My favorite method is to install a Recovery HD onto an external USB drive and then do a final backup to Time Machine. You can use any USB flash drive that has 1G of space and can be erased or partitioned for your Recovery HD storage.
Now you can place the new drive in your mac and install a fresh copy of Lion and play around a bit to make sure it works. Once you are happy, erase Lion and re-install a fresh copy but instead of making a new account, just migrate over from the Time Machine backup.
For advanced users, using Disk Utility or SuperDuper/CarbonCopyCloner can be fun, but even knowing how to do all that, I prefer the opportunity to test my backup since being able to restore a backup is so overlooked and catastrophic when it fails on you should you need it.
I'd say save your money on the transfer kit unless you want that anyhow. No need to move things over and in fact, it's sometimes better to let the system lay out the files in order rather than block copying the old structure on to a pristine new drive. With an SSD, access times are so fast, you may not notice, but I'd rather have one process that works either way - SSD to HD or back, larger drive to smaller, etc...
Having exactly the same problem. It took a long time, and a lot of trail/error/forum reading to get to where you did (editing info.plist). I removed my 'useless' superdrive also.
Refit has a utility to rebuld partition info as Mac likes it (after using gparted, in my case to grow the bootcamp partition as I made it too small), but after that nothing wants to boot into my windows boot usb key to run the final step which is the repair of the windows install/boot config.
Maybe osx adds some boot info immediately after you commence creating the bootcamp environment with Boot Camp Assistant. I remember it always booted into windows until you finish setting windows up... either by 'Option' selecting OSX on boot, then rebooting from system prefs, boot disk page. Or rebooting from Windows bootcamp tools. This worked also into windows setup if your USB was in. Once you have done that though, nothing wants to boot off your Windows install USB. Not even refit.
Unfortunately for me, that's where the windows repair utility lives which will complete the fix of my partition resize.
Obviously recreating the bootcamp partition would do it. But that defeats the purpose of trying to grow it without reinstalling windows in the first place.
Bloody hell, I already had to open my MBP up as the windows installer likes to fail if you have a HD attached to your Super Drive Sata port.
Might have to wipe, disconnect OSX and reinstall windows all over. Paragon Boot Tune is supposed to be able to resize Boot camp, but the damn thing requires a superdrive to burn a boot disc to!
Only other thing I can think of is that refit ruined something. But I don't think so. FYI I also removed refit and can select the Win Boot Camp partition or Boot USB Key but they fail that way also.
Anyone reading this... make sure your Bootcamp partition/drive is at least 30gb. Windows takes 15-25 (if you include room to move for temp files, caches and updates etc. Then you got apps on top of that.
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I have a new MBP 17 with my SuperDrive replaced with a hard drive, and with the SuperDrive mounted via USB externally. I have not been able to install via BootCamp, due to what I understand is some new issue with USB and EFI. I haven't heard of people having success with rEFit with the latest machines. The one solution that seems reliable is to open the machine and put the SuperDrive back into the second bay. The secondary drive can be put into the primary bay for Windows to be installed to it, and then the SuperDrive again removed and the drive with the BootCamp partition moved back to the optical bay. I can't verify the
Please note, I have yet to do this myself with my machine, though I plan to attempt it as soon as I get a few free hours.