Treat me as if I'm an idiot.. (backup/restore)

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Ok, go easy on me here.

I have a macbook pro with a 120gb 5400rpm hard drive.. Before I start doing a lot of things on here I was hoping to upgrade the internal HD to this one here:

320GB 2.5" Western Digital 'Scorpio BLACK'... (WD3200BEKT) at OWC

So currently I have a few pictures, a few gigs of music, and my personal settings on here (mail, address book, some applications *office/photoshop*)

I'm running snow leopard with ilife 09.

I have the backup discs for Tiger and my software but the reason I'm running snow leopard is when I purchased the computer I took it to an apple store and they did a clean install of snow leopard/ilife 09 for me so I DO NOT have those discs.

If i wanted to install a bigger internal drive what would be the best way to do that and return everything to the way it is after I install the bigger drive?

Can I plug in an external HD and make some sort of clone with time machine? if so, how do I do that?

Will I need to re-install my applications (office, photoshop, coconut, etc)? Will all my pictures and music come along as well as a install of MAC OS snow leopard?

Sorry for the complete newb questions.. but I figure this place is around for questions.. and I'm going to have a ton of em!

thanks again!
 
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whitehorse84
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get sata usb 2.0 enclosure for the new drive.
OWC Express 2.5" Portable USB 2.0 Enclosure... (ES2.5BPU2B) at OWC

clone the old drive with this program
Carbon Copy Cloner - Home

install the new drive and your done.

you can install the old drive into the enclosure and have a external backup

Thanks man. So after I install the new clean 325gb drive I just plug in the enclosure and boot up the mac and hold down the option key? and it'll show up as an option to boot from the external drive?

thanks!
 
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Thanks man. So after I install the new clean 325gb drive I just plug in the enclosure and boot up the mac and hold down the option key? and it'll show up as an option to boot from the external drive?

thanks!

easiest way to do it is install the new drive into the enclosure then plug it into your mac.

then startup carbon copy. it will make a direct copy of the drive in your mac.

stut down your mac then install the new drive.

pretty much nothing more then that.
 
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whitehorse84
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oh ok I see what you're saying.

It can't get much easier then that can it. Will I need to re-install my applications? or will EVERYTHING come on over?

seems almost too good to be true.
 
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whitehorse84
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you've been a ton of help man, I couldn't have asked for me.

thanks again!
 
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not a problem man.
always glad to help :Cool:

dont be afraid to ask anything else.
 

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