iMac G5 HD transfer to iMac G5 Intel
Need a bit of advice on this one guys.
I currently have an iMac G5 (1.8GHz Power PC OSX 10.4.6) which I upgraded the HD to a 250GB Maxtor.
I am changing my iMac to an iMac G5 (1.83GHz Intel).
Can I simply take the HD out of my 'old' iMac and put into new one?
Will it boot?
If not suggestions would be welcome so I can get my 250GB HD into the new one and preserve my data/apps without having to do a complete reinstall.
(Just to pre-empt the replies of not worth changing iMacs for speed/features bump etc the change in hardware is happening because of other reasons, not purely as an upgrade of iMacs).
I currently have an iMac G5 (1.8GHz Power PC OSX 10.4.6) which I upgraded the HD to a 250GB Maxtor.
I am changing my iMac to an iMac G5 (1.83GHz Intel).
Can I simply take the HD out of my 'old' iMac and put into new one?
Will it boot?
If not suggestions would be welcome so I can get my 250GB HD into the new one and preserve my data/apps without having to do a complete reinstall.
(Just to pre-empt the replies of not worth changing iMacs for speed/features bump etc the change in hardware is happening because of other reasons, not purely as an upgrade of iMacs).
Comments
Read about it here:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/setup/
As Lupa said, I suggest you use the Migration Assistant.
Originally posted by Hadrian
Read my post again. I do not want to transfer data. I want to transfer my 250GB HD with everything still on there.
Sorry about that, but I was assuming you just wanted the data to be moved, since there's no performance advantage to installing your drive over the stock one, unless you intended on buying the 17" model and needed the extra space. That and I had forgotten the OS on the G5 would be PPC based only...
Also, Chucker, wouldn't the OS on the new iMac be intel only, whereas the retail installer is universal and includes both versions? (just curious)
Originally posted by Hadrian
Need a bit of advice on this one guys.
I currently have an iMac G5 (1.8GHz Power PC OSX 10.4.6) which I upgraded the HD to a 250GB Maxtor.
I am changing my iMac to an iMac G5 (1.83GHz Intel).
Can I simply take the HD out of my 'old' iMac and put into new one?
Will it boot?
If not suggestions would be welcome so I can get my 250GB HD into the new one and preserve my data/apps without having to do a complete reinstall.
It will not boot.
You can shift the drive from one machine to another IF it is a Serial-ATA drive, but not if it is a ATA-100 or ATA drive. There were two 1.8 ghz imacs realeased. If your old mac is still bootable, start it up, go apple menu->about this mac->more info. This will bring up apple system profiler. On the left of the window there will be a tab labeled ATA. Click on it. Does it say maxstor there? if so you're out of luck. Click on Serial-ATA tab if present. If it says maxstor there then yes, your drive will transfer, no problem.
But that's just the hardware. Back-up the documents first. All of them. I've got no experience in putting a PPC drive in an Intel machine. The partition tables may differ in format, meaning that what is on the drive makes no sense to the new mac. Best case scenario is that you put it in there and need to do an upgrade or repair install of the OS. Worst case scenario is your drive gets erased. Try it, but back up first.... Let us know what you find.
Here goes...
? make back up of imac (PowerPC) 250GB HD
? use set up assistant to transfer files, settings apps etc to new iMac (Intel) via firewire
? remove 250GB drive from iMac (PowerPC) and put into external SATA caddy and connect to iMac (Intel) via firewire. Erase the drive.
? use utility like LaCie's SilverKeeper to make a copy of Intel iMac HD to the 250GB SATA drive in the caddy
? swap the drive out of the caddy and replace the drive in the Intel iMac with it.
? Cross fingers and boot!!
A bit drawn out, but that processs will (should) work
In order to install Mac OS X, the caddy will need a FireWire connection. At least, thats the case with PPC Macs.
- Noah