[G4] booting options with failed hard drive?

[YOUR FRIEND, CHRIS]

>
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 07:41:21 -0500
From: "jonseward at mindspring.com" <jonseward at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [G4] booting options with failed hard drive?
To: g4 at listserver.themacintoshguy.com
Message-ID: <380-220071235124121860 at M2W016.mail2web.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Carbon Copy Cloner.  Make sure that all files, including the invisible 
ones
are cloned.

I don't see the point of putting the cloned install disc on your primary
drive.  It's more likely that the drive will fail
than the partition.

Have you thought of installing a second, internal hard drive?  There's
plenty of room.  If the drive is cable selected,
then a if your primary drive fails you will automatically default to 
start
off of your secondary, w/o needing the
keyboard command.

Similarly, you can boot from your install disc in your optical drive.
HTH,
Jon

Hello JON!

thanks for your reply. i have a couple questions; i do not know a thing 
about any of this, so please bear with me.

Carbon Copy Cloner.  Make sure that all files, including the invisible 
ones
are cloned.

= i made the clone using prosoft data backup 3. does the fact that it 
will boot from the clone partition of my external verify that all the 
data on my internal - including the hidden files - is properly copied?

I don't see the point of putting the cloned install disc on your primary
drive.  It's more likely that the drive will fail
than the partition.

= what i meant is i want to put the copied os's on my external hd; if 
you think i should do that, should they go on the clone partition, make 
their own partition - or does it matter?

Have you thought of installing a second, internal hard drive?  There's
plenty of room.  If the drive is cable selected, then a if your primary 
drive fails you will automatically default to start off of your 
secondary, w/o needing the keyboard command.

= yes i have; in fact i originally bought one and exchanged it for the 
mercury. cash is tight and i want to minimize what i spend on this 8 
year old unit; even though more expensive, the mercury can "follow" me.

Similarly, you can boot from your install disc in your optical drive.

= ok - i think this is what i'm after! does this mean that in case of 
main hard drive failure, i can install an os install cd or dvd, restart 
holding down "c", and then somehow select the external drive to boot 
from?
if thats the case, then i won't have to worry about buying another kb, 
correct?

= one last one; one of the discs i have is leopard {retail} i want to 
back it up and eventually install it when i figure out how. i've read a 
lot of people do their os upgrades from a separate partition, keeping 
the original os intact in case of problems[?] then switching to the 
upgrade. please explain exactly how to do this; will installing it on a 
partition be the same as having the install dvd? {my dvd reader is 
acting up too, so i'd like at least have it on the machine to install 
somehow in case that fails too}

thanks again
chris

Am Dec 4, 2007 um 6:45 PM schrieb YOUR FRIEND, CHRIS:
> hi-
> i have a gigabit ethernet with an owc mercury fw external hd. i am
> using a non apple keyboard. i made a clone which it will boot from
> if selected in systems preferences - but will NOT boot by holding
> down option key at startup, because startup manager isn't supported
> by the non apple keyboard {i tested with an apple keyboard and it
> went right to startup manager}.
>
> i don't want to use an apple keyboard. when the internal drive does
> fail, is there any other way to boot from the external drive? i'm
> currently on os 10.2.8 with 9.2 also on clone.
>
> also; i would like to back up my installation discs in case they
> get lost or damaged. can i just drag their images onto the external
> drive to have a full - and - bootable copy of the os?
> if so, do it put it on the clone partition of the fw drive?
>
> thank you for all your replies.