Mac hard drive cloning problem?

[smith]

My old HDD from my Mac Mini is getting very slow with the passes of time and now I want to replace it with a brand new SSD. I want to clone the HDD straight to the new SSD, can is possible without data loss from my Boot Camp partition? Will everything still function the same, other than the improved Mac OS X performance?

And, what type of applications will I need to this task?

System specifications: Mac Mini (late 2010), Mac OS X (10.10), running Mac OS X and Windows 7 via BootCamp

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

Super Duper is what I would use, have a look here.

http://www.imore.com/how-easily-clone-your-mac-using-superduper-or-carbon-copy-cloner


You would also need a USB SSD external enclosure they are very inexpensive.

 

[tompatrick]

My old HDD from my Mac Mini is getting very slow with the passes of time and now I want to replace it with a brand new SSD. I want to clone the HDD straight to the new SSD, can is possible without data loss from my Boot Camp partition? Will everything still function the same, other than the improved Mac OS X performance?

And, what type of applications will I need to this task?

System specifications: Mac Mini (late 2010), Mac OS X (10.10), running Mac OS X and Windows 7 via BootCamp

A clone implies that all the data exists in your internal drive will be copied to your external SSD. So, your Boot Camp partition will be copied over as well. Here is a detail process of cloning Mac HD, Recovery HD and BootCamp partition.

After that, simply put your SSD in an enclosure and then format your SSD using the help of Disk Utility to Mac OS X Extended (Journal-ed) and then taking the help of drive clone software clone the HD data to SSD.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

Sorry meant to say not very expensive lol.

 

[honestone]

Note that neither SuperDuper! nor Carbon Copy Cloner can backup/restore the Bootcamp partition. It looks like you'll need something like WinClone to backup/restore it.

Regarding SuperDuper!, I did use it in the "unregistered" mode for about a year, but after I decided to purchase it, it does run faster for backups and restores. Also, there is one "significant" difference between the two: Carbon Copy Cloner also backs up/clones the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas SuperDuper! does not. For me, though, that is not an issue, as 1) I have a more robust disk maintenance/repair program, TechTool Pro, and 2) it is actually easy to re-create the Recovery HD partition. There are a couple of ways of doing it, but they both need for the user to have the file "Install OS X "whatever"" (so for the most recent OS, that would be the file "Install OS X El Capitan").

Also, Stellar Drive Clone looks like an excellent alternative. In fact, except for the additional feature of backing up the Boot Camp partition, it costs the same as Carbon Copy Cloner.