Do I have to use Time Machine to duplicate my HDD?

[stevearm]

Hi all, I'd like to make a copy of my OS X Snow Leopard HDD on my Macbook Pro, so that if I were to ever god forbid lose it, I could just restore the whole OS, files, apps as they were on a new desktop.

My question is, I'd like to use Carbon Copy Cloner, will this do what I want or do I need Time Machine to migrate a whole OS + files + settings to a new computer?

Thanks in advance

 

[simsaladimbamba]

CarbonCopyCloner will do what you want, no need for Time Machine, as restoring from it does take longer than restoring from a clone.

 

[george-brooks]

Carbon Copy will work perfectly.
Time Machine won't quite do what you're talking about.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're dropping the cloned disc into a new mac eventually you might have some problems since you're cloning a drive with Snow Leopard installed? Would SL have the drivers for the newer hardware?

 

[MacDawg]

CCC will do this just fine and make a bootable copy at that

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Carbon Copy will work perfectly.
Time Machine won't quite do what you're talking about.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're dropping the cloned disc into a new mac eventually you might have some problems since you're cloning a drive with Snow Leopard installed? Would SL have the drivers for the newer hardware?

SL will have drivers for all 2011 Macs, excluding the 2011 MBA, sadly. But for 2012 Macs and onwards, there will be no SL drivers.

 

[stevearm]

Thanks all

SL will have drivers for all 2011 Macs, excluding the 2011 MBA, sadly. But for 2012 Macs and onwards, there will be no SL drivers.

So if I buy a new MBP in a year or two, I won't be able to run SL on it??

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So if I buy a new MBP in a year or two, I won't be able to run SL on it??

Sadly, yes.

Either get a 2011 MBP now or later via the Refurb Store, or learn to live with the crappy Lion.
That's why I have to buy a 2011 MBP soon, as Lion is not for me. Or I have to build a Hackintosh.

 

[maflynn]

So if I buy a new MBP in a year or two, I won't be able to run SL on it??

Correct, apple will not provide an update to 10.6 and the lowest version a Mac can run (typically) is the version is came with.

I say typically because at the moment its possible to down grade some of the Macs to Snow Leopard though I'm not sure if that will introduce instabilities or any other unforeseen issues.

 

[stevearm]

Sadly, yes.

Either get a 2011 MBP now or later via the Refurb Store, or learn to live with the crappy Lion.

Dammit, thanks for the tip. Hated Lion when I tried it and would hate to have to move to it permanently.

I've got a mid 2009 MBP which is working fine so will just stick with that as long as possible.