How to make a bootable backup?

I apologize in advance if a)i am not using the right terminology and b)this question has been answered already (i couldn't find it).
I am about to create a backup in which two computers backup onto a single external hard drive. my understanding is that if i have to restore the entire drive, i have to boot the computer with an install disk and then get it to recover from the backup drive. i can only imagine how long a restore will take with a computer running off the install disk.
is there a way to have the backup drive somehow have an OS so i could boot from it so that it is running my computer AND restoring to it at the same time?
Thank you.

yes it's possible but won't speed things up by much. It will mainly speed up the booting time of the backup not the restore process itself. I've done it and I see no difference in time. to do this you can make a clone of the leopard install DVD on your hard drive. create a small partition on one of your internal drives. next insert the install DVD and open Disk Utility. click on "restore" tab. select the DVD as the source (the name not the model) and the partition you've made as the target. click 'restore". Once finished you'll have a bootable copy of the install DVD on your hard drive. You can boot from that and do a full system restore from TM of your main hard drive. Of course this is only needed when doing full system restore. normal restore from TM doesn't require booting from TM and is done simply by activating TM.
P.S. You can also make a bootable clone of your entire hard drive using CCCloner or Superduper! that's a different backup mechanism from TM but is often helpful.
Message was edited by: V.K.

Similar Messages

  • How to make a bootable backup of the operating system

    Hi,
    I am given the task to make a bootable backup of the OS (Solaris 9). I know I can use ufsdump to backup the system in single user mode. However, to make a backup bootable, shall I backup the file system to a DVD? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
    Cinderella

    i call it cloning the disk . you can install boot block as mentioned in second solution of cloning disk
    e.g
    # /usr/sbin/installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0
    ################## solution 1 ####################################
    dd if=/dev/rdsk/c0t1d0s2 of=/dev/rdsk/c0t4d0s2 bs=2048
    ############### solution 2 #####################3333
    Now this is through but if the disk are from the same vendor (I tested also
    dd on disks with different vendors and it function well) and if it the disk
    are the same size my opinion is to use the dd command because it is easier
    to be done. Anyway if the disk are not from the same size or vendor it could
    be done also with ufsdump and ufsrestore. Here how it works and what I did
    if your would like to clone a disk with ufsdump and ufsrestore:
    For testing we have two disks:
         c1t2d0     (Source Disk)
         c1t2d1     (Destination Disk)
    The source disk has the following layout (slice 4 and 5 are for Disksuite
    metadb's but are not initialized or configured):
         0 root wm 0 - 634 471.29MB (635/0/0)
    965200
         1 var wm 635 - 2014 1.00GB (1380/0/0)
    2097600
         2 backup wm 0 - 2732 1.98GB (2733/0/0)
    4154160
         3 swap wu 2015 - 2704 512.11MB (690/0/0)
    1048800
         4 unassigned wm 2705 - 2718 10.39MB (14/0/0)
    21280
         5 unassigned wm 2719 - 2732 10.39MB (14/0/0)
    21280
         6 unassigned wm 0 0 (0/0/0)
    0
         7 unassigned wm 0 0 (0/0/0)
    0
    On our testsystem the disk are the same size. Firstable the layout/label
    from the source disk must be copied to the destination disk because with
    ufsdump and ufsrestore this information will not be transfered to the
    destination disk because this commands are based on filesystem. This is also
    a difference between dd and ufsdump because dd copies also the information
    from labels and layouts because this command is based on blocks and not on
    filesystem. Here it is how it wors to copy the information from
    layout/label:
         # prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t2d0s0 > /tmp/z
         # fmthard -s /tmp/z /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0
         fmthard: New volume table of contents now in place.
    The slice 0 from the destination disk has now the same layout like the
    source disk. This could be controlled with the command:
         # format
    To transfer the information from slice 0 source disk to the slice 0
    destination disk the destination disk must be prepared to work on it. It
    means at the moment there is no filesystem on this disk. To do this use the
    command newfs. No option are neccessary because for default the filesystem
    would be ufs. Only the raw device/slice must given to the command that newfs
    knows what exactly must be don:
         # newfs /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0
         newfs: /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0 last mounted as /
         newfs: construct a new file system /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0: (y/n)? Y
    Now we have a filesystem on slice 0 and we could mount the slice 0. This
    would be made with the command mount and option -F for filesystem = ufs and
    -o for read or write = rw and at least which slice = 0. At the end of the
    command is the device with the slice which must be mounted:
         # mount -F ufs -o rw /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s0 /mnt
    Now the device is mounted. With the following command ufsdump 0f = slice 0
    and / = partition the filesystem / would be dumped. The whole dump would be
    piped (I hope this is the correct english word) to the command ufsrestore
    which would be executed in the mounted directory ufsresore and extracts the
    dump.
         # ufsdump 0f - / | ( cd /mnt ;ufsrestore xvf - )
         Add links
         Set directory mode, owner, and times.
         set owner/mode for '.'? [yn] y
         Directories already exist, set modes anyway? [yn] y
         DUMP: 405886 blocks (198.19MB) on 1 volume at 406 KB/sec
         DUMP: DUMP IS DONE
    After given the command, the partition / from source disk and / from the
    destination disk looks based on files absolutly the same but there is a
    information which MUST be changed and it is the information in "/etc/vfstab"
    because on the destination disk in this file are the information from the
    source disk (it means source disk will be mounted on the device c1t2d0 and
    the destination diks on the device c1t2d1). This information must be changed
    in "/etc/vfstab" on the destination disk:
         # vi /mnt/etc/vfstab
         ---------- /mnt/etc/vfstab ----------
         #device device mount FS fsck
    mount mount
         #to mount to fsck point type pass at
    boot options
         #/dev/dsk/c1d0s2 /dev/rdsk/c1d0s2 /usr ufs 1 yes
         fd - /dev/fd fd - no -
         /proc - /proc proc - no -
         /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s3 - - swap - no -
         /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s0 /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0 / ufs 1
    no
         /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s1 /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s1 /var ufs 1
    no
         swap - /tmp tmpfs - yes -
         ---------- /mnt/etc/vfstab ----------
    Now we changed the information and the work is done on slice 0. We can now
    umount the slice 0:
         # umount /mnt
    Proceed with the other slice similar like explained before. In our example
    it would be:
         # newfs /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s1
         newfs: /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s1 last mounted as /var
         newfs: construct a new file system /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s1: (y/n)? y
         # mount -F ufs -o rw /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s1 /mnt
         # ufsdump 1f - /var | ( cd /mnt ;ufsrestore xvf - )
         Set directory mode, owner, and times.
         set owner/mode for '.'? [yn] y
         Directories already exist, set modes anyway? [yn] y
         # umount /mnt
    Slice 4 and 5 are in our example not importante because this slice as
    explained are for Disksuite metadb's and on the source disk there are at the
    moment no information and no filesystem because Disksuite was not
    initialized or configured.
    It is a good idea to check the slices which where transfered files before.
    This could be done with the command fsck:
         # fsck /dev/rdsk/c1t0d1s0
         # fsck /dev/rdsk/c1t0d1s1
         # fsck /dev/rdsk/c1t0d1s2
         # fsck /dev/rdsk/c1t0d1s4
         # fsck /dev/rdsk/c1t0d1s5
    Now it seems that all what done but something is missing!? The destination
    disk looks now like the source disk with one exception; there is NO
    boot-block on the destination disk. If you don't create a boot-block the
    destination disk would never be bootable. To do this the system where it
    must be done must be from the same architecture like the source disk it
    means if the source disk is based on sun4m and you give now the command from
    a architecture like sun4u to the destination disk the boot-block would not
    work. This is what by me happens by the test (source disk based system on
    sun4m > to install boot-block I tried to give the command from sun4u based
    system and after I tried to boot the destination disk > result = destination
    disk was not able to boot). Ok we set now the command for boot-block to the
    destination disk to create there a boot-block:
         # /usr/sbin/installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk
         /dev/rdsk/c1t2d1s0
    Now you could boot the destination disk with the correct alias or the
    correct device alias. If you don't know what the alias is give on the system
    the following command:
         # ls -la /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s0
         /dev/dsk/c1t2d1s0 ->
    ../../devices/iommu at 0,10000000/sbus at 0,10001000/SUNW,soc@
    1,0/SUNW,pln at a0000000,753a58/ssd at 2,1:a
    End the OS with init 6 and stop the system reboot if the banner of OBP
    appears with stop + A. After that you are on the ok prompt. To set an alias
    give following command:
         # nvalias clone1 /iommu at 0,10000000/sbus@
         0,10001000/SUNW,soc@,0/SUNW,pln at a0000000,753a58/ssd at 2,1:a
    Use the alias with:
         ok boot clone1
    Have fun with you new clone...! I hope I did not forgett something but I
    tested it several times and it worked every time absolutly nice with no
    errors.

  • How to make a bootable backup on external hard disk?

    Hi guys, I want to ask how can make a backup of entire C(windows) drive on my external hard disk.I tried using backup option in my transcend hard drive
    software but it gave me some errors..So I used backup option C:>properties and made a backup on my hard disk.But I am not sure if I can restore from it if my windows crashes coz I don't know if I can use this backup file from boot.So here's what I need 
    1)To make backup in hdd without having to wipe the it. 
    2)To make the backup bootable incase my windows crashes, I should be able to restore all my C drive..

    Hi... I agree with your Number "2". I think that it is much better for you to install a backup tool e.g.aomei backupper (http://www.backup-utility.com/features/) and to forget about any possible troubles at all as the tool will backup everything you need and how you need, creating the whole image of the disk c which you can easily restore in case you have the crash.

  • How to make a bootable usb image backup, how to make a bootable usb image backup

    I would like to make a bootable backup on my usb external flash drive (32GB). Is it possible? I don't have an OS x 10.7 installation disk.
    -Ray

    A bootable backup of what? On a flash drive you could:
    Clone an OS X installer DVD to use for installing OS X on other Macs.
    Install a basic OS X system that might be used for emergency situations.
    If your MBA system uses less than 32 GBs you could clone it to the flash drive.

  • How to make hot RMAN backup as consistent in 10g?

    Hi,
    While cloning database using rman hot backup it asking archivelog files. how to recover easily? How to make hot RMAN backup as consistent in 10g?
    Thanks,

    user2017273 wrote:
    Hi,
    While cloning database using rman hot backup it asking archivelog files. how to recover easily? How to make hot RMAN backup as consistent in 10g?
    Thanks,Take backup with "plus archivelog" command. This will require archived redo log files and automatically apply them

  • How to make linux bootable off a usb stick on mac

    Guys i was wondering how to make linux bootable off a usb stick on mac, since i dont have a optical drive in my mac, plus i need it for university

    I have the same question, but parsed differently.  What people have tried answering here is:
         how to (make linux (bootable off a usb stick on mac))
    What I'm trying to find is:
        how to make ((linux bootable off a usb stick) on mac)
    That is, I don't want to boot from the usb stick on my mac; I want to write an ISO to a usb stick that's plugged into my Macbook Pro (Mavericks), then carry the stick to a different machine (several discarded Windows boxes in fact), plug it in there, and watch it boot on that machine.  I've done a bit of googling, but everything I find talks about making USB drives with content that can be booted on a Mac.  What I'm wondering is if it's possible to write to use my Mac to write bootable USB gadgets that work on other machines that aren't running OSX software.
    Anyone know if this is discussed anywhere?  If not, what's the right forum to ask it on?  And how do I ask it so that I don't get yet another explanation of how to make something that will boot on my Mac?
    I have several linux ISOs waiting.  Actually, I could do the job on one of several available linux boxes.  But I'd like to do it on my portable laptop, which at the moment is this Macbook Pro.

  • HOW TO MAKE A GOOD BACKUP?

    Hi !
    I'm fresh in oracle technologies and i've got a question for you:
    I want to make a backup of my database and i don't know how to do it - i wrote a lot in internet but i still have same problems.
    First:
    I want to make backup my database everyday in night. - it may be incremental
    I want to make one full backup every week
    i don't know what files i need to backup. Let take the situation that my machine is down and i need to make a server one more time - install system (win 2003) and oracle 10.2g -
    What next ?
    How should I recover now my database?

    This question should be posted on the database forums. This is for Oracle Secure Backup product specific questions.

  • How to start with bootable backup

    My iMac power button has "ceased function". but I have a bootable backup on one external drive, and also an additional Time Machine drive. Any suggestions on how to use a loaner iMac while this one is being repaired? i.e. - How do I start up with the bootable backup? Do I then change Time Machine to the bootable backup drive? etc. By the way, I am using OS X Mavericks, which is not listed below.

    Option key lets you force booting one drive over another.
    However, it may only work from an Apple, MacAlly, or Logitech wired keyboard with Apple's key names on the keyboard.
    A non-working power button can though cause unpredictable results, such as the machine shutting down on its own, or restarting on its own.  Have the PRAM battery checked as that often can fix a non-working power button.
    Ages ago, Apple made keyboards with their own power button for the computer.  These may or may not work on newer machines.  I'm not sure of that, but it is worth a try if you can find one that has it.

  • How to make a bootable 10.6 in hd with time machine back up?

    i have:
    - not so stable internal hd
    - 10.6 retail OS disc
    - an external hd that is a time machine back up of the internal hd
    can I make a bootable OS copy in the external hd without erasing the time machine back up In it?
    macbook 2007

    You would be better off with 2 external drives. If you put a bootable clone on the existing drive and the drive fails, you have lost both your backups. I would get a larger 2nd external, copy the Time Machine backup to it, erase and reformat the 1st external, and then put CCC clone there. You can copy the backup using Disk Utility Restore tab.
    Stuffing 2 backups on a 120 GB drive would be a bit of a pinch.
    Clone  - Carbon Copy Cloner          (Often recommended as it has more features than some others)
    Clone – Data Backup
    Clone – Deja Vu
    Clone  - SuperDuper
    Clone - Synk
    Clone Software – 6 Applications Tested

  • HT201401 how to make a contacts backup?

    Any idea about how t make a backup of the phone numbers in my conctact list?

    just go to settings>icloud and inter your apple id and turn on contacts and then your contacts are backed up
    You can also go to www.icloud.com and manage your contacts, add them there if you want to.

  • How to make a *full* backup (including the hidden partition), free solution prefered =) [T400]

    Hi,
    I'm planning on messing with my system a little (re-partition, install linux) and I want a full-proof recovery plan. This should work in case I *completely* mess up my HD (bad boot records, destroyed partitions, etc.)
    I have an external hard drive with plenty of free space. How would I make a completely backup; something that would restore everything (including the hidden partition) to its current state?
    Is there any way to do this using free/opensource?
    Keep in mind that if there's a linux app that can do this, I can just boot up using a live CD and run the app from there.
    Thanks in advance.

    Vista or XP? What is/was the partition layout? IIRC, w/XP the 2nd partition is the service partition (hd0,1) and with Vista it is the first (hd0,0).  I don't know if that is always the case, so how is your drive layed out?
    ISTR that with XP the service partition is "hidded' by using an ID of 12 (or something) even though it is a FAT32 partition.  Grub might be unhappy with the ID.  Changing it to "C" might let it boot. That's just a WAG.  My recollection is that the ID only affected where I could install the grub files, not what I could boot.
    I've got some old notes here somewhere:  www.beezmo.com/ThinkPadT61.htm maybe in "partitioning" or Windows XP.
       **** grrr.  the insert link thingy isn't working.  the link above is literally correct, but the forum is inserting some invisible characters ****
    I don't know clonezillla.  Will it let you restore only one of the partitions?  If so, do a restore to factory (with the recovery media you made immediately on receiving the laptop) and then restore only the Vista or XP partition from clonezilla.
    HTH,
    Z.
    Message Edited by zoltanthegypsy on 01-07-2009 06:47 AM
    Message Edited by zoltanthegypsy on 01-07-2009 06:48 AM
    Message Edited by zoltanthegypsy on 01-07-2009 06:50 AM
    Message Edited by zoltanthegypsy on 01-07-2009 06:53 AM
    Message Edited by zoltanthegypsy on 01-07-2009 08:00 AM
    The large print: please read the Community Participation Rules before posting. Include as much information as possible: model, machine type, operating system, and a descriptive subject line. Do not include personal information: serial number, telephone number, email address, etc.  The fine print: I do not work for, nor do I speak for Lenovo. Unsolicited private messages will be ignored. ... GeezBlog
    English Community   Deutsche Community   Comunidad en Español   Русскоязычное Сообщество

  • How to make arch bootable after shifting the hard drive?

    I have two hard drives, each having an OS installed (Arch on sda, Win on sdb). I change the boot order in BIOS to switch between the OS's, and it works fine. Grub is installed in mbr.
    But now I wanna change the connection of these two drives (Arch=>sdb, Win=>sda). After doing that, however, windows is still bootable, while Arch not any more.
    I can sucessfully see Grub, but errors occur after that. I'm not sure what I should do to make Arch bootable. Can anyone give me some ideas?

    If you can see Grub, then the system is reading it OK, but you'll need to boot the system and fix your /boot/grub/menu.lst and /etc/fstab files to refer to hd(1) and sdb respectively.
    To boot the system, you have 2 options:
    1) When Grub shows up, press 'e' to edit the "ArchLinux" entry. Then press 'e' again to edit the 'root' line and then change hd(0,0) to hd(1,0)  (the second number might be different depending how your partition table is setup).  Then you can press 'b' to boot.
    2) Use an install CD to boot, then mount your Arch partition and edit the files from there

  • How to make a bootable Lion 10.7 DVD from a purchased USB Stick.

    Hello i have a Lion USB stick that i bought from apple just after lion 10.7 came out but what i would like to do is burn it onto a bootable DVD just like my snow leopard is (my computer came with snow leopard). i have seen altot of videos and instructions on the internet about how to do it but for some reason those methods only work if i download it from the apple store but i don't want have to do that since i already have it on a USB stick that cost me $79.00. may someone please let me know how i can do this?
    cheers
    Danny :)

    Good day all,
    well i'm having the same problem with solaris 10 cds.
    i did download them through my os downloads manager. Burned them to cds..... from iso to files, i can't boot on cd then.
    then i did download the whole iso files using SDM, burned these files with several iso burners...... the result stills the same i just cant make a bootable cd....... or at least the pc i'm using doe NOT recognise that cd as bootable.
    It does boot with any other os bootable cd... win, mandrake, red hat, debian, unbuntu linux....
    well if anyone does have an idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Best way to make a bootable backup on an external HD

    What is the best way to make a bootable copy of the startup drive on my mac. I have an external HD which would work. I already run Timemachine but if I'm correct it isn't bootable.
    IMAC using MT. Lion
    thanks in advance

    If you create either a new partition on the external or Wipe, Repartition the external, and then create a New Full TM backup on either the wiped or new partition with Lion installed as the OS and you have a Recovery HD partition that Recovery HD partitionwill be copied over to the New TM backup and will be bootable.
    TM backups made with Lion installed over the top of older ones made with Snow Leopard does not create the Recovery HD file on the TM backup drive. Only new TM backups created when Lion is installed does this.
    Ot you can create anopther partition the external and use one of the Cloning software programs to Clone your internal to that other partitions

  • How to make a full backup of my iPad without using iTunes

    I need to make a full backup of my iPad.  I am using the Vudu app and have many movies downloaded to my iPad.  I have performed a backup of my iPad from iTunes onto my Macbook Pro.  The mobile backup files on my laptop are not nearly big enough for the 20+ movies (at lease 1/2 to1 GB each).   Because of this I do not believe iTunes has made a full backup including the movies.  I want to avoid having to re-download all the movies if/when the iPad drive fails.  I want a complete backup such as Time Machine or using some other external hard drive or app on my MacBook Pro.
    I bought a Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Mobile Cloud Storage with Built-in WiFi Streaming (STCK1000100) external hard drive and installed the Seagate Media App.  I can, via the app on the iPad, see the device and copy to and from it.  But, it only allows access to music, movies in iTunes (not any movies in Vudu), and things like documents on my iPad.  It does not allow access to all the files inclding system files stored on the iPad.  I also tried another Seagate non wireless external drive that I connected directly to the iPad but the Seagate Media app does not communicate with or recognize the device from the iPad.
    I also bought DiskAid software that supposedly will make a complete backup of an App on a mobile device and installed it on my laptop.  I was able to make a complete backup of the Vudu app from the iPad onto my laptop, but in a test could not restore it to my iPad.  The backup file, though, was the right size, about 26 GB.  The DiskAid techs are looking into that.  I was able to use DiskAid to backup another app in a test (Hertz).  That app made a backup of the Hertz app onto my laptop, I deleted the app on my iPad, then I was able to restore it.  But right now the restore option is not working for Vudu.
    Another option would be to copy the movie files off of the iPad onto my Laptop, but the iPad does not appear in the finder window on the Laptop.
    I have about decided my MacBook Pro laptop will have to be the main repository for all the downloaded movies, since I can make a Time Machine backup of everything. 
    It is very frustrating to not be able to make a full backup of everything on my iPad.
    Anyone else have any ideas?   Apple - when are you going to provide a way to make a full backup of an iPad?

    I recommend Super Duper as well. I use it batch mode to automatically back up my iMAC every night at 2 am. It's saved my life a couple of times- once my disk crashed (under warranty)and what could have been a disaster (1000's of irreplaceable photos) was a 2 day inconvenience.
    Now and then I boot up from my backup on my firewire drive, wipe, check and reformat my internal hard disk, copy back all my files and I'm good to go

Maybe you are looking for