SuperDuper, Carbon Copy or something else?

[majordude]

I want to make a complete backup of my MBP's hard drive. It has a OSX partition on it as well as Boot Camp with XP.

I think I want a program that will create a disk image so that if my HD dies, I can simply pop in a new drive, load a boot disc, restore the image and get my drive back. Is this possible with one of these programs?

 

[72930]

I recommend WinClone for the BC partition, and SD! for the OSX side.

 

[danny_w]

I think that CCC can do it if the drive is not mounted by making a sector-by-sector copy, but that is a pain. I use Winclone to backup my bootcamp partition and and SuperDuper! to backup my Max OS X partition. If you have enough space you can use Winclone to save its image on the OS X partition, and then the OS X image will have everything you need to do a restore, or you can store the Winclone image somewhere else. Restoring your disk requires 3 (or 4) steps: 0) Partition your new internal drive as a single OS X GUID partition, 1) Restore using SuperDuper! 2) Use Bootcamp to create the bootcamp partition (exactly the same sise as you had previously), and 3) Use Winclone to restore the bootcamp partition from your backup image.

EDIT: physchofreak beat me to it.

 

[majordude]

I use Winclone to backup my bootcamp partition and and SuperDuper! to backup my Max OS X partition.

Thanks guys. I had never heard of Winclone. Then again, I just figured that Carbon Copy or SuperDuper would make an image of my entire drive, not just the OSX portion.

Does SD compress the image or is it 1:1? I have some extra USB drives that I could use if what I put on them is compressed.

 

[GoCubsGo]

You can create a compressed image with SD, but I don't think you have to. Also, I would use SD over CCC because SD grabs all of your metadata too. CCC, from what I understand fails to do this. Big deal for photographers.

 

[danny_w]

Another vote here for SD over CCC. I have used both and just 'trust' SD more. CCC was first to announce support for Leopard, but what they didn't say was that it missed some files and sometimes copied extra files that had not changed, so the result was not a perfect clone. SD waited to announce support until they got it right, and I have not had an issue with it (unlike CCC). However, CCC can do an exact image copy byte-for-byte, sector-by-sector, including the Bootcamp image; the hitch is that all partitions or disks backed up like this must be unmounted first (which means you cannot be booted from any of the partitions).

 

[BiikeMike]

I'm looking for a good backup solution as well. I have only heard good things about Super Duper!. (I guess a period goes there.... )

Here is my question. I have a Mac Pro with 4 partitions in it (3 physical drives), a MacBook Pro, and my wifes MacBook. If I were to buy a 2TB external drive, can I back everything up to it with Super Duper!? Will it just put them on the drive as "Partition A," "Partition B," etc?

 

[czardonic]

Will it just put them on the drive as "Partition A," "Partition B," etc?

NO! Don't even think about it!

It'll wipe the volume (including the first backup) clean
to prepare it for the second.
You could however, create a disk image or two, to house either or both backups

Go to the SuperDuper! site: it's developer offers the best Support going -- fast, personal and kindly to dimwits such as myself. The SD! forum's great too.