I currently want to upgrade MBP to with a Western Digital Scorpio Black (WD7500BPKT) 750GB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" Laptop Hard Disk (OEM) and was wondering is it better to do a fresh install from disc then migrate my files and other programs over or just do a drive clone?:confused:

This area is not really about asking questions of the pros, it's for the pros to ask questions of each other. The questions you're asking would be better asked in the generic support question area.

If the current system is working cleanly and you do not intend to do a major clean-up, cloning is by far the fastest and safest way to get the OS onto your new HD. I prefer Carbon Copy Cloner and recommend against using Disk Utility. Super Duper is also good.

Agreed. If it isn't broken don't fix it...just clone across your existing install to the new drive using Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper and then just swap the drives and reboot.

When I installed a new HDD I just used Time Machine, people don't like TM though, but for me it was the easiest and fastest way...

If the current system is working cleanly and you do not intend to do a major clean-up, cloning is by far the fastest and safest way to get the OS onto your new HD. I prefer Carbon Copy Cloner and recommend against using Disk Utility. Super Duper is also good.

Will the Mac OS question (generate errors) when it see's that the hard drive it is on is different?

I am just asking because when my warranty is up I may do the same to mine. I only have the 250GB drive right now, and think I may want to upgrade the drive.

Will the Mac OS question (generate errors) when it see's that the hard drive it is on is different?

I am just asking because when my warranty is up I may do the same to mine. I only have the 250GB drive right now, and think I may want to upgrade the drive.

CCC Carbon Copy Cloner - Home (http://www.bombich.com) is free/donationware. In the past (Jaguar, Panther and Tiger) Diskutility has not done a great job maintaining permissions on the cloned drive. No idea whether or not this issue has ever been resolved nor am I going to take any chances with it.

I've done the updated via cloning several times and haven't ever noticed an issue with permissions. You can always a repair if you wanted to be sure. About the only thing I've noticed is that i had to reset my default boot drive in the pref's area otherwise the boot loader would sit at the white screen a moment longer then normal.

My $0.02Cdn.....

New drive = new, clean fresh OS install. No question. That's what I would recommend to my students and clients. That is what I'd do for myself.

Cloning is faster for sure, but I have always been dubious - why take a chance with cloning the seeds of future problems?

So here is what I say: for quick and dirty right now up and running do a clone, to assure long term smooth performance do a clean fresh install.

YMMV, as do opinions, as I'm sure we'll be hearing shortly..... :D

Yeah, I agree. On Windows, maybe not so much, just because the task of transferring files/preferences/mail is like brain surgery. The migration utility is wonderful (though I've had it backfire on me at one point or another). Pick up a cheap SATA to USB adapter for your "old" drive and after your clean install, migrate!