Restoring Using SuperDuper

Question

Level 1

7 points

Restoring Using SuperDuper

Does anyone know how to restore my iMac HD using SuperDuper? I am unable to start up to my backup external hard drive, I don't see how I can restore using Utilities. HELP!!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Mar 30, 2010 2:36 PM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:19 PM in response to Marjean54

If your clone is on the external drive and it won't boot, you can't use it to restore.
What is wrong with your internal that you need to restore? Or, do I have it wrong?

-mj

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Answer 2

pcbjr

Level 2

347 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:21 PM in response to Marjean54

How are you trying to boot from your external?

If the computer is working OK, use System Prefs to chose your startup disk, choose and boot from your external and run SD from there. Clone backwards.

If problems booting your Mac, hold the Option key down at startup; when your HD appears, wait a few secs and your external should appear; select the External as your startup disk, then run SD from the external back to your Mac.

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Answer 3

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:32 PM in response to pcbjr

I held the "option" key while starting, the clicked on the external drive to start. Came to a window that instructed me to go back and select the HD to start.

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Answer 4

Steve M.

Level 5

4,757 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:34 PM in response to Marjean54

If perchance you are using a wireless Bluetooth keyboard it might be helpful to plug in an old USB keyboard if you are having trouble making boot drive selections by holding down keys when rebooting.

Regards,
Steve M.

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Answer 5

Steve M.

Level 5

4,757 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:36 PM in response to Marjean54

First off, as has been asked, what's wrong with your internal HD? Which iMac are you using? Is your external HD connected via Firewire or USB?

Steve M.

Message was edited by: Steve M.

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Answer 6

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:36 PM in response to Marjean54

Is it possible to copy from the back up?

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Answer 7

Steve M.

Level 5

4,757 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:37 PM in response to Marjean54

Do you have a bootable clone on your external that you made with SuperDuper and tested prior to this to make sure it was bootable?

Steve M.

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Answer 8

pcbjr

Level 2

347 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:38 PM in response to Marjean54

Is your external bootable?

Somehow you've got to make it the startup disk to clone back.

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Answer 9

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:46 PM in response to Steve M.

Everything froze this morning. With the help of Apple Tech, I was finally able to boot using my install CD. Ran disk repair and received a message that there was a problem and I would have back up my hard drive, erase my hard drive and restore.

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Answer 10

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:52 PM in response to Marjean54

When I back up using SuperDuper, it runs through a series of things, including making the backup a start up drive. I just assumed that it would work when I needed it. Guess I was wrong.

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Answer 11

pcbjr

Level 2

347 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:53 PM in response to Marjean54

OK.

Had that problem recently.

Do your clean wipe. Get your Mac bootable. Then don't do any updates - just boot into your external, and reverse clone SD from there. The wipe should take about a minute or two; the clone back an hour or more depending on the size of your useage (200gb took an hour and a half approximately a few days ago to fix a similar problem on a 6 month old MBP).

Post back results.

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Answer 12

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:55 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr,
I'm not sure I understand. Why would that work?

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Answer 13

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 3:58 PM in response to pcbjr

I understand. I updated to 10.6.3 after backing up to external drive. That may be the problem? I'll see if it works.

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Answer 14

pcbjr

Level 2

347 points

Mar 30, 2010 4:08 PM in response to Marjean54

If I understand correctly, you have a SD clone that predates 10.6.3.

If that's the case, once you wipe and get a bootable Mac, and then startup from your external, SD should be a breeze.

If your SD backup is post 10.6.3, and if the problem surfaced after your SD 10.6.3 clone, you may be cloning your problem back to your Mac.

Assuming the former, once you're up and running, use the standalone Combo Updater to go to 10.6.3.

Keep us posted.

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Answer 15

Marjean54 Author

Level 1

7 points

Mar 30, 2010 4:57 PM in response to pcbjr

I erased the hard drive, reinstalled from the install disk, restarted the computer, then restarted holding down the "option" key. Clicked on external hard drive. Got the same Kernel Version 10.0.0 and instructions to restart the computer. In other words, erasing and reinstalling without updates didn't work. I am going to try to update the system to prior to 10.6.3 and see if that does anything. Any other ideas would be helpful.

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