Restore Old Performa "Apple Backups" to 9.2.2 Mac

Question

Level 1

10 points

Restore Old Performa "Apple Backups" to 9.2.2 Mac

I have several backup sets I'd like to restore on
a G3 iMac running 9.2.2. They were probably created
on a 68k Performa. The sets are in the form of numerous
high density floppies named "Hard disk copy [1-N]"
with one "Apple Backup Data" files on each floppy.
The data files have type OBDa and creator OBBa.

Please advise how I might be able to restore these
backup sets to a folder in an existing volume
on an iMac.

Posted on Sep 7, 2005 8:23 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 8, 2005 4:42 AM in response to Bob Braur

Usually, backup programs store data in compressed binary form. And usually, you have to use the application that created the files to restore the files. There is a program called "Can Opener" that might let to access the data.

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Answer 2

Bob Braur Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 9, 2005 6:45 PM in response to William White1

Thanks much for your suggestions. I'm wondering if the data format is very similar to Disk Copy's, perhaps even 6.x. It won't open the images because they don't have a checksum. Disk Copy 4.3 seems to be floppy-oriented. Maybe I could add a checksum, or otherwise manipulate the information to make it usable by more modern tools? I suspect that there's a simple way to obtain the restore I want.

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Answer 3

Denis Eddy

Level 4

3,571 points

Sep 9, 2005 9:36 PM in response to Bob Braur

Bob
Is it possible that the backups were prepared with Apple's HD SC Backup? In all probability that could run under 9.2.2 in the way that many 68K machine-language programs continue to do. If that was the utility concerned, however, the restore can be done with even more surety by doing it with another 68K Mac, and then transferring the re-concatenated files to the G3 by ethernet or other means.

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Answer 4

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

24,235 points

Sep 9, 2005 11:29 PM in response to Bob Braur

This type of backup copies was used on some Performa and PowerBook models. The program to retrieve the files was placed on the tools floppy. Do you have access to that disk?

Even if you have the disk, the restore program is probably going to ask for the very computer originally used. A way around this could be to try Wish I were... (do a Google search) on another machine with a floppy drive.

Jan

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Answer 5

Denis Eddy

Level 4

3,571 points

Sep 10, 2005 10:09 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Jan
Wish I Were 2.0

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Answer 6

Bob Braur Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 19, 2005 1:52 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

I just wanted to say that I appreciate everyone's help!

I wasn't able to get "Wish I Were..." configured to mimic a SCSI bus and map my IDE drive to disk IDs. Setting it up as an older Performa didn't allow "Apple Restore," which I found on the "Utilities Disk" of an old 7.01 floppy. But the suggestion to try "Wish I Were..." prompted me to look into SoftMac, which ran the 7.01P "Apple Restore" program on my floppies just fine.

Only out of curiosity, I'll check back to see if anyone knows how to make "Wish I Were..." (or using MacsBug for that matter) create a Gestalt set that looks like a SCSI bus.

I'll note that Apple doesn't seem to have "Apple Restore" in its FTP downloads areas that I could find. That could pose a potential problem for others who run into my situation with old backup sets.

Thanks again to all. I've enjoyed the nostalgia more than I expected. What a wonderful system MacOS truly has been. Also, Apple Support was very kind in referring me to this site for questions, after doing their best to help out over the phone.

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