Making a backup of my PowerBook

[aussie_geek]

I want to backup the entire contents of my PowerBook hard drive to my PowerMac to serve as a backup. Could I just mount the PowerBook in firewire disk target mode and drag the whole drive to a folder on my G5? If the PowerBook goes belly up, would it be as simple as just dragging the backed up copy of the PowerBook's drive back onto it after a re-format?

aussie_geek

 

[redeye be]

I think that would do the trick.
You could always use a backup program (like superduper) to backup the pd disk to a shared folder on the pm over the network (firewire would be faster though).

 

[munkle]

I would recommend using SuperDuper to back up your PB. This way you have a bootable backup, which you would not have if you merely dragged your PB HD over to your PowerMac.

Just connect the two computers using a firewire cable, mount the PM onto your PB (pressing T upon booting up), start up SuperDuper, follow the on screen instructions and Robert's your father's brother!

 

[andiwm2003]

I would recommend using SuperDuper to back up your PB. This way you have a bootable backup, which you would not have if you merely dragged your PB HD over to your PowerMac.

Just connect the two computers using a firewire cable, mount the PM onto your PB (pressing T upon booting up), start up SuperDuper, follow the on screen instructions and Robert's your father's brother!

hi,

i'm in the same boat. i have an external HD and want to move to tiger. so my plan is to clone my pb to the external hd, clean install tiger on the pb, reinstall all software on the pb (thats the annoying part) and get all my personal files and settings back onto the pb (thats the scary part).

My external hd contains already some files. will super duper still allow me to install a bootable system on this disk or do i have to format the ext. hd first?

andi

 

[munkle]

You'll be able to use that disk just fine, there is no need to reformat it.

Whilst you'll be able to do everything you want to do my just copying your HD to another location, I personally like the added peace of mind of having a full system restore available. Keep in mind that it's not completely necessary though.

And for re-installing software, I would re-install from the original CD's rather than from your backup. Saves you from having to trawl round ~/library/application support etc. Might be a good idea to re-install software bit by bit as well, that way if any incompatibilities pop up it'll be easier to pin down. Although there should be plenty of info around on which apps are compatible and which apps aren't.

 

[andiwm2003]

You'll be able to use that disk just fine, there is no need to reformat it.

Whilst you'll be able to do everything you want to do my just copying your HD to another location, I personally like the added peace of mind of having a full system restore available. Keep in mind that it's not completely necessary though.

And for re-installing software, I would re-install from the original CD's rather than from your backup. Saves you from having to trawl round ~/library/application support etc. Might be a good idea to re-install software bit by bit as well, that way if any incompatibilities pop up it'll be easier to pin down. Although there should be plenty of info around on which apps are compatible and which apps aren't.

well, i'm a little bit lost in what strategy i should use to move to tiger. all i know now is that i want to go from 10.3.8 on the PB and 10.3.7 on the HD to 10.4.1 on the PB and 10.4.1 as a clone on the HD. the PB should the be mirrored (backed up) to the HD every other day or so (with superduper or carbon copy cloner).

setting this up from scratch with CCC is no problem, but i want 10.3.9 available in the transition in the case the TIGER bites me.

so the question is should I first set up tiger on the external HD and test it. Or should I clone my PB to the HD and set up TIGER on the PB and test it.

first option is the safe way but requires twice the work because I have to install TIGER on the PB again. Second option requires only one install on the PB and a simple cloning to the HD with CCC but if things go bad, my PB is not usable without the external HD attached to it. That's not helpful with mobility.......

on top of that my .mac syncing and my isync to my PDA for sure will be screwed up. since 10.3.8 the syncing is shaky at best anyway. i hope TIGER fixes this.

andi

 

[munkle]

Tiger is stable enough to install onto your PB. I updated the very day it was released and a few third party apps aside, I've had no issues. I'd backup your PB HD to an external HD first and then just install Tiger. After about a week of running Tiger and if everything is running well, just delete your 10.3.9 backup and backup Tiger instead.

 

[evilernie]

Can't say...

I can't say what's best, but just last night I cloned my PB drive using CCC to an external FW drive. I will be clean installing Tiger on the PB this weekend, and I will have a bootable 10.3.9 clone just in case Tiger bites me as you said.

After a week or two, or three, if Tiger seems stable, I will wipe out the 10.3.9 clone and do a clone of the Tiger disk and never look back. That is of course if Tiger is stable, I hope that's not a BIG IF.

 

[andiwm2003]

Tiger is stable enough to install onto your PB. I updated the very day it was released and a few third party apps aside, I've had no issues. I'd backup your PB HD to an external HD first and then just install Tiger. After about a week of running Tiger and if everything is running well, just delete your 10.3.9 backup and backup Tiger instead.

i'm leaning to that strategy as well. no risc no fun!

when i install tiger, how do i get my itunes and iphoto stuff over? do i just copy the pictures and music folders?

andi

 

[munkle]

Pretty much. For iTunes, make sure you drag the other files (two iTunes Library files and the xml file) if you want to keep your meta data.

iPhoto should be just as easy. I've got a few libraries and manage them using iPhoto Buddy and everything worked for me.

Have fun upgrading!

 

[evilernie]

Tiger is stable enough to install onto your PB. I updated the very day it was released and a few third party apps aside, I've had no issues. I'd backup your PB HD to an external HD first and then just install Tiger. After about a week of running Tiger and if everything is running well, just delete your 10.3.9 backup and backup Tiger instead.

Looks like we were typing pretty much the same thing, at the same time!

 

[MacBass]

Booting your PB as a firewire drive works perfectly, I've had to do this twice now with my iBook G3 (lemon of a video card), and I've gone through my brother's iBook G4 to a USB 2.0 hard drive, and I did the same maneuver with one of my buddy's 15" PB.