New hard drive for Macbook Pro - how to copy stuff from old HD?

[samat2001]

Hi guys

I've just bought a new hard drive for my Macbook Pro - before installing it though I want to be able to back up all my stuff so I don't have to reinstall/download all my programs and stuff again. Is there a program I can use to copy everything onto an external hard drive, and then copy from the external hard drive on to the new hard drive? (I don't have an enclosure for the old hard drive or anything like that).

Alternatively, if I use time machine to back up everything, can I use time machine to reinstall everything on the new hard drive?

 

["andy"]

use time machine

or if youve got another computer you can use you could clone your old drives image onto your new drive

 

[Feek]

If you already have an external drive that you're backing up to with Time Machine then it's dead easy. Put the new drive in, install the OS and you have an option to restore from Time Machine during the install.

Or you could pick up an external USB cradle for a fiver or so, put the new drive in there and use SuperDuper! to clone your existing drive onto the new one (that's what I did).

 

[samat2001]

Thanks chaps - used the Superduper route. All running smooth now!
Cheers

 

[panda_uk]

also carbon copy is great for duplicating hard drives.