Booting from a different partition of an external hard drive

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Booting from a different partition of an external hard drive

Any chance anyone could offer some advice for my asthmatic iBook G4?

The internal hard drive has given up the ghost.

I have re-installed Mac OS X 10.3.3 on a NEW external portable drive which I have partitioned. I have copied the contents of the farked internal HD - Mac OS X 10.3.9 to partition 2 of the external drive. Partition 1 currently has the re-installed recovery version OS X 10.3.3 on it and is now the selected drive and volume to boot from. However I now want to change the boot volume from partition 1 to partition 2 which includes all the OS updates to 10.3.9 plus all my user preferences, etc.

I have tried everything but to no avail. Renaming the partitions by reversing the numbering has no difference. The Start Menu just recognises the same parition even though it is renamed as other partition and vice versa. The Start Up file in System Preferences won't recognise partition 2, only partition 1 and the farked internal HD. I have tried restarting the iBook while pressing the Option key with and without the recovery disc #1 in the CD drive. No difference.

I am thinking now that the Start Up menu is able to only recognise 2 drives - the internal and an external one which is connected by Firewire 400 port of which there is only one. Or only distinct drives. It can't recognise separate partitioned drives which would be pretty pi$$ poor. There are two other USB ports but I guess these are for other peripherals.

So how can I get my iBook G4 to boot from Partition 2 of the NEW external drive?

Just to re-iterate my iBook boots fine from the NEW portable hard drive partition 1, but this partition only has the OS X system as per the recovery disc.

My Mac is starting to really test my patience.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Message was edited by: AlAlexander

Message was edited by: AlAlexander

Message was edited by: AlAlexander

ibook G4, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Feb 14, 2011 7:56 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

411,187 points

Feb 14, 2011 8:08 AM in response to AlAlexander

In order to produce a bootable copy of the system on another volume you have to copy it using a cloning utility. Plain drag and drop will not work with OSX.

[CarbonCopy Cloner|http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html] (donationware)

[SuperDuper|http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html] (shareware)

[IBackup|http://www.grapefruit.ch/iBackup/index.html] (free)

The Restore function of Disk Utility included in OS X. [Kappy's directions|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8799711#8799711]

[Tri-Backup (commercial)|http://www.tri-edre.com/english/tribackup.html] (payware)

[Silverkeeper|http://www.lacie.com/silverkeeper> (free) - version 2 has some issues (references: [here|http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/backup/index.html#d12jan2009], and [here|http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/backup/index.html#d13jan2009]) and it is recommended Tiger users stick with 1.1.4.

[Kappy's Backup Software Recommendations|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9065665#906 5665]

[Overview of Mac OS X Backup Programs|http://8help.osu.edu/1247.html]

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Answer 2

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Feb 14, 2011 8:19 AM in response to AlAlexander

Hi Al!

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

I have re-installed Mac OS X 10.3.3 on a NEW external portable drive which I have partitioned.

I take it that you used Disk Utility to format the HDD Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and created 2 partitions. Then you installed Panther from the install disks. Is that correct?

I have copied the contents of the farked internal HD - Mac OS X 10.3.9 to partition 2 of the external drive.

How did you copy it? Did you create a bootable clone of your internal HDD on it, or did you copy by dragging?

Partition 1 currently has the re-installed recovery version OS X 10.3.3 on it and is now the selected drive and volume to boot from.

Partition 1 with the old installation is able to boot the computer?

Does partition 2 show up either on the Desktop when you boot partition 1 or in Disk Utility?

What happens when you start up and hold down the Option key after the chime? Do both volumes show up?

Have you tried installing 10.3.9 Combo Update to the bootable partition?

😉 cornelius

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Answer 3

AlAlexander Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 14, 2011 9:13 AM in response to Limnos

Limnos wrote:
*In order to produce a bootable copy of the system on another volume you have to copy it using a cloning utility. Plain drag and drop will not work with OSX*.

[CarbonCopy Cloner| http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html ] (donationware)

[SuperDuper| http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html ] (shareware)

[IBackup| http://www.grapefruit.ch/iBackup/index.html ] (free)

The Restore function of Disk Utility included in OS X. [Kappy's directions| http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8799711#8799711 ]

[Tri-Backup (commercial)| http://www.tri-edre.com/english/tribackup.html ] (payware)

[Silverkeeper| http://www.lacie.com/silverkeeper > (free) - version 2 has some issues (references: [here| http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/backup/index.html#d12jan2009 ], and [here| http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/backup/index.html#d13jan2009 ]) and it is recommended Tiger users stick with 1.1.4.

[Kappy's Backup Software Recommendations| http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9065665#9065665 ]

[Overview of Mac OS X Backup Programs| http://8help.osu.edu/1247.html ]

Drag and drop is what I did so I will have to use CarbonCopy Cloner. Thanks for the tip. I shall report back shortly.

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Answer 4

AlAlexander Author

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Feb 14, 2011 9:21 AM in response to cornelius

cornelius wrote:
Hi Al!

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

I have re-installed Mac OS X 10.3.3 on a NEW external portable drive which I have partitioned.

I take it that you used Disk Utility to format the HDD Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and created 2 partitions. Then you installed Panther from the install disks. Is that correct?

I have copied the contents of the farked internal HD - Mac OS X 10.3.9 to partition 2 of the external drive.

How did you copy it? Did you create a bootable clone of your internal HDD on it, or did you copy by dragging?

Partition 1 currently has the re-installed recovery version OS X 10.3.3 on it and is now the selected drive and volume to boot from.

Partition 1 with the old installation is able to boot the computer?

Does partition 2 show up either on the Desktop when you boot partition 1 or in Disk Utility?

What happens when you start up and hold down the Option key after the chime? Do both volumes show up?

Have you tried installing 10.3.9 Combo Update to the bootable partition?

😉 cornelius

Cornelius,

Thanks for your reply. As I mentioned above I am going to have to use CarbonCopy Cloner to create a bootable drive. I used Disk Utility to partition and format the drive (500GB). When I reboot with the Option key pressed, only two drives come up 1) the faulty internal Mac drive and 2)the new Iomega external hard drive partition 1. Thanks again.

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Answer 5

AlAlexander Author

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Feb 14, 2011 9:59 AM in response to AlAlexander

I've down loaded a copy of CarbonCopy Cloner (to my PC) and copied it to a USB pen stick. Stuck this in my Mac iBook (as this is not connected to the internet at the moment), dragged and copied CCC to the Mac desktop, then clicked on it to run the programme. It opens, runs a bit, then says "the following disc images failed to mount" reason is "no mountable file systems".

Forgive the muppetry, but what do I do next?

Al.

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Answer 6

Limnos

Level 10

411,187 points

Feb 14, 2011 10:08 AM in response to AlAlexander

Have you checked that version of CCC works on 10.3? Edit: Apparently not http://help.bombich.com/kb/overview/system-requirements-and-installation Browse the site and see if older versions are available. Second edit: Old versions --> http://www.bombich.com/download.html

I wouldn't copy it to the desktop, I'd put it in Applications. Applications on the desktop don't always behave right.

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Answer 7

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Feb 14, 2011 12:22 PM in response to AlAlexander

When I reboot with the Option key pressed, only two drives come up 1) the faulty internal Mac drive and 2)the new Iomega external hard drive partition 1. Thanks again.

As I understand it, you are able to boot from Partition 1 which contains the faulty installation on the internal HDD copied to this partition of the external HDD. If that is correct, and you are able to boot from that partition, I wouldn't worry about cloning it again for the moment. I would apply the Combo update I linked earlier.

In terms of the second partition I suggest that you need to completely wipe it, then reinstall OS Panther from disk. However, if it not showing up in Disk Utility you may not be able to do that and may need to completely reformat and partition the external HDD to get a working external HDD. If you need step by step directions for doing so please post back and ask.

😉 cornelius

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Answer 8

AlAlexander Author

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Feb 14, 2011 12:24 PM in response to Limnos

Have down loaded the older version of CCC and installed it on my Mac. I am setting it up to clone, but on clicking the final clone tab it comes up with an "administrative code" box requiring a password. I have checked back on the CCC website but nothing is mentioned there, so presume it must be due to the Mac software? So what is the administrative code and how do I find the password? I just want to start cloning!

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Answer 9

AlAlexander Author

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Feb 14, 2011 12:39 PM in response to cornelius

Hi C,

Partition 1 of the portable drive is fine. It contains the OS but at the recovery settings. The iBook is set to boot from this partition of the drive which it does without problem. Partition 2 contains or did contain a copy (drag and drop) of the faulty internal drive. However have now put these files in the trash to clear the partition so it is now empty. The protable drive is one formatted for Macs plus I formatted after partition using disc utility.

Currently the older version of CCC is creating a disk image of the faulty internal drive to desktop before cloning to the partition 2 of the portable hard drive. I just need to know what the **** the administrative code password is and where to find it!

Message was edited by: AlAlexander

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Answer 10

Limnos

Level 10

411,187 points

Feb 14, 2011 1:17 PM in response to AlAlexander

Mac computers with OSX should have an administrator account. It would be very unusual and very difficult to arrange to have an OSX computer without such an account. Administrators have permissions to do extra things with the managing of the computer and files. If you are the only user of the computer the administrator will be you with your log-in password. Computers can be set up to automatically log in but there will still be a password that was set at one time. If you don't have this you can reset the password using the operating system discs. I only seem to have the Tiger reference for this. You may need to ask about this on the Panther and earlier system forum if it isn't the same.

[Changing your administrator password|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh655.html]

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Answer 11

AlAlexander Author

Level 1

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Feb 14, 2011 3:04 PM in response to Limnos

Hi Limnos,

Thanks for the link on re-setting the Administrator password. Very helpful.

In CCC in synchronisation options I clicked on tanb to download a disc image to the desk top prior to cloning the hard drive. The cursor has been spinning for about 3.5 hours now. I know that it may take some time to generate a disc image but is 3-4 hrs too long meaning the software is stuck like when booting from this faulty drive? Should I hit cancel and go straigth to the clone facility as I have already copied all the files using drag and drop. They were on partition 2 of the new drive but are now in the trash to make way for the carboncopy clone bootable copy. What do you think?

Any help gratefully received.

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Answer 12

Limnos

Level 10

411,187 points

Feb 14, 2011 3:23 PM in response to AlAlexander

I haven't used that version of CCC before. I assume you have downloaded a Panther compatible one. I'm not sure what you're doing with images but then I have only ever used the Tiger version. In Tiger I wouldn't do anything with an image. I would start CCC while booted to my main drive. I would select one drive as the source drive, then the second drive as the target drive (cannot be the drive from which you are booted), then clone. It would ask for my password, then off it goes.

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Answer 13

AlAlexander Author

Level 1

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Feb 15, 2011 3:20 AM in response to Limnos

Update: Good news - a bootable clone of the internal HD to 2nd partition of the external portable drive was successful. It took several hours though. At one point a prompt did come up saying there was an error to which I clicked ignore. Pathway was to the Safari crash log. Hmmm.

Bad news - on boot up from the 2nd partition the cursor spins and spins and spins and the OS does not spring into life. The screen just maintains the Apple icon in the middle of the screen with the little spinning wheel below.

So conclusion - the problem may well actually be OS related as opposed to HD. The last activity before the OS died was receiving a text message to my broadband account which rightly or wrongly I tried to open.

So next move? I am now just wanting to copy/move all the personal settings and files, favourites and desktop files etc from the failed OS X 10.3.9 on the 2nd partition to the bootable working recovery OS X 10.3.3 installed on the first partition of the external HD. My question is - which folders do I need to copy to do this so the base recovery OS X 10.3.3 on partition 1 recognises and incorporates them and I can use them?

Thanks so far for all the help.

Al

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Answer 14

Limnos

Level 10

411,187 points

Feb 15, 2011 8:12 AM in response to AlAlexander

I'd get that 10.3.3 updated to 10.3.9

Most of your personal settings are in your home directory. I haven't used 10.3 in over 6 years so I can't be specific, but probably many of them are in your Library folder. Some items will also be in the main Library folder at the top level of your drive. Note that some things may be hidden files that won't copy across with drag an drop.

I think if CCC is taking that long over a Firewire connection then there's something wrong with the drive and/or files, or you have a huge internal drive.

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Answer 15

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Feb 15, 2011 2:37 PM in response to AlAlexander

So conclusion - the problem may well actually be OS related as opposed to HD.

Not sure I understand the rationale.

I am now just wanting to copy/move all the personal settings and files, favourites and desktop files etc from the failed OS X 10.3.9 on the 2nd partition to the bootable working recovery OS X 10.3.3 installed on the first partition of the external HD. My question is - which folders do I need to copy to do this so the base recovery OS X 10.3.3 on partition 1 recognises and incorporates them and I can use them?

I would copy the entire Home Folder. Then completely erase that partition. Then install from disk. Post back for step by step directions if desired.

😉 cornelius

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