Upgrade MacBook Hard Drive

While it is obvious that I can upgrade a hard drive, I would like to do so without reinstalling software and, as importantly, changing an identifier (such as a serial number) so that my online backup software will not balk when trying to back up. I hope that this is clearer than it sounds but essentially, I want the new, larger hard drive that I install, to be identified as the same as the smaller that I had after the upgrade. (Do not want iTunes to consider this a new device, don't want Carbonite to think its a different drive and make me reupload everything, etc.) How would this work?

Ahsley is correct. Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper are two most common and most recommended options. You put your new drive in an external enclosure and clone your internal drive to the external one. Reboot the machine holding down the Option key and select the external drive just to make sure it is working properly (it will be much slower as it will be running over the firewire or USB port... both of which are slower than the internal SATA). After you're convinced everything is working properly, just swap the drives.
To the best of my knowledge, nothing is based off of a drive serial number... but rather the logic board serial. Using a drive serial number for any sort of verification would be a bad idea considering how often they fail or are upgraded.

Similar Messages

Upgrade MacBook Hard Drive - Restore System from Time Machine Backup?

I have a MacBook that I want to upgrade the hard drive of. Am I right in thinking, all I need to do is:
Run Time Machine one last time, to make a recent backup of the MacBook
Install the new hard drive in the MacBook
Insert the Snow Leopard DVD, and start a clean installation
During installation, select the option to Restore System From Backup...
Will this copy across ALL of the contents of the old MacBook's hard drive, to the new MacBook's hard drive? A perfect clone? Because that's what I want to do.

I performed the installation, restoring a Time Machine backup from the external hard drive to the new blank internal one I put inside the MacBook. Everything went fine, except for one problem.
Now, whenever I try to open Safari, it immediately crashes with the error message:
"Safari quit unexpectedly
Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)"
What's going on? How can I stop Safari from doing this? I've repaired permissions using Disk Utility, and Spotlight has finished re-indexing everything.

Upgrade MacBook - Hard Drive and RAM

I want to upgrade my daughter's early 2008 white MacBook - both internal drive and RAM. I know how to install both and have done so before. I have purchased the internal drive, the RAM and a large external drive for Time Machine backups now and for the future. I also want to install Lion. I'm not sure of the sequence... Here is what I propose:
1) format the new external hard drive and then back up the current internal drive using Time Machine.
2) install the new RAM.
3) install the new internal drive.
4) boot up using Snow Leopard DVD. Install OS 10.6
5) upgrade to 10.6.8
6) install Lion.
7) import all of her applications, files, etc. from the Time Machine backup.
8) done?
Is this correct - will all work?
9) back up the new internal drive using Time Machine.
Will step #9 work when I select "Back Up Now" from the Time Machine?
10) If yes, is her itunes account, etc. ready to use? Can she sync iphone as before?
Thanks.

I can make this easier for you:
1) Download and install SuperDuper.
2) Using SuperDuper, make a clone of the current internal drive to the large external.
3) Test the clone by booting to the external drive
4) If good, install the new internal drive.
5) Boot from external, and use SuperDuper in reverse (clone back to new internal).
6) When done, boot the mac normally. Upgrade to Lion, and all should be good.

Upgrading MacBook Hard Drive

I am upgrading my MacBook Pro hard drive (running Mountain Lion) what is the best method to transfer my old drive's content to my new drive?

External clone, which also doubles as a bootable emergency disk.
CarbonCopyClone ($40 download) will clone the main partition and the Recovery partition to an external drive.
Then you install the new drive, boot from the external clone, and clone it back into the internal.
Just takes time.
Here is some reading: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3045

Instructions for upgrading MacBook hard drive?

Wanted to ask if anyone knew of a set of set-by-step instructions for upgrading a MacBook internal hard drive and migrating the data from the old drive to the new drive. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.....
I have a 15-inch late 2008 MacBook Pro (currently running OS X 10.9.5 [13F34]), and would like to replace the 250gb drive with a 1tb Seagate Momentus XT drive. I have been unable to find a single set of instructions for doing the replacement myself, particularly with respect to data migration.
From what I have read, the process should look like this:
1. Install the new hard drive in an external enclosure case, connect to MacBook and do a 'clean' OSX Yosemite install on the new hard drive [then boot MacBook from external drive to test installation]
2. Use Setup or Migration Assistant to transfer applications, preferences and user files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive
3. Shut down MacBook, disconnect new hard drive and remove new hard drive from enclosure
4. Open up MacBook, remove old hard drive and replace it with the new hard drive
Am I missing anything? Are there any other issues about which I should be aware?
Many thanks (in advance) for your assistance....
Bill

WJD2015 wrote:
I had read somewhere that Apple recommended doing a clean install. when upgrading to a new drive. A couple of years back, someone on the forums had all kinds of problems upgrading to (I think) a 750gb Seagate XT drive, and the closest thing they got to an answer was the suggestion that the problem stemmed from cloning their old drive and that they should have done a clean install.
Almost all of my macs (many) are clones, some more than one generation. They all run as fast as the few 'clean' installs (mainly new machines)
If you update a good installation, and check that you are not cloning (or migrating, either way has the same issue) incompatible software to the new drive/OS there is no difference. The key is getting rid of or updating the old stuff before upgrading the OS, often forgotten but it can bite when you don't.
If you use my method, you get to test the installation before committing it to an internal role.

Upgrading MacBook Hard Drive, Will this work?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136072
Will that work?

That drive should be fine - there's even a review on Newegg from a user who installed it in a MacBook. He liked it, but says it vibrates more than the original drive.
I'll be installing the 160G WD Scorpio in my MacBook later this week, from Newegg. If it vibrates too much, it will go into an external enclosure, and I'll try something else for internal.

UpGraded MacBook Hard Drive - but TERMINAL opens at StartUp!!!!

This one is really strange: I replaced a 160gb HD in my MacBook (May 2006 version) with a new Seagate 320 gb HD - by copying everything from the old 160 gb HD to the new 320 gb HD (in a Transcend SATA housing) using SuperDuper! and then put the 320 gb into the MB - perfect---
---except that when I startup I see two strange things: First- TERMINAL has started and I have a screen: hopefully this screenshot via the program InstantShot! shows:
/ScreenShots/SS-090214 at 201501-1.jpg and there is also a folder open: /ScreenShots/SS-090214 at 201514-1.jpg
If you cannot see the screenshots, then I need assistance on putting files/jpg's or other attachments in the Apple discussions --
And I don't think you're seeing anything - but basically the TERMINAL says a bunch of stuff, then WELCOME TO DARWIN and then a location to "security agent". Strange and beyond me, but when I had my 160gb HD I never had that!
Thanks for any comments including how to put a jpg file into an Apple Discussions post so that I can indicate what I'm really seeing.
Regards,
Steve Schulte
Saturday 14 February 2009 at 23:26

Thanks for the great eye-opening remarks -- I guess I didn't realize that computers / Macs / Unix / software etc. was just so complex / sophisticated. Again, an eye-opener ---
---but glad to say that my problem doesn't seem to need major work --(fortunately!) - it turned-out that when I now started using my MacBook with the 320 gb HD there were 3 things (2 UNIX files and 1 folder) that somehow appeared in the "LOGIN AT STARTUP" section of the ACCOUNTS preference! I removed them and all is back to 100% OK!
Again - I really appreciate your reply and this opens the door to me learning a lot more about computers!
Regards,
Steve
Wednesday 18 February 2009

What All Do I Need If I Want To Upgrade My Macbook Hard Drive?

hey guys.
i've tried reading up a little but i was hoping someone (or a few people) could give me some straight up answers.
if i want to upgrade my macbook hard drive what all do i need? just the hard drive? or are there other pieces?
also.. whats a good 250GB one? i found this one on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2-5-Western-Digital-250GB-SATA-Harddrive_W0QQitemZ220271 134397QQihZ012QQcategoryZ158853QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
is that one any good? i just know the name (Western Digital) and have heard good things about them...
any comments are welcome.
thanks!
beau

I got a 320GB sata 2.5" hard drive and installed it myself, its easy. I also got a caddy so I can use my old 120GB drive as a back up. Make sure u have everything backed up! Seagate and western digital drives are most popular. I asked similar q and got this answer"
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
If your backup is bootable, then boot from the external drive and use SuperDuper to clone it back to the newly installed drive.
Mac Pro 2.66 Ghz; MacBook Pro C2D 2.33 Ghz; MacBook Pro 2.16 Ghz Mac OS X (10.5.4) Intel iMac C2D 17 "; MacBook 2.0 Ghz.
And
Now, to install the hard drive, follow http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/MacBook-Core-Duo/Hard-Drive-Replacement/86/5/

I want to upgrade my Hard Drive to 1TB and more. What is the maximun Hard Drive I can install for a MacBook Pro 2009 Yesterday, I tried a SEAGATE SSHD but my screen was always a showing a QUESTION MARK (?). It's not the cable because when I put back

I want to upgrade my Hard Drive to 1TB and more.
What is the maximun Hard Drive I can install for a MacBook Pro 2009
Yesterday, I tried a SEAGATE SSHD but my screen was always a showing a QUESTION MARK (?). It's not the cable because when I put back the old original version, everything works...Any sugestion of brabnding or procédure to upgrade my hard drive?

The largest 2.5" dia SATA drives available are 2 TB in capacity.
Have you tried the Seagate SSHD connected externally to the MBP via USB? The drive itself may be faulty.
Ciao.
Here is a good place to start looking for a replacement drive:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/

HI, I HAVE A MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel i5 AND I WAN'T TO UPGRADE THE HARD DRIVE UP TO 750GB AND ALSO THE RAM MEMORY TO 8GB. WHAT SPECIFIC MODEL OF HARD DRIVE AND RAM MEMORY SHOULD I BUY??? THANKS

HI, I HAVE A MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel i5 AND I WAN'T TO UPGRADE THE HARD DRIVE UP TO 750GB AND ALSO THE RAM MEMORY TO 8GB. WHAT SPECIFIC MODEL OF HARD DRIVE AND RAM MEMORY SHOULD I BUY??? THANKS

No need to type in all caps - we HEAR you!
I would take a look at the internal drives offered by both Crucial (click the link "Internal Hard Drives Now Available") and OWC. I would stay away from Western Digital drives as they seem to have problems on a number of Mac models.
You can also shop for RAM at Crucial and OWC - just select the System Scanner tab at the Crucial website to find out which memory is right for your machine.
Good luck,
Clinton

Do I need an OS Disc to restore my macbook after I upgrade the hard drive?

I need to upgrade the hard drive in my 2009 macbook. I have a Time Capsule. I'm not clear on whether I need to install OS on the new drive using a disc, or whether I can do that from the Time Capsule? The issue is that my disc drive is broken, and I don't really want to replace it as I never use discs in it anyway. But i don't want to get stuck with a new hard drive and be unable to get an operating system on it.

I prefer this process:
How to replace or upgrade a drive in a laptop
Step One: Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Step Two: Remove the old drive and install the new drive. Place the old drive in an external USB enclosure. You can buy one at OWC who is also a good vendor for drives.
Step Three: Boot from the external drive. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager appears. Select the icon for the external drive then click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Step Four: New Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your new hard drive (this is the entry with the
      mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of
      the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive
      is failing or has failed and will need replacing. Otherwise, click on the
      Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from
      the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended
      (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to
      GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and
      wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the
      drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main
      window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the
      Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to
      return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several
      hours depending upon the drive size.
Step Five: Clone the old drive to the new drive
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 new internal drive. Source means the old external drive.
Step Six: Open the Startup Disk preferences and select the new internal volume. Click on the Restart button. You should boot from the new drive. Eject the external drive and disconnect it from the computer.
However, you could simply reinstall OS X on the new drive after prepping it, the restore all your files from your Time Machine backup.
Hard to say what if any other options there may be since you haven't told us what version of OS X is in use and backed up to your Time Capsule (and if it is a full system backup.)

What do I need to do after I upgrade the hard drive on my macbook pro?

I just bought a new 13" Macbook pro i5 on May/03/13 but I need more space and I want to upgrade my Hard Drive from the 500GB it come's with to a 750GB. So I just want to know the steps I need to take after I do the upgrade and start up my Macbook, Someone told me that the Macbook won't work right away because I have to do something to it, I just dont know what. Can anybody plz tell me what I have to do after I do the upgrade step by stpe? Thank You!
Oh and my Macbook pro is on OSX 10.8.3

Correct. After installing the new hard drive, your Mac won't have any operating system, so you will have to reinstall OS X using Internet Recovery > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
To start in Internet Recovery, hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your Mac is starting. Then, open Disk Utility and create a partition formatted with "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)", if it hasn't been already created. Finally, close Disk Utility and reinstall OS X.
If you want to copy all the data you had on the old hard drive into the new one, use Disk Utility's Restore feature > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU7.html Note that you will have to buy an enclosure to put the old hard drive

I just got my MacBook Pro a month ago. However I am realizing I need more hard drive space due to aps and programs. I use am external but am concerned about the space. Is there a way to upgrade my hard drive from apple and keep my warranty valid?

I just got my MacBook Pro a month ago. However I am realizing I need more hard drive space due to aps and programs. I use am external but am concerned about the space. Is there a way to upgrade my hard drive from apple and keep my warranty valid?

That would depend on whether your model actually has a hard drive. If you have the new 2013 Retina model, then you have a fixed storage device built-in that cannot be modified after purchase.

Hi, I bought the macbook pro 15 3 months ago. I wanna upgrade the hard drive to 128G ssd drive. How much I should paid?

Hi, I bought the macbook pro 15 3 months ago. I wanna upgrade the hard drive to 128G ssd drive. How much I should paid?

Qingfeng wrote:
Hi, I bought the macbook pro 15 3 months ago. I wanna upgrade the hard drive to 128G ssd drive. How much I should paid?
Well you won't have very much storage capacity with a SSD that small, also SSD has limited writes, so it wouldn't be good for on-loading and off-loading a lot of files.
SSD isn't being securely erased due to steps to prevent their premature wear, so despite what you do in Disk Utility Secure Erase, your confidential data can still be recovered if you pass the machine on to someone else for instance.
Other than those reasons, small SSD's can be extremely fast, loading your programs and OS much faster. But the real benefit in high speed storage is transfering large amounts of files on/off the computer to ANOTHER fast device. This comes in handy for video and large music collections and so forth.
Since the SSD because of it's limited writes doesn't fit the bill as a large file transfer medium.
If you want to get a SSD drive, you can upgrade it yourself simply by ordering one online at locations like Other World Computing or NewEgg and have a 00 micro phillips head screwdriver handy.
There are instructions over at iFixit for opening your MacBook and replacing the hard drive with the SSD.
Preferably you will want to clone your present boot drive to a external drive using Carbon Copy Cloner, then making the switch and hold option to boot from the clone and then clone from the external to the new internal SSD drive.
Prices of SSD are varied, Apple won't replace it for you
This is currently the fastest SSD availalbe
http://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/hdd.php?hdd=OCZ-VERTEX3+MI

Am I capable of upgrading my hard drive to my 2012 Macbook Air?

I have recently ordered a Refurbished 11.6-inch MacBook Air 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5,
I have also noticed that it only has a 64GB hard drive.
Would I be capable of upgrading the hard drive so I could use more space on to my MacBook?
I would also be willing to do it myself if it comes to the case.

Yes, you can upgrade the SSD storage. See here: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Air-Retina/Apple-MacBook-Air-2012-Drive-I nternal-Flash
There may be other 3rd parties that sell SSD drives for your Mac as well.

Upgrade MacBook Hard Drive

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