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    Disk image from Macbook onto Macbook Pro Hdd?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by J12, Jul 6, 2009.

  1. J12

    J12 Notebook Evangelist

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    If I make an image of my hdd from my white macbook with disk utility onto a hard drive I take out of a unibody macbook pro will it work and boot properly?

    I will do this by taking the 250gb hdd out of the unibody macbook pro and putting it into a sata external usb hdd enclosure, then making an image of my current 120gb white macbook and writing the image onto the 250gb. After, I plan to put the 250gb hdd back into the macbook pro and boot it up normally as if everything from my white macbook was just copied onto the macbook pro.
     
    J12, Jul 6, 2009
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  2. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes, it will boot properly (mostly), since the key drivers for all Macs are included in OS X.

    It is recommended to then do an archive install or something to ensure full compatibility.
     
    Budding, Jul 7, 2009
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  3. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

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    Using a Time Machine backup would be easier for the migration over to the new MBP, and more straightforward for this, as there is a (small) probability for driver/hardware issues or conflicts when the "old" 250GB MB drive tries to run the updated hardware in the MBP.
     
    ClearSkies, Jul 7, 2009
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  4. hellfire88

    hellfire88 Notebook Consultant

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    As others have said, you may want to make a time machine backup of the white macbook, and then install Mac OS X clean on the unibody MBP (using the restore disks that came with it) and then either restoring directly the data/apps from the time machine backup to the MBP as part of the set up process (one of the steps asks you if you want to restore) or just boot up into the fresh OSX install on the MBP and run "Migration Assistant". The reason is as others have mentioned, potential driver issues.

    An example would be the white macbook does not have a "multitouch trackpack" yet the unibody MBP does. If you do it your way, go into Settings -> Trackpad and see if the multitouch options are there, if not, then that is an example of the aforementioned "Driver conflicts".
     
    hellfire88, Jul 7, 2009
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  5. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    Time machine backup is my preferred method.
     
    CSHawkeye81, Jul 7, 2009
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  6. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    Why not use Migration Assistant?

    You can hook the two computers together and it'll copy over all your options, programs and everything to the new machine without needing any reinstallation of an OS.... just from one to machine to the other. Its what it was designed to do...

    unless your OS is messed up on the Unibody and your trying to do this to get an OS install... then you could have issues on the Unibody after the install if you just copy stuff manually.
     
    doh123, Jul 7, 2009
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  7. J12

    J12 Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks for the input. I'll probably use Migration Assistant, it sounds like it'll do what I want it to do. I'll just connect both computers via a single ethernet cable (i don't think i'll need a crossover cable) for optimum speed and it should work right?
     
    J12, Jul 7, 2009
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  8. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

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    Not Ethernet -- I'm pretty sure Migration Assistant requires Firewire.
     
    ClearSkies, Jul 7, 2009
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  9. J12

    J12 Notebook Evangelist

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    I launched migration assistant and it says firewire but there is a button where it says use network and gives you a code. Since I don't have the wire to hook up the white macbook with a unibody macbook pro i'll do it over the network. And the fastest way to make the network would be to directly connect the two computers with an ethernet cable since both have gigabit.
     
    J12, Jul 7, 2009
    #9