Macbook Pro: is it safe to remove the HDD from a Mac and move it into another w/out reformatting?

[Deja Q]

I had a MB Pro (15.4" screen, 2.4GHz, 2GB, nvidia with 256MB) all set up. Freaked out over a screw, I got it exchanged for the newer (15.4" screen, 2.66GHz, 4GB, nvidia with 512MB) MB Pro. As I installed an aftermarket drive (720RPM) in the original macbook pro, is it possible to take this drive and swap it with the default one in the higher end model and not need to reinstall the OS?

Thx much!

[struggle4progress]

1. Dunno. I'd expect the HS contains some configuration-dependent info. If you don't want

to call apple and ask, and don't want to search their forums for info, you could buy a HD enclosure and try using migration assistance to copy your info from the old drive to the new one, then swap drives, reinstall the OS, and use migration assistant again

[Pierre.Suave]

2. Yes

it should work perfectly.

[guyton]

3. this won't always work!

The newest machines almost always come with new cpu-specific support for that platform. If you take a random 'old' disk and plop it in, it very well might not boot off of it because of missing support for the latest machines.

It's easy to test before you swap disks around. Just boot one machine in "target disk mode" (hold down 'T' during boot), hook the two machines up with firewire, and see if the other will boot off of it.

This will test to see if the OS on the first machine is new enough to support the 2nd.

[Deja Q]

4. I was going from a $2000 MBP to a $2499 MBP - same year model...

I reformatted anyway.

I was thinking of a 17" MBP given the "60% increase in gamut" claims, but the second source I read got the facts right (between last year's 17" model and this one has the 60% gamut improvement; it's more or less on par with this year's 15" model.) The first source I read lumped in gamut and pixel count and mixing up the 15" model and the preceding 17" model too (MacFormat magazine, May 09, page 82)... the same article also claims Doom 3 was played in "1024x778" resolution. Ugh, was the magazine editor like drunk or high or something? I'll take the job; I'm working toward that field and marketing anyway...

[Touchdown]

5. Do you have Time Machine set up?

Time Machine will reload everything on to your new HDD in no time... well a long time but without effort.