Apple upgraded my OS - how will I re-install

[TWHH]

Hi there,

I recently took an unbootable G5 iMac to the Genius Bar. The machine had had Tiger installed on it, but the nice man at the Apple Store got it working again by re-installing the OS. But he did this by installing Leapord.

While this was a nice FoC upgrage it has left me wondering how I would re-install this OS should my G5 start to play up again..

If I was to re-install Tiger is there any chance that apps currently installed on the iMac won't work..? This iMac has now become my kids - so really only used for iTunes and Web browsing

An added complication is that the optical drive on the G5 is dead. No drama for everyday use as I can download or create a disk image of any physical media on a USB on my Intel iMac, but without a Leapord install disk I can't make a USB stick to re-install to 10.5 if I need to.


Thanks

 

[Hansr]

Unless you explicitly install applications that are 10.5.0+ only there is no need to worry.

 

[waynep]

Maybe make a Carbon Copy Clone before you do too much to it?

 

[farmermac]

humm...Easiest is definitely to make a clone on a USB hard disk and set it aside in a closet. If your hd ever dies you can replace it and clone back.

 

[TWHH]

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry, this is real dumb question, but can I just clone the OS? I've got a 8 GB USB stick, but having the entire HD backed up will mean me having to buy a separate external HD.

Thanks

 

[Hansr]

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry, this is real dumb question, but can I just clone the OS? I've got a 8 GB USB stick, but having the entire HD backed up will mean me having to buy a separate external HD.

Thanks

Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper are good options. CCC should allow you to select the system only. But it's good to back up everything.

 

[TWHH]

Rah... Looks lie I will need to buy an external HD. I found the following on the Superduper website:

Note also that USB drives do not allow booting Power PC based Macintoshes under any version of Mac OS X: this is not a SuperDuper! limitation, but one of the OS. If you would like to boot from a backup stored on an external drive, and have a Power PC based Mac, please purchase a Mac compatible FireWire drive. Intel Mac users can boot from either USB or FireWire drives.​

Sorry - another dumb question - would I be able to make a clone on a USB, then transfer that to somewhere on my Intel iMac; then if I run in to trouble on my PPC iMac, connect it with a FW cable to the Intel iMac and boot from the clone stored there? If so is there anywhere in particular I would need to store the cloned System on my Intel iMac?

Thanks

 

[Hansr]

Easier to just buy a FW external. Go with a disk size 2,5" one which can be powered from the FW port.

 

[TWHH]

OK, so I need to decide if the cost of a FW drive for the purposes of having 10.5 Vs 10.4 is worth it (the G5 backs up all it's data on a Time Capsule)

 

[Hansr]

That or grab a 10.5 disc off ebay and restore it to a 8GB USB flash drive.