iMac Seagate HDD Recall

If I do a Time Machine restore of my iMac with the new hard drive, will the new HDD be absolutely identicalto the hard drive that I have now? Will absolutely all settings be restored to how I have them defined? How about BootCamp? Will Windows be restored? How about files and programs under Windows?

Frankly, I'm terrified to do a hard drive replacement because so much of my stuff is sensitive to the computer settings. I want to make sure that ALL settings will be restored to EXACTLY how I have them right now.

I'm not currently set up for Carbon Copy Cloner, but I have considered it.

Let me know what y'all think.

Time Machine will restore all data, applications and settings once the HD has been replaced. Some apps may require you to re-input installation codes but other than that it should be the same as your old HD. As far as Boot Camp, TM will not back up your MS Windows data or installation. You will need to use a MS Windows backup tool and restore following their instructions once you have replaced the HD.

I would also recommend using SuperDuper or CCC in addition to TM, in the case of backups redundancy is a VERY good thing. Do not repeat DO NOT use the same physical HD for TM as your bootable clone. The reason being is HD's fail as you know and if that happens with your backup HDD you could lose allof your backup. So if your backup plan has redundant HD's involved this reduces the risk significantly.

After just spending an inordinate amount of time restoring my wife's iMac running latest ML after a HD replacement, here are some thoughts. We were originally told to simply use the Migration Assistant after starting the system with the new drive. Boy, was that a gross oversimplification!

1. Your replacement drive will probably be loaded with the OS that your iMac shipped with. In our case, it was SL.

2. Our time machine backup was on a NAS and was not accessible via SL.

3. After speaking with AppleCare, they suggested upgrading to ML, which I did. TM backup still not accessible.

4. Getting nervous, I went to the Apple store and, after some discussion, they gave me the original drive, which had not failed. Fortunately I had neglected to wipe it (stupid) before leaving it for repair.

5. I was able to restore her system from the original drive mounted in a USB-connected external drive using Migration Assistant. Elapsed time was 11 hours from first receiving the repaired iMac to having a restored system.

If you are going in for a replacement HD, I'd suggest asking for the same OS to be installed that is on the original drive. If you have a NAS backup, suggest you make another TM backup to a USB-attached HD to save some hassle. If you don't erase the old HD, I would ask for the old drive back if it is still functional. As suggested, a CCC or SuperDuper! backup is a nice belt-and-suspenders approach in case you can't get your (unwiped) HD back. If you have these backups, then wipe the driver before getting the HD replaced.

Subsequently I located a reference on how to get a NAS TM backup recognized: http://kampmeier.com/chris/blog/?p=393

While I haven't done this, it looks reasonable. Frankly it shouldn't be necessary, given TM allows backing up to a NAS.

Hope this helps...

Unfortunately you fell into a trap, Apple simply does not support NAS's with the exception of using Time Capsule. Most users don't use a NAS or even know what they are. While they are pretty cool getting support for them with a Mac is really up to the NAS developers however they tend to fall behind when updates are provided. For a Time Machine backup my recommendation would be to stay with a locally attached EHD and avoid using a NAS unless of course the NAS is a TC. Just my .02.

Well, it doesn't seem wise to rely on a single small hard disk in Time Capsule to back up valuable information. Since the Time Capsule is not a RAID array or equivalent, a single HD failure costs you your backup. And, If Apple wanted to limit TM backup to TC or a USB or FW attached HD, I'm sure they could do it. Frankly, I'd rather deal with a little recovery hassle on an NAS RAID array than rely on a single, small form factor HD as in TC. My .02 as well 🙂

Use CCC to clone your int HD to an ext FWHD. When the clone's finished, select it in System Preferences->Startup Disk and click on Restart. That'll boot the machine with the clone and you can test all of your unique settings. IMO, all should work exactly like the original. Once you verify that you didn't lose any unique or sensitive settings, programs, or other things, launch Disk Utility, select the internal HD, and erase it, selecting the zero out data option. Once that's done, install an OS onto it. If you have Snow Leopard install discs, use those, create a simple admin user account. Once they replace the HD, restore the clone.

For the windows stuff, see http://help.bombich.com/kb/troubleshooting/can-ccc-back-up-my-bootcamp-windows-p artition.

Finally, if you have AppleCare's protection plan and you're within 50 miles (80 KM) of an Apple repair station, you're eligible for onsite repair since yours is a desktop machine. Might also apply to this replacement program. BTW, the AppleCare Protection Plan's the best warranty policy available for desktop machines. Get it i you can and don't have it before contacting Apple.

Horrible experience with the Seagate recall.

Bad information from the Apple 'Genuis' -- Apple will *not* back up and restore our files as part this replacement process, as I was told. If you want that, it's an extra $99 to do a simple backup and restore.

Then I was told using my Time Capsule Time Machine to do the restore would be *simple* -- step three would take me to my Time Capsule disc, and with a press of a button, I could do the restore from my Time Machine backup.

But when I went to Time Capsule / Time Machine on step three of the start-up, no back up from my 27" iMac was listed among the backups available, only a backup from my other 23" iMac was listed.

But if I go into my Time Capsule disk, I have 3 backups listed, for my 23", my 27" and my MacBook Pro.

Here I sit, stuck, looking to go back to the 'Genuis' bar a third time for information I no longer trust.

Call the store and request your original drive back. That way you will have your data. After doing that, I used a SATA-USB drive adapter (Thermaltake BlacX 2.5/3.5" SATA HDD eSata & USB Docking Station) with Migration Assistant to move everything from the old drive to the new one in the iMac.All my data was successfully recovered.

I too had issues with time machine not restoring my data correctly. What worked for me was to boot the iMac from the install CD, then in the utility menu restore from time machine, that way gave me a full list of time machine backup dates to pick from. I went back a day or so and it worked perfectly.

JohnZonie wrote:

Call the store and request your original drive back. That way you will have your data. After doing that, I used a SATA-USB drive adapter (Thermaltake BlacX 2.5/3.5" SATA HDD eSata & USB Docking Station) with Migration Assistant to move everything from the old drive to the new one in the iMac.All my data was successfully recovered.

AFAIK, in most cases that's not possible, since they'll insist on keeping it. It's an exchange program. You got lucky. Better is to build your own bootable backup/clone, wipe the HD, and keep it simple.

I suspec that,t if the wheel squaks loud enough about lost data after trying to follow genius instructions, the drive can be returned. Despite the extra trip to the store preceded by a lot of wasted effort, the good will generated was more than offset by not having a drive to send back to Seagate for destruction.

In any case, multiple backups are always the right thing to do.

I'm about to go through this and have been reading up and I'm quite nervous about the restore situation too.

1.This might be a stupid question but why should one have to to purchase extra software (e.g. CCC or Superduper) to do this, since it's a recall? Isn't it bad enough that Apple/Seagate have to get you to replace the drive let alone having to spend more money on something that Time Machine should probably be capable of. In which case why don't Apple cover this as part of the recall service?

2. Given my current Time Machine is working OK if I need to create a current 'full backup' I need a bigger HDD - fair enough, since the original one is only 1TB. Problem is I now have a 3TB HDD (WD Elements) that I find I can't use because TM locks up at about 7.5GB. Reformatiing/partitioning does not help. So it looks like I should just continue with my previous backups and save the 3TB drive for when I get the new HDD installed.

3. Since the TM backup isn't working I thought I'd backup iPhoto. Not just the iPhoto library but export the photos. Problem with this is that iPhoto allows identical filenames because of how the data is stored. Which is a PITA when trying to export and it stops, saying the filename already exits in the destination folder. You can't simply locate the duplicated file in iPhoto when you select 500+ images and iPhoto doesn't have a detail list view (AFAIK) only thumbnails.

I tried another setting which was all good until I got to about 16,500/17,500 images exported and then it said "unable to export to ....." and stopped.

This is on top of the problem I had about 12 months ago where a stack of photos went missing and AppleCare stepped my wife through the solution and said "delete the folder on the desktop once you're happy with the iPhoto fix". Apparently THAT folder was the one with the fix in it and it was too late by the time we realised it was NOT in trash!!

In addition to these issues I just noticed by accident that some emails in Mail are missing. I know they were there previously and now aren't becuase I've searched for the info in them recently and found them. I haven't investigated much yet but appear to be random. The account is hotmail and on the server and Mail I have do not delete setup (especially on the server). I've found it be most useful when switching computers that all the originals are still on the server.

Day-to-day the Mac experience has been good but these issues are very big and not simple or cheap solutions (apparently).

1. CCC or SD create bootable clones, this is a second backup plan to your TM backup. In the case of backup redundancy is a VERY VERY good idea. The reason for this is backups fail, don't laugh it happens all the time. It is wise to have a redundant backup on seperate media than your TM drive, the reason being is hard disks fail every single day, if you try to install a bootable clone and TM on the same HD and that HD fails you have lost all of your backup, therefore it's wise to use 2 external HDs.

So quit the whining and get yourself a decent backup plan and take your machine to have the HD replaced, when you do then you can restore from your bootable clone or TM backup.

Thanks for a partially useful answer. I understand the need for backups, hence why I'm trying to make a full one. This I highlighted is not working, for some reason, using TM.

I was trying to understand the real reason as to why I would need to use a third party application when TM should do the job.

As you can probably tell from my original post I'm not a fanboy and wondered why I should have to pay more for a recall. My current assumption is that the reason why TM is not working is because of the Seagate problem.

Also if the problem was my fault I'd not be on here whining and I'd suck it up and move on.

techpoida wrote:

I understand the need for backups, hence why I'm trying to make a full one. This I highlighted is not working, for some reason, using TM.

The problem is two-fold. First, it's not that TM is working, it's you're using an ill-designed ext HD, the WD one. It's crapola, IMO. One WD doesn't support booting Macs with their ext HDs, though they might. The issue with TM is that unless you test its viability by restoring to another volume, you can't guarantee that it's work. Second, a bootable clone miitgates that obstruction by allowing instant verification by booting with it as soon as it's created. If it boots the machine and works like the original, then wiping the int HD, having Apple replace it for FREE, and then restoring the clone eliminates all of your worries. Your choice what you choose to do. I've done it the second way in April when the HD fatally died. Twenty minutes after replacement (onsite), the machine was up and running with my baseline boot installation. That's significantly faster than any TM restoration and was guaranteed to work.