back, back it up

[Choppaface]

I want to reformat the harddrive my OS X installation is on, but I don't want to have to reinstall anything. can I just make a disk image of it while booted into OS 9.2.2 on my other hard drive, reformat, and then write the image back to the new partition, or is there another way to do it?

 

[Rower_CPU]

What's your storage situation...

Hard drive? CD-RW? What?

And what's making you want to reformat?

 

[Choppaface]

I've got OSX on a 18 gb seagate cheetah right now, and I was thinking of making a disk image and putting it on the 36 gb drive that came with my computer (which has more than 18 gigs free at the moment). the 36gb drive is also where my main 9.2.2 setup lies (the OSX setup on the cheetah has its own copy of 9.2.2 w/ minimal extensions, softies etc)

I'm reformatting because right now I have the cheetah split into 17gb and 1gb partitions...the 1gb partition used to be a scratch for photoshop when I used OS 9 on the other hard disk, but since I'm using X a lot now I want to get rid of that since I could use the space for my OS X setup. or should I keep the scratch and have PS 7 use it when I'm in OS X? I thought it wouldnt help PS7 since its on the same drive though...

and if I haven't confused you enough, here's the layout for reference
18 gb cheetah =>~17 gb partition OS X 10.1.5 & OS 9.2.2 for classic support
=>~1gb partition scratch, used by OS 9.2.2 on other disk

36gb original hd =>~34gb partition OS 9.2.2 for booting into
=>~2gb partition w/ OS 9.2.2 and repair tools (not really important for this discussion...)

 

[Rower_CPU]

Since you have adequate storage space, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

You might not even need to mess with a disk image (unless you're trying to compress it). Simply copying the folders from the X partition (from within 9) to the other drive should work as well.

 

[firewire2001]

i dont think that you can create a disk image over 2 gb.. i may be wrong -- i dont have my mac in front of me -- but you cant just copy all the files as is because then you wouldnt be able to boot because simple copying will leave out certain files that you either dont have priveleges to, or are invisible.

you probably will want to use a backup program like "CarbonCopy" - my dad uses it and it works great... however, you may need to use yet another program like Disk Warrior to fix the boot block file that CarbonCopy will copy ovcer in order to get your system to boot up...

good luck!

 

[Nipsy]

You want to do this with Carbon Copy Cloner, and see if you can trim your OSX to fit into the 2GB partition.

Move the contents of the 2GB partition into a folder on the 34GB partition

Move large documents like MP3 and QT Movies to the 34GB partition.

If this gets your OSX installation under 2GB, your golden, use Carbon Copy Cloner to move it, and move it back.

But here's the best idea of all...why not use that 1GB partition for your 9.2.2 Classic installation.

Makes things a lot cleaner (and safer) on the OSX drive!

 

[mymemory]

Dude, do not get so complicated on this.

Take the smaller drive,

Divide it in to 3 partitions.

One of 3 Gig just for the OSX

Secund one of 6 Gig for the software

A third one for storage files (mov, mp3, etc) and scratch disc.

Your other disc used it for working stuff, like if you use After Effects, do your projects there and the result drop it in the storage. The storage used it for files you like to play, the garbage and downloads in your secund drive. You can even have a secund partition in your secund drive for OS 9 and northon.

That is the way I have my computers working for about 3 years now and works perfectly.

 

[Choppaface]

kewl

I'll check out carbon copy

I though that I might lose some hidden files or something if I just moved the folders over but I'll see how that goes

thanks guys

 

[Nipsy]

If you drag folders around, you won't have a bootable OSX partitiona anymore.

I still think your best move is to install your classic environment on the 1GB partition int the Cheetah, and avoid all the potential pitfalls of slinging OSX around.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by Nipsy
If you drag folders around, you won't have a bootable OSX partitiona anymore.

I still think your best move is to install your classic environment on the 1GB partition int the Cheetah, and avoid all the potential pitfalls of slinging OSX around.

If you move your OS X directories while booted into 9, there's no reason why X would not boot anymore.

9 ignores file permissions and can "see" the hidden files in X (.Trashes, etc.) and will move them all just fine.

 

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU


If you move your OS X directories while booted into 9, there's no reason why X would not boot anymore.

9 ignores file permissions and can "see" the hidden files in X (.Trashes, etc.) and will move them all just fine.

Save for the fact that it just doesn't work (unless the architecture has changed enough since 10.0.4).

I think it has something to do with 'drive preparation' performed by CCC, the OSX installer itself, and Tri-Backup.

If you want to copy an OSX installation, and have it remain bootable, you need to use a utility.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by Nipsy
Save for the fact that it just doesn't work (unless the architecture has changed enough since 10.0.4).

I think it has something to do with 'drive preparation' performed by CCC, the OSX installer itself, and Tri-Backup.

If you want to copy an OSX installation, and have it remain bootable, you need to use a utility.

That's news to me. But since you're basing your claim on what worked in 10.0.4, I think there's room for doubt.

What parts of the "architecture" would be corrupted/modified by moving files in OS 9?

 

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU


That's news to me. But since you're basing your claim on what worked in 10.0.4, I think there's room for doubt.

What parts of the "architecture" would be corrupted/modified by moving files in OS 9?

Here's what I remember from when I tried and failed (10.0.4).

SymLinks are not properly preserved when an OSX partition is copied via the finder.

Blessing the OSX system folder requires special actions.

Therefore, as of 10.0.4, when you drag and drop an OSX installation, it forgets where folders are, an has no blessed mach_kernel.

This is what stimulated the market for Carbon Copy Cloner and Tri-Backup. There was much discussion of this at Breeden's site, and MacGurus, which further explained it, but I had a cursory look just now, and it looks like it may have been archived.

I don't see any reason why Apple would have spent time on making this possible, as most people don't even bother with an X partition & an 9 partition, let alone more complex schemes, and those that do are likely to know enough unix to use ditto (the cli utility which both the above programs are based on).

I'm bored, and out of beer coupons...I mean money...so I'll go try it right now under 10.1.5.

 

[Nipsy]

Just tried with 10.1.5...you can't make a drag and drop copy of OSX in OS 9 and have it remain bootable...try Carbon Copy Cloner!