Replacing Hard Drive in intel imac 20

[rlevy]

Hi,

Sorry if this is asked elsewhere, but couldn't find it on a search.

Are there instructions related to replacing/upgrading the internal HD in my intel imac 20 (aluminum)?

I already have tutorials on physically opening it up and replacing the drive. I just need to confirm that using SuperDuper, I first backup everything onto the new blank drive (750GB Western Digital internal), placed in a temp external case, then swap them out?

Will all the apple system files and everything be ready to go, same as before? Your instructions mention that certain files recommended by apple will be excluded from complete backups...

thanks,
Ron

[dnanian]

Make sure you properly partition the new drive (using GUID), and name the new drive the same as the original...

[rlevy]

Dave,

thanks for the quick response.
One add'l: external case is USB not FW -- any concerns?




Make sure you properly partition the new drive (using GUID), and name the new drive the same as the original...

[dnanian]

Not generally if you're not going to use it as a startup drive. (And USB is fine, although slower and less predictable, for Intel.)

[rlevy]

Dave,

another thought -- can I use my current FW external drive that still has enough space on it, without having to partition??

[dnanian]

Not really, no: if you're going to swap the drives, why would you do that?

[rlevy]

Because it's firewire, and it would give me another clone (already formatted) in case something goes wrong on the install. And I wouldn't have to install and remove the new one from an existing case (which I have to take from a current backup external).

[dnanian]

OK. Really, don't do this. You can make another copy using a sparse image (assuming its' formatted as HFS+ and has enough space), though, if you must. But you should really dedicate a partition to a backup.

[rlevy]

In order to clone my existing internal HD, I tried putting my new unformatted SATA HD into one of my existing external USB cases, but it is an older case and doesn't have the right cables.

So I am back to square one -- no place to clone my internal 250GB before disassembling imac, except for the 285 GB of space on my existing FW external.

If I set SD to copy Newer or Different files from existing internal onto a separate folder on the FW external, then install the new internal, format, and restore from the FW folder, will it be bootable and have all programs just like existing internal?

[rlevy]

From one of your replies to another post last year:


That leaves B. Not quite sure why you're running SD! off a flash drive, but that's what I'd try. But there's also Plan D:

- Get a FireWire case that would normally work as a boot drive
- Install Tiger or Leopard, clean, to the external
- When prompted to "migrate from another Mac", point it at the internal drive. That'll bring in your files and applications and avoid copying the OS, so at least you'd be copying a minimal amount of data
****

That was for a Power PC, but even though I'm on intel Leopard, could I install Leopard to my existing FW external, then migrate everything from the internal, including all programs?

Then install the new 750GB internal, and restore?

[dnanian]

Not without erasing the FW external, no. You need an actual drive, or a new case, or a drive dock, or something you're going to dedicate to this.

[rlevy]

OK, I will be dedicating an external 250 GB 2.5" USB drive for this. Slower, but the only one that I can erase/format now.

Is there an advantage to taking the time to put Mac OX on the external first? Or simply run SD! to copy my internal files...

Also, what is the benefit of simply copying a disk image from the internal HD to the external, then restoring back to the new internal?

sorry if these are answered elsewhere :)

[dnanian]

Sure, you could use a copy of your regular system as your "small" system. And, you wouldn't have to copy the image off the network if you're running from the small system. Rather, that's done to allow you to use a different system to copy the image off the network, while you can use the OSX install DVD to restore it, as explained in the User's Guide.

[rlevy]

I'm not sure what this refers to...what "network"?


Sure, you could use a copy of your regular system as your "small" system. And, you wouldn't have to copy the image off the network if you're running from the small system. Rather, that's done to allow you to use a different system to copy the image off the network, while you can use the OSX install DVD to restore it, as explained in the User's Guide.

[dnanian]

Wow, that'll teach me to assume I'm dealing with a thread that I've been working with during the day without checking.

Sigh. Sorry.

The best thing to do here is to do what you suggested originally - copy directly to the new drive (in a temporary case/dock), then swap the drives. A drive dock is <$50 and quite useful, but if you have to back up to a separate drive then copy back, that's OK, it's just slower.

There's no need to install an OS to the external, since you'll be copying it to the internal. Just partition it properly before you start.

Now THAT response should make sense. ;) (Sorry, again.)