Checking the OS X disk...

Question

Hi,
is there any way, I could test the installation DVD (OS X Leopard) for consistency, i.e. that it doesn't have errors, and is not damaged, before I perform the installation? I know, that when I insert the DVD, and the Installer is being launched, that I may choose to test the disk for consistency, just before the installation itself, but if you do that, when the test is completed, the installation will automatically start right after that, and if I don't want to perform the installation then, I will have to interrupt the process, causing the previously installed OS on the HD, to be partially deleted, forcing me to opt to finally install the OS, from the disk.
Thanks.
Aleksandar

Answer 1

Should you really need a system clone and not just a running copy/clone of the
initial basic pre-updated system, you'd probably want it to be a bootable clone.
+You cloned just the Installer DVD? (Instead of a copy on D/L DVD, presumably.)+
+Maybe you'd do better to clone a fully installed system or make one to a boot-+
+able externally enclosed hard disk drive; since that could be of more use to you.+
A bootable clone should be on a FireWire hard disk drive enclosure with a chipset
capable of supporting OS X booting and clones. The pre-Intel Macs use FireWire
as the successful path when using system clones, bootable volumes on externals,
and allowing use of installed third party utilities on an external hard disk enclosure.
The USB 2.0 (or slower) generally is not the preferred or workable path for clones
in PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) Mac computers. You could save a backup to a USB 2.0
drive, but it may not function correctly, and since it usually can't boot anything, there
is no real way to tell if a clone saved to a USB drive is good. It isn't PPC boot capable.
Some newer enclosures do provide a variety of port type and chipset options, so one
of the better brands which can use USB 2.0, FireWire400 & 800, and have their own
power supply so they do not rely on the computer's own ports to run the external unit,
of those, a few are quite good and you could use FW ports as needed to run OS X.
{There had been a few instances where last model PPC Macs had been booted from
certain brands of quality USB2.0 enclosures with correct system clones on their hard
disk drives; but these were considered by some users to be flukes; not representative
of the last PPC Macs to reliably use USB2.0, when FireWire 400/800 was well proven.}
You can read-verify an installer disc with Disk Utility. Of course, if it finds errors, that is
beyond capability to do anything about it. The technical skills required to fix any found
errors should the volume be cloned to a large capacity drive or other media is daunting.
In any event, have fun...
Good luck & happy computing!
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