will an unpowered hdd be recognised by a brand new mac on first set up?
*by unpowered i mean powered from the usb port not from an AC cable
*by unpowered i mean powered from the usb port not from an AC cable
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TIME MACHINE: Booting up new Mac from UNPOWERED external HDD?
- Thread starter iCantwait
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I have an iBook G4 with leopard - I plan on buying a Macbook in December from NYC where i will be visiting from Australia, what i want to do is buy an external HDD - back my iBook up to it via TM. When i Buy my MacBook i plan to set that up from the iBook backup on my HDD. So - Can that HDD be just one powered from a USB port or must it be plugged in to a wall for the MacBook to recognise it in its "Welcome to Macintosh stage"
I have an iBook G4 with leopard - I plan on buying a Macbook in December from NYC where i will be visiting from Australia, what i want to do is buy an external HDD - back my iBook up to it via TM. When i Buy my MacBook i plan to set that up from the iBook backup on my HDD. So - Can that HDD be just one powered from a USB port or must it be plugged in to a wall for the MacBook to recognise it in its "Welcome to Macintosh stage"
Ok I see what you are trying to do.
As long as the HD you buy says 'USB-powered' you won't have any trouble turning it on. It doesn't matter when you turn it on. I have a WD My Passport essential (which is USB Powered) and I regularly boot from it, just plug it into your mac before you power on your mac and hold the option key.
A bit of advice I'd offer is you can buy a Firewire cable to connect your iBook directly to your MacBook and transfer your old docs, files etc over straight away.
Another way is to download SuperDuper! (free) on your iBook.
You'll need to have your ext HD for this. Then follow SuperDuper's onscreen instruction to create a bootable clone of your iBook' HD onto your ext HD. (Time Machine is more useful as an incremental back up program, try not to do restores from it.)
Then you will then have your old system on your ext HD which is now bootable.
So when you get your Macbook, boot from the ext HD, then you can create a bootable clone onto your Macbook internal HD. I say 'clone' but I'm guessing you will then use your macbook HD as your main one.
Now you can either keep your ext HD as a backup, or use it as your Time Machine back up etc.
b.
As long as the HD you buy says 'USB-powered' you won't have any trouble turning it on. It doesn't matter when you turn it on. I have a WD My Passport essential (which is USB Powered) and I regularly boot from it, just plug it into your mac before you power on your mac and hold the option key.
A bit of advice I'd offer is you can buy a Firewire cable to connect your iBook directly to your MacBook and transfer your old docs, files etc over straight away.
Another way is to download SuperDuper! (free) on your iBook.
You'll need to have your ext HD for this. Then follow SuperDuper's onscreen instruction to create a bootable clone of your iBook' HD onto your ext HD. (Time Machine is more useful as an incremental back up program, try not to do restores from it.)
Then you will then have your old system on your ext HD which is now bootable.
So when you get your Macbook, boot from the ext HD, then you can create a bootable clone onto your Macbook internal HD. I say 'clone' but I'm guessing you will then use your macbook HD as your main one.
Now you can either keep your ext HD as a backup, or use it as your Time Machine back up etc.
b.
what i am doing is taking the HDD over with me (not the iBook) and will set up the Macbook in NY, post the box home, and carry the MB through customs so if they check it for tax it looks like it is returning to Australia as it is already set up. That and i can use it on the Plane on the way back
