I wish to change my disc to a ssd 250 but have been told by Apple that it cannot be done via them or their partner shops. There are lots of alleged Apple repairers that disagree. Why cant i buy a external ssd drive and put my cloned current disc onto the new Thunderbolt ssd drive? Are there any problems with that idea. I could then keep my current hard drive for back ups etc. I am not at all technical so will not understand tech language!!. Can anyone help me please. Michael
New ssd for Imac 21.5, late 2013, with standard 1tb data disc
- Thread starter mibatch
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You can certainly do that! I have a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD inside a nice, slim Orico external enclosure, have it partitioned with 3 partitions, and two of those partitions I am using to make SuperDuper! backups/clones for my two Macs (Mac Mini, and MacBook Air). I can then boot the appropriate Mac from its' appropriate partition.
In actuality, there are two such popular programs for doing this: SuperDuper! (like I mentioned), and Carbon Copy Cloner). Besides cost (SuperDuper! is $27.95, and Carbon Copy Cloner costs $39.95), the other difference is that SuperDuper! does not backup the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas Carbon Copy Cloner does. These links describe each program:
SuperDuper! - http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
Carbon Copy Cloner - https://bombich.com/
The lack of that Recovery HD problem, however, is not an issue for me, as 1) it gets re-created when one does a clean, "virgin" installation of the OS, 2) I have a much more robust disk maintenance program in TechTool Pro that is superior to Disk Utility for disk maintenance, and 3) there are other ways to create/re-create that partition. This link describes what can be done with that partition:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314
So, it's up to you as to which backup/cloning program to use. I have been using SuperDuper! for so long, and I of course "swear" by it. And of course, you need to be doing disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs on a frequent basis to keep things "healthy".
In actuality, there are two such popular programs for doing this: SuperDuper! (like I mentioned), and Carbon Copy Cloner). Besides cost (SuperDuper! is $27.95, and Carbon Copy Cloner costs $39.95), the other difference is that SuperDuper! does not backup the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas Carbon Copy Cloner does. These links describe each program:
SuperDuper! - http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
Carbon Copy Cloner - https://bombich.com/
The lack of that Recovery HD problem, however, is not an issue for me, as 1) it gets re-created when one does a clean, "virgin" installation of the OS, 2) I have a much more robust disk maintenance program in TechTool Pro that is superior to Disk Utility for disk maintenance, and 3) there are other ways to create/re-create that partition. This link describes what can be done with that partition:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314
So, it's up to you as to which backup/cloning program to use. I have been using SuperDuper! for so long, and I of course "swear" by it. And of course, you need to be doing disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs on a frequent basis to keep things "healthy".
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First, unless you had a custom configuration done, your iMac comes with a slow, 5400 rpm internal hard drive. My late 2012 Mac Mini came with one, but after 4 months, I replaced it with a fast, Samsung 840 Pro 256 gig SSD, and the speed difference was phenomenal! Think "I have the need, the need for speed", and you'll have an idea. I eventually placed the (slow) 1 TB drive inside a nice, slim external Orico enclosure.
You cannot just use a "bare" drive by itself, without putting it inside an external enclosure. As I mentioned, I purchased a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD:
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-...3563223&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+ssd+pro+512gb
and installed it (was a snap!) inside this slim Orico external enclosure:
https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Super-Speeed-External-SATA3-0/dp/B01LXY78V6
In fact, it is right in front of me now! I have the SSD partitioned into 3 "pieces"/partitions, and I am using 2 of them for a SuperDuper! backup for each of my Macs.
Now, note that this is via USB 3.0 connectivity. Booting your iMac to that external SSD will be a "little" slow, as you are booting the machine externally. But, once you are "there", you'll get SSD speeds in doing tasks on that SSD. As for "exchanging" information between your internal drive and the SSD, that "could" be a little slow, again because you are going through the USB 3.0 port.
It would actually be better if you replaced the slow, internal drive with an SSD. But, the procedure is not easy (my Mac Mini was a much, much easier to do it). This link shows how to do it:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2638+Hard+Drive+Replacement/28781
But, as you can see, that is not easy.
The other issue you'll need to address doing this (ie, having an external SSD be basically the "heart" of your iMac) is backups. I guess you could possibly use your slow internal drive as a backup to the external SSD, but I have never tried such a setup.
You cannot just use a "bare" drive by itself, without putting it inside an external enclosure. As I mentioned, I purchased a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD:
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-...3563223&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+ssd+pro+512gb
and installed it (was a snap!) inside this slim Orico external enclosure:
https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Super-Speeed-External-SATA3-0/dp/B01LXY78V6
In fact, it is right in front of me now! I have the SSD partitioned into 3 "pieces"/partitions, and I am using 2 of them for a SuperDuper! backup for each of my Macs.
Now, note that this is via USB 3.0 connectivity. Booting your iMac to that external SSD will be a "little" slow, as you are booting the machine externally. But, once you are "there", you'll get SSD speeds in doing tasks on that SSD. As for "exchanging" information between your internal drive and the SSD, that "could" be a little slow, again because you are going through the USB 3.0 port.
It would actually be better if you replaced the slow, internal drive with an SSD. But, the procedure is not easy (my Mac Mini was a much, much easier to do it). This link shows how to do it:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2638+Hard+Drive+Replacement/28781
But, as you can see, that is not easy.
The other issue you'll need to address doing this (ie, having an external SSD be basically the "heart" of your iMac) is backups. I guess you could possibly use your slow internal drive as a backup to the external SSD, but I have never tried such a setup.
Cory Cooper
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Hello and welcome.
Apple doesn't perform drive upgrades at all, but some third-party Apple Authorized Service Providers do. I don't recommend performing this upgrade yourself, as the hard drive is not a user-serviceable part in your iMac, and that particular model and newer are far more difficult to work on without the proper training and tools. The display/glass are actually held to the case by an adhesive, and internal components such as the antennas and cables can be easily damaged.
I would recommend going with an SSD in an external Thunderbolt enclosure. It doesn't require disassembling the iMac, and the speed difference isn't worth the risk. You could run the iMac from the external and use the internal for Time Machine or other backups.
C
Apple doesn't perform drive upgrades at all, but some third-party Apple Authorized Service Providers do. I don't recommend performing this upgrade yourself, as the hard drive is not a user-serviceable part in your iMac, and that particular model and newer are far more difficult to work on without the proper training and tools. The display/glass are actually held to the case by an adhesive, and internal components such as the antennas and cables can be easily damaged.
I would recommend going with an SSD in an external Thunderbolt enclosure. It doesn't require disassembling the iMac, and the speed difference isn't worth the risk. You could run the iMac from the external and use the internal for Time Machine or other backups.
C
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Thanks Cory! Well stated, and excellent advice! And yes, trying to do that upgrade on one's own is definitely risky.
mibatch,
Cory is definitely correct about an enclosure with a Thunderbolt port. They are expensive, though, but the speed difference between Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connectivity is somewhat substantial. And, given that you basically want to use the external SSD as your "machine", that faster connectivity could be worth the extra $$.