using old hdd for programs.

[kngo]

i recently got an ssd. i was wondering how i could use my old hdd to install programs onto it. and have it boot up from the old hdd and not the ssd.

on another note, is there any way i can run the os from the hdd externally?

 

[bobtomay]

Why would you want to do such a thing? Whatever you put on the external is going to run slower than it did when it was the internal drive. Isn't speed the reason you got the SSD to begin with? In any case - link.

 

[pigoo3]

i recently got an ssd. i was wondering how i could use my old hdd to install programs onto it. and have it boot up from the old hdd and not the ssd.

on another note, is there any way i can run the os from the hdd externally?

These things can certainly be done…but as "bobtomay" mentioned…do you have a specific reason for doing it (since it's performance would be much slower than your SSD). If you explain why you want to do this…then we would have a much better idea of what you're thinking.

If you don't already have one…this "old HD" could certainly be put to very good use as a backup drive.

- Nick

 

[kngo]

sorry for being unclear. i don't want to use my hdd to boot up my OS, i wanted to know if i can use it to put programs that i don't want to put on the ssd. and to save files to it.

 

[pm-r]

sorry for being unclear. i don't want to use my hdd to boot up my OS, i wanted to know if i can use it to put programs that i don't want to put on the ssd. and to save files to it.

You possibly can although not always recommended, but be aware that some software almost insists being in the Applications folder of the boot drive volume.

PS: There's lot's of probably surplus junk on your boot SSD if you need some extra room, and Monolingual comes to mind with a possible 4GB - 1TB saving of space it can provide.

 

[kngo]

could i get a hdd enclosure for the old hdd and reformat it so i can save programs to it? and run those programs from it?

if so, how would i reformat the hdd?

 

[pm-r]

Yup.

Just purchase an appropriate enclosure and they're available for 2.5" and 3.5" drives and we have no idea what size your drive was and install your old drive into it according to the enclosure's directions.

You probably won't even need to partition/format it as it already was for Mac use. But you can always just use Disk Utility if you need to. once it's connected and powered up to your Mac.