Restore OS X from back up.- MacBookPro

A family member has a new MBP on OS X 10.8.3.
The Macs we bought in 2002 came with CDs to enable the user to restore the OS X after some disaster.
Nothing like this seems to have come with the MBP.

I would like to be independent of the web sites etc which might provide the necessary data.

So I have a new LaCie 3TB external hard drive which I can use for periodic back up, and also for storing OS X etc.

I plan to use CarbonCopyCloner or superduper to do the copying of the entire hard disk contents.
Any ideas which of these packages is preferred for this task?
I assume either would work.

Can't help with CarbonCopyCloner or superduper but the usual way is to use a memory stick as a boot device then use Migration Assistant to restore from backup. (edit-Assuming the backup is on a Time Machine drive)

Instructions

Edited by billford (Mon 02-Sep-13 17:35:53)

Back-up using time machine and then there is an option to restore from the time machine backup. It was very simple when my son's MBP had to be replaced because of a fault.

This should help

Thanks for those two similar helpful replies.
I have never used Time Machine, as the early versions seemed to be just a pain.
I guess things have now improved, and I will try it - after finding out more about it.

A pal has used TM on a MBP but after a crash by iPhoto '11, found that the most recent work had not been saved by Time Machine.
I don't have details of time interval specified.

As far as I can see, with a laptop such as MBP, used anywhere in the house, TM can only work when you have connected a large bulky external hard drive to it. So you have to remember to make that connection every so often, otherwise the "automatic" back up will not be taking place.

For " use a memory stick" I guess that means something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexar-Jumpdrive-Flash-Drive-...
Please tell me if I am wrong.

Thanks for the info.

In reply to a post by DIOGENES:

As far as I can see, with a laptop such as MBP, used anywhere in the house, TM can only work when you have connected a large bulky external hard drive to it. So you have to remember to make that connection every so often, otherwise the "automatic" back up will not be taking place.

Doesn't have to be large and bulky but yes, it works best with continuous access to an external drive. I think it can be configured to use a NAS drive, but I'm not sure how.

For " use a memory stick" I guess that means something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexar-Jumpdrive-Flash-Drive-...
Please tell me if I am wrong.

Yup, that's the gadget. I normally use Kingston devices (like these), but any good-quality one will do (reliability is a distinct advantage!).

I have a Buffalo TeraStation attached via EtherNet to my router. I then back up my iMac to that using TM. That way TM works whenever the iMac is attached to the network, which in my case is all of the time. Both of my sons have a similar set-up but with different NAS devices. You just need to check that he NAS is TM compatible. One of my sons backs up multiple Apple devices to different directories in the same NAS.

"I have a Buffalo TeraStation attached via EtherNet to my router."
Yes that looks good but £480 for Buffalo is beyond my budget.
I wonder if I could use my LaCie 3TB desk top hard drive [ 301549EK ] linked by ethernet cable to my wireless router [ Netgear N300 WNR2200 ] ?
I am confident that Time Machine could recognise the LaCie if it was directly connected to the laptop by cable, but not sure if it would work over the wireless network via the router.

Any thoughts?

This hard disk has SATA, Firewire and USB ports but not Ethernet. So unless you have a USB port on your router that allows it to attach there and share it you will have to attach directly.

Thanks for that reply.
All now clear - direct connection must be used.
I think I must be losing my grip, not even able to see what is in front of me!

As it is a new MB it should have a Thunderbolt connection so use this to connect to a Thunderbolt connected drive and use SuperDuper to run scheduled back ups each day, if SD is set to run the delta type update then the back up is quite quick.

I use Time Machine to recover from erroneous deletions during the time between SuperDuper back ups.

Perfection would involve two sets of Thunderbolt drives so that you had two levels of back up, with perhaps one drive stored off site (at a neighbours house for example) swapped over each day or week - according to your rate of data change.

Two maxims to remember

Disc drives exist in one of two states - About to die, or dead.

Data does not exist unless it exists in two or more locations.

USB3 would be a far cheaper alternative, and just as fast.

For " use a memory stick" I guess that means something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexar-Jumpdrive-Flash-Drive-...
Please tell me if I am wrong.

Yup, that's the gadget. I normally use Kingston devices (like these), but any good-quality one will do (reliability is a distinct advantage!).
***********************************************

I have tried searching web for a reliable 16GB Flash drive with USB 3.0, BUT with poor results.

Reviews on Amazon are depressing. For example:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2KLRRO17RPRAY/ref=cm...

Are there any recommendations for a reliable USB 3.0 flash drive?

There is no point going to the trouble of getting a flash drive for creating a backup if it may not work when needed.

Can't help on that- I've only got one device that can handle USB3 (this iMac) so I haven't bothered with it for Flash drives.

My thoughts are that, whilst speed is nice to have, for a backup Flash drive reliability is far more important and I'd stick with USB2- it's been around a lot longer!

There'll be an initial time penalty for the first complete backup, but for incremental ones after that the increased time involved isn't worth worrying about.

My thoughts are that, whilst speed is nice to have, for a backup Flash drive reliability is far more important and I'd stick with USB2- it's been around a lot longer!

Thanks for good advice - I now have a Kingston 16 GB Flash Drive - USB 2.0.
The MBP is now on OSX 10.8.5.
I have still not worked out how to use the Flash Drive as a tool for restoring OSX, in spite of trying to use the following:

Can't help with CarbonCopyCloner or superduper but the usual way is to use a memory stick as a boot device then use Migration Assistant to restore from backup. (edit-Assuming the backup is on a Time Machine drive)
Instructions
http://www.macworld.com/article/1167857/how_to_make_...

Those Instructions seem to assume there is an OSX Install package on the MBP.
There is no such package as far as I can see.
I guess that article has not yet been updated to deal with current MBPs.

Mean time I would have to rely on restore from Time Machine, which I have started to use and find A1.
Just connect the MBP to the LaCie hard drive once a week and 5 minutes later - job done!

Thanks for all the contributions.

In reply to a post by DIOGENES:

Those Instructions seem to assume there is an OSX Install package on the MBP.
There is no such package as far as I can see.

No, there isn't- what you need to do is to shut the MBP down, insert the Flash drive, switch it on again and immediately hold the "Option" key down. This should bring up the Startup Manager- select the Flash drive and boot from that. See here. Then you can do a full re-install or use other utilities from the menu bar.

Mean time I would have to rely on restore from Time Machine, which I have started to use and find A1.
Just connect the MBP to the LaCie hard drive once a week and 5 minutes later - job done!

Time Machine is a boon and a blessing, it's got me out of a hole on more than one occasion

In reply to a post by DIOGENES:
Those Instructions seem to assume there is an OSX Install package on the MBP.
There is no such package as far as I can see.

No, there isn't- what you need to do is to shut the MBP down, insert the Flash drive, switch it on again and immediately hold the "Option" key down. This should bring up the Startup Manager- select the Flash drive and boot from that. See here.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1310?viewlocale=en_US&...
Then you can do a full re-install or use other utilities from the menu bar.

Thanks - but I still have an empty Flash Drive.
How do I get OSX and any necessary supporting software on to the Flash Drive?
Where does that come from?

In reply to a post by DIOGENES:

Thanks - but I still have an empty Flash Drive.
How do I get OSX and any necessary supporting software on to the Flash Drive?
Where does that come from?

I can't understand what you've done (or, more accurately, haven't done)

You should have downloaded the Mountain Lion installer from the App Store (click "OS X Mountain Lion" from the Quick Links box on the right of the main page, this article¹ may also help), but not run it, then followed the instructions in the "Create the Mountain Lion install drive" in the article I linked to earlier.

You should then have a bootable Flash drive.

Is that not what you did?



¹It may be slightly out of date- if it detects you already have Mountain Lion it now gives you the option of updating or re-downloading the whole thing again).