How to run backup drive off of someone else's laptop?

[BobKrist]

Dave: I been using SD for years and it works great.I'm sure this is a dumb newbie question, but here goes.

I do a lot of speaking and until recently have actually carried around a spare laptop just in case my main laptop dies before or during some of these day-long presentations.

But if I had the bootable FW 800 portable drive that I use to backup the laptop with me, could I theoretically borrow a Mac laptop and boot it from the backup drive and run my presentations off the backup like that? Do I need a power supply for the bus-driven backup drive to boot from it?

I'm trying to lighten my load and not take two laptops with me, but not lose the redundancy that having two machines offers.

Thanks, Bob

[dnanian]

You could borrow a Mac laptop that was compatible with the OS version that you had backed up, yes. In general, that would work. Power sully - hard to say. You'd have to see if it works on your Mac without the power supply (it should)...if so, it should work with a similar Mac.

[BobKrist]

So then you'd just plug the drive into the laptop and hold down command, shift, option, delete keys while starting up? Or just the option key? I've been fortunate enough not to have to do this in the past but there could always be a first time. thanks, Bob

[dnanian]

Just option...