Need help with cloning hard drive

[old thrashbarg]

Hello--

I am using the free version of SuperDuper! to clone my macbook pro hard drive. In the same way that Time Machine works, I want to make an image of the exact state of my hard drive (user settings, wallpaper, everything) and then restore it at another time. The only problem is that I don't really know how to do this.

Is SuperDuper! good software to use for cloning?

How, once I make an image of my drive, do I restore my hard drive? I read somewhere that I have to "boot" from my backup image, but I'm not sure how to do that.

Essentially, I want to do a fresh install of my system software...make a perfect, clean image of that, use my computer for a few months and then restore the nice clean image...without doing a fresh install from the CDs. Does that make sense?

Thanks for reading!!

 

[Forum-User]

Alternate solution

I've never used SuperDuper, but if you get a chance, you might consider Carbon Copy Cloner from Bombich software. I have used CCC successfully to do exactly what you are trying to do.

 

[miles01110]

In the same way that Time Machine works, I want to make an image of the exact state of my hard drive (user settings, wallpaper, everything) and then restore it at another time.

Minor technicality, but Time Machine and SuperDuper/CCC aren't the same thing. TM backs up files that you can restore individually or en masse via Migration Assistant, the other two create what are called "bootable" backups; if your hard drive dies, you can use your backup created with SD/CCC as if it was your internal drive. You can't do that with TM. However, CCC and SD aren't as good for recovering individual files.

How, once I make an image of my drive, do I restore my hard drive? I read somewhere that I have to "boot" from my backup image, but I'm not sure how to do that.

No, you would only restore your hard drive if your internal drive failed.

Essentially, I want to do a fresh install of my system software...make a perfect, clean image of that, use my computer for a few months and then restore the nice clean image...without doing a fresh install from the CDs. Does that make sense?

Why do you want to "go back in time" by overwriting the files on your computer (which are new) with the files from your backup (which are old)?

 

[old thrashbarg]

Thanks!

Thanks for the replies. I did some research online, and it turns out that SuperDuper! and CCC are pretty close in terms of quality and effectiveness. I also found out that if you boot from an external hard drive with a complete disk image on it, you can then restore "Macintosh HD" with the image on the external drive. It's precisely what I want to do.

Thanks!