Internal SSD..Need advice & knowledge !

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Hi All,
I have in my possession a late-2011 MBP that has thankfully been working quite well over the last few years and is in excellent condition. However it now takes 2-3 minutes to boot up with no start up menus. I believe, given its age that the hard drive may be beginning to fail. It appears that it has been used for browsing, remote connection for work and itunes due to the storage availability.
As you can see there is not much on this laptop in terms of usage and since its condition is excellent it may be cheaper to do some upgrades versus purchasing a new one at this time.I do know that when fairly new the library was accidentally erased and a very young knowledgable computer prodigy was able to recover everything .
The specs are:
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
Processor 2.2GHz Intel core i7
Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
macOS High Sierra 10.13.6.
I am going to purchase a 500 GB external HD to back things up. I also can get a new in package Samsung - 860 EVO 500GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive for about $45.
Is this a good option ? Also would I benefit by upgrading to 16GB of RAM from 8 GB.
Also can someone also advise and explain, if possible on what the following means.
Hitachi HTS545050B9A302 Media /SATA Internal Physical Disk • GUID Partition Map..500.11 GB
Location: Internal
Connection: SATA
Partition Map: GUID Partion Map
S.M.A.R.T status: Verified
Capacity: 500.11 GB
Child Content: 3
Type: Disk
Device: disk0
Used: 499.55 GB

Macintosh HD.CoreStorage Logical Volume • Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Capacity: 498.9
Available: 468.95
Used:30.2 GB
Type: Core Storage Logical Volume
Owners: enabled
Connection: SATA
Device: Disk1
Is this MBP worth keeping and upgrading ?
Thanks to all in advance that can offer any input.
 

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However it now takes 2-3 minutes to boot up with no start up menus. I believe, given its age that the hard drive may be beginning to fail.

Given the results/symptoms that would also be my initial conclusion. But to be sure...I would backup everything on an external device (as it sounds like you may be doing). Then erase the internal drive...and do a fresh install of the OS. Then see if things are still sluggish.

I am going to purchase a 500 GB external HD to back things up. I also can get a new in package Samsung - 860 EVO 500GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive for about $45.
Is this a good option ? Also would I benefit by upgrading to 16GB of RAM from 8 GB.

Hey...where are you getting that great SSD deal from??...I want one! Lol

Yes...if you replace the old "spinner" internal HD...the SSD will make the computer feel faster. As far as RAM. I'm thinking sticking with the 8gig of RAM for now should be fine. If you find you need 16gig later...you can upgrade then.

Also can someone also advise and explain, if possible on what the following means.

I'm not seeing anything really very special in that info. Just a lot of normal device info.:)

Is this MBP worth keeping and upgrading ?

I think this mainly depends on what you need it to do...and if it feels too slow for your needs when doing those things. I use an early 2011 MacBook Pro pretty frequently...and it does most things pretty well (email, internet browsing, music, movies/video, some online gaming, MS Office stuff, etc.).:)

HTH,

- Nick

p.s. Also...thread was moved to better area...and please...only need to post in one subject area. Thanks.:)
 
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Thanks for answering. SSD is from a friend who purchased it for his MPB, got a new MBP and is now selling it to me on the cheap !
Newbie here so bear with me.
As per your answer on the "normal device info" does this mean the HD was partitioned, if so why !
 

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No. Unless I missed something there are no partitions. "Normal device info" simply means that's what I would expect to see as stats/specs on a hard drive.
 

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SSD is from a friend who purchased it for his MPB, got a new MBP and is now selling it to me on the cheap !

Brand new these can be had for about $85-$90. $45 for a "new in package" is a pretty good.:)

As per your answer on the "normal device info" does this mean the HD was partitioned, if so why !

Looks like a single partition to me. If it wasn't a single partition...the capacity numbers wouldn't be displayed like this:

Capacity: 498.9
Available: 468.95
Used:30.2 GB

...they would be broken up into individual & multiple partitions. In this case "available + used = capacity".

And as you can see...only 30.2gig is used...and about 30% of that is the OS install. So only about 20gig of other stuff (all of which may or may not be worth backing up).

- Nick
 
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Back in 2011/2012, those EVO drives were not compatible with the MBP around at the time. I don’t know if anything changed with the OS version that compensated for that. Just informing you as an FYI, maybe your friend can let you test it out for a few days?


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums
 
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Than what is the Hitachi HTS545050B9A302 Media /SATA Internal Physical Disk • GUID Partition ??
And what is the Macintosh HD.CoreStorage Logical Volume • Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Will there be issues with the EVO drives in terms of compatibility as ferarr mentions...
 
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One is the drive (Hitachi) and the other is the partition (Macintosh HD) the OS is installed onto.
 
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Quick question...my Samsung $45 EVO SSD deal fell through as my buddy decided to keep as a spare !
Therefore I need to buy a new SSD and external HD to back up to.
Should I go with the DIY KIT: OWC Express USB 2.0 2.5" Enclosure + 500GB Mercury Electra 3G SSD ($110) and use the old HD as my backup or should I get a separate SSD and external drive from a reputable supplier. Can you recommend a good supplier. Do not want to use someone like best buy.
I am assuming the kit would be a cheaper option than purchasing separate internal & external HD's. !
What are the the concerns, pro's and con's of either option.
Would love to hear what the mac forum experts feel is best !
 

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In addition to OWC...try websites like Newegg and Micro Center. Usually good selections & price ranges.:)

Sometimes the kits are less expensive (separate drive & external housing)...and sometimes I've found that the price of an already assembled unit can be very close (shop around). The plus of the DIY route...is if there's a specific external housing you prefer (color, shape, material, size, etc.)...then you get exactly what you want.:)

- Nick
 
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Is there a brand the forum recommends or one I should avoid.
Not much to do with this MBP so 500 GB should suffice.
Is it difficult to migrate and set the replacement and transfer of files. Can the forum recommend a good "how to" video.
Newbie here so..Learning as I go.
 
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Thanks to all for your expertise and guidance.
Quick question..Since there is less than 32 gb used on the existing failing HD, can I do a full backup of the mac os and all files to a 128 gb flash drive to save some $$.
I could than purchase an ssd HD to install and transfer os and files to the new ssd via the flash drive.
Once the new ssd HD accumulates additional data I can than purchase an external HD to take care of larger back ups down the road !
If this is a recommended option I can use the $$ saved on the purchase of an external HD for more memory.
What does the forum advise !
 

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Once the new ssd HD accumulates additional data I can than purchase an external HD to take care of larger back ups down the road !

I know this sounds like a logial & sound plan...but the thing to keep in mind is...doing backups isn't about how much data you have to backup...but how important is the stuff you do have.

For example:

- Someone could be writing a novel that takes up only a couple megabytes (or less) that may have taken 100's of hours to write.
- Someone may be running a small business & maintains all thier business book-keeping records on an Excel file taking up less than a megabyte.
- Someone coiuld have irreplaceable family photos that take up only a couple gigabyte.

Any of these individually (or all of these together) do not take up that much space...but for sure they should be backed up. Waiting until "enough data is accumulated" could be very risky. I say get yourself a backup drive now...and start backing up right away. I know I can get a bare 1TB external drive for about $35 and a 2TB bare external drive for around $50. Not too much for peace of mind.:)

Another choice for backing up is "Cloud Storage". There are a lot of free Cloud Storage options out there. Here's an article that lays things out. The options they list give you anywhere from 2gig to 50gig for free (and there are many more via searches).

https://www.cloudwards.net/the-top-5-cloud-companies-with-large-free-service-plans/

HTH,:)

- Nick
 
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Appreciate the reply and advice. This MBP, other than the mac os and itunes/photos (8gb), it has absolutely nothing on it of value. No financials or important documents. A couple of spreadsheets replaceable apps and saved passwords. It appears that this MBP was used exclusively for browsing, mail, itunes, on line purchases, fantasy sports and so on. Since newly unemployed I would like to upgrade and use this MBP for my personal use in regards to job search, budget planning and every day use until things get better financially where hopefully a new MBP will be on the horizon.
Will this sway your given advice or do you still recommend an external hard drive. There is, obviously, due to itunes an icloud account. Could all be backed up to icloud ?
Can you recommend a good external 500 gb HD (does not have to be SSD) in the $$ range you mention.
New to macs and learning more every day by reading the forums.
You guys are great and appreciate all advice given.
 

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Can you recommend a good external 500 gb HD (does not have to be SSD) in the $$ range you mention.

Firstly...don't forget to consider the free "Cloud Backup" option.:)

As far as lower cost 500gig external HD options...as I mentioned above. Newegg & Micro Center are good places to shop.

- Nick
 
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Update.
Running mac os High Sierra. Purchased a WD My Passport for Mac external HD to back things up using time machine and my buddy reconsidered and is selling me his Samsung - 860 EVO 500GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive. Got both for $95. hope I did well !
Will hook up the WD external to the laptop up tonight and back everything up and than install the the Samsung SSD.
Question..after the install of the SSD and formatting the drive, should I and can I do a fresh install of High Sierra from the app store and than transfer my backup to the new HD ? Or just transfer all from the backup ! When formatting the the transition to a new start disk should I format using APFS which I understand is the preferred method !
Also, my daughter has a 13" 2013 MBP running Mojave. Will she be able to also use the same WD external HD to back up her MBP ?
Any feed back would greatly appreciated, new to all of this and can't afford any distractions or issues. Gotta start the resume and job search process !
This forum has been great..I thank you all very much !
 

IWT


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Hi and welcome.

May I suggest another way of doing this?

You could make a clone of your current Internal Hard Drive (IHD) on to the WD External Hard Drive. Install the SSD and reclone from the WD to the SSD.

A clone is an exact replica of your IHD (OS and everything else), so you should end up with an exact copy on your SSD of what's presently on your IHD.

There are two products that can achieve this and they both offer free trials so you need not be out of pocket - although you might, later on wish to purchase one of these as they are very highly regarded in the Mac world.

The products are: Carbon Copy Cloner found here: https://bombich.com/download - and - SuperDuper! from here: https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

Make sure you get the version best suited to your Operating System (OS).

BTW, if you definitely want to use the WD Drive for Time Machine, it HAS to be formatted HFS+ also know as OS X Extended (Journaled) irrespective of whether the source (ie your Mac's IHD) is formatted APFS or HFS+/OS X Extended (Journaled)

And finally, as your daughter's OS is different from yours, she will need her own WD Drive for Time Machine or cloned BU. In fact, she needs her own BU even if your OS was the same.

Ian
 
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Ian, thanks for the advice. Being new to macs i am a little apprehensive on performing any and/or all techniques in cloning, backing up and installing to a new ssd. How easy is this to do considering my ignorance to mac operating systems. Cannot afford any mishaps as I will need the MBP for job searching, resumes etc ! Can you recommend any instructional videos or pdf docs to view in which I can educate myself on this. Not exactly sure of the step by step processes involved !
Again thanks to the forum for all of your help. Your knowledge is well respected !
 

IWT


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I quite understand. It is scary to begin with. Trust me, we've all been through that stage. Even now, there are things I won't touch because I'm scared of my incompetence in handling them.

To start with, here is a link to a good introduction to cloning and how to set it up from the developer of Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) which was one of the products I mentioned.

https://bombich.com/kb/ccc5/how-set-up-your-first-backup

Once you've digested that, here's a very comprehensive run through from the same developer - it may be more than you want!

https://bombich.com/kb/tags/using-ccc

There are video tutorials on YouTube, but be careful to choose one that is from 2017 or later because things have changed in the last 18 months.

If you were going down the Time Machine road, then that's fine, but we would have to give detailed instructions because you will have essentially a blank new SSD - ie nothing on it.

BTW, I take it that you have confirmed that the Samsung - 860 EVO 500GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive is compatible with your Mac? And if you are able to install the SSD, you must know a fair bit more about computers than you are letting on:D

Ian
 
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Hi Ian, and thank you.
I think I will proceed with the clone route as it seems much easier and less intrusive in regards to steps needed than other options. I will return the WD external HD and purchase an 2.5 HD enclosure (Insignia™ - 2.5" Serial ATA Hard Drive Enclosure - Black. Model:NS-PCHD235 SKU:5820005). This should save me abt $30.
i can than insert the new SSD into the enclosure and clone the SSD from the internal HD using the free 30 day trial from Super Duper. Once cloned than replace the internal HD with the cloned SSD. This procedure seems more straight forward.
I can than, if not mistaken, still use the old HD in the enclosure as an extra external back up drive until it completely fails.
Sound like a plan or am I missing something. Learning a lot abt the mac world.
Yes, OWC website confirms that this SSD (Samsung - 860 EVO 500GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive ) is a compatible replacement for my 2011 MBP.
 

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