9. type: "exit"
Start acronis true image 2013 (trial version)
select "Backup" without empty sectors
you can select any partitions, so also the the invisible lenovo backup paritions
The Backup can be "Restore"-d to the SSD, incl. GPT (MBR like in UEFI Systems)
After all, the SSD is ready to use. Booting on USB gives here a blue screen. I tought it was my fault. It isnt. You can build in the SSD into your SATA Port and Windows 8 will boot very well.
Sorry for my bad english

Hi , is it possible to upgrade the internal flash storage capacity of mac book air ?

hi , is it possible to upgrade the internal flash storage capacity of mac book air ?

Yes, it is , however its very costly, and you should consider storing static media files on an external HD.
OWC sells SSD upgrades for your Air.

Is it possible to upgrade the internal Hard disk drive on the iMac

Is it possible to upgrade the internal Hard disk drive on the iMac?

Yes but it's definitely not advised. If you have a machine newer than 2009 Apple uses drives that have integrated heat sensors. This makes upgrading much more difficult but not impossible. If you have a machine still under warranty then definitely DO NOT do this yourself as you may void the warranty not to mention it isn't for the faint of heart. Take the machine to an AASP to have the work done, you will need to find one in your area willing to do so.
If you are considering a new machine then simply buy the configuation you need.

Should I upgrade the hardware or replace the laptop?

I have a late 2006 model Macbook that I received in Decemeber 2006. I'm interested in purchasing a new Macbook, but am also wondering whether I should instead upgrade the hardware? The Macbook seems to always be pushing itself harder than it should as the fan is always audible and always has been, so much so that when I use Skype the person on the other line can't hear me very well because of it. It heats up like crazy too at every use. Sometimes it runs so slowly that it can take 45 minutes to even just close some tabs and windows down as it has to think about it first (spinning beachball). I'm in Uni at the moment and have been for a while now and would love for my laptop to run like it used to when I first got it, or even be able to update it's software (but even that's not possible because it's hardware isn't compatible). I've transferred a lot of my data onto an external harddrive to free up some space and help it run better, but it's still pretty slow in comparison to today's computers.
Any ideas?

i would suggest going for a new Macbook or a refurbished one from Apple.
normally, i would suggest upgrading the RAM and swap the hard drive for a SSD. unfortunately, that might not even work for you.
once you upgrade your apps to the current version, they tend to be more memory and processor intensive.
so upgrading your macbook might be a waste of money.
again, those are my thoughts and you can either go with it or ignore it.....
If you own a late 08 Macbook Uni like I do, then I would suggest to upgrade the RAM and go with a SSD to give it a couple of years more but because you have a 2006, buying a new one would be a better option especially if you want to install Mountain Lion.
good luck..

Slideshow on external Screen should not BLACKOUT the Internal

Slideshow on external Screen should not BLACKOUT the Internal so i can continue to use the MacBook while a Slideshow is running ....
at Present the LCD "turns off" when a Slideshow runs on the external Screen ...

That is a different bug. I believe it has been previously reported. Seems there was something one could do, but don't recall.
Check teh Forum FAQ and the one at
LR Extras FAQ or search for 'blank screens slideshow' on the forum.
Don
Don Ricklin, MacBook 1.83Ghz Duo 2 Core running 10.4.9 & Win XP, Pentax *ist D
http://donricklin.blogspot.com/

Buying a new Macbook Pro for music recording, should I upgrade the RAM or Processor?

As the title states, I'm looking into buying a new Macbook (15 inch) for music recording. Should I upgrade the processor or the RAM memory?

Purchase it with the faster CPU. RAM may be increased later via third party chips at much lower cost if and when required.
Ciao.

Is there a way to upgrade the 512GB hdd to 1TB on a 2011 mbp under applecare so that the applecare is not voided?

Is there a way to upgrade the 512GB hdd to 1TB on a 2011 mbp under applecare so that the applecare is not voided?
I am currently using Mavericks.

A hard drive replacement doesn't void warranty on a MacBook Pro, so you can replace the hard drive without worrying about its warranty. However, you have to be sure of what you are doing, because if you damage any part, you will void warranty.
First look for a hard drive. I recommend you to visit OWC for hard drives > http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/ 7200 rpm hard drives will give you extra performance.
Then, just reinstall OS X through OS X Recovery > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 Hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your Mac is starting, format the hard drive with Disk Utility and reinstall OS X or restore a Time Machine backup

Can you upgrade the internal memory? 16gb goes to quick! (UK)

How much would it cost to upgrade the internal memory on a iPhone?

The storage capacity of the iPhone can not be upgraded.

I am considering a base 21" iMac ($1099 @ Best Buy) for home use. It would be my first Mac. Is the base model powerful enough for everyday home use and some light video editing or should I upgrade the CPU, Ram and to a Fusion drive?

I am considering a base 21" iMac ($1099 @ Best Buy) for home use. It would be my first Mac. Is the base model powerful enough for everyday home use and some light video editing or should I upgrade the CPU, Ram and to a Fusion drive?
Purchasing with the upgrades through Apple would add about $800 over the Black Friday deal at Best Buy. Just looking for some advice if I will be satisfied with the based model.

All models will do what you want. Upgraded models will do it faster than the standard models.
Just why are you thinking of switching to a Mac?

Upgrade the two Hdds of HP Pavilion dv7-3190ev

I want to upgrade the two HDDs of 500GB in my HP Pavilion dv7-3190ev. What the maximum size of GBs that i can replace them , without any problem with power supply or any other problem in operation?...

Hi,
At this stage, 1TB is a good number for laptop HDD's. You may also need to update the BIOS. My dv7 actually has 2 HDD's (2 x 1TB).
Regards.
BH
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HT201250 I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I guess if stolen or lost it would protect my "stuff", and if I'm travelling would protect my privacy.
You must understand the purpose and implications of encryption before deciding whether to use it.
Encryption locks your data with a password. If you forget that password, the data is lost beyond any chance of recovery. Neither Apple nor anyone else will be able to help you recover that data if you don't know the password.
By the same token, the password must be strong enough to provide the security you want. For example, if you're the potential target of industrial espionage by a government or large corporation, you need the strongest possible password. To create and manage such a password safely is a task in itself, not to be undertaken lightly.
If you're only concerned about casual snooping by someone with no special skill, a weak, easily-remembered password is appropriate.
But regardless of the strength of the password, if you lose it, the data is gone forever.
Another point to remember is that if you encrypt your data on one storage device, you must also encrypt it on all other storage devices that would be accessible to the same attacker. Otherwise the data isn't protected. For example, if you keep your computer and your backup drive in the same room, and the internal drive of the computer is not encrypted, then there's no point in encrypting the backup drive.

Using an external drive with shared files (iPhoto, iTunes), attached to a Time Capsule, can the contents of the external drive be backed-up to the internal Time Capsule drive? Perhaps a RAID1 mirror to a partition?

Using an external drive with shared files (iPhoto, iTunes), attached to a Time Capsule, can the contents of the external drive be backed-up to the internal Time Capsule drive? Perhaps a RAID1 mirror to a partitioned Time Capsule? I understand that the Time Machine (software) cannot backup a networked drive (the external) and that Time Capsule (the router/wireless hard drive) does not have its own backup software... so it won't backup the connected drive. What I would like is an alternate solution for having an automated backup of a networked drive. A 2TB Time Capsule has more than enough space for Time Machine backups of my family of Macbooks, so I had hoped to mirror a 500GB external drive (with shared media files) to a portion of the Time Capsule internal hard drive. I assume this would require a partition of the Time Capsule drive. If not, would the sparse file from the various computers being backed up need to be copied to the external drive as part of the RAID1 setup? This seems like overkill for the Time Machine backup, but it would cover the media files.

The complexity with this idea is the software has to run from a Mac computer on your network.. so you need a Mac turned on, probably most of the day.
It isn't possible to partition the TC although you can create a image area.
The software would have to copy the material, that means all files to be copied, go from USB drive, back to the Mac, then back to the TC, and written to the drive. In other words you have just added Network congestion, although a proper incremental backup type software will not actually use a lot of capacity.
Finally it will be slow.. network drives are slower than internal drives. Well USB connected drive is much slower than the same drive connected directly to the computer.. and if the drive is connected directly to a computer it can be shared with the network.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/airport-extreme-5th-gen-and-time-capsule-4th- gen-review-faster-wifi-/4
Read carefully the speed of the USB drive plugged into the TC.

Should I upgrade the internal hdd on my 2008 8.1 iMac or use an external drive?

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