iMac -> mac Mini (moving my SSD from "a" to "b")

[sublimaze1]

Newbie here.

I have an early 2008 iMac 24 inch 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. I have placed an SSD in the iMac some years ago. The iMac will will be replaced with a mac mini shortly and I like the SSD and want to use it.

understanding that I want to try to do this on a limited budget and that opening a mac mini and replacing the HD both voids the warranty and is rather complex:

(1) Can I remove the SSD from the iMac and either
(a) switch out the native HD and simply boot (e.g. will it run moving from an early 2008 to current) or
(b) boot from the SSD externally (either USB 3.0 or thunderbolt) in an enclosure?

(2) If I chose the external route
(a) can I unmount and shut down the internal so that the drive is not accessed (e.g. slowing me down)
(b) is there a better connector to use and a recommended housing?

Thank you in advance.

 

[honestone]

Welcome, sublimaze1. I actually have a late 2012 Mac Mini, and swapping out the slow, 1 TB 5400 rpm internal hard drive for a fast Samsung 840 Pro 256 gig SSD was not difficult. So, that should be the "easy" part of your project. The drive inside the mini is about the same size as an SSD, so I was able to enclose it inside a nice, slim Orico external case, with a USB 2.0 connector. However, I just recently purchased 2 Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSDs, and with one of them, I placed it inside a nice, slim Orico external enclosure with a USB 3.0 interface. I do SuperDuper! backups for both of my Macs to 2 partitions on that SSD, and booting my either Mac from its respective partition is rather fast. There are, of course, external enclosures with Thunderbolt interfaces, but they are rather expensive. The USB 3.0 interface is fine for my needs.

Now, as for the SSD inside your iMac, I'm assuming you have it "all ready to go", from a software perspective. Just out of curiosity, what OS do you have on it? Also, do you still have the file entitled "Install OSX "Whatever"", or "Install macOS Sierra"? That could come in handy in the future. Now, the first thing you should do, after removing it from the iMac, is to place it inside a slim, external enclosure. Here is a link to the Orico one I mentioned (with the USB 3.0 interface):

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-External-Superspeed-Enclosure-Adapter/dp/B01LXY78V6

Then, start up your Mac Mini as usual, and connect the SSD to it. You can then try and restart your Mac MIni from that external SSD. The reason I say "try" is that I am unsure whether that "startup" SSD made on the iMac will start up a Mac Mini. If it does, then you can shut down your Mac Mini, do the swap, and boot your Mac MIni from the SSD that is now inside. You can then place the Mini's internal drive inside that Orico case, connect it to the Mini, and use Disk Utility to Erase, Format, and if necessary, partition, that hard drive.

If that SSD will not start up your Mac Mini, there could still be a way to accomplishing this, but it would involve some work. What it would entail would be 1) "copying" the software off the SSD onto a partition on the Mini's internal drive, 2) using Disk Utility on the "primary" partition on the MIni (not the one containing the stuff from the SSD) to Erase and Format the SSD, 3) do a clean, "virgin" installation of the OS (that is why I mentioned that "Install ..." file above) onto the SSD, and 4) use Migration Assistant to "migrate"/copy the stuff from the "SSD partition" on the Min i to the external SSD. You should then be able to boot the MIni from SSD, then proceed as above to do the swap.

 

[sublimaze1]

Thank you for the quick reply (and the detailed information). I had a plan similar to yours, but your take on it gives me a bit more to chew on before I delve

Just out of curiosity, what OS do you have on it?

currently running Yosemite 10.10.5

Also, do you still have the file entitled "Install OSX "Whatever"", or "Install macOS Sierra"?

it does not look as if I have either of those files. I have nine million flash img files ... if anyone needs those

I (also) looked at the thunderbolt enclosures, and - if I was even thinking of that route - I might as well get the mini with the hybrid drive for the costs involved.

A third (or are we on fourth), and viable way of doing this would be to dig out the old 750GB drive, SuperDuper! it, place it back inside the iMac, erase the SSD, do a old mac to new mac lightning cable install (forgot the proper name), then ... SuperDuper the SSD from the newly purchased mini drive, then do the swap. That would certainly work.

Thoughts?

(again, I am looking to minimize costs and don't mind the time tinkering ... I have an octopus cable, another coolmax cable, and two drive copiers that can help me connect the drives externally, as well as a few older enclosures - i need to see if any of them are better than EIDE - but your idea of getting a new 3.0 external enclosure might be an investment that is worth it).

 

[honestone]

If you do have it, the name of the file would be "Install OS X Yosemite" (note the spaces), so maybe try a search of that name. I myself have never had a hybrid drive (nor a hybrid automobile!), but I have heard of some "issues" with hybrid drives regarding OS-related installations.

Glad you are using SuperDuper!. I depend upon it, and it works like a charm. The only "drawback" is that unlike Carbon Copy Cloner, it does not backup the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. But, that is not an issue for me, as 1) on a clean installation of the OS, it gets created anyway, 2) there are other ways to create (or re-create) it, and 3) I have both TechTool Pro and Disk Warrior, which are much better than Disk Utility for performing disk maintenance/repairs.

Also, that Orico enclosure is only $7.95, and I am very, very pleased with i. Again, while the USB 3.0 interface might not completely satisfy Tom Cruise's "the need for speed", it is fine for my purposes.

Assuming the Mac Mini you are getting is brand new, I suspect it will come with El Capitan installed (not sure which version, though. The last version is 10.11.6). I'm not even sure if the file "Install OS X El Capitan" would be on the machine. Typically, if one starts the installation of a Mac OS from such a file inside the Applications folder, it will go away after the installation is complete. That's why it is so, so critical to make a copy of such a file before doing such an installation. I suspect you could download Yosemite from the App Store (or any other later OS). I know I can, as it (and other Mac OS versions) are contained with my "Purchased" items. Interestingly (and baffling!) though, even though I have downloaded Sierra, OS 10.12, from the App Store already (have not upgraded to it yet, as I am waiting for TechTool Pro to have an upgrade for Sierra compatibility), it is not in my "Purchased" Items! Of course, with a later OS, you would need to insure that any third party apps you use are compatible with that OS (the latest version of SuperDuper!, by the way, V2.9.1, came out in early October to be compatible with Sierra, OS 10.12, but it works with any Mac OS from Mac OS 10.8 and later).

That third (or fourth?) option sounds like it could work. Maybe, though, someone with more intimate knowledge could "chime in" and say your first option would work. That is definitely the "cleanest" way to go.

 

[sublimaze1]

That third (or fourth?) option sounds like it could work. Maybe, though, someone with more intimate knowledge could "chime in" and say your first option would work. That is definitely the "cleanest" way to go.

Cleanest is optimal. Success percentage, though, has its strong points. I have done that last option twice before ... it is just a three step process. I also enjoy cooking. And sometimes, unless you are willing to take the process step by step, your alfredo sauce or roux or flan turns out pretty sucky at the end.

So there is that.

 

[honestone]

Cleanest is optimal. Success percentage, though, has its strong points. I have done that last option twice before ... it is just a three step process. I also enjoy cooking. And sometimes, unless you are willing to take the process step by step, your alfredo sauce or roux or flan turns out pretty sucky at the end.

So there is that.

Really like your cooking reference! But, I leave that to my wife, as she is a superior cook! And others say the same thing! When she makes the Korean Beef Short Ribs, yummy!

 

[sublimaze1]

so ....

..... what I think I will do is the following (after careful consideration of the discussion above, as well as other people not on this forum)

(1) I will hook up the iMac to the mac new Mini and use migration assistant (using an ethernet cable). I feel that this will give me the best protection against me missing a file or ten that will result in inoperarability
(2) After I boot the mac mini and sort out any issues (e.g. passwords, agreements, etc.), I will make a clone of the drive either
(a) carbon copy cloner
(b) super duper
(c) something else (suggestions accepted)
(3) once I have cloned/copied the drive onto the SSD from the iMac, then proceed with the breakdown of the mac mini and replacement of the drive with the SSD, removing the 5400 and then placing it in an enclosure, using it as the new time machine backup / archive file disk.

Looking for feedback on this plan. It seems as if it will work. It is a crucial MX-100 512 model. Older, but still with greater speed and reliability than what would be inside the basement bottom mac mini that I would get. Also, I think I am going to get the 8gb ram model (since the ram is soldered and not user upgradeable) and just get the base model (since I don't do much more than internet, Word, Audacity, iTunes, phone backup, and the occasional excel if I am forced to. That goes for power point as well).

Again, feedback appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving
WJ

 

[honestone]

Please excuse the following detailed response, as I feel it is both necessary and will be helpful. Also, it looks like I made a false assumption above, as apparently you are not using SuperDuper!.

What you are describing will be the use of the OS that is on the Mac Mini, as Migration Assistant does not copy the OS itself (nor "other" OS-related files). As I mentioned above, your new Mac Mini will most likely come with El Capitan (or maybe Sierra?). (By the way, as you will be getting the machine with an additional 4 gig of Ram, are you getting it from Apple? If so, then there is a good chance that it will come with the latest version of Sierra, OS 10.12.1 (OS 10.12.2 is currently in beta testing)). It will be important for you to 1) have the file entitled "Install OS X El Capitan" or "Install macOS Sierra" on the Mac mini in a couple of locations, and 2) insure that any third party apps you have on the iMac are compatible with the newer OS. There is the possibility that you would need to install those updates after all the "stuff" is on the Mini. For example, I use Onyx and a Logitech mouse, on both of my Macs. I already have the Sierra updates for both Onyx and the Logitech Control Center software, but when I upgrade from El Capitan to Sierra, it will be at that point that I install those updates, as they will only work with Sierra. Contrast that with SuperDuper!, as V2.9.1 (the latest) works with any Mac OS from 10.8 and above. As it is, it seems like you are using Office 201X already. Is that Office 2011, or Office 2016? For either of those, it would be best if you have the latest version. I myself had been using Office 2011 (including Outlook 2011 for my EMail needs), and I always kept it up to date. But, Microsoft will (most likely) stop supporting Office 2011 in the "near" future, so I have already obtained and installed Office 2016 (including Outlook 2016, and the "transition" from Outlook 2011 to Outlook 2016 went very, very smooth, and in fact, was basically seamless), including the latest version. It works fine with El Capitan, and I suspect the same will be true with Sierra.

But, as long as you understand all that, and make those preparations, that is a good plan. Assuming you are successful, that will give you a fully functional Mac Mini.

I already mentioned above the differences between SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner. I believe there are 1 or 2 other backup/cloning programs out there, but either SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner is an excellent choice. I can tell you for a fact that SuperDuper! does the job, and there have been a couple of instances where having a bootable backup "saved my bacon", per se. Also, I have recently (for the last two Mac OS upgrades) started with the upgrade of the Mac OS from the bootable clone, for both of my Macs. If you are "uncomfortable" with not having the (hidden) Recovery HD partition backed up, then use Carbon Copy Cloner. Given that I have mentioned this a couple of times already, here is a link that describes how to boot to that partition, and what you can do with it:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

Sometimes, that partition does not get created on a clean OS installation. But, that has never happened to me. Also, the version of Disk Utility that comes with El Capitan and Sierra no longer can Repair Permissions. Again, though, for me that is not an issue, as the excellent freeware program Onyx has that feature (as does TechTool Pro and Disk Warrior, both of which I have).

Again, as I stated, not having a backup of the Recovery HD Partition is not an issue for me, as 1) it gets created with a clean, "virgin" installation of the OS, 2) there are other ways of creating it, and 3) I have a couple of more advanced disk maintenance/repair programs that are superior to Disk Utility. (The free program Recovery Partition Creator (http://musings.silvertooth.us/2016/05/recovery-partition-creator-4-0-1/) can re-create that hidden partition, but it requires that you have the file entitled "Install OS X El Capitan" or "Install macOS Sierra" that I mentioned above. Also, I have not used it in a while, so I do not know whether it will work with Sierra).

SuperDuper! costs $27.95, and Carbon Copy Cloner $39.95. These links explain the capabilities of each program:

SuperDuper!: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

Carbon Copy Cloner: https://bombich.com/

Now, after you do this, there will no drive inside the iMac, is that correct? Also, for the 1 TB 5400 rpm drive that you will eventually put in an external case, if you do decide to purchase either SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner, you can use such software to make a backup/clone of the stuff on the Mac MIni to a partition on that drive. That is what I did after I did the swap, although I was backing up/cloning the stuff on my MacBook Air to a partition on that drive. The other partition contains miscellaneous "stuff", including movies and TV series. It comes in handy when we travel. Just be aware, though, that booting from that drive will be slow, no matter what type of connection you have. The 5400 rpm speed is really slow!

As for 4 Gig versus 8 gig of Ram, I actually can upgrade the Ram my self on the Mac MIni model I have, but given that the Ram is now soldered onto the logic board, that's a wise choice. Having "too much" Ram is never a "bad" thing. I have yet to have a need for more than the 4 gig I have, but then I keep my Macs "lean and clean", and rarely run more than one program at a time. For example, as I am entering this, I am only using Google Chrome, and i still have about 1.81 GB of free Ram.

OK, I think that's it. Again, please excuse the long post. I hope it is helpful!

Happy Thanksgiving. And don't eat too much turkey!

 

[sublimaze1]

Please do not apologize for any post, let alone one full of information that is helpful. It has been a benefit to me to just bounce this out there and have the feedback. My goal is to get the SSD in the new computer. It is a crucial and it is a workhorse with lots of life left. And, if I can put it back in the next computer I buy, and swap out the chinatek in situ $4.99 drive, I am happy. The migration assistant will get the files over that I need, and I can update any drivers before I imprint the drive on the external (soon to be internal) SSD for the increase in access time, and overall performance enhancement.

I do appreciate your time.

I "did" eat too much turkey.

regards
WJ

 

[honestone]

Yes, getting the SSD to work inside your new Mac Mini is the primary outcome of your project. And yes (as I'm sure you've seen with the iMac), the Mac Mini and the SSD should satisfy your "need for speed". As you say, migration assistant will get the files you need over to the Mac Mini on the "temporary" HDD. For printer drivers, typically the newer versions of the Mac OS already have the latest versions of such drivers, but for updating software for OS compatibility, you can either do that while the SSD is still inside the iMac (assuming such updated software will be compatible with Yosemite (like SuperDuper!)), or else as you say, update such software (like the Office suite you have) after you get everything on the Mac Mini. From what I remember, the update that came out for Office 2011 last October was for El Capitan compatibility. But, I never saw any subsequent up dates that were for Sierra compatibility (there were at least 3 such updates). For Office 2016, even the latest one, V15.28, is not specifically for Sierra compatibility.

Also, what is "the chinatek in situ $4.99 drive"?

I ate a "fair amount" of turkey, along with other stuff, of course!

Glad I can be of assistance.

 

[sublimaze1]

Also, what is "the chinatek in situ $4.99 drive"?

LOL - sorry. That is my (perhaps unfairly so) colloquial term that I am using for the cheap hard drives that come packaged with pretty much any computer these days

 

[honestone]

LOL - sorry. That is my (perhaps unfairly so) colloquial term that I am using for the cheap hard drives that come packaged with pretty much any computer these days

OK, got it! But, more and more machines are coming with SSDs.

Also, what do you plan on using for a monitor with the Min i? I have an 8 year old Sony 19" one that still looks good!

 

[sublimaze1]

Funny. I have an old Sony as well. Not sure of the model number. Works with my Power PC mac mini just fine ... that has a massive 36GB SSD in it that I bought back in 2009