Upgrading Mac Pro boot drive?

I've got a Mac pro, 8 core, fast, etc. But it has a 300 GB HD which I've done a pretty good job of filling up.
Right now, no problems, but I only have 48 GB free on that drive. I also have a one TB data drive (I'm a photographer, lots of RAW images out there, plus 500GB of it is a time machine backup volume.) I do have two free drive bays.
Consequently, I'm starting to think about what to do... ideally, I could buy a new, large drive, say a terabyte or so, physically install it, execute [fill in the blank], and then the new 1 TB drive would be my boot drive, only I'd have 700-ish GB of space free and the 300 would become some kind of spare volume, which I could reformat if I liked.
Am I hoping for too much? Is there such a clean and easy solution that won't change anything but my free space and which drive is the boot drive from the system's perspective, or am I in for one of those long, nasty and complicated evolutions?
Thanks for any help here.

Hi,
it is in fact quite simple.
Install the new harddisk and the use Disk Utility to pertition/format it using Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as file system and GPT as partition table.
Then use either SuperDuper http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html or Carbon Copy Cloner http://www.bombich.com/ to clone your current OSX to the new HD.
Reboot your Mac holding down the 'Option'-key and choose the new OSX to boot from.
Verify all is there and working and then use System Preferences - Startup Volume to set the new HD as the default Startup Volume.
You don't even have to reseat/switch the harddisks in the drive bays, since all four drive bays are equal.
Regards
Stefan

Similar Messages

  • Is it ok to switch my mac pro boot drive to port 4?

    hi, my brand new mac pro hard drive is kind of loud. is it ok to switch my main drive to port 4 farther back in the computer?
    will it be slower?
    thanks so much!

    There will likley be no discernable difference.
    If you do not have a drive in the first bay, it may change the airflow slightly, as it will no longer act as a dam to improve the airflow of the intake fan.

  • Mac Pro boot drive migration advice needed.

    I have a new Mac Pro.  I would like to simply pull the boot HD of my old MP (a 1.1), and stick it in the new one (a 5.1 hex).  Bad idea?

    lahz wrote:
    I have a new Mac Pro.  I would like to simply pull the boot HD of my old MP (a 1.1), and stick it in the new one (a 5.1 hex).  Bad idea?
    I did what you're asking about using the same hardware and found that it booted just fine. However, I immediately ran a Lion upgrade and that Lion boot disk has run like a champ ever since. Since I was careful not to let software update do over my printer drivers, I also managed to keep some Epson legacy drivers that made the printer that worked on the 1,1 still usable. And that method also retained most of my software registrations so I didn't have to deal with the vendors.
    However, if you want to keep Snow Leopard, I'd suggest after booting, immediately running the 10.6.8 combo updater, which might make the 1,1 System software more compatible with the 5,1 machine. That assumes that your new Mac is old enough to have been delivered with Snow Leopard on it, since there's some question if the Mac Pro's with Lion have been "fixed" to not accept a Snow Leopard install.

  • Mac Pro - Boot drive - Read & Write speed differences

    Hi
    My Mac Pro came with a 500GB boot drive when I ordered it 3 years ago.  It has been used most days and now runs
    Snow Leopard (for scanners and a canopus video box that don't work with Lion) and Lion. 
    I did a write & write test on the drive recently at both were approx 60 - 65 MB/s.  I have another drive in my machine
    I bought last month, replacing an WD drive that failed in less than 18 months.  This new drive (complete same as replacement
    is a WD Caviar (Black) 1TB 64Mb drive. 
    This drive tests at speeds for 110MB/s.  This may seem an obvious question, but will I notice much difference if I swap the drives
    around and have the newer drive as my boot drive. 
    Also, does having two OS on a HD slow the drive down also?
    Thanks in advance
    Matt

    Use the 500 for a system backup clone then.
    If you want to and have $150 then I recommend this for the system actually (you don't need 1TB and even if you did use a 1TB which are now $120, I would 'short stroke' and use just 1/3 to 1/2  for the system anyway.
    Western Digital WD2500HHTZ 250gb Sata 6gb/s 3.5 Hd
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007V5A1BK/
    check reviews of the new WD 10K VR ~200MB/sec

  • New 2nd Mac Pro boot drive (ssd) how do I know which is booted?

       Both boot drives are Leopard. Also how do I switch between them safely? Is this do-able w/o restarting?  The restart surprised me and I damaged one, maybe more older externals, so I'm gunshy about  moving ahead... Need conceptual and practical help.
       My original boot drive is in pre-fail status (according to OWC software), so I want to use the new ssd rather than risk the old boot drive to back-up everything - system, Time Machine and photos - to a partitioned new 4Tb ext'l drive...  I assume I should be able to do this with the SSD and then retire my orig'l boot dr?... Does this make sense? Many thanks...

      OK, this is good to get cleared up, and helps sharpen my question: What are the  actions that jeapordize external drives in cases like this? I can guess a few: pulling out the firewire/usb etc cable while they are mounted and the computer is on? Or, If they are powered, switching them off or pulling the plug out of the electric outlet  before ejecting?
       There must be others because I didn't do either of these before getting the message that the drive was improperly disconnected and was likely damaged. I did perform "command-option-eject"  just before  getting the above warning message (I actually was told to do that command at the Genius Bar in order to switch boot drives ) but perhaps there was more I was supposed to do but forgot...Can you think of others - why I screwed up so badly? It keaves me so hesitant and worried around this beautiful machine....?

  • Mac pro boot camp partition cloned to MBP?

    i have a 200 GB mac pro boot camp partition with windows 7 on it and between setting it up and getting all my software customized it has been like doing time in a soviet gulag.
    if i create a 200 GB partition on my MBP can i clone this from one machine to another?
    it would save me a heck of a lot of time and aggravation
    TIA
    p.s not sure if this makes a difference but my mac pro is a first generation deal that required amy burning a image to disk or something along those lines...

    Do you know what I do to get 10.5?
    Purchase it if the computer doesn't include it.
    Also, I don't understand why the drivers are going to be on older software that doesn't have Boot Camp bundled with it.
    The drivers are not on a Mac OS X 10.4 CD or DVD. They are on the Mac OS X 10.5 DVD.
    Leopard has Boot Camp bundled with it doesn't it? Isn't part of the deal upgrading and improving the drivers?
    Yes.
    You say in the above "or use up a Windows installation"
    This only applies if the Windows disk or license agreement allows you to create a limited number of installations.
    Are you saying here that I could also reformat the drive with XP on it?
    You could, but there is little reason to do so.
    Do I have to reconfigure my workspaces if I do the second option above?
    If you erase the Windows partition, yes.
    (30311)

  • Raiding Mac Pro Internal Drives

    I have a Mac Pro 2008 edition, I need fast performance of my internal drives. I could use 2 of my 1 TB installed drives and raid them.
    I am not after security of data (I use a drobo for that) but I need fastest performance for video editing. (Encoding) The more I search the web, the more answers I get.
    Hope to get the best advice here in this Forum.
    Thank you
    Dorian

    Then those are not really suitable, they are probably green models.
    Not that hard to move your data, or to invest in enterprise WD Black 2TB or Hitachi Ultrastars.
    The boot drive can be small and lean but fast SSD or WD 10K VelociRaptor. Or 2-3 raided together.
    http://macperformanceguide.com/index_topics.html
    Desktop Hard Drives
    Optimizing your Mac: Fast Hard Drive or SSD
    How to upgrade your system/boot drive
    Buyer's Guide: Hard Drives for Mac Pro
    Mac Boot Drive Dogma
    Upgrading Mac Pro Internal Drives

  • Can a Mac Pro boot off a MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode?

    Summary: "Are you able to boot a Mac Pro off of a Mac Book Pro in Target Disk Mode?" OR "Will a Mac Pro boot off an OS X install that was made on a MBP?"
    Details:
    I'm finishing a music project that was created on a PPC G5 Quad computer and going to a studio in Santa Monica to complete the final mixdown. My 3rd party software plug-in configuration is unique, and the studio doesn't have all of the software instruments that I do on their 8 core mac pro. My G5 software installation is mirrored to my MacBook Pro, but the MBP doesn't have enough CPU power to play the project back.
    Is it feasible to have the studio's 8 core Mac Pro boot from my MacBook Pros hard drive? Essentially, we'd be using my OS and software on their powerful CPU / hardware. I figure, since they are both Intel builds of OSX, this should be do-able.
    I don't have access to the Mac Pro until I show up to start working.
    Thanks for any input / suggestions!

    The MacBook Pro boots fine in 10.5.8, and loads the Logic project without any faults. The only issue is that a CPU shortage occurs when you attempt to play the sequence.
    Like you suggested, I performed separate UB installations of all the needed software on the MBP solely so I could move Logic projects from one computer to the next without a hitch. (Actually, DropBox does this for me). Migration assistant was not employed in this process due to the PPC / Intel issues you noted.
    I didn't need to mention the G5 as it appears to have caused some confusion based on Kappy's reply, but I did want to explain my work flow thoroughly.
    It sounds like booting the MacPro from my MBP is feasible. I'll mark this topic 'solved' and head over to the studio tonight. I'll post here any anomalies from the session (if any).
    THANKS~!

  • Mac Pro boot sound on Cinema display

    Hey guys,
    Is it possible to run the Mac pro boot sound on my cinema display instead of the Mac pro's build in speakers?
    My macbook sounds more agressive than that Mac badboy .
    thanks!
    -Sam

    I think this has been a problem since the beige G3 and an early speaker-equipped Mac display.
    The startup chime is produced long, long before the display is configured to accept the data and make it into speaker noises. It is near impossible to make the startup chime come out the display speakers.

  • Upgraded MAc pro to Lion now I no longer can open window office. any ideas?

    upgraded Mac Pro to Lion, now no longer can use windows office. any ideas?

    You need MS Office 2011 if you've installed Lion.  Previous versions of Office don't work with Lion.

  • Since installing Premiere Pro CC 2014 upgrade, Mac Pro jumpy video and freezes constantly

    Since installing Premiere Pro CC 2014 upgrade, Mac Pro jumpy video and freezes constantly. Worked perfectly before. Anyone else finding these issues? I'm running a quad core Mac Pro, so it's definitely not the hardware.

    I've maxed out the memory assignment, but this isn't a memory problem per se.
    It looks like certain Premiere Pro conditions are associated with a huge increase in kernel_task memory, zeroing out any available free memory.  In my case it seems to be associated with effects applied to titles or jpgs  or imported psd (Photoshop) files.
    Program restart pulls kernel memory back to the 1.3gb normal size. 
    Here's where I am at startup:
    Within three minutes:

  • Upgrade mac pro 1,1 to mac pro 2,1

    hi there.
    can i upgrade mac pro 1,1 to mac pro 2,1? if possible, how to do it.
    thank you

    How about trying to say what you mean?
    Want to upgrade the BIOS? can't.
    Want to use 800MHz RAM? nope.
    Want to upgrade processors to 5300-series? yes.
    Reports on processor upgrades and such -
    http://www.xlr8yourmac.com
    Or sell and buy ref'd 2010 or 2009 ($2100), you should be able to get $850+ for yours if in good condition.
    And this section is for 2009/2010 (Nehalem, DDR3, UEFI 2.x) and another for 2008 and earlier (use DDR2 FBDIMMs and front side bus, 5100-5400 Xeon series)

  • Mac Pro Hard Drive Connectors

    I need to replace the two screws that hold the hard drive connectors to the Mac Pro.
    Does anyone know where I can begin to find these? They are two small black screws.
    The previous owner of my Mac Pro removed them so that he could attach an SSD drive loosely to the Mac Pro.
    I'm going to replace the SSD drive, as it failed, and it comes with a 3.5" tray that should attach to the Mac Pro hard drive carrier, but when I push it back in to align up with the hard drive connector, since he removed the screws, it doesn't align up and go in without me manually connecting it. I'd like to get it back to the way it was with the screws.
    So...I wonder what part number that is or how I can get those two little screws, the exact ones?
    Any advice would be great.
    Thanks.

    ChrisMc73 wrote:
    Yeah there are two models for this Icy Dock SSD Kit...I think I want the screwless version.
    MB882SP-1S-2B - uses screws to mount the drive and has more ventilation for a moving parts 2.5" drive
    MB882SP-1S-1B - is screwless and is meant more for SSD drives
    I use the screwless version.
    As for dvwearhouse and others, unless you know the part number, how do you know where to look?

  • First generation Mac pro booted into utilities and HD recovery, any idea why?

    Hi,
    My first generation Mac pro booted into utilities and HD recovery when I restared after installing Autodesk sketchbook pro. This isnt the first time this has happened but last time I was not trying to install any software. Fortunatly, I have time machine backups and therefore have managed to recover the HD to a recent date and I intend to do a complete system check when it has finished. The first time this happened I didnt think much of it but now it has happened a second time i'm becoming a little concerned, any idea why this has happened?

    I did this the first time it happened so I know that its not that i have the wrong startup disk selected. However, after the recovery had completed I tried the installation again and this time everything went smootly. so as of right now I dont have a problem. Thank you very much for your time and help.

  • Where can I find Mac Pro Hard Drive Holder?

    Where can I find Mac Pro Hard Drive Holder? Only 4 came withe the computer and I need some more.
    Anybody knows where I could buy some?
    Thanks

    http://www.transintl.com/store/category.cfm?Category=2705

Maybe you are looking for

  • How to handle LOB datatypes in ODI 11.1.1.6 or Later

    Hi All, I'm getting "table or view doesn't exist"  at load step when trying to read data from Oracle table which has CLOB data. I have tried both "LKM SQL TO SQL" and "LKM SQL TO ORACLE"  but it's giving same error at load step. Is there any specific

  • Displaying not hidden items in the page

    Hi, Could you please let me know how I can identify hidden items programmatically? i.e. We have some items in a page and suppose some of the items are hidden. I need to provide a list of not hidden items. How can I recognize hidden items and not to d

  • "get every file whose creation date ..." error on Mac Intel

    Hello, since I have installed my MacPro the following statement stopped to work : set Aujourdhui to current date set Avant to (current date) - (300 * days) tell application "Finder" set laListe to get (every file of folder "Controles Asura:Archives_M

  • How can I get my CS5 to open RAW files?

    I can't get my  CS5 to open my RAW files...can someone help me with this?

  • Disabling touchpad

    Hi everyone! I have Solaris 10 running XSun server on x86 laptop. I'm using an USB mouse, which gets configured simultaneously with laptop's touchpad when using any of the drivers of kdmconfig available for an USB mouse. Sounds nice, but however I'd