Upgrading to new MacBook Pro but want to keep existing SSD

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I currently have a late 2010 Macbook Pro that I recently upgraded to a 480GB SSD. I'm about to purchase a used 2016 Macbook Pro in the next week. I want to migrate the SSD from my old Macbook to the new Macbook. This is due to the fact that the new Macbook Pro only has a 256GB SSD. I'm not sure what steps to take, but was wondering if this would work.

1. Upgrading both Macbooks to OS Sierra

2. Creating a time Machine backup on an external HD

3. Wiping both machines

4. Swapping the SSD's from each

5. loading the Time Machine Backup from the external HD on the new Macbook Pro.

Is this going to cause any issues due to the different hardware on each machine?
 

Cory Cooper

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Hello and welcome.

The older MBP uses a 2.5" form factor SSD and the 2016 has a PCIe-based flash storage card, so they are not compatible and cannot be swapped.

You CAN create a Time machine backup on an external HD and use the Migration Assistant during initial setup to restore your data from the backup. You can also perform the migration via Ethernet/Wi-Fi.

Hope that helps,

C
 
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Oops! I actually was typing this while Cory made his post. As usual he is correct, especially regarding the non-swapping of SSDs. But, we need to know some things:

1. Are you making any backups at all to an external device? If not, you really need to do that, no matter whether or not you purchase that 2016 Mac.

2. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs (from a software perspective) on the 2010 Mac? There are both some excellent freeware and commercial tools that can assist in that (plus some of your own efforts to clean off unneeded stuff).

3. What Mac OS is currently on your 2010 Mac?

4. What is on the 2016 Mac, ie, OS, apps. etc.? And is there a specific user account on that Mac? Also, do you want any of the stuff on that Mac?

5. If you want to replace everything on the 2016 Mac with "stuff" from the 2010 Mac, that can be done. But, in order to do that, it will be necessary to have a smaller than 480 gig partition on the 480 gig SSD which you want to migrate from. If that small partition is less than 256 gig, and that includes the OS on it, then it will be possible to migrate stuff from that "smaller" 480 gig partition to the 2016 Mac.

6. Do you have any third party software on the 2010 Mac? If you do, you'll need to upgrade applicable ones (ie, ones that need upgrading) to be compatible with whatever Mac OS you want to get to. As to when you need to do that, that will depend on what you want to do with the 2010 Mac. If you still want to use it. then it would be best to get to the same Mac OS on both machines.
 

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