Author Topic: Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD? - NO!!  (Read 7963 times)

elagache

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Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD? - NO!!
« on: January 08, 2014, 11:20:02 PM »
Dear WeatherCat Mac hardware experts,

NEWS FLASH!!  The answer is no, you cannot just swap a hard drive from one Mac to another even if it is nominally the same version of OS-X See:

http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?board=21.0

Other World Computing had a deal on used 17" MacBook Pros from early 2011 that I couldn't resist.  The clincher is that they still can run . . . . . Snow Leopard!  ::)

Anyway, the new machine is due to arrive tomorrow and I would love to just pop my present SSD drive from my 2009 MacBook Pro and put it into the newer machine.  Can I just plug the drive in and expect the newer MacBook Pro to work just fine?

The "safe" route is to make sure my time machine backup is complete, swap in the SSD drive, reformat it, install Snow Leopard from the DVD, and then migrate all my stuff from the backup.

However, Snow Leopard wouldn't have anything new that this newer MacBook Pro could take advantage of.  Shouldn't all the code on my SSD work just fine on the newer hardware?

One inquiring mind would like to know!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

P.S. I just got myself on the private Beta testers list for the new version of Canvas for Mac.  Perhaps my long Snow Leopard purgatory is soon going to end!!

ELO

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Re: Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2014, 02:35:41 PM »
Edouard,

The SSD should be swappable from a pure hardware standpoint. You should be able to confirm that with whomever you purchased the SSD.

However, the version of Snow Leopard on it may not boot after the swap due to some low level SN hardware drivers needed for the newer laptop. It may not be a problem if you are running the last/newest version of SN, but it also wouldn't surprise me given the new one is 2 years & thus probably 2 generations newer than your existing laptop.

It would sure be worth a try though. If it doesn't one workaround might be to do a standard migration to the new laptop and then clone that drive back in its entirety to the SSD before swapping. I'd probably do a standard migration first anyway so you'll have your data moved in case something goes awry.

elagache

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Plan-A then Plan-B (Re: Can I swap my SSD?)
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2014, 10:29:33 PM »
Dear ELO and WeatherCat Mac hardware experts,

The SSD should be swappable from a pure hardware standpoint. You should be able to confirm that with whomever you purchased the SSD.

I'm reasonably sure the SSD will work because I bought it from the same place I'm buying the MacBook Pro: Other World Computing.

However, the version of Snow Leopard on it may not boot after the swap due to some low level SN hardware drivers needed for the newer laptop. It may not be a problem if you are running the last/newest version of SN, but it also wouldn't surprise me given the new one is 2 years & thus probably 2 generations newer than your existing laptop.

That was the 64-dollar question.  I am running the latest and last revision of Snow Leopard 10.6.8 released July 2011.  However, what I don't know is if anything was added that enables these later MacBooks which would not have been installed on my SSD.

Since I have a time machine backup anyway.  The simplest is to swap the drive and see what happens.  If the machine doesn't boot, then I'll just put in the Snow Leopard install DVD and go the "slow and safe way."

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

JosBaz

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Re: Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2014, 03:06:04 PM »
Hi Edouard,

I vaguely remember 10.6.8 was needed for the newer MBP hardware, and this link seems to confirm this: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5587424
A good upgrade procedure I used successfully in the past is creating a bootable USB installer, do a clean install, and then transfer data from a Time Machine backup.

Good luck with the upgrade.

Jos

elagache

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Have 10.6.8 and install DVD (Re: MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?)
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2014, 08:21:13 PM »
Dear Jos and WeatherCat Mac experiences

I vaguely remember 10.6.8 was needed for the newer MBP hardware . . .

Well, I am running the latest version of Snow Leopard that exists.  So if all the drivers are installed, it should just boot.

On the other hand, the new(er) MacBook Pro has arrived and it comes with the install DVD that was provided by Apple at the time.  So one way or another I'll get this to work.

Good luck with the upgrade.

Thanks!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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YES!! (Re:MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?)
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2014, 10:46:21 PM »
Dear WeatherCat Mac hardware experts,

I put the two MacBook Pros side by side and did the hard drive transplant and RAM upgrade on the newer MacBook.  I then took a gulp of air and . . . . .

Pressed the power switch!!

What happened then?

Hurray!!



I didn't have to do anything, the Mac just booted like it always had.  So I'm not sure this works all the time, but at least in my case it did!

So - now you know . . . . maybe!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Bull Winkus

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Re: Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2014, 07:00:06 AM »
Why are you stuck in Snow Leopard? I must have missed it. You do know that Mavericks is a free upgrade, don't you?
Herb

elagache

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I've got reasons!! (Re: MacBook Pro Upgrade)
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2014, 09:17:43 PM »
Dear Bull Winkus and WeatherCat adventurers . . . . .  [biggrin]

Why are you stuck in Snow Leopard? I must have missed it. You do know that Mavericks is a free upgrade, don't you?

 ;)

Two reasons:

First, I'm doing my part to combat global warming and so I'm sticking with a cooler cat!  8)

Second, I'm a scuba diver and scuba divers most definitely dislike places with big waves like Mavericks!


 [lol2]

Seriously, I've got a graphics program that I need to use that was discontinued before the PowerPC to Intel conversion.  Since Apple plugged the plug on Rosetta after Snow Leopard - I'm stuck for the moment.

The good news is that this program - Canvas - is coming back to the Mac after a long absence.  I'm on the private beta testers list.  So hopefully, I'll get out of my snowy deep-freeze sometime this spring.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Bull Winkus

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Re: Getting a MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2014, 07:32:47 AM »
OH! Canvas. You know, when Canvas first came out, I was working as a computer salesman for a store called Computer Place in Waco, TX. IBM had just introduced the PC Jr, and a version of their own OS that Microsoft helped them develop. No wonder it flopped. We had color Macs by then, but there wasn't much color software yet. Canvas piqued my interest as a means of demonstrating the capabilities of the hardware, so I called the developer and requested a demo copy. He was a little irate about it. He apparently thought I was just trying to get a free copy to pirate and give away. Oddly enough though, he sent one anyway.

It was the most amazing program I had ever seen! I demoed it a lot, but we never sold a copy. And we were true to our word and did not give any copies away, either. LOL!

That was around 1989, I think.
Herb

elagache

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Definitely addicted to Canvas (Was: MacBook Pro Upgrade)
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2014, 09:19:39 PM »
Dear Bull Winkus and WeatherCat graphic illustrators,

OH! Canvas.

. . . . . . .

It was the most amazing program I had ever seen! I demoed it a lot, but we never sold a copy. And we were true to our word and did not give any copies away, either. LOL!

I have to confess that first got a chance to play with Canvas using a "bootleg" copy that my dissertation chair had gotten hold of.  However, it wasn't more than a year that I decided that this program really was so good that it deserved the outrageous price they were charging for it.  The first version of Canvas I owned was Canvas-3.  I have faithfully upgraded ever since until they discontinued it for the Mac.  I even upgraded to the PC version hoping it would work with Crossover.  However, I just couldn't stomach using VM-Fusion or Parallels just to run what ought to be a Mac program!!

I've done everything from web page graphics, to plans for automotive parts, to every diagram in my PhD (and there were over 100 of them!!)

Yup, I can't live without this particular piece of software!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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NO!! (Re:MacBook Pro Upgrade - can I swap my SSD?)
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2014, 10:13:45 PM »
Dear WeatherCat Mac gurus,

Remember this thread about whether or not I could just swap my solid state drive into my newer MacBook Pro and "run"? . . .  [computer]

It has taken me a while to find out, but no you shouldn't just move a hard drive.  The correct procedure is to make sure the time machine backup is complete, swap in the SSD drive, reformat it, install OS-X from the DVD (or USB drive), and then migrate all your stuff from the backup.

The problem I ran into is subtle but important.  The drivers of the CPU fans weren't the same for the 2009 MacBook Pro as the 2011 MacBook Pro.  As a result, the fans on my new computer were running wild.  I'm still chasing some "issuez" related to the fans running more than I would prefer, but now my MacBook Pro is much quieter.

So learn from me.  If you need to upgrade a drive, do it the slow and safe way!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]