Disk Utility: new disk image takes forever- computer unresponsive-HELP!

Hello,
I'm using Disk Utility to create a "new disk image from folder." The folder is on one Lacie exernal usb drive, and the target location is another Lacie usb drive (150 GB free).
The folder is 55GB. After 3+ hours, the activity window still shows "creating image" though the progress bar has changed from blue to pulsating blue/white stripes and I have the spinning beach ball of death.
Computer is unresponsive and the only way to terminate is to press the pwr button until everything shuts off.
Why is disk utility hanging like this? (or does it take more than 3 hours to create an image 55GB in size?
I've had no issues with previously creating images, though these were all 15GB or smaller.

USB takes forever....the reason I got a Firewire Ext. Drive.
It's soooo much easier to make a clone doing the following.....
I like the free demo of SuperDuper to make clones. It's free, Tiger and Leopard ready and is easy to use. If you buy the full version you can do incremental backups.
You should use Disk Utility to do a Disk Repair, as shown in this link, booted up on your install disk, before you make a clone of it.
I then partition my external disk, in Disk Utility, with a partition that is the same size , actually a tad bigger, as my system disk. I then use SuperDuper to clone my system disk over to that partition.
With a clone on an external FireWire drive (USB drives are not bootable on PPC Macs but are on some Intel Macs) you can bootup on it to do your repairs or just run your Mac anytime you have trouble with your main drive. Be careful, there are a few external FireWire drives out there that are not bootable on PPC Macs. Check the drive's manual to be sure.
 DALE

Similar Messages

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    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
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    Message was edited by: Barney-15E

  • Help with Disk Utility and disk repair

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    The reward system helps to increase community participation. When a community member gives you (or another member) a reward for providing helpful advice or a solution to their question, your accumulated points will increase your status level within the community.
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