2 Part question

[phreaqe]

i bought my first macbook about 9 months ago after not having a mac since my performa 633cd back in the day. I am looking to get time machine working because i would like to back it up and then replace the HD with an SSD. I use windows home server to backup my desktop, but my laptop does not see it as a time machine destination. How can i get a good backup of the computer so i can replace the HD. I would rather not buy a time capsule or anything like that. Is there other good free 3rd party back tools for Mac OS?

part 2 is, i bought it with Lion pre installed. When i swap the HD to the SSD I would like to go straight to Mountain Lion when it comes out in a couple weeks. Does anyone know if that will be possible? or will i need to install lion using the internet recovery thing and then do the upgrade to Mountain Lion....

thanks for the help, i have not gotten to crazy with Mac OS so hopefully these are easy requests.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Just install the SSD, put the old HDD in an external enclosure, clone it back using Carbon Copy Cloner, and then use the old internal (now external) drive as your Time Machine drive.

Time machine won't recognize SMB shares, and network backup solutions that aren't Time Capsules aren't supported (although a USB drive attached to an Airport base station works - I think you just need to be using either AFP or CIFS.)

There shouldn't be any problem upgrading to 10.8 over an existing 10.7 install. Although I'd wait for the 10.8.1 patch.

You can also use rsync, but it just restores files.

 

[slugg]

If it were me, I'd do things a bit differently.

1. Wait for Mountain Lion, buy it, then burn it to a CD.
2. Buy an enclosure for the old drive.
3. Install the new SSD.
4. When you go to install Mountain Lion, there will be an option to transfer files "from another Mac." You will target the old drive you put in the enclosure.
5. It will now install Mountain Lion while preserving all your files and apps.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If it were me, I'd do things a bit differently.

1. Wait for Mountain Lion, buy it, then burn it to a CD.
2. Buy an enclosure for the old drive.
3. Install the new SSD.
4. When you go to install Mountain Lion, there will be an option to transfer files "from another Mac." You will target the old drive you put in the enclosure.
5. It will now install Mountain Lion while preserving all your files and apps.

Bootable thumb drive, not a CD or DVD.

 

[phreaqe]

If it were me, I'd do things a bit differently.

1. Wait for Mountain Lion, buy it, then burn it to a CD.
2. Buy an enclosure for the old drive.
3. Install the new SSD.
4. When you go to install Mountain Lion, there will be an option to transfer files "from another Mac." You will target the old drive you put in the enclosure.
5. It will now install Mountain Lion while preserving all your files and apps.

That is actually perfect. i just ordered an enclosure today for the internal drive. I did not know the installer would let you do that. Thank you!