How To Format New Ssd For Macbook Pro

When most of us think of where our Macs store data, we are used to saying 'the hard drive'. But the truth is, not all drives are physically spinning HDDs anymore, and the Solid State Drive (or SSD) is becoming an increasingly common upgrade for MacBook Pros of all ages.

Because SSDs have a number of advantages compared to HDDs, they are more speedy, reliable and quieter — yes, you won't hear the click sound from a spinning hard drive. However, SSDs are also a little bit expensive than HDDs though the price difference is diminishing.

In this guide, we'll walk you through picking the best SSD drive to upgrade your MacBook Pro's old hard drive or existing SSD and point out how we chose the favorite products along the way.

Quick Summary

Need a brief summary of our top picks? Here's the best SSD replacement for your MacBook Pro depending on your specific needs.

• For general users who want a quality, affordable SSD, you won't go wrong with Crucial MX500 — which has exemplary read and write speeds, with awesome energy-saving features that will keep your MacBook from overheating or using up excessive amounts of battery.
• For those of you who want to shop an SSD from a reputable brand, get SanDisk Ultra 3D — which will be able to keep up with your work all day, every day with all-around improvements to your booting, loading, and processing times.
• For power users who want a drive that's durable and built to last, pick up Samsung 860 PRO — which allows you to make the most of every gigabyte, and meet your need with a great warranty and optimized processing technology.

However, I'm going to show you how to avoid this one simple mistake that so many of us make when installing a new SSD. By default, Mac OS, unlike Windows, doesn't automatically enable the TRIM. As a result, most people buy a new SSD to replace the old HDD. Some people also migrate OS to SSD to get better performance. As SSD becomes more and more common, formatting or reformatting becomes important as well. You have bought a new SSD. When you get a new SSD, you need to format it in most cases.

Who Should Get This?

It's a digital world, and we all like to have the shiniest gadgets on the market. But do you really need to install a new internal flash storage and dump the old hard disk drive? Well, it all depends and here are our suggestions.

You should consider upgrading your MacBook Pro with an SSD if:​

• You work with large files regularly.
• Your MacBook starts up very slow or performs sluggishly in general. This is common for old MacBook Pros such as 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 models.
• The internal hard disk drive is showing its age and might die out any day. Here's a guide that shows how to determine if it's failing.
• You often use resource-intensive apps such as Adobe Photoshop for photo editing, or Premiere Pro for video editing, etc.
• You need the greater reliability of file storage or want to minimize negative experiences with overheating and potential damage.
• You want to upgrade your MacBook without purchasing an entirely new machine.

To format an external storage device, connect it to one of the ports on your Mac. Turn the drive on, and make sure it appears in the Finder. If the drive is internal, it should already show up in. No need to change any settings, unless you'd like to give it a new name. This will format the drive and prep it for the next step. Next, launch SuperDuper, and set it to clone your Mac's hard drive to the SSD. If you gave it a new name in Disk Utility, it'll show up as such. Then choose Backup All Files, and click Copy Now. In Disk Utility, select your Mac's internal drive (or an internal SSD). You should see two options: First Aid or Partition. Click Partition. Click the ‘+' below Partition Layout. Now a new Partition will appear, and you can change the size according to what you need. Give this new drive a name.

You may NOT need an SSD replacement if…

• You mainly use the Internet and document editing functions on your Mac and do not make use of heavier applications.
• You use your Mac fairly carefully or do not keep important or sensitive files on the drive.
• You are using a new MacBook (with Retina display), because 'removing the SSD is possible, although it's not an easy job. For starters, the bottom aluminum side is harder to remove. Then, the SSD is kept in place under the speaker module and has a very strong tape covering the interface port.' as pointed out in BGR.

Internal SSD Upgrade for MacBook Pro: What to Consider?

Capacity

When making a purchase, you may find yourself willing to compromise on storage capacity because of the cost compared to an HDD. Don't do this! Because storage capacity is a key factor that determines how much use you get out of your new drive, and as computers progress, you're going to want to have the space to keep up. Additionally, using external drives can slow down your Mac, so it's best to splurge for extra space now rather than regret it later.

Reading and Writing Speed

Every disk drive is rated with a certain set of speed that describes how fast it can read and write files. The range of a good product usually stays between 500MB/s and 550MB/s. The higher these numbers are, the better. Please note that the advertised numbers are not representative of real-world conditions though, in which you'll probably experience speed about two-thirds of those rated.

Memory Type – MLC and SLC

SSDs have two types of memory: multi-level cell and single-level cell. The first is cheaper to make and stores more information, but the later has a lower rate of error. However, some SSDs come with error-correcting features to minimize this difference, so it's up to you to decide which best fits your needs.

Reliability

While judging a book by its cover is generally frowned upon, when it comes to flash storage, it's perfectly acceptable to judge performance and reliability from the brand name alone. Well-known companies usually have good reputations for reliability and quality control of their products, and you'll want that name-brand security when it comes to something as critical to daily functions.

Best SSD for MacBook Pro (Internal Upgrade): Our Picks

Note that the SSD drives we recommend below are rated based on our own opinions and preferences. They are by no means made in this order.

1. Crucial MX500 250GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD

If you are on a budget and need dependability and security for your data, this drive from Crucial fits the bill. Its energy efficient features will protect your MacBook from overheating or draining of the battery. This is an SSD that should meet most users' needs. In our opinion, 250 GB is the best choice, but you may also choose a larger one such as 2TB.

• Pros: It has four different capacities available for you to choose from. The drive is speedy as it's rated for read and write speed of 560MB/sec and 510 MB/sec respectively. Also, the drive includes energy adaptive features to prevent overheating and excessive battery use — this is especially helpful if you're still using an old MacBook with a battery under fairly poor conditions.
• Cons: It's not the fastest drive on the market and some users may need a spacer to make this fit correctly inside their MacBook.

2. SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND 500GB Internal SSD

SanDisk is a world-famous storage solution provider that offers many types of products especially memory cards, flash drives, etc. If you're a photographer, chances are you're using or have used an SD card manufactured by SanDisk. What you may not know is that the company also offers solid state drives. If you need a drive that will perform well under pressure, then Ultra 3D NAND SATA III from SanDisk can definitely fill that need. With lightning-fast read and write speeds, improved startups, and shorter loading times all around, this drive will keep up with you throughout a busy working day.

• Pros: It's very fast as rated at 560 MB/sec in reading and 530 MB/sec in writing. The drive also comes with specialized caching methods to enhance performance while maintaining a cool and quiet operation. Plus, there are a variety of available storage capacities to choose.
• Cons: It doesn't come with a cloning software which means you need to take some time to transfer the data from the old drive to the new one.

3. Samsung 860 PRO V-NAND 1TB SSD

Boasting a 5-year warranty, cloning software, and a respected name, it's hard to know where to start with this Samsung drive's best attributes. You'll benefit from increased speeds for loading applications and saving files, as well as a variety of options for storage capacity to meet your specific needs.

• Pros: It's extremely dependable and known for use among heavy users, will work efficiently with your MacBook (reads 560 MB/sec, writes 530 MB/sec), and includes an outstanding warranty. Also, it uses 3D V-NAND to increase speed and rated for 150 terabytes written — more than enough to outlast your MacBook Pro itself.
• Cons: Some users reported that they had problems with the built-in data migration software.

Useful Tips and Resources

Whenever you consider making any significant changes to your MacBook Pro, it's always a good practice to make sure you have a recent backup of all the important files. See this Apple guide for different ways to back up a Mac machine. Therefore, when it comes to replacing your Mac's internal hard drive with a new SSD, you'll want to make sure that everything is backed up properly in case any potential risk.

The SSD installation process is fairly simple to computer geeks, but general users may find it challenging. That's why this guide from CNET is worth checking out, it features a step by step tutorial on how to upgrade the internal drive and walks you through the precautions and help you stay on your feet.

Using a MacBook Pro with Retina display (most models after the year 2013)? These Macs don't officially support being taken apart so you should consider carefully whether or not you want to go through with it. However, if you do decide to take a look under the hood, LaptopMag has a great tutorial on how to do so without jeopardizing your Retina MacBook in the process.

Also, if you decide to replace the old drive and install a new SSD all by yourself (aka, DIY), make sure you get the right screwdrivers ready as you need them to open the bottom case of your MacBook Pro. The RION Pentalobe 6 Pentalobe 5 Phillips Tri-wing Screwdrivers is a great choice.

Final Words

It may seem like SSDs have been slow to take off, but they really are the drives for many laptop computers in the future. They're generally faster, more durable, and more efficient than any similar-sized HDD, and you can count on them to store your files and applications safely.

How To Format New Ssd For Macbook Pro Windows 10

If you've decided to make the internal SSD upgrade for your Mac, tell us what your experience was like. We'd love to hear which drive you chose and how your MacBook Pro functioned afterward.

Apr 16,2020 • Filed to: Hard Drive Recovery • Proven solutions

SSD stands for Solid State Disk/Solid State Drive uses flash memory to store data. The reading speed of it is faster as compared to a mechanical hard drive. That's why most of us prefer using SSD to save important data and applications.

Most importantly, you can boost load times on your Windows 10 PC or MacBook by simply adding an SSD to your system. But, the drive is useless unless you format it correctly to the file system supported by Windows or Mac OS. So, if you've bought a new SSD, then you need to format it to use it so you can read or write data on it. Fortunately, you've come to the right place. Here, we are going to help you learn how to perform SSD format for Windows 10 and MacBook Pro. Continue reading, especially if you cannot format SSD as it might be possible that you're doing it in the wrong way.

Part 1: What is the Best Format for SSD?

The standard file systems introduced by Microsoft for Windows OS are NTFS and FAT. On the other hand, the Mac OS Extension and APFS are dedicated to Mac OS.

Let's know the best format for SSD to use.

• For Windows OS

NTFS is commonly used on the computer. When it comes to the best format for SSD in Windows, NTFS is highly recommended to use. Drive with a FAT file system can't store a single file having a size above 4GB. Moreover, the FAT file system fails to save a file as a complete one when you write any new data after the deletion of the file. There is no such thing with the NTFS file system.

• For Mac OS

The MAC OS Extension file system is introduced in the MAC OS 10.12 or earlier versions. The default file system on Mac OS for SSDs is the APFS. So, the recommended file system to use is APFS as it comes with several benefits - strong encryption, disk snapshots, and space sharing. Most importantly, it provides full support for SSD on MacBook Pro.

So, it is highly recommended to select the compatible format that your system lists. If the in-built drive is set up NTFS file system in Windows or APFS on MacBook Pro, then don't change it.

How To Format New Ssd For Macbook Pro 2020

Once learning the right format to use for SSD on your system, the next step is to learn how to format SSD. Formatting will delete everything present on your drive. Therefore, if you have stored important files on your SSD, then it is recommended to backup them before proceeding further.

Part 2: How Do I Format SSD in Windows 10?

You can take advantage of Windows in-built hard disk or drive tool known as Disk Management in order to format your SSD on Windows 10. Disk Management is Windows utility introduced by Microsoft in Windows XP as a replacement for the extremely old partition tool known as FDISK command. With Disk Management, you can perform simple partition and disk operations, for instance, create partition, format partition, delete partition, shrink or extend partition or change drive letter.

Using Disk Management to format new SSD is very easy and simple as you don't have to use any third-party application to get the job done. Follow the below simple guide to learn how to use Disk Management for formatting the SSD on Windows 10-

Step 1 To start with the process, right-click on the Windows Start button and choose 'Disk Management' to navigate to the interface of the disk management. Else, simply type 'diskmgmt.msc' in the Run dialog box to open Disk Management.

Step 2 After that, right-click on the partition on your SSD you would like to format and select the 'Format' option as shown below in the figure.

Step 3 Next, you need to specify the file system i.e. NTFS, allocation unit size and volume label and hit the 'Ok' button after all these settings.

Note: Make sure that you have checked the box next to the 'Quick Format' before you format an SSD. If you format it with unchecked, then your system will perform a full format that can reduce the lifespan of your SSD.

Step 4 Once ensuring there is no important file in the partition and hit on the 'Ok' button to continue.

In a while, your selected SSD partition will be formatted. Everything will be erased on the drive so to make the drive reusable.

Part 3: How Do I Format a New SSD in My MacBook Pro?

You can use Disk Utility to format a new SSD drive on your MacBook Pro. Like Disk Management in Windows, Disk Utility is a system utility you can use to perform disk or disk volume-related operations on the Mac operating systems.

Let's learn how to format SSD using Disk Utility -

Step 1 On your MacBook Pro, click 'Go' Menu in the 'Finder. After that, choose the 'Utilities' to open the Utility folder. Here, open the Disk Utility.

Step 2 Then, choose the new drive from the left panel and click on the 'Partition' tab from the right pane. Next, choose 'one partition' from the 'Partition Layout' drop-down menu.

Step 3 Choose 'GUID Partition Table' when a window pops-up and hit on the 'Ok' button.

Step 4 Now, enter the partition name and select the file system from the drop-down list of 'Format'. The list will generally show the compatible file system.

Step 5 Finally, click on 'Partition' to begin with the partitioning & formatting the new SSD.

Part 4: How to Recover Data from Formatted SSD?

When you format your SSD, all the data including videos, emails, photos, etc on it gets deleted. That's why you should create a backup of the drive before formatting it. But, what if you forget to create a backup and end up losing your important files after formatting SSD? Then, Recoverit (IS) can help you recover data from SSD after format.

iSkysoft is the most professional and reliable data recovery software available on the internet. The interface is clean and simple, which makes it extremely easy to use. It features advanced and powerful scanning algorithms to help you locate and recover the lost files.

Recoverit (IS)

Here are its main features -

• Supported file types - it can help you recover any type of file, which includes photos, videos, documents, emails, graphics.
• Supported storage device - you can use it to get back data from any kind of storage device, such as SSD, hard drive, memory card, digital camera, pen drive, etc.
• Works under different scenarios - it can help you recover files due to accidental deletion, system crash, device formatting, virus attack, sudden power failure, etc.
• Compatibility - it provides the support to recover data on both Windows and Mac OS.
• Easy and quick recovery - you can easily recover your lost files in no time.

To learn how to get back data from formatted SSD, get Recoverit (IS) from its official site on your system and follow the below steps.

After installing the Recoverit (IS) on your system, run it and select a target location or drive from where you want to get back your lost files. Then, click on the 'Start' button to start the scan process on the selected location.

Now, the software will initiate the scan process to look for the lost files in your chosen location. You can also define selections or choose filters for customization. Here, you may have to wait for a few minutes to complete the process.

How To Format New Ssd For Macbook Pro 15

Once the scan completes, you can preview the files you can recover and select the ones you would like to retrieve. Finally, hit the 'Recover' button to get them back on your system.

When you're saving the recoverable files, don't save to the same location from where you lost. Consider another location to avoid data overwritten. Also, if you want to increase the chances of getting the data from your formatted SSD, stop using the drive as soon as you determine files are lost.

Conclusion:

How To Format New Ssd For Macbook Pro

That's all on how to format SSD in Windows 10/MacBook Pro. Generally, formatting results in data loss. So, if you find a lost data after formatting and don't have a backup, then use professional SSD data recovery software like iSkysoft as fast as you can to perform SSD data recovery.