HDD Clone/Image Util for Mac

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I am looking for a HDD Utility for MAC OS X Tiger on my eMac 1.0GHz (ATI Graphics).



For my PC, I've used a program called Acronis Disk Manager *or similar name* to exactly clone one HDD to a new HDD. It can also make a disk image for later imposing.



I want to do this for the HDD in my eMac. I have an external FireWire HDD that I use on my PC and eMac and want to use that to backup the internal eMac HDD. I will be putting a 120gb HDD in the eMac, replacing the old 60gb. I want to make an image of the 60gb, then put the 120gb in the eMac and impose the image onto the new eMac from my external FireWire HDD.



Could someone please suggest a HDD app to do this with my eMac?



Andrew

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    o4blackwrxo4blackwrx Posts: 383member
    Carbon Copy Cloner is exactly what you are looking for. Enjoy!
  • Reply 2 of 17
    ryukyuryukyu Posts: 450member
    Super Duper is easy to use, works well, is inexpensive, and can be used to do scheduled backups as well.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    freudianfreudian Posts: 73member
    Does the eMac 1.0GHz (ATI GRAPHICS) support two hard drives? Can I crack open the casing and hook the new HDD and the old HDD up to the machine and then run the CarbonCopy Clone program? Maybe use the CombDrive's connection?



    The reason I ask...



    If I backup to an IMAGE put on my FireWire HDD using Carbon Copy Cloner, then take out the original eMac HDD, put in the new HDD, how will I access the image from a machine with a blank drive?



    So much more difficult when you can't just slap another internal drive onto a machine like on a PC or a MacPro/PowerPC.





    ??



    Do I just boot the eMac from the Tiger CD #1 and use disk utility to restore disk image from FireWire drive? Will that work? Carbon Copy Cloner is making a DMG file, so maybe that will work? Also, will it be bootable? That would be the whole point in this task.



    ??



    Andrew
  • Reply 4 of 17
    mikefmikef Posts: 698member
    You can boot from the backup/cloned hard disk (*), not image (those aren't bootable). Use CCC to put the image back onto the main drive.



    (*) the backup image is not a backup when you only have one copy. I typically make two copies- one to a sparse disk image stored on a network share and the other onto my external Firewire drive when I'm reinstalling and dealing with a new hard drive.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mikef View Post


    You can boot from the backup/cloned hard disk (*), not image (those aren't bootable). Use CCC to put the image back onto the main drive.



    Does Carbon Copy create an image and a boot disk (a CD-ROM) like Acronis?



    I am looking for something like this for use with a Firewire 800 drive.



    1. Create an image of my main Mac drive once I have all my basic files and programs on there.

    2. Put image on FW drive for safekeeping.

    3. After a few months of adding a bunch of shareware, etc... I want to clean the drive and go back to my standard so I boot up with the Carbon Copy CD, load the image, and I'm back in business.



    Is this what it does?
  • Reply 6 of 17
    mikefmikef Posts: 698member
    No, CCC (and SuperDuper, which is what I use) will create an exact clone of your boot drive onto an external Firewire drive. This drive will be bootable.



    I believe you can also create sparse disk images (.dmg files) with CCC. They're not bootable and I am not aware of a way to boot from them, but they are also exact clones but as a single file.



    CCC will do what you want.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mikef View Post


    No, CCC (and SuperDuper, which is what I use) will create an exact clone of your boot drive onto an external Firewire drive. This drive will be bootable.



    Yeah, I really don't like that. It sounds like I'd have to have a dedicated drive just for each image.



    With Acronis, I can save about 5 images on an external drive and load whichever one I want through a menu.
  • Reply 8 of 17
    mikefmikef Posts: 698member
    You can put as many disk images on the external drive as will fit.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    o4blackwrxo4blackwrx Posts: 383member
    Open up Carbon Copy Cloner, go to Target Disk -> Select Target Disk -> New Disk Image. This will then take the Source Disk and create a New Disk Image of that HD. Therefore you can create multiple disk images of multiple hard drives and put it all on one hard drive. Best of all CCC is Free.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by O4BlackWRX View Post


    Open up Carbon Copy Cloner, go to Target Disk -> Select Target Disk -> New Disk Image. This will then take the Source Disk and create a New Disk Image of that HD. Therefore you can create multiple disk images of multiple hard drives and put it all on one hard drive. Best of all CCC is Free.



    But does it format the drive (to make it bootable)?



    Also, I understand that Macs can't boot from a USB drive, is this correct? I have a bunch of USB drives that would be perfect for this task.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KiNGME View Post


    But does it format the drive (to make it bootable)?



    Also, I understand that Macs can't boot from a USB drive, is this correct? I have a bunch of USB drives that would be perfect for this task.



    It does not format the drive. It creates an image of that hard drive. You can restore that image to any hard drive and that hard drive will be bootable. Also, mac's can boot from USB or Firewire Hard Drives, you just set the startup disk preference in Apple -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk. If there is an OS on the external USB Hard Disk just pick that and tell it to restart, and away you go. From the way I understand you, you want to be able to Clone the HD to an Image, put in a new hard drive and restore the image you created from the old hard drive to the new Hard Drive. This is exactly what CCC allows you to do by following my steps.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by O4BlackWRX View Post


    ...this is exactly what CCC allows you to do by following my steps.



    Perfect! I'll take a look at it this week.



    Thanks for the advice!
  • Reply 13 of 17
    freudianfreudian Posts: 73member
    I've done this. The last part I'm fuzzy about.



    Can I take this DMG file which is now on my external FireWire drive and with the new empty HDD installed in my eMac, boot from Tiger CD1 select disk utility and restore from the DMG on my FireWire drive and will that allow the new hard drive, imaged from the DMG file, to be bootable?



    If not, I'm gonna just backup my hard drive and re-install Tiger.



    I'm actually waiting for Leopard and I may not bother using an image anyways



    Andrew



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by O4BlackWRX View Post


    It does not format the drive. It creates an image of that hard drive. You can restore that image to any hard drive and that hard drive will be bootable. Also, mac's can boot from USB or Firewire Hard Drives, you just set the startup disk preference in Apple -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk. If there is an OS on the external USB Hard Disk just pick that and tell it to restart, and away you go. From the way I understand you, you want to be able to Clone the HD to an Image, put in a new hard drive and restore the image you created from the old hard drive to the new Hard Drive. This is exactly what CCC allows you to do by following my steps.



  • Reply 14 of 17
    That is correct. It really is that simple. Just be sure to set your startup disk to your HD after you restore the DMG and quit setup.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Freudian View Post


    I've done this. The last part I'm fuzzy about.



    Can I take this DMG file which is now on my external FireWire drive and with the new empty HDD installed in my eMac, boot from Tiger CD1 select disk utility and restore from the DMG on my FireWire drive and will that allow the new hard drive, imaged from the DMG file, to be bootable



  • Reply 15 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Freudian View Post


    I'm actually waiting for Leopard and I may not bother using an image anyways



    Why is this? What will Leopard do that Tiger won't?
  • Reply 16 of 17
    Leopard will be the newest OS. It will have things that I have been waiting for, some time now.



    1. 'Spaces' - multiple desktops like Linux X-Windows has had for 5-10 yrs.

    2. A new and better 'Finder' - hopefully.

    3. the rest, well probably good for Intel based Mac's and my eMac won't take advantage of - like better bootcamp stuff.



    There are other features, just google



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KiNGME View Post


    Why is this? What will Leopard do that Tiger won't?



  • Reply 17 of 17
    kingmekingme Posts: 70member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Freudian View Post


    Leopard will be the newest OS.



    It looks pretty slick! That TimeMachine stuff is killer.
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