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View Full Version : Please HELP! - Can I Use My Backup Ext HD as a Main HD?


twinkle
01-07-2012, 08:19 PM
I'm a TOTAL novice at this. I just had my iMac HD die Wednesday and am functioning at the moment off a 2 year old SimpleTech-Simple Drive (Hitachi) back-up External HD that I had last backed up on Dec 12 with SuperDuper. I am running Tiger and am in no position to get a whole new system forcing an upgrade to Lion (and thus all my other software, plus a learning curve for everything new!) I'm also in the midst of a huge job that is dependent on my computer all day!

I got the original Apple start-up CD and held down the D and ran the simple Hardware test: no trouble found; the Extended Test: no trouble found. Ran DiskUtility FirstAid Repair Disk: IHFS volume checked - no repairs necessary. After rebooting, my original internal HD is missing and only the SuperDuper is an available choice.

I ran a downloaded copy of Smart Utility from a link someone sent me and it said PASSED and showed the drive model as the same serial that is listed in my Serial ATA. But it said 'capacity: not found" and everything else was blank. If I clicked on the triangle in the left hand corner next to the words "/dev/disk1 [PASSED]" nothing appeared. In other words there is nothing inside it.

I realize eventually I will have to replace the internal HD and/or buy a new Mac, but I'm in no position to do that this moment and need to understand if I can indeed just use my current External HD as my "main" HD while backing up to a new one as the safety.

I ran to Best Buy today and bought another external HD (Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex) and am hoping that it will be possible for me to backup the backup HD I'm running on to the new Seagate. Basically copying over all my data from the current Hitachi and use the new one as a Back-Up and use the Hitachi as my actual "main HD."

When I look at my current Ext HD, it only has 1 port - which is what is connected via USB to my iMac. If I connect the new one also to another USB port on the back of the iMac, will I be able to "see" both separate HDs? Will I be able to tell SuperDuper to copy the data from my current external Hitachi onto the new external?

Also, will I need to do something to format the new HD? The box says it will run Tiger, its 3.0 USB is backward compatible with a 2.0 port, has an NTFS driver for Mac pre-loaded on the drive, and also says it has backup with encryption software pre-loaded - will this interfere with SuperDuper? Can I ignore it?

If I have to reformat the new drive can I do that with DiskUtility from the Apple CD? Can you tell I am clueless as to what I'm doing? LOL!!!!

Is this possible for me to do? Its making me very nervous running with no backup at all.

(in case this matters) The specs on my iMac model say:

iMac5,1
Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GHz
4MB L2 cache
1 GB memory
bus speed 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version IM51.0090.B09


THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR HELPING ME!!!!!! Yikes.....

dnanian
01-07-2012, 09:34 PM
Sure, if you start up from it - as it sounds like you have - it's a drive like any other. Make sure, of course, that you're backing up!

twinkle
01-08-2012, 09:00 AM
Thanks for your reply - but "Sure" to which question (below for your convenience)? - all of them? (LOL!) Hopefully not #4...

If I can get this up and running I will be backing up daily like a paranoid lunatic :o

Thank you!


Questions from the 1st post:

1. If I connect the new one also to another USB port on the back of the iMac, will I be able to "see" both separate HDs?

2. Will I be able to tell SuperDuper to copy the data from my current external Hitachi onto the new external?

3. Also, will I need to do something to format the new HD? The box says it will run Tiger, its 3.0 USB is backward compatible with a 2.0 port, has an NTFS driver for Mac pre-loaded on the drive, and also

4. says it has backup with encryption software pre-loaded - will this interfere with SuperDuper?

5. Can I ignore it?

6. If I have to reformat the new drive can I do that with DiskUtility from the Apple CD?

7. Can you tell I am clueless as to what I'm doing? LOL!!!!

dnanian
01-08-2012, 09:13 AM
1. Yes.

2. Yes.

3. Yes (see Help > Frequently Asked Questions, top question).

4. You don't want to load their software.

5. It? See #4.

6. Yes.

7. mmmmmmmmmaybe! ;)

twinkle
01-08-2012, 09:46 AM
Thank you so much! I will be doing this today with all faith for success!

astrodog
01-09-2012, 02:08 AM
You're not a total novice.... at least you have a backup! :)

dnanian
01-09-2012, 07:43 AM
Exactly right!