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External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Having cloned my hard disk to provide a bootable copy the icon doesn't appear in the System Preferences Startup window. I am using Leopard & the external disk is a LaCie mobile 160GB connected via Firewire. The disk will open & I can access the applications etc. so the copying has been successful. Any ideas please?

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
It sounds as if the OS has not installed properly. What software did you use to make the clone? (SuperDuper! for example is described as not yet fully Leopard compatible. Don't know what's not working properly.) Is your Mac a PPC or an Intel machine? Intels will only boot from a GUID partition.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Yes SuperDuper was used so that may be the problem. However all my applications, documents & images are opening from the external disk. Does it mean the external cloned disk can't be used to boot up or should I try it? What keyboard keys are used to boot up from an external disk?
Can other software, which is Leopard compatible,be used to overwrite the external disk if necessary? ie. reclone?
I use an iMac G5 PPC. Thanks for the reply.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
As you're on PPC G5 it won't be an issue with the partition.

SuperDuper! will be compatible soon I think but yes, you could use other software. I'm about to perform the same operation myself - I'll let you know if mine gives the same problem.

Did you successfully create a clone on that disc under Tiger?

I don't think the keyboard idea will help - it's start up holding down option but that just allows you to choose your startup disc. If the external is not showing up in System Preferences as a startup disc I doubt it would show in your choice following the Option-Startup

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Mick, I didn't make a clone under Tiger. I have just been emailed the CCC address (thanks Doug) which is compatible with Tiger & Leopard. (http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html). Perhaps I should try this? I look forward to hearing about your result.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Douglas Cheney
Mick, Is it possible to use the restore section in Disk Utility to back up a HD in Leopard.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
Roy - the SuperDuper! site has it's last entry dated 5th December which says it's very near. For the time being I'll manage with just my Time Machine backup - if you use TM you'll only need a clone in the event of hard disc failure.

Doug - I would have thought so, but to make a backup, not a boot disc (guess I'm afraid, not tested.) Being a cautious chap I have always had a backup regime but never had to use it to restore from total disaster. There is also a Restore facility in Time machine.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
I have now erased the external disk & re-cloned using Carbon Copy Cloner which does say on its website that it is Leopard compatible. However it's back to my starting comments because the disk still doesn't show in the System Prefs Startup window.
I did try to boot up with the Option key pressed but the monitor showed the hard disk icon with a x on it & there was quite a loud whirring sound from the G5 so I soon switched off. Whilst I have backed up on an external disk & can access things from it, I can't boot up in the event of a serious hard drive failure.
Has anyone made a bootable external disk for Leopard?

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
Roy, can you check the LaCie web site for details of your drive? I know USB drives won't boot a PPC Mac and I've heard (though not come across one) that not all firewire drives will boot either. It is just possible that yours is one that won't.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
More info Roy.

I cloned using my existing copy of SuperDuper!. It seemed to work O.K. and the external drive shows up as a possible startup disc in System Preferences. However, on trying to restart from it my fans came on full speed (I think I've seen something about this) and I'm not sure if it was was stuck on the grey spinning wheel or whether it would have got past it - I chose not to wait to find out, sorry.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
From what I see on the LaCie site it seems that the smaller capacity discs (80GB & 120Gb) can't be used to boot up but my 160 Gb should be ok. However they do say that they are testing OSX10.5 for compatibility with SilverKeeper (their software which I haven't loaded). It makes me wonder if the drive is yet ok for Leopard but I have put the problem on the Carbon Copy Cloner site, which should be compatible, & await a possible solution there. You say, " fans came on full speed" & that is what I experienced. Many thanks for the replies so far.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Douglas Cheney
I am using a 60GB Lacie firewire drive which will boot having used SuperDuper to clone my HD to it

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Doug, I think the comment re smaller LaCie drives may only apply to Leopard & I believe you are on Tiger.
I have put the problem on the LaCie support site & hope to have a reply soon. I have used Disk Utility-First Aid to verify both disks, internal & external, & the result for both was the same: "The volume appears to be OK."


Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Lionel Ogden
I think this is purely a Leopard problem (one more for the list). I have used Super Duper to clone my Hard disc on my intel iMac to a partition on a WD my Book hard drive using OSX.4.11. The hard drive is formatted in Mac extended fs. It appears as an available disc in system preferences and starts up without a problem albeit more slowly.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
It may actually be a Firewire problem with Leopard rather than SuperDuper! There seem to be a lot of people whose drives don't show as mounted.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
Latest position on SuperDuper!

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/blog/

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Thanks Mick. The update on SuperDuper is interesting. That & other things I have read, eg. Macworld January 2008 pages 20-21, indicate a problem with Time Machine & external disks. LaCie disks are mentioned in the Macworld article. However I haven't touched Time Machine yet & I haven't partitioned the external disk. All I want (for Christmas!) is an external disk which will boot the iMac in the event of a serious HD failure.
On the Carbon Copy Cloner forum (Bombich Software website) this was said: " I have had no problem making bootable clones of OS 10.5.1 on PPC Macs (mine, like yours, is an iMac G5)."
After that, I am uncertain what to try next. Perhaps wait for the SuperDuper update & then erase the problem disc & reclone?
I did another boot attempt using the problem disk with 'option' key pressed & this time allowed the whirring fans more time, hit the 'return' key & the fans eventually cut out. The startup then proceeded as normal but I don't know if this was from the external disk or a 'standard' start because the external disk icon didn't show on the desktop at the start. Also the external disk icon was still not showing in System Prefs.
I should mention that my other Firewire LaCie external disc, same capacity but not a 'mobile' design, does appear in the System Prefs startup disk window. This disk has not been cloned so it seems that the problem could be either due to the cloning or the disk.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
Roy - try with just the one (clone) disc connected. I believe there can be issues with a second disc dismounting the first one.

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Roy Rainford
Mick - I should have said that all my attempts to use the external disk have been with just one connected. I unplug & plug in the same Firewire socket because the other socket has my scanner connected. (scanner not switched on).

Re: External cloned hard disk doesn't appear

Avatar Mick Burrell
That may (possibly) be an issue. Try it without the scanner plugged in i.e. so your clone drive is the only firewire device attached. Doubt it will work but I can't find out what the situation is with Firewire on Leopard except that there does seem to be lots of issues.
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