Installing Mac OS X on an External Drive

It all started with a freezing problem. Likely because my drive was too full, but that is yet to be determined. I updated to 10.4 thinking that this might jog something and fix my troubles...not so. I have also pared down my drive to leave the suggested 10% free space.
I then bought TechTools Pro 4 and am trying some of their suggestions, One of which is to install their software and what they call their eDrive on my external firewire hard drive. I can't seem to do this as it does not offer it as a place to do the install. I am left believing that I need to install Mac OS on the external first and then TechTools. I may be grasping at straws?
Any suggestions out there?
eMac G4 1.25GHz 40 GB Drive Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Thanks for the suggestion.
I did boot from the CD and tried running everything, but often it hung...numerous times. I contacted the support group at TECHTOOLS and they recommended creating an eDrive on my external firewire drive. I tried this too....first I had to change the drive formatting from MS DOS (I was unaware that the drive came formatted this way), then it did not work...it hung again.
For all the hours I spent attempting to rectify my own problems, I created more. The internal start-up volume finally became currupted and I am no longer able to start the computer from the internal drive. It seemed to not be able to mount on my last attempt.
It is now in the local shop letting someone with more experience tell me what is up. I hate to say I gave up...but alas I conceded my defeat.
Good news....Apple Backup really does work for restoring files. I have dusted of my old iMac and am back on line.
Have you had extensive esperience with TechTools? Any suggestions about the creation of the drive on the firewire hard drive? What formatting selection is the correct one....I choose journalling as that is what the mac help file indicated was the most common. I did not find any suggestions in the TechTools documentation or web support to indicate the desired formatting.
eMac G4 1.25GHz 40 GB Drive Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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Installing Mac OS X onto an External Hard Drive

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Will installing Mac OS X onto an external hard drive erase or mess with in any way files that are already on the external hard drive?
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The external hard disk drive is accessed via your computer,
so the only way an external off-site attack could be performed
would be through the System; it has the Firewall, if turned on.
Unless the external hard disk drive is of the type or configured
to be accessed remotely or through some wireless setup to
share it via a base station or other device for backups or other
uses, it should be as safe as the hard drive in the Mac. But, if
the external drive is on an unsecure wireless network for shared
use, then the settings of the wireless base station should be set
and when not present, if no shared use is expected or desired,
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off until the next time it is needed.
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protected and as secure as the System itself; with some exception.
It is possible to change settings inside the computer and allow
other users or persons with access, to get into a computer remotely.
If you do not have these possibilities open, they can't gain access.
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No matter what I try, I cannot get my Mac mini to boot from the SuperDrive, in order to install the Mac OS X operating system onto my external firewire hard drive...
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Regards,
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Installing Mac OS X on an external hard drive

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Interesting did you look under Purchases while logged in to the MAS with the same Apple ID you used before"
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Installing Mac OS X on an External Drive

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