Forums | MacLife

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 2:12 pm

So it's getting that time to drop a new drive into the tower, but i wonder if i want to replace the main drive how? secondary drives seems easy since the current tower only has 3 of the 4 slots used, just drop in new drive. Copy contents for old to new, pop out the old and repeat until you've copied all the old drives to new ones.

but what about replacing the primary drive?

sturner · 2009-06-29 2:20 pm

Same way.

Clone the primary to the new drive. Select that drive as the boot drive. Reboot.

What version of OS? What kind of tower? With the esata drives it's very easy. And I wonder why you would remove a good drive? Keep it for data backup under Time Machine or your clone software.

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 2:28 pm

sturner wrote:
Same way.

Clone the primary to the new drive. Select that drive as the boot drive. Reboot.

What version of OS? What kind of tower? With the esata drives it's very easy. And I wonder why you would remove a good drive? Keep it for data backup under Time Machine or your clone software.

the 2008 dual xeon towers, OSX 10.5.7

Oh i'm sure i could find some use for the old drive but i need to find a way to copy the data first.

Now most cloning softwhere i know is PC, what would work for a mac. I presume i can't clone the content wit hthe system booted on.

sturner · 2009-06-29 2:49 pm

Yes you can clone from the booted system disk.

Look at Carbon Copy Cloner, Super Duper, and there are some others. These all will clone a disk and make it bootable, which is what you are looking for.

You can boot from the selected cloned disk to test it before you erase your current primary boot disk.

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 2:54 pm

ok thanks!

Now once i have my new drives in I don't suppose theirs anything stopping me from using the old ones ins a PC right? SATA is SATA right? I have a server in the office connecting our PC computers and it has a SATA drive thats running 60% health according to SMART tags and HDD Health. Once the mac has its new TB drives could i use the old drive to replace the failing drives in the Server?

sturner · 2009-06-29 2:56 pm

If it supports sata I and II, correct. You will have to reformat the disk but that's obvious.

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 3:05 pm

while im on the subject, counti repliace a PATA drive wit ha sata (obviously using some sort of connector plug) or would there be a hardware conflict. I mean i'm goina to have 3 good usable SATA drives lying around. the server only needs 2 but 2 others computers in the office use ATA

sturner · 2009-06-29 3:11 pm

I'm aware of several external cases that will use SATA and connect through USB or Firewire. An internal connection converting a SATA drive to ATA interface is also possible, though I'm not aware (I haven't looked) for such a solution. I've used this solution, but it's for a bare drive, and not designed for internal connection.

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 3:14 pm

useful, i'll see whatthe MAx PC crew have to say on PATA to SATA, thanks!

sturner · 2009-06-29 3:18 pm

Addonics might have a converter solution for you.

Nekollx · 2009-06-29 3:50 pm

thanks, i'll look them over later, while i'm on the subject of disc heath, is their a way to monitor the SMART tags wit ha mac dashboard widgit, i have yet to find one that monitors SMART. I do have temp readers though.

sturner · 2009-06-29 4:29 pm

I'm not aware of any. Check the widgets at Apple, and you could check Tech Tool Pro, they monitor SMART, but I don't know if they have a widget for it.

Basil · 2009-06-29 6:02 pm

SmartReporter
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23232

Nekollx · 2009-06-30 2:41 pm

thanks, smart reporter tells me im "green" which is quite a relive to me.

Nekollx · 2009-06-30 2:44 pm

ok new question that just hit me:
From what i can tel lover at MacGuru's only Seagate and Himachi drives were tested as mac compatible. Himachi i cant find at the 'egg, and Segate just got over that firmware thing. As those really the only 2 drives that i can use in a mac tower or are other drives (western digital, maxxor, etc) just as viable.

sturner · 2009-06-30 3:44 pm

I believe all sata I and II drives are acceptable. You will have to format them but you'd do that anyway. I like Western Digtal.

all drives are subject to catastrophic failures, which is why you look at the warranty that comes with them. If it fails within the warranty period you get a new one, usually free. So look for performance and warranty along with price.

You should also look at Other World Computing. They have lots of hard drives as well, and they do have competitive prices.

Basil · 2009-06-30 4:19 pm

Nekollx wrote:
ok new question.

Starting a new thread results is more appropriate when the subject changes.

Last edited by Basil (2009-06-30 4:21 pm)

Nekollx · 2009-06-30 5:21 pm

it may be a new question but its still related to drive cloning

Forums | MacLife

#1 2009-06-29 2:12 pm

clone mac contents

#2 2009-06-29 2:20 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#3 2009-06-29 2:28 pm

Re: clone mac contents

sturner wrote:

#4 2009-06-29 2:49 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#5 2009-06-29 2:54 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#6 2009-06-29 2:56 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#7 2009-06-29 3:05 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#8 2009-06-29 3:11 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#9 2009-06-29 3:14 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#10 2009-06-29 3:18 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#11 2009-06-29 3:50 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#12 2009-06-29 4:29 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#13 2009-06-29 6:02 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#14 2009-06-30 2:41 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#15 2009-06-30 2:44 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#16 2009-06-30 3:44 pm

Re: clone mac contents

#17 2009-06-30 4:19 pm

Re: clone mac contents

Nekollx wrote:

#18 2009-06-30 5:21 pm

Re: clone mac contents

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