Using old home files

[Fudd Rucker]

Hi

Recently put a 60gb SSD in my friends macbook pro. The original drive is untouched other than popping it out and throwing it in an external unit. I cant seem to figure out how to get itunes and what not to use the existing data on the external. Or would I need to reformat the external and put a clean /home filestructure then load previous data?

[Shadowmeph]

I am only Guessing but I would think that since it is a Mac it would have to be formatted so that the MAC OS can see the drive becasue mac and Intel are totally different just like Linux and Intel are different

[p3t3rson]

Can you see the drive in Finder?

[Fudd Rucker]

i can see the drive in the finder, but its showing up as an iDisk and when anyone tries to access the drive it asks for a mobile me login or some nonsense. So is it possible to use the old drive that has a fully intact OS with the data on it for the home folders and what not on the new ssd via usb? Or am I going to have to save the home folder and its data , format the drive (obviosly the right format) and put the home data back on it then try and direct the home folder location to external? I was able to import everything else except the home folder without incident.

[p3t3rson]

I am not 100% sure but I fairly certain you will need to connect the drive as a "server" in finder in order for that to work.

[Fudd Rucker]

Bit of an update. Bought a kit to mount a second drive where the optical was. The old filesystem and everything is intact and working still. Curious to how I can access the old drive and use it to install programs and save things to it.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by Shadowmeph

I am only Guessing but I would think that since it is a Mac it would have to be formatted so that the MAC OS can see the drive becasue mac and Intel are totally different just like Linux and Intel are different

Has nothing to do with Mac or Intel or Linux.

Each OS uses its own filesystem... Windows is typically NTFS, Mac OS is usually HPFS and Linux is usually EXT3 or 4.

You'll need a utility in Windows to recognize HPFS file systems in order to read contents off the drive.

[Shadowmeph]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Has nothing to do with Mac or Intel or Linux.

Each OS uses its own filesystem... Windows is typically NTFS, Mac OS is usually HPFS and Linux is usually EXT3 or 4.

You'll need a utility in Windows to recognize HPFS file systems in order to read contents off the drive.

That is what I meant actually I just couldn't think of the proper words hehe, kind of funny I can understand it deal with it but I can't explain it

[Fudd Rucker]

The new SSD has Lion on it , while the old drive has Tiger system intact on it still. Id like to use the old home folders and what not for Lion install, and continue saving stuff there . No windows involved in this setup.

[trowakage]

There are a couple of guides on Mac sites on how to point your account to a home folder on a different drive: Moving the home folder off the boot drive « Macsolvers' Blog

I'd be careful though, even though that technique worked fine if you're moving from Snow Leopard to Lion, not sure is it'll work for something as far back as Tiger.