Backup and restore Mac

[jwolf6589]

Hard drive is failing and so I will need to backup and restore Mac onto new drive. My Mac is a Macbook 2009 and I use Time Machine weekly for backups. So when my new drive comes what will I do? What I imagine I will do is the following.

1. Take out old drive and install new one.
2. Boot from OSX SL Boot CD and format hard drive.
3. Restore Mac from time machine backup from Boot CD? Or would I need to install SL first?
4. Mavericks, Mountain Lion and such were installed from the Apple Store and have no CD so this may complicate things.
5. Regarding Windows XP Partiton I have no idea but I may need to install XP and Office again and if so I have the CD's. Or is there an easier way?


Thank you for your help.


John

 

[Weaselboy]

Are you saying the Mac is now on Mavericks and the Time Machine backup was made with Mavericks?

If yes, you can easily restore right from the TM drive. Just option key boot to the TM disk and you will see a recovery screen. Use Disk Utility from there to erase the new disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Util and click restore. The entire OS and all you data will be put back on the new disk.

Since Lion 10.7.2 TM puts a copy of the recovery partition on the TM disk, making this all very easy.

This will not bring Windows back though. You will need to use something like Winclone to copy that back or reinstall Windows with Bootcamp and your Office apps again.

 

[Fishrrman]

If you are willing to spend $20, you could get a USB3/SATA dock like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Syba-Docking-2-5-Inch-3-5-Inch-SD-ENC50037/dp/B0051GN906

Then, put the NEW drive into the dock and initialize it with Disk Utility.

Use your TM backup to restore onto the NEW drive in the dock.

When the restoration is done, do a "test boot". Restart, hold down the option key until the startup manager appears, and then select the external docked drive.

If you get a "good boot", NOW it's time to open the MacBook and do the "disk swap".

Just a thought - once you have the NEW drive installed and running, and have the old drive "in your hand", try putting it into the dock and re-initializing it. If it seems to initialize ok, run DU's "repair" on it, and see what comes up. If it comes up ok, repeat this for about five times. If EVERY test comes up ok, I'd keep the drive around for non-critical "scratch storage"....

 

[jwolf6589]

Are you saying the Mac is now on Mavericks and the Time Machine backup was made with Mavericks?

If yes, you can easily restore right from the TM drive. Just option key boot to the TM disk and you will see a recovery screen. Use Disk Utility from there to erase the new disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Util and click restore. The entire OS and all you data will be put back on the new disk.

Since Lion 10.7.2 TM puts a copy of the recovery partition on the TM disk, making this all very easy.

This will not bring Windows back though. You will need to use something like Winclone to copy that back or reinstall Windows with Bootcamp and your Office apps again.

Is this device accurate and should I follow it?

https://discussions.apple.com/message/25526616#25526616

What I will do is install new hard drive, boot from SL Boot CD. Format drive, and then restore from time Machine backup on USB HD.

 

[Weaselboy]

Is this device accurate and should I follow it?

https://discussions.apple.com/message/25526616#25526616

What I will do is install new hard drive, boot from SL Boot CD. Format drive, and then restore from time Machine backup on USB HD.

Yes... you can do that and it will work fine. But if the TM backup was made with Mavs, you can skip the CD and boot right to the TM disk and do the same thing.

That's why I was trying to clarify if the TM backup was made with Mavs as that is a simpler restore.

 

[jwolf6589]

Yes... you can do that and it will work fine. But if the TM backup was made with Mavs, you can skip the CD and boot right to the TM disk and do the same thing.

That's why I was trying to clarify if the TM backup was made with Mavs as that is a simpler restore.

How will that be possible since I will be removing the hard drive from the macbook and installing the new hard drive into the macbook and then restoring from the time machine backup? I DO NOT have a external HD enclosure so I will be using my USB Drive.

 

[satcomer]

Bookmark the Apple document What to do before selling or giving away your Mac and the linked document on that page OS X Mavericks: Erase and reinstall OS X.

 

[Weaselboy]

How will that be possible since I will be removing the hard drive from the macbook and installing the new hard drive into the macbook and then restoring from the time machine backup? I DO NOT have a external HD enclosure so I will be using my USB Drive.

Because if your Time Machine backup is on an external drive you can option key boot to that directly. When you do, you will see the recovery screen. From there you can use Disk Util to format the new, blank drive then restore the OS and all your data from the Time Machine disk. There is no need to reinstall anything.

 

[jwolf6589]

Because if your Time Machine backup is on an external drive you can option key boot to that directly. When you do, you will see the recovery screen. From there you can use Disk Util to format the new, blank drive then restore the OS and all your data from the Time Machine disk. There is no need to reinstall anything.

I wonder if it will be necessary as Apple may have misled me. I bought Tech Tools Pro and ran the HD test and it says my hard drive is fine. Who should I trust Apple's test or Tech Tools Pro which is used by many tech centers? Even if I am out the $40 + the $30 for WinClone for a non failing hard drive its still useful to have these apps.

 

[Weaselboy]

I wonder if it will be necessary as Apple may have misled me. I bought Tech Tools Pro and ran the HD test and it says my hard drive is fine. Who should I trust Apple's test or Tech Tools Pro which is used by many tech centers? Even if I am out the $40 + the $30 for WinClone for a non failing hard drive its still useful to have these apps.

What led you to all this to begin with? Can you describe the symptoms that made you think it might be a hard drive failure?

 

[jwolf6589]

What led you to all this to begin with? Can you describe the symptoms that made you think it might be a hard drive failure?

I went to Apple because I thought my fan needed a cleaning. I just completed the Tech Tools Pro surface scan and it found no issues. Its a shame I was deceived by Apple as I already placed the RMA for the new drive. What should I do? Replace it for the heck of it?

 

[Weaselboy]

I went to Apple because I thought my fan needed a cleaning. I just completed the Tech Tools Pro surface scan and it found no issues. Its a shame I was deceived by Apple as I already placed the RMA for the new drive. What should I do? Replace it for the heck of it?

So your Mac was having no problems at all, they just tested it during a routine fan cleaning you requested?

The test software Apple has is very thorough, if they tested it and their software reported it bad, I would replace it. These bad drives can be hard to detect.

Your Macbook is very easy to replace the hard drive on.

 

[jwolf6589]

So your Mac was having no problems at all, they just tested it during a routine fan cleaning you requested?

The test software Apple has is very thorough, if they tested it and their software reported it bad, I would replace it. These bad drives can be hard to detect.

Your Macbook is very easy to replace the hard drive on.

I created a boot partition on a USB external and booted to that and ran TTP and still no problems with the drive. Apple's software is out to lunch and as a tech told me how they operate and he suggested I not trust their advice. My drive is probably fine. But then again I may replace it anyways as its under warranty just to get more time from the drive. But then again maybe I should not as its a hassle doing the transfer of everything and also Bootcamp. Maybe when I do it for real it will be with a larger drive.