alarustic Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I used a disc image to create my OS X install. Using the DD utility on the PC, the command was: dd if=e:\tiger-x86-flat.img of=\\.\PhysicalDrive1 Now I have added a few items to the image I want to make a backup so that I don't have to reinstall everything if I get a major problem. Can I use the following command: dd if=\\.\PhysicalDrive1 of=e:\osximage.img Thanks. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Why not use SuperDuper! It has proven to me time and time again that this is really the only free available software that creates 100% working backups. It is very intuitive to use. Cheers, hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-295565 Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasingcharlie Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I used Silver Keeper to make my images; works fine. You have to make the partition active afterwards but I've done it several times successfully. Search for way to make active at command line ... charlie Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-295638 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 (edited) Do you guys know of a way to do it over the network? Like, to store an image on another machine. I suppose I can use one of the utilities you've mentioned to create an image but then I'd need to boot from somewhere into OS X with those utilities installed... I guess I'd need a firewire disk? Or, can I use images created by Superduper and Silverkeeper with dd if I boot the machine into Linux or Windows? For now I tried NetRestore (from the same company that makes Carbon Copy) but it always failed at the end of making an image... Edited February 6, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-295653 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) So to follow up on this... SilverKeeper crapped out - said that it's installed in Applications but couldn't be found even by Spotlight. SuperDuper! on the other hand, seems to work. So I created some images. One of them on a USB drive. So, given that my PC (asus P5B) refuses to boot from a USB drive - what are my restore options? I have Linux, XP and Vista installed on this computer with Grub as a bootloader. And I have more windows computers on the network. Edited February 7, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296188 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) SuperDuper! will create bootable images (I recommend using sparse images) of your system. You can then easily restore your system by accessing them after booting off your install DVD, mounting them via DiskUtils (as long as the partition/drive is OSX compatible of course) and using the "restore" function from DiskUtils to overwrite your original bootdisk. Your system should work now. I don't think you can boot directly from an image though. (Someone correct me if I am wrong). There is a ton of useful information to be found in the superduper help file (PDF) and there are many different backup strategies described there. I personally always keep a functioning copy of my boot partition in a sparse image for emergencies. I also have an extra partition that I will use as a "sandbox". I use the full-backup option of superduper for that but WITHOUT creating an image so the partition is an exact clone of my source. I will update this sandbox before trying something new that might break my system. This method is described in the superduper help file. If you can't boot from your USB device, you should at least be able to copy the image back to your HDD via Linux. You could also check the superduper forum: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5 I am not, in any way, associated with superduper. I am simply a very satisfied user Cheers, hecker EDIT: Do you guys know of a way to do it over the network? Like, to store an image on another machine. I suppose I can use one of the utilities you've mentioned to create an image but then I'd need to boot from somewhere into OS X with those utilities installed... I guess I'd need a firewire disk? I think it is possible to create the image over a network and maybe even boot from there, but then again, I have never tried it myself and I am pretty sure it would have to be a clone of your boot drive and not just an image. Edited February 7, 2007 by hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296241 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Thanks, hecker. I'm looking into it. I like SuperDuper and their site. I know real Macs can boot from network if you have a server. I'm not sure if my bootleg Mac can. Also, I'm in an environment with no more Mac partitions, locally or otherwise (except USB), so it kind of complicates things. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296280 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) Hmmm, you said you have windows. Is it possible for you to copy the image onto the windows partition? I am not sure, but I think you can also mount the image from a non HFS partition, like Fat32 and NTFS. Did you create a sparse image, "normal" one with fixed size or did you do a full backup (clone)? hecker EDIT: Have you tried to see if DiskUtils can access your USB drive when booting from your install DVD? Edited February 7, 2007 by hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296287 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) I'm working on it. I have a Fat32 partition but my image is too large I'm afraid. And I still have to enable the NTFS write (I've seen the link but I'm not sure I want to mess with NTFS)... I haven't hit any brick walls yet - it's just all new to me. Thanks for your help. EDIT: Have you tried to see if DiskUtils can access your USB drive when booting from your install DVD? That's the next thing I'm going to try. Edited February 7, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296297 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Why do you have to enable NTFS write? All you want to do is restore your boot partition, right? Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296300 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) Oh, I did full backup. Yes, but I need to write it to NTFS first I think. I mean - I need to write it somewhere other than the HFS partition, right? It can't be Fat32 cause the image is too large by now. Edited February 7, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296304 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) Oh, I did full backup.Yes, but I need to write it to NTFS first I think. Just to get things straight: -You have a full copy of your boot drive on your USB drive and NOT an image file. What file system is the USB drive formatted with? -You still have the original boot partition of OS X, though broken. -You want to restore the OS X partition via your USB drive. right? If the above is right then you have these options in order of difficulty: 1 Option.- If your DiskUtil (via BootDisc) recognizes your USB drive, then the process is simple: click "restore" and drag the correct partition icons (on the left panel in diskutils) into the fields "source" and "target". Make sure you pick the right ones!! Triple check 2 Option.- You could re-install MacOS X with minimal options (faster, of course) and recover OSX from within itself with superduper. It's a pain, but it will work. 3 Option.- Restore your files via Linux by copying the contents of your USB drive into the old, broken OS X partition. Don't give up! hecker Edited February 7, 2007 by hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296309 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) No, no, nothing like that drastic. Everything's functional. I'm looking for a perfect way to do a full backup and restore, like in Ghost. And yes - I have a full copy of my installation on a partition of a USB drive that is formatted as (umm...) HFS+ I guess - the normal Apple partition. I want to be in a situation where I'm not afraid to screw things up. ............................ OK, While I was typing, the disk utility during installation sees the USB drive and the image on it. So that's the simplest way to go - Option 1 on your list. That's great, thanks again. I still would like to do it over the network or through other OSs cause this method requires an Apple partition somewhere specifically for this purpose. What was the Linux option? Edited February 7, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296317 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) I'm glad I could help I think the safest thing to do is to create a sparse image file and keep that on any MacOSX compatible partiton. These files are great because they are very small and can even be encrypted for security. If you just want to test something out without risks, then the easiest way is creating a dedicated partition for this purpose and keeping it up-to-date with your latest good and working OSX partition. If something fails, you can set that partition (you could call it "MacRestorePoint" or something) temporarily as your start partition (within diskutils) and copy it's contents back to your boot partition. TIP: Since you have a multi-OS system with a custom boot manager you might consider placing your "MacRestorePoint" partition on a different HardDrive. This way you can boot from it by selecting it as the start drive in your BIOS. It has to be a primary active partition though! If your boot partition is too big and you don't have the space for an extra partition, you could use SuperDuper in "backup - user files and applications" mode. By using this mode, superduper saves ONLY system relevant files AND NOT your user files and application files. You then need to restore using the smart backup option. I think this method is rather risky and I have no experience using it. You also need to register SuperDuper to be able to use it. Other than that, you could just continue using your USB drive as a backup medium and restore via diskutils in case of an accident. The linux option is probably a little risky and not necessarily the easiest way to do it. I am not sure how well Linux handles the HFS file system. I might be able to dig up some info if you are interested. Cheers, hecker EDIT: I found this while googling around: Installing, Upgrading, Backing Up, and Restoring Mac OS X Maybe it could help. hecker Edited February 7, 2007 by hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296332 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 If you just want to test something out without risks, then the easiest way is creating a dedicated partition for this purpose and keeping it up-to-date with your latest good and working OSX partition... This way you can boot from it by selecting it as the start drive in your BIOS. That's quite clever. Since I use Grub as a boot manager I don't even need to have it on a separate drive - I just put another entry into the menu.lst. I guess I can use either the Disk Utility or the SuperDuper! to copy the disk over there... It's coming together like a reasonably manageable workflow. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296343 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) I have tried to use the DiskUtility to create a drive copy (clone) but it failed miserably. Use SuperDuper! instead. It will automatically fix user permissions and make the partition bootable for you. You also have the advantage of being able to use the great "smart update" feature. Cheers, hecker Edited February 7, 2007 by hecker Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296348 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Excellent. Cheers, hecker. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296352 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 @dvornik: check your PM. My name is hecker. Cheers, hecker (with a Bond impersonation voice) Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296447 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the PM, hecker. I tried to erase the OSX partition and rebuild it. It turned into an... uhh.. an adventure in personal computing. First off I got a "lost connection to helper tool" error after I tried to restore booting from the DVD and getting an image from a USB drive (there's two entries in Google for that error).... That's right after the disk utility started erasing my OSX disk... And there was nothing I could do. It was probably some hardware miscommunication. I have a bunch of USB enclosures and USB/PATA adapters and so forth so I sort of ended up installing a fresh OSX to a USB drive, and, like, imaging it to the harddrive and then imaging my main backup image back to it. It was actually way more complicated than this cause I didn't want to touch my other OSs and the Grub bootloader. But now I'm back where I started with the image I created with SuperDuper!. Bottom line - things work but... this backup (from a USB drive) may not be straightforward if you are on a PC. It's probably wize to have a backup partition and more than one emergency plan. And It would be great if I could figure out a network backup/restore. Edited February 7, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296611 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 ... And there was nothing I could do. It was probably some hardware miscommunication. I think you're right. It probably was a hardware error. Just for fun: how are your drives connected to your mobo. I mean, what priority (master/slave), which cable types and in which positions (end, middle)? What do your BIOS "hardware device settings" look like? hecker- Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296692 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvornik Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 (edited) For fun, heh? This fun nearly caused me a nervous breakdown. Not today - I'm already used to it. It's an asus P5B deluxe with a JMicron IDE controller. So essentially no operating systems except XP can properly work with IDE on boot. That's why the optional second DVD drive is connected to the motherboard with a generic USB adaptor. For some reason this adapter has a talent of representing devices as bootable. You can even connect a laptop drive to it (for now it didn't boot but at least it tried). Without it I'd have no OS X and no Linux. And vista is a completely different story - I'm surprized that thing works at all. So that's the story. Two DVD drives - one on JMicron IDE , one optional on USB. 4 SATA drives (in AHCI mode)... A couple of optional external USB harddrives. Once an OS (any OS) is installed everything works. Like nothing happened. You can connect stuff to Jmicron like there's no tomorrow. I'm aware of the Jmicron patch that's on Demonoid, BTW. I don't know if it applies to my case though because essentially it works except on boot.. I feel like I sound like the PC guy in Apple commercials, you know. [edit] And you know - latest BIOS, nothing's overclocked, no garbage installed... Edited February 8, 2007 by dvornik Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/41327-how-to-make-image-of-successful-install/#findComment-296766 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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