Installing OSX on empty SSD

[R3DOPS]

I have an old Apple Mac Book and im planning on installing an SSD into it. My question is that will i be able to install it then download via my pc the OS like i do with windows? Then plug it in via USB and boot via usb on the mac? or will i have to do via other special apple means? Thanks 

[bgibbz]

its easier actually. You should be able to restart while holding down the option key, and it should give you an option to reinstall the OS. 

[EunSoo]

I think the way people do it with MacOS/OSX is they clone the data on the existing HDD to the SSD and then boot from the SSD. If you look it up on Google there is probably a more in-depth guide and lists what software you can use to clone the drive.

[R3DOPS]

Just now, bgibbz said:

its easier actually. You should be able to restart while holding down the option key, and it should give you an option to reinstall the OS. 

so i can have a blank SSD and it will install? what happens if i do not remove the partitions on the SSD? with the mac remove them? and if i have a osx partition hard drive will i be able to plug it into my pc and see most of teh photos music documents ext? 

[Linus_torvalds]

When i installed my hackintosh on my empty SSD i did like this:

 

1 installed vmware

2 downloaded working mac os x image

3 downloaded latest mac os x in that virtual mac os x system

4 created bootable usb from virtual mac os x

5 installed it on my empty ssd in my hp 4540s

 

after that i upgrade to every new release from 10.11.0 to 10.11.6 there was only one problem so far. it's working well. I did not update it to 10.12.3 I'm planning to drop mac os x for linux on my whole time. Actually i have it couse my sister likes it i use linux everyday.

[R3DOPS]

2 minutes ago, mate_mate91 said:

When i installed my hackintosh on my empty SSD i did like this:

 

1 installed vmware

2 downloaded working mac os x image

3 downloaded latest mac os x in that virtual mac os x system

4 created bootable usb from virtual mac os x

5 installed it on my empty ssd in my hp 4540s

 

after that i upgrade to every new release from 10.11.0 to 10.11.6 there was only one problem so far. it's working well. I did not update it to 10.12.3 I'm planning to drop mac os x for linux on my whole time. Actually i have it couse my sister likes it i use linux everyday.

Mate, i already have a working mac. Will i be able to skip the whole getting vm and just get a usb and install it onto the usb? 

[Doramius]

Either using your Mac with the old drive, or with a different Mac, go to the App store and download the most recent installed or latest OSX version.  The following article will help setting up the USB flash drive to do the install:  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202796

 

Alternatively, you can use a cloning program, such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis TrueImage.  Acronis is fantastic, but if you haven't done much cloning before -I suggest Macrium Reflect as the interface is a little easier for first-timers.  Cloning the drive should be done on a separate computer.  The clone will do an exact copy of the original drive.  When inserting the clone into the system, your system should immediately identify the drive as if it were the original.

 

EDIT:  Macrium will clone any drive, but check as it might have to be installed on a Windows machine to perform the cloning.  But check the site, as there might be a Mac version.  I also highly recommend getting an external drive and creating a Time Machine backup.  Recovering from a Time Machine backup is insanely easy.

[Aelita Sophie]

Since this is not about a hackingtosh;

 

Simple replace the old HDD with the SSD.

 

Hold down the option key and it should come up (slowly and steady) with your wifi connectivity if you are not connected by wire.

After that it will download the OSX represented by the "Recovery"dodat of your Mac. In most cases it will be the OSX your macbook originally came with, unless you updated your Recovery. Then it will eventually go into setup. Just follow the steps. Eventually wipe the SSD and let OSX do the partitioning.

[Doramius]

4 minutes ago, Aelita Sophie said:

Since this is not about a hackingtosh;

 

Simple replace the old HDD with the SSD.

 

Hold down the option key and it should come up (slowly and steady) with your wifi connectivity if you are not connected by wire.

After that it will download the OSX represented by the "Recovery"dodat of your Mac. In most cases it will be the OSX your macbook originally came with, unless you updated your Recovery. Then it will eventually go into setup. Just follow the steps. Eventually wipe the SSD and let OSX do the partitioning.

He stated he has an old macbook.  If it is an OSX version prior to Maverick, the option to network install may not be available.  

[Aelita Sophie]

28 minutes ago, Doramius said:

He stated he has an old macbook.  If it is an OSX version prior to Maverick, the option to network install may not be available.  

I used to have an old macbook as well, model 2011. Still had the option. Came with Snow Leopard if I'm not mistaken.

[Doramius]

1 minute ago, Aelita Sophie said:

I used to have an old macbook as well, model 2011. Still had the option. Came with Snow Leopard if I'm not mistaken.

Maverick was the first OS it was offered in.  Prior to Maverick, it was still required to install by either flash drive or optical disk.  Snow Leopard was the first Mac OS to 'only' support the Intel chipset.  If you had Leopard that was on an Intel chipset, you could upgrade to Snow Leopard, but you still had to buy the $29 disc and flash it to a USB drive.  Lion and Mountain Lion were the first upgrades available directly for download on the App Store upon release.  Snow Leopard introduced the App Store for the Mac and was available on it, but the OS was released prior.  Maverick was the first Mac OS to integrate the Internet Recovery reinstall process.

[Aelita Sophie]

2 minutes ago, Doramius said:

Maverick was the first OS it was offered in.  Prior to Maverick, it was still required to install by either flash drive or optical disk.  Snow Leopard was the first Mac OS to 'only' support the Intel chipset.  If you had Leopard that was on an Intel chipset, you could upgrade to Snow Leopard, but you still had to buy the $29 disc and flash it to a USB drive.  Lion and Mountain Lion were the first upgrades available directly for download on the App Store upon release.  Snow Leopard introduced the App Store for the Mac and was available on it, but the OS was released prior.  Maverick was the first Mac OS to integrate the Internet Recovery reinstall process.

Then I stand corrected ^^. Seems my memory didn't serve me well in this case. Though my Macbook Pro late 2011 I used to have, did have the option to use the recovery to reinstall. But in the end we are missing model information to properly answer his question. I mean, what defines "old"? The plastic macbooks? Or the unibodies from 2010? Or are we talking about the 2014 model even?

[Doramius]

Just now, Aelita Sophie said:

Then I stand corrected ^^. Seems my memory didn't serve me well in this case. Though my Macbook Pro late 2011 I used to have, did have the option to use the recovery to reinstall. But in the end we are missing model information to properly answer his question. I mean, what defines "old"? The plastic macbooks? Or the unibodies from 2010? Or are we talking about the 2014 model even?

Agreed, clarification would be appreciated.  Detailed questions get detailed answers.  

 

FYI - Apple Inc. DOES use the term 'old' as a system that is 1 year beyond the expiration of Applecare.  Applecare on Mac systems is 3 years, making early 2013 Macs "old".  I can't say I 100% agree with this assessment, but it is mainly used for whether they will supply replacements for potentially manufacturer's defects.  The last model to have a significant use of this were the plastic Macbooks from 2009, where the palmrests were falling apart.  They discontinued all replacement around the end of 2012.  It was another reason why they moved to the anodized aluminum chassis.  I feel it was a wise move.

[Aelita Sophie]

1 minute ago, Doramius said:

Agreed, clarification would be appreciated.  Detailed questions get detailed answers.  

 

FYI - Apple Inc. DOES use the term 'old' as a system that is 1 year beyond the expiration of Applecare.  Applecare on Mac systems is 3 years, making early 2013 Macs "old".  I can't say I 100% agree with this assessment, but it is mainly used for whether they will supply replacements for potentially manufacturer's defects.  The last model to have a significant use of this were the plastic Macbooks from 2009, where the palmrests were falling apart.  They discontinued all replacement around the end of 2012.  It was another reason why they moved to the anodized aluminum chassis.  I feel it was a wise move.

Agreed. I bought my late 2011 Pro i5. about 3 years ago for a good bargain. Was really happy with the way it performed. Still did the daily tasks very well after I upgraded it with a SSD and 8GB of ram. I used it mostly for my Application Developer studies, afterwards sold it as I had no use for it any more.

[bgibbz]

1 hour ago, R3DOPS said:

so i can have a blank SSD and it will install? what happens if i do not remove the partitions on the SSD? with the mac remove them? and if i have a osx partition hard drive will i be able to plug it into my pc and see most of teh photos music documents ext? 

Follow this guide - 

 

 

http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-to-replace-your-macbook-pros-hard-drive-with-an-ssd

[R3DOPS]

Ok how about this. I have the ssd on my pc right now. Can i format it and intsall most up to date mac os onto the hard drive from my windows pc then install into my mac book? if so what do i have todo? 

1 hour ago, Aelita Sophie said:

-snip-

 

2 hours ago, Doramius said:

-snip-

 

[Aelita Sophie]

40 minutes ago, R3DOPS said:

Ok how about this. I have the ssd on my pc right now. Can i format it and intsall most up to date mac os onto the hard drive from my windows pc then install into my mac book? if so what do i have todo? 

 

 

Sadly that won't work. OSX uses EFI, not to be confused with UEFI. So without a so-called bootloader that can work with OSX like Clover, you won't be able to boot and install it. And you need a working Mac to prepare it. And still I can't recommend it, as I am not sure if you can just swap it into a macbook. In theory though, it should work.

 

If you happen to have another Mac by hand, you can connect your macbook with a thunderbolt cable. From there boot either the working Mac or the Macbook (I'm not entirely sure) by holding command+t (or option+t, not sure again). From here on you can use the recovery of the working Mac to install on the SSD of your Macbook.

[Doramius]

20 hours ago, R3DOPS said:

Ok how about this. I have the ssd on my pc right now. Can i format it and intsall most up to date mac os onto the hard drive from my windows pc then install into my mac book? if so what do i have todo? 

 

 

If you have the original Mac drive on your windows PC, do you have an available port for the new SSD?  If you do, you can clone it using Macrium.  That's about the best you're going to get because the file systems are completely different.  Cloning software WILL clone the drive.  

[Sprawlie]

On 2/27/2017 at 2:22 PM, Doramius said:

Maverick was the first OS it was offered in.  Prior to Maverick, it was still required to install by either flash drive or optical disk.  Snow Leopard was the first Mac OS to 'only' support the Intel chipset.  If you had Leopard that was on an Intel chipset, you could upgrade to Snow Leopard, but you still had to buy the $29 disc and flash it to a USB drive.  Lion and Mountain Lion were the first upgrades available directly for download on the App Store upon release.  Snow Leopard introduced the App Store for the Mac and was available on it, but the OS was released prior.  Maverick was the first Mac OS to integrate the Internet Recovery reinstall process.

Incorrect:

 

Internet recovery install was available on my 2011 MacBook air.

 

I used to re-install it quite regularly. Always available since day 1. Still available now (Just redid it last week). 

 

Unfortunately. Still only re-installs snow leopard. So you then have to reupgrade to Sierra, instead of installing straight to Sierra.

 

 

[Doramius]

19 hours ago, Sprawlie said:

Incorrect:

 

Internet recovery install was available on my 2011 MacBook air.

 

I used to re-install it quite regularly. Always available since day 1. Still available now (Just redid it last week). 

 

Unfortunately. Still only re-installs snow leopard. So you then have to reupgrade to Sierra, instead of installing straight to Sierra.

 

 

That's still due to an EFI firmware update.  Maverick was the first to integrate it as part of the OS.  Prior, you had to do an update.  That's why the Internet Recovery page looks like it is from Lion, even if you reset to Snow Leopard 10.6.8.  The EFI Firmware update was introduced during Lion.  Not sure why they just didn't integrate it with Mountain Lion when it came out, but it was still a separate Firmware update and not all machines were updated to it.  My guess is they were testing it out with the Mac Air, as it wasn't long after that, optical drives disappeared from all their machines.