*2.5 inch SATA SSD*
.
*a solid-state drive (SSD) is a ‘solid-state storage device’ that uses ‘integrated circuit assemblies’ as ‘memory’ to store data persistently*
.
(it is also sometimes called a solid-state device (or a solid-state disk), although ‘SSDs’ lack the ‘physical spinning disks’ + ‘movable read/write heads’ used by ‘conventional electro-mechanical storage’ (such as ‘hard drives’ (“HDD”) or ‘floppy disks’)
.
(compared with ‘electro-mechanical drives’, SSDs typically…)
*provide more ‘resistance’ to ‘physical shock’*
.
*run silently*
.
*have quicker ‘access time’ + lower ‘latency’*
.
(‘SSDs’ store data in ‘semi-conductor cells’)
(as of 2019, cells can contain between ‘1’ + ‘4’ bits of ‘data’)
.
(‘SSD storage devices’ vary in their properties according to the number of bits stored in each cell,
with single bit cells (“SLC”) being generally the most reliable, durable, fast, and expensive type,
compared with 2 / 3 bit cells (“MLC” and “TLC”)
and finally quad bit cells (“QLC”)
(being used for consumer devices that do not require such extreme properties and are the cheapest of the 4)
(in addition, ‘3D XPoint memory’ (sold by ‘intel’ under the ‘optane brand’), stores data by changing the ‘electrical resistance’ of ‘cells’ instead of storing ‘electrical charges’ in ‘cells’, and SSDs made from RAM can be used for ‘high speed’, when ‘data persistence’ after power loss is not required, or may use ‘battery power’ to retain data when its usual ‘power source’ is unavailable)
(‘hybrid drives’ or solid-state hybrid drives (SSHDs), such as Apple’s Fusion Drive, combine features of SSDs and HDDs in the same unit, containing a large hard disk drive and an SSD cache to improve performance of ‘frequently-accessed data’)
(while the price of SSDs has continued to decline over time, SSDs are (as of 2018) still more expensive per unit of storage than HDDs and are expected to remain so into the next decade)
(‘SSDs’ based on ‘NAND Flash’ will slowly leak charge over time if left for long periods without ‘power’)
(this causes ‘worn-out drives’ (that have exceeded their ‘endurance rating’) to start losing data typically after 1 year (if stored at 30 °C) to 2 years (at 25 °C) in ‘storage’)
(for new drives, it takes longer)
(therefore, SSDs are not suitable for ‘archival storage’)
(‘3D XPoint’ is a possible exception to this rule, however it is a relatively new technology with unknown ‘data-retention characteristics’)
(‘SSDs’ can use ‘traditional hard disk drive (HDD) interfaces’ + ‘form factors’, or newer interfaces and form factors that exploit specific advantages of the ‘flash memory’ in ‘SSDs’)
(‘traditional interfaces’ (eg SATA / SAS) + ‘standard HDD form factors’ allow such SSDs to be used as drop-in replacements for HDDs in computers and other devices)
.
(newer form factors such as ‘mSATA’ / ‘M.2’ / ‘U.2’ / ‘EDSFF’ (formerly known as Ruler SSD) and higher speed interfaces such as ‘NVMe’ over ‘PCI Express’ can increase performance over ‘HDD performance’)
.
.
*OVERVIEW*
*UPGRADEABLE.COM”
How To Upgrade Your Macbook Pro with an SSD
(2019 updated)
The definitive guide
Do you love your Macbook?
Does it just need a bit more speed?
Or are you trying to extend its life?
How To Upgrade Your Macbook Pro with an SSD
(2019 updated)
The definitive guide
Do you love your Macbook? Does it just need a bit more speed? Or are you trying to extend it’s life?
The biggest speed increase comes from a Macbook Pro SSD upgrade.
Sound scary or hard?
It’s not really, we know you don’t believe us, so we created this guide!
It has everything you need to know, to make upgrading to an SSD easy.
Read it now, save it for later or just work out how much it will cost compared to a new Macbook Pro.
Keep scrolling, everything you need is contained here, provided free, no catches.
You can even download a copy. Don’t forget to like and share if all this information has been helpful, that would be awesome…buying one of our SSDs would be even better 🙂
Macbbok pro -intro
Introduction
There are two speed bottlenecks in a Macbook Pro notebook. Fix both and you can make your Mac run like new. Applications will open quicker, starting up is snappy, and the overall result is extending the life of your Mac.
First bottleneck is RAM. You need at least 8GB of RAM for the current macOS. 10GB or 12GB is nice. 16GB is awesome. If it is a choice between 16GB and an SSD, choose an SSD. You really only need 8GB and an SSD for a super speedy Mac. (Did you expect that bit of truth from the Mac memory upgrade guys?)
The second bottleneck is your the hard drive. Replace it with an SSD, and the speed increase is incredible. That is what this guide is all about. A RAM upgrade is easy, a Mac SSD upgrade is a bit harder, but with this guide you’ll be an expert with all the knowledge to make an SSD upgrade simple.
For general use, most modern Macbooks have enough CPU power. I am typing this article on a 2010 Macbook Pro with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD drive. I’m running two browsers (Firefox and Chrome. I edited the images for this article in Photoshop, uploaded them to our server using Cyberduck, and I’m running Mail and Excel in the background. I dont have to wait for the CPU to catch up, there is no spinning beachball, there is no lag.
Why?
I have an SSD
It is not the raw speed of the SSD, it is how it works. A traditional hard drive is like a record player, when you send data from the HDD to the CPU the computer has to find it, it hunts around the platters looking for all the data. With an SSD, there is no waiting, this is because your data is effectively in a spreadsheet. The SSD knows where it all your data is instantaneously. No waiting. No spinning beach ball.
The SSD is also made from flash chips that are almost as fast as the RAM. So when your Mac runs out of ram and pages to the SSD (uses the SSD as RAM) then it does not slow down, because an SSD is really like a big RAM drive! That’s why I (and you) can get away with 8GB of RAM.
Start using your Mac the way it was designed to be used…fast and no waiting. There is a reason most new Macs only come with SSDs. Lets us show you how.
This guide is just an example of how we try to over deliver our customer service. When you buy from Upgradeable, local tech support is just a phone call away. We have helped thousands of people with Apple computers upgrade their Macs. All that experience is distilled in this guide. We have tried to show exactly what you need to do in simple steps. We call this our “Four R method”, because each step starts with the letter R. REPLACE, RESTART, READY and RESTORE. Choose the method that suits you best, and we’ll show you how to do it, tell you the hardware you need and back you up with awesome customer technical support.
The Ultimate PDF Guide
Everything we know about installing a
bigger and faster SSD in your Macbook Air
Click here and it downloads now
Four R method: Time Machine
Macbbok pro -intro
The easiest way to upgrade to a new SSD is to use Time Machine. All you need are tools and the SSD! You can either restore a whole back up, which includes macOS or you can migrate using the Time Machine after installing a new macOS. Warning: If you have a mechanical hard drive with High Sierra or Mojave formatted as Extended Journal then you can not restore from Time Machine, you must clone. Detailed explanation here.
Our Four R method is a proven easy way to upgrade to an SSD.
1
REPLACE
Remove your old hard drive, and install SSD. We provide detailed printed instructions when you order an SSD, just include your Macbook Pro model in the notes at checkout.
2
RESTART
Plug Time Machine into the USB port. If you have a wifi time capsule make sure it is turned on. Restart your Mac holding down the Option key. This tells the Mac to find all disks attached that it can boot from. It will recognise the Time Machine and display the icon on screen.
3
READY
As the drive is shipped to you unformatted, you need to initialise the SSD to get it ready for the transfer of data. There is an option after you click into Time Machine called Disk Utility. You need to choose format type (must use APFS for Mojave or High Sierra, earlier versions use mac extended journaled) and a name, you can use Macintosh SSD or get creative and give it a person’s name like Oscar. Click apply and this will format the SSD.
4
RESTORE
After formating the drive your Time Machine back ups should be onscreen. Choose the latest, and the Mac will ask if you want to restore back up? Yes. Done. Time Machine will now start restoring onto the new SSD. It will take a while, approximately 100gb per hour.
Software and tools you need
The great thing about a Time Machine restore is you only need the SSD and tools to open the Macbook Pro.
• Screwdrivers (Phillips #00, Torx T6 and Spudger)
• Choose an SSD drive here
• Don’t have a Time Machine backup? Read the Apple guide on Time Machine backups
Warning: If you have a mechanical hard drive with Mojave or High Sierra formatted as Extended Journal then you can not restore from Time Machine, you must clone. Detailed explanation here
Four R method: Cloning (2006-2012)
These are instructions for 2006 to 2012 (non-Retina) Macbook Pro and Macbooks.
Cloning allows you to make an exact copy of current hard drive to the new the SSD. The benefit is software does not have to be reinstalled.
The process is largely automatic and the cloning takes 2-5 hours depending on the size of your drive.
Macbook pro -cloning
1
READY
Connect the SSD to a spare USB port using a USB to SATA cloning cable (sold separately).
2
3
RESTORE
Download and Install SuperDuper! software (free software link is below in the green box). As the drive is shipped to you unformatted, you need to initialise the SSD to get it ready for the cloning by initialising the SSD. Clone your hard drive using SuperDuper!.
4
REPLACE
When cloning is complete, power off your Mac and replace the hard drive with the newly cloned SSD. We ship detailed printed instructions with your SSD order
Software and tools you need
Cloning is an excellent way to quickly copy your current drive onto a new SSD. You just need a cloning cable, SSD and tools to open the Macbook Pro.
• Screwdrivers (Phillips #00, Torx T6 and Spudger)
• USB to SATA cable (needed to connect the new SSD to your Macbook’s USB)
• SuperDuper! software by Shirt Pocket (free download).
• Choose an SSD drive here
Four R method: Cloning (2013-2015)
With the introduction of Retina screen on the 2012 Macbook Pro, Apple moved to a M.2 shaped SSD that was non standard.
These cloning instructions are for an Aura X2 SSD in a Retina Late 2013 Macbook Pro through to the 2015 Macbook Pro. Early 2013 and 2012 Retina is the same except SSD is an Aura not an Aura X and SSD initialisation could be different due to MacOS. Mojave and High Sierra use APFS and Sierra, El Capitan and below use Extended Journal.
This cloning method uses a MacOS installer USB to boot and then Disk Utilities to clone using the Restore function.
Macbook pro -cloning
1
REPLACE
Power off your Mac and replace the original Apple SSD with the new Aura X SSD. We ship detailed printed instructions with your SSD. All the tools and installer USB you need are included. Install the Apple SSD into the OWC Envoy external case.
2
RESTART
Plug the MacOS USB installer (included in ALL kits) into Macbook Pro and restart your Mac. The MacOS Utility page will appear. We are not installing a new operating system but using Disk Utilities to clone. Go to Disk Utilities, either from onscreen menu or top drop down menu, and initialise the SSD <– click link for detail instructions. Must be initialised as APFS format.
3
4
RESTORE
In the left hand window pane of Disk Utilities select the new Aura X2. Click on Restore button on top menu. A pop up window will ask for “Restore from:” Select your original SSD that is in the Envoy case. Disk Utilities will now clone your old SSD onto the new Aura X2.
Software and tools you need
Our SSD KITS for the 2012 (Retina) Macbook Pro to 2015 models include everything you need to clone.
Kit includes SSD, printed instructions, tools and a MacOS installer USB (we ship the latest version, currently Mojave). If you require a different version (like High Sierra) please specify in the notes section on checkout.
• Choose an SSD drive here
Four R method: External Boot Clone
This is our previously recommended cloning method, and the one OWC (Macsales) recommends.
The problem is it does not work 100% of the time. The reason is the chipset on the Envoy enclosure will not boot externally with all Apple SSDs.
That is a crucial part of the process. If you can’t boot externally, there is no way to complete the clone.
We still have a lot of customers still use this method. It is a good back up plan if the clone does not work via Disk Utilities.
This clone method relies on third party cloning software. We recommend SuperDuper! because it is free. The most popular software is Carbon Copy Cloner.
The advantage of this method is third party cloning software has more features, and are better to use if the original drive is corrupted or giving you a lot of errors.
1
READY
Download and Install on your current drive SuperDuper! software (free software link is below in the green box).
2
REPLACE
Power off your Mac and replace the original Apple SSD with the new Aura SSD. We ship detailed printed instructions with your SSD. All the tools you need are included. Install the Apple SSD into the OWC Envoy external case.
3
RESTART
Plug external Envoy into Macbook Pro and restart your Mac holding down the Option key. Your original drive should appear on screen, click on it to boot off that drive. Go to Disk Utilities and initialise the SSD.
4
RESTORE
Clone your original SSD using SuperDuper! When it has finished, unplug the external Envoy and boot your Macbook Pro from the new SSD.
Four R method: Fresh macOS
Macbook pro -intro
Sometimes a Mac needs a fresh start. Either you feel your Mac is compromised with malware, or multiple OS upgrades have taken it’s toll. Whatever the reason, Apple makes it possible to reinstall macOS.
MacOS can be installed via Recovery Mode or via a macOS USB.
1
READY
This method takes a little bit of planning. OSX or macOS (as it is now called) can be installed on an empty SSD via Recovery Mode or installing off media such as a USB. If you are installing from USB, you need to make that macOS USB before you start. Recovery Mode is installing the macOS from a Time Machine or a Mac drive recovery partition (such as your old hard drive).
2
4
RESTORE
If you are installing macOS from USB, then insert macOS USB, hold down option key and restart Mac. If you are using Recovery mode, plug in your Time Machine or Mac drive, restart the Mac holding down the option key. Select Time Machine or recovery disk. This will create the macOS Utilities page that has options such as Disk Utility and install a new macOS. Whichever method you choose, the new SSD first has to be initialised (erased) first via Disk Utility. Caution: If you use (Command + R) and a spinning globe of the world appears, the Mac has not used the Recovery partition but is using Internet Recovery. This is to be avoided, turn off power to abort, as the macOS it will install is the earlier version that originally shipped with your Mac. See How to install a macOS for detailed information
Software and tools you need
There are many options when starting fresh. You can install the current version of macOS or a later version that is more compatible with your apps and programs. You can put the latest macOS on your new SSD then use the Migration Assistant to copy over data and programs. You do not have to connect to another Mac, you can connect to a Time Machine or external startup disk to transfer files!
• Screwdrivers (Phillips #00, Torx T6 and Spudger)
• Familar with how to Internet Recovery macOS or have an macOS USB drive.
• Choose an SSD drive here
The Upgradeable Team is here to help. If you want advice or check with an expert, please call, chat or email.
Use SSD as a second drive
Macbook pro 2nd drive
Your new SSD can be installed as a second drive allowing the current hard drive (HDD) to remain as extra storage. This is done by removing the optical drive and replace it with the new SSD but more commonly the current HDD is removed and put into the optical bay with a Datadoubler. For 2008 to 2012 Macs only.
1
Physical installations
Remove the current hard drive. Fit this drive on the Datadoubler. Remove optical drive (DVD) and replace with the Datadoubler. Install SSD into the empty space where old hard drive has located. (full printed instructions are included with order). You should now have your old hard drive in the optical bay and the new SSD in the hard drive location.
2
Restart your Mac
Power on your Macbook Pro holding down the option key (this starts the boot manager and shows all drive you can boot from). Your old hard drive should appear onscreen as a device to boot from. Select and start up macOS.
When the Mac starts up, do not allow the system to use the new SSD as a Time Machine.
3
Initialise the new SSD
The new SSD needs to be initialised (formatted). Open Disk Utility (in applications), select the new SSD. Click on Erase. Give the new drive a name such as “Macintosh SSD”. You need to choose format type (must use APFS for Mojave or High Sierra, earlier versions use Extended Journaled). Next option is Scheme (if available): Choose GUID Partition Map. Erase. The drive is now ready to be used.
4
How are you restoring macOS?
Will you be cloning your old drive onto the new SSD? Or using internet recovery or a macOS USB to install a fresh install of macOS. If you are cloning, install SuperDuper! software and clone your hard drive (in optical bay) to new SSD. If you are putting a fresh version of macOS on the new SSD follow the instructions listed in the Four R method: Fresh macOS
5
Two bootable drives
There are now two bootable drives, you need to make sure macOS uses the right one! In StartUp Disk (in system preferences) choose the new SSD as the drive the system uses to restart the Mac.
It is a good idea to use the new SSD for a while. Make sure everything is ok. If you do not need the 2nd drive as a backup and the new SSD is working perfectly you can erase the drive in Disk Utility. The 2nd drive can be use as a Time Machine for back ups or use as internal storage.
Software and tools you need
This upgrade looks hard, but it is not, just a few more details, and we always provide printed illustrated guides and free phone tech support if you need help.
• NewerTech Data Doubler bracket for Mac optical bay
• SuperDuper! software by Shirt Pocket (free download). Or familiar with how to Internet Recovery macOS or have a macOS USB drive.
• Choose an SSD drive here
The Upgradeable Team is here to help. If you want advice or check with an expert, please call, chat or email.
Choose an SSD compatible with your Macbook or Macbook Pro
These SSD drives are a standard 2.5 inch SATA drive, compatible with the Macbook and Macbook Pro range from 2006 to mid 2012 (non Retina screen)
$226.82
?
OR
$121.07
?
OR
$67.68
?
OR
$46.53
?
OR
In the Retina model of the mid 2012 Macbook Pro Apple changed the SSD they used to a proprietary M.2 drive. Proprietary here means an industry standard M.2 drive is not compatible. OWC have created a third party SSD that is fully compatible and five times faster. All the SSD kits here include SSD, the Envoy external case and tools required for the upgrade. If you are looking for the SSD by itself please contact Upgradeable for a quote.
SSDs compatible with mid 2012 Macbook Pro Retina and early 2013 Macbook Pro
Not compatible with Late 2013 MacBook Pro – model ID: MacBookPro11,1
$522.90
?
$295.55
?
$168.66
?
The SSD used in the MacBook Pro with Retina 13″ & 15″ Late 2013 to Mid 2015 was updated by Apple and is not compatible with earlier models. The SSD, as in the previous model, is a proprietary M.2 drive. An industry standard M.2 drive is not compatible.
We recommend the OWC Aura Pro X2, a super fast NVME SSD that is fully compatible but requires macOS High Sierra or Mojave.
All the SSD kits here include SSD, the Envoy external case and tools required for the upgrade. If you are looking for the SSD blade stroll further down the page or contact Upgradeable for a quote.
SSDs compatible with MacBook Pro with Retina 13″ & 15″ Late 2013 – Mid 2015
Compatible with these model ids: Model ID: MacBookPro11,1 , MacBookPro11,2 , MacBookPro11,3 , MacBookPro11,4 , MacBookPro11,5 , MacBookPro12,1
$581.05
?
$364.28
?
$258.54
?
Let us do all the work!
Not everyone wants to do their own installation. We offer an installation service at our Sydney Pymble office. An Apple qualified technician does all our hardware and software work. We match SSD warranty, so our labour warranty is also 5 years. This means if you have to claim your SSD warranty, we will not charge a second installation fee!
How can I get my new SSD installed?
Below we have a full range of SSD drives with installation included. Just choose the size you want, there are no hidden extras. The price you see is the price you pay.
$300.31
?
$183.99
?
$135.35
?
$115.79
?
$363.75
?
$179.23
?
$601.67
?
$279.16
?
$252.72
?
Accessories you need for a DIY installation
These are the kits or parts you need for a successful installation of your SSD. Add to your cart what you need with the SSD you have chosen. When checking out, don’t forget to tell us in the customer notes which Macbook or Macbook pro you have, and we will include full printed instructions.
$15.33
?
OR
$41.77
?
OR
$7.40
?
$10.05
?
OR
$31.19
?
$17.98
?
$25.91
?
$9.52
?
$9.52
?
$9.52
?
How to install macOS
Note: It appears Apple has removed the feature to get a new macOS via Internet Recovery. All key commands now install the original macOS that came with your Mac. For example; if you have an older Mac that shipped with Lion, then internet recovery will install that version on your Mac. The only way to get a newer version of macOS is via macOS Utilities on Time Machine or a recovery partition on a Mac drive (such as your old hard drive).
From mid 2010-2011, most Macs shipped with part of the macOS embedded in the logic board. This allowed the Mac to do an Internet Recovery, go to the Apple website, download some software, and boot to the macOS Utilities page. From this page you could initialise a new drive and install the latest macOS. Changes from the release of High Sierra mean that the only macOS you can install via Internet Recovery is the version you have embedded on your logic board (the macOS that shipped with your Mac). We are still testing different scenerios, if you have experienced something different, please let us know.
Why is this an issue?
From Sierra and High Sierra, Apple has a new drive format structure. When you upgrade to High Sierra, Apple changes your drive format structure to APFS. High Sierra will only reliably work on a drive formatted as APFS. To control how the latest macOS is installed, Apple has locked down ways to install it. If you internet recover your macOS, you can not format your drive as APFS and you can not install the latest macOS. To get the latest macOS you need a recovery partition created with one of the latest macOS (like High Sierra).
With the dramatics out of the way, there are various ways to install macOS on your Mac, Apple provides many options. This quick guide is designed to answer questions you have and provide a bit of clarity on the different processes. This is based on our experience and is always being revised. If you can add to these guides, please contact us accordingly.
How to get the latest macOS on a new SSD?
If you don’t have a Time Machine or a working mac drive with the latest macOS then you only have one option. You have to create a macOS USB drive.
If you have a Time Machine or a working Mac drive, you can boot off either device to start the macOS Utilities page which gives you the option of Disk Utility (to initialise the new SSD) and also install a new macOS. That macOS will be the version of macOS that is backed up on the Time Machine or the macOS that created the recovery partition. So if your drive or Time Machine was created with Sierra, then that is the macOS you can download and install. You can not install High Sierra or Mojave. The latest macOS is only available via an upgrade path. So install Sierra, and then use App Store to upgrade to High Sierra or Mojave. To use Time Machine restart your Mac while holding down the option key. If you restart the Mac holding down Command + R it could use an old recovery partition or Internet Recovery. If you are using a recovery partition you can restart the Mac holing down the option key (recommended as you can see which drive it reboots from) or holding down Command + R.
Using your old drive to get a new macOS
Your current hard drive will most likely have a recovery partition. Plug your new SSD into the Mac using a USB-SATA cloning cable. Reboot the Mac holding down keys Command (⌘)-R. This should make the Mac boot from the recovery partition. If a spinning globe of the world appears, then it is going to Apple website to install an older version of MacOS, so cancel that operation or shut the Mac down via a hard power off (hold down power button). You need to restart holding down the option key, select the recovery partition on the drive that appear. What should happen is the Mac will build The “macOS Utilities” page giving you the option of installing a new macOS (there are also options to restore from Time Machine and Disk Utility).
Using your Time Machine to get a new macOS
Plug the Time Machine directly into your Mac. Hold down the option key and reboot the Mac. Holding down the option key loads the boot manager and the Time Machine drive should appear onscreen. Select the Time Machine and the macOS Utilities page should come onscreen. You will have the option of installing a new macOS (there are also options to restore from Time Machine and Disk Utility).
If a spinning globe of the world appears, then it is going to Apple website to install an older version of MacOS, so cancel that operation or shut the Mac down via a hard power off (hold down power button). Your Mac is not seeing the Time Machine. Make sure there is a physical connection not wifi. Is the Time Machine turned on? Try holding down keys Command (⌘)-R and restarting with the Time Machine plugged in.
Options for older Macs
You can install MacOS via original Apple disks. Apple no longer makes MacOS disks, DVD, CD or physical media. All MacOS software is delivered digitally. If you have original software media for an macOS like Snow Leopard you can install that software and then upgrade via the App Store to the current version. Use the current MacOS upgrade guide for more information.
If you are using Leopard, you need to first buy Snow Leopard OSX 10.6 media from Apple to upgrade the MacOS digitally. You can buy from an Apple Store or calling Apple Support.
Common problems installing a new macOS
The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted This issue is nearly always caused by an incorrect date on your Mac. If you have disconnected the battery, the date could have reset. Part of macOS Utilities is Terminal. It is found as an option in the top menu. Select Terminal. If you are connected to the internet then type:
ntpdate -u time.apple.com
This should update the time. If not, then use this manual method:
date 0201200019
which is February 1st 20:00 (or 8pm) 2019.
So mmddhhmiyy
all two digits.
macOS High Sierra or Mojave is not available If you can not see the latest operating system in macOS Utilities then you have booted off the wrong partition. Either there is an old partition on Time Machine or on the Mac drive. This usually happens when the Mac is restarted using Recovery Mode (command + R). Apple and most of the internet recommends this method, however it does not give you control over which partition the Mac recovers from. Holding down the option key and restarting the Mac goes into boot manager, and you can see all the drives the Mac can boot from. Make sure you choose the right one! If you are recovering using a Time Machine, do not select a recovery partition, select the external USB time Machine.
Can not boot from Time Machine
From OS X Lion v10.7.3 or later, you can start up from your Time Machine disk. Hold down the Option key as your Mac starts up. When you see the Startup Manager screen, choose “EFI Boot” as the startup disk. The system should create the macOS Ulitilies page. From here you can use disk utilities to format a new SSD, you can restore from Time Machine or install a new macOS from the Apple servers. If you can not boot from the Time Machine, it is certainly something to do with your EFI. We are still troubleshooting this, we will have a new section on EFI shortly. You can google macOS EFI update to see the issue some mac users are having. It appears Apple updates the EFI in the background during macOS updates. If it fails, there is no warning or notification. So there are a lot of Macs with outdated EFI. If your EFI is current, we have not seen any issues with High Sierra/Mojave or booting from Time Machine. If you are having issues installing High Sierra or Mojave, please check if your EFI is update.
USB Installer is corrupted
The error message when installing OS X is “This copy of the install OS X El Capitan application can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading”. This is a check Apple has introduced with system installation. They don’t want old OS versions installed, better to move everyone to new OS, and new hardware (buy a new mac). There is a simple work around. Reset your system date to OS release date or close to OS release date and you can now install the OS.
If you are in OS Utilities, the top menu should have a drop down that has Terminal. Run terminal and then type this in:
For El Capitan install use: date 1001200015 [enter]
You can check the date is now 2015 by typing: date [enter], it should now display: October 1st 20:00 (or 8pm) 2015. The date after El Capitan’s release. You can now install El Capitan without an error.
Dates for other systems are:
Yosemite: date 1017200014
Mavericks: date 1023200013
High Sierra: date 1023200017
How to use Migration Assistant
Apple includes an awesome app called Migration Assistant that we have used to help customers start over with a fresh macOS but keep all their data and applications. Apple allows a lot of different installation and migration options. We will discuss the main ones here, but if this does not answer your migration question, please contact us for more specific information about the upgrade you are planning.
What is Migration Assistant…why should I use it?
Migration Assistant allows you to transfer applications, settings and data from another Mac. macOS can see “another Mac” as your old hard drive or a Time Machine back up. A mac can boot from an external drive, for example, if you put your old hard drive into an external enclosure, you can boot from it, and run that hard drive and it would be exactly the same as your old mac…because it is!
If you just want a new macOS, start fresh with no legacy upgrade data, then you can use Migration Assistant to reinstall all your data and apps, and you will have the benefit of a new macOS with all the apps and data from your old drive.
How to use Migration Assistant
After you have installed the new macOS, the system starts and asks for generic information: country, keyboard type etc. The next part of the installation setup is Migration Assistant.
Apple Migration Assistant
If you have installed a new SSD, you can use either your old hard drive in an external enclosure or a Time Machine back up as a source for Migration Assistant.
The example in the image below, a Time Machine disk is connected and to be used
Select Time machine in Apple Migration Assistant
Select the machine you want to restore from in Time Machine
Select the machine in Apple Migration Assistant
Then select the type of data you want to migrate
Select the items to migrate in Apple Migration Assistant
That is it! You should have a new macOS with all your applications and data restored back on the system.
Limitations of Migration Assistant
The new Mac can not be on Lion (v10.8) or earlier. If you are migrating to an old version of OSX such as Lion, then you need to use another method.
This method is not recommended if the macOS are too far apart in release. It is ok if you are moving from Sierra to High Sierra. But if your computer is on Lion, your application and core system files will not be compatible with High Sierra or Mojave.
Time Machine: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
We have renamed this section the good, the bad and the ugly. These are the undocumented or little known Time Machine features that can make your life easier or harder when upgrading to an SSD.
THE GOOD
First the most asked question we get: Does Time Machine back up the operating system or macOS?
If your Time Machine is backing up your whole drive, yes the macOS is backed up. You have a complete back up of your Mac. You do not have to download macOS to use your Time Machine. In Sierra and High Sierra we have seen Time Machine go off to the Apple website to verify or update core files. It is not totally understood what is happening, but it is not uncommon for Time Machine to get additional files from the Apple website before restoring a Time Machine back up. Usually these files are to do with the recovery partition on the Time Machine or the Disk Utilities page.
Restore on a new macOS
You can install a new macOS onto your Mac and then restore a Time Machine backup and not overwrite the new macOS. In our tests, we have found Apple has separated out the OS and the data. If Time Machine sees there is a macOS installed on the SSD, it will not overwrite these files, but just restore the data. You can enjoy a new macOS on your new SSD, and then restore your data without affecting the new macOS.
This is good for customers with High Sierra/Mojave on Extended Journal formatted drives. You can reinstall High Sierra/Mojave on a new SSD with APFS format, then restore from Time Machine and you will keep the APFS format, have all your data moved over.
The bad is for customers that have installed an older macOS, such as Lion, via internet recovery. If you then restored from Time Machine on top of this Lion macOS then Time Machine will not overwrite the Lion files, and you will create a Mac that can not boot on the new SSD. If you install the wrong macOS on your new SSD, the SSD must be erased using Disk Utility, and then the Mac can be restored from Time Machine.
Rebooting off Time Machine
Time Machine does not have a recovery partition, however you can use it to restore your Mac or install a new macOS. If you want to use Time Machine in this way, plug the Time Machine into the Mac, then restart the Mac holding down the Option key. This loads the boot manager and you can see all drives attached to the Mac. The Time Machine should display as an external drive. Select it and the Mac will build a macOS Utilities page that will have Disk Utility (to initialise a new drive or erase a current drive) and install a new macOS.
THE BAD
The biggest issue we currently have with Time Machine is restoring onto a new SSD with High Sierra or Mojave. We have written about this before: to run High Sierra or Mojave on an SSD without problems the SSD must be formatted to APSF, not macOS Extended Journal. If you have a mechanical hard drive and have upgraded to High Sierra or Mojave, most of the time this drive is formatted as Extended Journal. When you restore from Time Machine onto a new SSD, Time Machine recreates the whole structure. It will name the SSD the same as the old hard drive (even if it is preformated and named different) and it will format the drive as the same as the one on the Time Machine, which is usually Extended Journal. There is no way to change to APFS without erasing the SSD. This is the problem. Currently we have two work arounds. The easy one is clone the drive do not restore from Time Machine. By cloning, you can format the new SSD as APFS, and then the clone will copy all the old files onto the new SSD with the right APFS format. The second work around is installing a fresh OS using a macOS installation USB and then restoring Time Machine on top of the new OS. Time Machine will restore the data but not overwrite the new OS.
THE UGLY
This one might be a bit pedantic but it annoys the hell out of me. When you restore from Time Machine it restores everything including the disk name. It is the disk name duplication that kills me every time. You erase your new SSD, give it a clever name like Ernie because your current hard drive is called Bert. You restore from Time Machine and the SSD is now called Bert. What happened to Ernie? Ok, I know, you can go and rename the drive to Ernie but what if this is a second drive. Both drives are called Bert, how do you know which one is which? It is important, because you need to set the new SSD as the start disk in preferences. You can not rename the drive in disk utilities but you can change the name on your desktop. So go to the desktop, you will see two drives, both with the same name. You can click twice on the name slowly and it will highlight so you can rename it. Then go to Disk Utilities see which drive you changed. You should be able to see details like SSD brand name, which will make it obvious which is the new SSD. That way you can work out which is the new SSD and which one should be renamed Ernie.
How to create a macOS USB
There are a lot of options to create bootable USB to install macOS. We have recommended Diskmaker X in the past but the method we outline here is the recommended method from Apple.
This is our summary of how to make a Mojave macOS USB drive. With this drive you can install macOS on a blank SSD or boot from this USB and use the tools and utilities to check or format a Mac drive.
1
Download Mojave
Go to the App Store, search for macOS Mojave and download. For High Sierra click here. After it has downloaded it should appear in your Applications as “Installer MacOS”. If you have already downloaded and upgraded to Mojave or High Sierra you will need to download the MacOS you want again (Apple deletes installer once it has been used).
2
8GB USB
You need at least an 8GB USB drive. It does not have to be a super fast USB 3.0 version, and older one can be repurposed. It does not have to be a USB. You can use an external hard drive (note: any data on the drive will be lost as it gets formatted). Go into Disk Utilities and rename the USB to “upgradeable”. You can erase and rename. The MacOS creation method will reformat the drive, so it does not need to be any specific format type like Fat32 or Mac Journaled. What is important is the name of the drive, as it is used in the code below.
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Using Terminal
We are going to use the command line app called Terminal to create the MacOS drive. Don’t worry if you have never used it, it is very easy, not that scary. Open Terminal, it is found in the Utilities folder in Applications.
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Paste the code
Paste the code you copied into Terminal and hit enter. It will ask for your system password (usually the one you log on with at start up). Type Y and return when it asks if you want to erase this drive. When it is finished creating it will display “Copy complete”. You can close Terminal.
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How to use the USB
When the USB or external drive is plugged in, restart the Mac holding down the Option key. The USB will appear on screen as Install MacOS. Select and hit return. You do not need to select a network. If you are installing the macOS on a new SSD it will need to be initialised. Go into Disk Utility, Erase and name. Proceed to install macOS. Please note Apple have added a new format type in High Sierra and Mojave. If you are starting with a new macOS, like Mojave, then Apple recommends you use APFS and not Mac Extended Journal. APFS is a new format specific designed for High Sierra and above macOS and optimised for SSD drives.
How to initialise an SSD
When you get your new SSD it is uninitialised. This means it can be used in a Mac or PC. It needs to be initialised before use. In the PC world they call this formatting the drive. In the Mac world it is called Erase and it is a function of Disk Utilities
Disk Utility is a tool included in many places. It is found in the Utilities directory in Applications. It is included in any macOS install app. It is found in the recovery partition on a drive when a Mac is restarted holding down the keys Command + R. It is also a part of the Internet Recovery boot up. There are many reasons why you would want to erase a drive, this guide is focused on initialising a new SSD, however for readers who are looking at general information we have added the following warning…
Warning: Erasing a disk will delete all data on the disk. Never initialise/erase a drive that has data on it that you want to keep. I know that sounds obvious but you would be surprised with the support calls we get :-). Four steps to initialise a new SSD.
New APFS format in High Sierra and Mojave
Starting from macOS High Sierra, Apple have a new format called APFS.
It is recommended to format your new SSD in APFS if you will be using High Sierra or above.
APFS is optimised for SSD drives.
If you are using macOS Sierra or below, the recommended format is still Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
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Open Disk Utility
When you start Disk Utility, in the sidebar are the drives attached to the Mac.
Select the disk name, not the indented volume name.
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*🌈✨ *TABLE OF CONTENTS* ✨🌷*
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