Choices to perform a restore

[derekw]

is there any difference between 'restore - all files' and 'backup - all files (smart update)'? i need to do a full restore from an external bootable drive. thanks!

since i name the external drive to be exactly the same as my main drive, it's a little hard to tell the copy direction. i already know the 'backup - all files' function copies from the 'left' drive to the 'right' drive. does the 'restore - all files' function also copy from the 'left' drive to the 'right' drive?

[dnanian]

"Restore..." is used when your backup is stored side-by-side with a Time Machine backup. Otherwise, it's the same as "Backup - all files". Both copy from the source (left) to the destination (right).

[derekw]

thanks! one more question.

since i am restoring because of a serious damage to the directory (irreparable by both disk first aid and diskwarrior), is there any chance that the 'restore all files' function (which is just like smart update) would restore things improperly?

would 'backup all files (erase then copy)' be a safer route to go?

[dnanian]

Smart Update and Erase, then copy are unrelated to the script you're choosing. But if you're recovering from disk corruption that was severe, it's probably best to use "Erase, then copy" with whatever copy script you choose.